What Causes Swollen Stomach And Pain

When To Visit A Doctor

• Over-the-counter remedies or changes in eating habits don’t help.
• Has unexplained weight loss
• Have chronic or frequent constipation, diarrhea, or vomiting
• Have persistent bloating, gas, or heartburn
• Your stools contain blood or mucus
• There have been major changes in your bowel movements
• Your symptoms make it difficult for you to function

• Abdominal pain is severe
• You have chest pain
• You have a high fever

What Causes Abdominal Swelling

Your abdomen could be swollen for different reasons. These range from eating too much to pregnancy. Only your doctor will be able to determine the exact cause of your swollen abdomen.

A common cause of abdominal swelling is gas. Swallowing air as part of a nervous habit or from eating foods that are high in fiber can lead to gas production. If you dont release this gas, it can lead to abdominal swelling.

How Can I Prevent Stomach Bloating

If your stomach bloating is caused by diet or alcohol, you can help prevent it by making some lifestyle changes. Some good general guidelines include:

If the cause of your bloated stomach is something more specific, such as specific food intolerance, perimenopause or a medical condition, you might need a little help with diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Some options include:

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Possible Reasons For Bloating And Distension Include:

• Too much gas in the intestine
• Abnormal levels of bacteria in the small intestine
• Imbalance of microorganisms that usually live in the bowel sometimes the result of taking antibiotics
• Food intolerance
• Increased perception and sensitivity to what is happening in the digestive tract
• Increased curvature of the lumbar region of the spine , which decreases the capacity of the abdomen to hold gas

How Do Healthcare Providers Treat Abdominal Distension

If you seek medical care for your distended abdomen, your healthcare provider will work to isolate the cause. Theyll start by asking you questions about your symptoms and examining your abdomen to see where it’s distended. The location of the outward curve, whether it’s uniform across your abdominal cavity or more pronounced in a particular region, helps them determine which organs are involved and narrow down the list of likely causes. They may also feel the area with their hands or tap it and listen to the sound it makes to determine the presence of fluids, gasses or solids.

The internal organs of the abdomen can be classified as either solid or hollow. Solid organs include the liver, spleen, kidneys, adrenals, pancreas, ovaries and uterus. These can become enlarged due to inflammation or growths such as a tumor, abscess or cyst. Your healthcare provider might be able to feel that they are enlarged, or they might need to look at an image of the internal organs to tell. A large growth might be palpable through the skin. Your healthcare provider will confirm your condition with imaging tests, then follow up with additional testing and treatment depending on the condition.

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Food Intolerance And Bloating

Food intolerance can lead to bloating when:

• your bowel does not empty properly
• the food causes gas to be trapped
• too much gas is produced as a reaction to the food

The most common foods to cause problems are wheat or gluten and dairy products.

The best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the problem food or cut it out completely.

Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most. But do not get rid of food groups long-term without advice from your GP.

Find out more about food intolerance.

How Long Does A Bloated Stomach Last

If your bloating is due to something you ate or drank or to hormone fluctuations, it should begin to ease within a few hours to days. If you are constipated, it wont go down until you start pooping. Water, exercise and herbal teas can help encourage all of these things along. If it doesnt go away or gets worse, seek medical attention.

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When Should I Worry About Abdomen Pain

Abdominal Pain is quite common and most of the time does not give you any signs that may result in serious medical conditions. However, if the pain is accompanied by the following symptoms it may lead to a worrisome situation:

• High fever
• Vomiting, especially with blood traces
• Pain rooting towards your upper or lower body
• Breathlessness
• Abnormal stool in terms of color, texture, and consistency
• You may also feel the abdomen region tender, stiff, or hard to touch

Alongside these symptoms, you may feel sudden, sharp, and unbearable intense pain which may last long until get treated.

Summary: In most cases, Abdominal Pain fades away. But in other cases, where the pain is accompanied by other symptoms, in that case, it can be a worrisome situation.

Swollen Testicles And Stds

For men who are sexually active and suffer from swelling of both their testicles, there is a chance that they might be suffering from Chlamydia.

Swollen testicles caused by chlamydia sometimes show no symptoms at all in 50% of the men, but when it does, the symptoms include

• Yellow and watery discharge from the penis
• Rectal pain followed by bleeding or watery discharge
• Inflammation of the joints
• Pain while ejaculating or urinating
• Inflammation around the Penis
• Swelling of the scrotum

The condition can be treated easily by the use of antibiotics but if left unnoticed or untreated for long it can descend down to the urethras causing severe infection and excruciating pain during urination. From the urethra, the bacteria spread to the epididymis hence a major cause of infertility and difficulty while ejaculating in men.

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What Is A Bloated Stomach

A bloated stomach is first and foremost a feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness in your belly. It may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended abdomen. The feeling can range from mildly uncomfortable to intensely painful. It usually goes away after a while, but for some people, its a recurring problem. Digestive issues and hormone fluctuations can cause cyclical bloating. If your bloated stomach doesnt go away, you should seek medical care to determine the cause.

Swollen Testicles In Toddler

Scrotal or testicular swelling is very common among toddlers and a young boy. It is usually divided into two types of swellings, painful and painless.

• Painless Testicular Swelling

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Gastric Issues Make Your Stomach Hard And Swollen

Yes, maybe you are suffering from acidity. This causes the formation of gas in the body. This most probably can be related to a health condition. The causes of a hard and swollen stomach, in this case, include irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and hemorrhoids. Book doctors appointment if you think you have gas often.

What Causes Bloating

Bloating happens when the GI tract becomes filled with air or gas. This can be caused by something as simple as the food you eat. Some foods produce more gas than others. It can also be caused by lactose intolerance . Other simple reasons for bloating include:

• Swallowing air

Other causes could include medical conditions, such as:

• Infection
• Inflammation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Liver disease
• Crohns disease
• Blockage in your bowel or bladder
• Cancer
• Mental health factors, such as anxiety or depression
• Some medicines

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When Is It Serious

Most of the time, you can manage bloating on your own. But if you also feel weak or lose your appetite, or have diarrhea, weight loss, fever, belly pain, or blood in your stool, talk to your doctor. To find out whatâs going on, they may take a stool sample or an X-ray of your small intestine, or test you for lactose intolerance or celiac disease.

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What Can I Do At Home To Prevent Abdominal Distension

Prevention is easier if you know the cause. If you notice that abdominal distension occurs after you eat, you may be able to change your eating habits to prevent it. For example:

• Identify food sensitivities and change your diet accordingly.
• Eat smaller amounts more slowly. Wait longer between meals.
• Drink more water and eat more fiber to prevent the accumulation of waste.
• Try digestive enzymes and probiotics before meals.

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Common Causes Of A Hard And Swollen Stomach

Do you not feel that sometimes your stomach looks bigger than the usual days? And it is not because you are overweight but for some other reason. We might have an answer for you, it is in the causes of a hard and swollen stomach. We have too many, which include our eating and also our lifestyle.

What Are The Causes Of Swollen Testicles

• Swollen Testicles and Stomach pain

The onset of swollen testicles is just like any testicular pain in the terms that it has multiple causes, some of them more severe than others. In simpler words, testicular swelling can be understood as enlargements formed locally around and on the scrotum. It may be one-sided or bilateral. Sometimes it may cause pain but at other instances it may present with different symptoms.

The scrotum or the scrotal sac contains the testicles and the swelling of the testicles can be caused either by an injury or any underlying medical condition that may require urgent medical attention.

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How Common Is Stomach Bloating

Between 10% and 25% of otherwise healthy people complain of occasional abdominal bloating. As many as 75% describe their symptoms as moderate to severe. About 10% say they experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome , it may be as much as 90%. Up to 75% of women experience bloating before and during their period. Only 50% of people who experience bloating also report a distended abdomen.

Treatment Of Distended Abdomen

Abdominal distension treatment will depend on the underlying condition, as some cases will require a radically different form of treatment than other causes. For example, abdominal swelling cases caused by irritable bowel syndrome typically only require diet and lifestyle changes to help manage the condition, which may reduce bloating and other associated symptoms. However, a condition like inflammatory bowel disease will require the use of medication to help reduce inflammatory episodes.

If your case of abdominal distention is due to excess fluid assumption within the body, your doctor may recommend the use of diuretics, which will help your body reduce swelling and relieve symptoms.

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What Does Abdominal Distension Indicate

A distended abdomen is either an organic or a functional problem. An organic problem can be explained by physical evidence, like a disease. Functional problems are observable but unexplained.

Organic causes

Organic causes of abdominal distension might include:

• Pregnancy.
• Menstruation, which causes water retention.
• Significant recent weight gain, which tends to be stored as intra-abdominal fat and may restrict digestion.
• An obstruction of the small or large bowel, causing a build-up of gas and waste matter.
• Partial paralysis of the stomach , causing a build-up of digestive contents.
• Inflammation of the abdominal lining .
• A build-up of fluid in the abdomen caused by liver disease .
• Organ enlargement from inflammation or a growth.
• Internal bleeding .

Functional causes

Functional reasons for a distended abdomen tend to involve digestive problems that cause gas and/or digestive contents to accumulate. Causes might include:

• Constipation causing a build-up of feces and back-up of digestive contents.
• Urinary retention causing a build-up of urine.
• A disorder of the muscle contractions involved in digestion , causing digestive contents to back up.
• Abdominal muscle weakness, which causes the abdominal contents to sag outwards and downwards .

Middle Of The Abdomen

Upper middle:

The upper middle part of the abdomen contains the liver, the cardiac region of the stomach, part of the body of the stomach, the pyloric region of the stomach, and the pancreas.

The liver filters blood and creates bile, which is a substance that helps in the breakdown and absorption of fat in the foods you eat.

The cardiac region of the stomach is where food enters from the esophagus.

The pyloric region of the stomach is the last part of the stomach before food enters into the duodenum of the small intestine.

The pancreas is a large glandular organ that releases digestive enzymes and hormones.

Lower middle:

The lower middle part of the abdomen contains the urinary bladder, rectum, and anus.

The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine for excretion out of the body through the urethra.

The rectum goes into the anus, the final section of the large intestine that carries stool for excretion from the body.

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Where The Fluid Builds Up

Fluid builds up in the abdominal cavity. This is the area of the body below the ribs and lungs and above the hip bones. It contains the stomach, small and large bowel, pancreas, liver, spleen, and kidneys.

The fluid collects between the 2 layers of tissue that surround the abdominal organs. These layers are called the peritoneum. One layer lines the wall of the abdomen. The other covers the organs.

The peritoneum usually produces a small amount of fluid. This helps the organs in the abdomen to move smoothly.

Sometimes a large amount of fluid builds up between the 2 layers, which makes the abdomen swell. This can be very uncomfortable.

This fluid build up is called ascites.

It Could Be Constipation

While youre spending a lot of time at home, you may not be moving as much as you usually do. You may also be eating different foods. This can lead to constipation. You may be constipated if you experience:

• Fewer bowel movements than normal for you
• Stool that is lumpy or looks like pebbles
• Difficulty passing stool or a feeling that you still need to go after youre finished

Fortunately, you can make a number of at-home changes to help relieve your constipation. These include:

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Sudden Stomach Cramps With Diarrhoea

If your stomach cramps have started recently and you also have diarrhoea, the cause may be a tummy bug . This means you have a viral or bacterial infection of the stomach and bowel. It should get better without treatment after a few days.

Gastroenteritis may be caused by:

• coming into close contact with someone who’s infected
• eating contaminated food

If you have repeated bouts of stomach cramps and diarrhoea, you may have a long-term condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome .

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

• Do I need a test to diagnose lactose intolerance?
• Why do certain foods cause my bloating when they never used to?
• What can I do if I have diabetesand my medicine or artificial sweeteners cause bloating?
• Could my bloating be a sign of something more serious?
• What kind of tests will I need?
• What kind of over-the-counter medicine can I try?

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Causes For Severe Abdominal Pain & Swelling

Everyone experiences abdominal pain and swelling at some point in his or her life. In most cases, abdominal pain and swelling are caused by air or increased gas in the stomach and do not indicate a serious condition. When abdominal pain and swelling are severe, it can indicate serious infections or inflammation of the organs.

What Are The Symptoms Of Ascites

The fluid causes swelling that can make the tummy feel tight and very uncomfortable. It often develops over a few weeks but might happen over a few days.

The fluid causes pressure on other organs in the abdominal area and may lead to:

• clothes feeling tighter or needing a bigger belt size
• bloating

Fluid can build up when:

• cancer cells irritate the lining of the abdomen and make it produce too much fluid
• lymph glands in the abdomen get blocked and cant drain fluid properly
• cancer has spread to the liver and raises the pressure in nearby blood vessels, which forces fluid out
• the liver cant make enough blood proteins so fluid leaks out of veins into the abdominal cavity

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