Without a doubt, exercise benefits our health, but for those who feel abdominal pain after working out, it is best to seek medical attention. If you become sick or experience unusual symptoms that slow down or inhibit exercise, you may want to have your doctor examine you to determine if you have an abdominal problem.
What Is Abdominal Pain?
Anyone suffering from abdominal pain frequently must understand its causes and effects. Abdominal pain signifies problems in the abdomen, the area of the stomach that is immediately below the rib cage and diaphragm, but directly above the pelvic ramus (pelvic bone) and between both flanks. The abdomen includes the colon, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, small intestine, spleen, and stomach. Such pain is discomforting and makes exercising unpleasant.
Pain can develop from organs that are not part of the abdomen but reside near it. For example, it may start in places as the kidneys, lungs, ovaries, or the uterus. Likewise, organs in the abdominal cavity can generate pain that is felt outside of it, such as pancreatic inflammation, called referred pain. Referred pain simply means pain generated in an area other than its origin.
What Causes Abdominal Pain?
Distension, stretching of an organ often triggers abdominal pain. Such causes may be loss of blood circulation to a particular organ, hepatitis (swelling of the liver), gallstones blocking the bile duct, or intestinal obstruction. Sometimes, abdominal pain arises even though no distension, inflammation, or loss of blood supply occurs, as in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Currently, there is no iron clad evidence of how IBS is caused. Theoretically, it may develop due to contractions of the intestinal muscles (spasms) or sensitive nerves in the abdomen. Painful stomach sensations are also caused by visceral hypersensitivity.
What Conditions Are Linked to Abdominal Pain?
The eight basic conditions that signify abdominal problems are:
- Acute Appendicitis – The appendix is a small part of the large intestine. If inflamed, it becomes worse and requires removal of this organ. This is done to help eliminate potentially fatal complications such as a ruptured appendix. Its patients will feel a progression of sharp and intense pain over time in the right lower area of the abdomen.
- Acute Pancreatitis – The pancreas is an organ that resides in the upper abdominal region. If impaired, digestion related disorders might develop along with complications which can become life-threatening. The results may be severe abdominal pain often associated with worsening back pain caused by drinking or eating. To relieve this pain, sit up and tilt your torso forward.
- Crohn’s Disease – Swelling occurs in any segment of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth down to the anus, but typically takes place in the ileum (the small intestine’s lower region). Its symptoms are stomach pain, diarrhea, and swelling in this area. Crohn’s disease inhibits its patients from performing regular activities and can bring on serious complications as it progresses.
- Intestinal Obstruction – If the intestinal tract should become blocked, one will experience symptoms as the passing of blood-stained or jelly-like mucus, cramps that are intermittent or severe, vomiting of green or fecal matter, constipation, or swelling in the abdomen.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome – The gastrointestinal tract is affected due to uncoordinated muscle contractions which govern the flow of food going through this organ. As a result, IBS brings on symptoms as unusually continuous bowel movements, emotional distress, and gas.
- Pancolitis – The rectum and the colon become affected with an idiopathic chronic inflammatory disorder that brings on changes in the thickness of the colon. Rectal bleeding (with or without mucus) may occur frequently. Other symptoms are urgency or tenesmus, cramps in the abdomen, or unexplained loss in weight.
- Peritonitis – As the wall inside the abdomen becomes inflamed, normal to severe abdominal pain may occur. One may also experience high fever, chills, rapid or shallow breathing, hot skin, abdominal swelling, low blood pressure, lack of intestinal motion, or an overly rapid pulse.
- Pyloric Stenosis – As the opening between the stomach and the small intestine shrinks, one with this condition may encounter the following: dehydration, distended stomach, vomiting (especially linked to alkalosis), unusual loss in weight, or thickened pyloric muscles.
If you have been diagnosed by any of these conditions, it is advisable to talk with your doctor before attempting heavy exercise. Ignoring any of these maladies can bring on worse symptoms or complications later in life.
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