What causes lower abdominal pain in women?

Abdominal pain is a common symptom in women. For example, different abdominal pain symptoms may occur during dysmenorrhea or after sexual intercourse. So what causes lower abdominal pain in women? Generally, pain is divided into acute and chronic. If it is acute, it may be caused by inflammation, such as acute pelvic infection or acute endometritis. If it is chronic pain, it may be chronic genital inflammation. Let's learn about it in detail.

Causes of lower abdominal pain in women

Acute lower abdominal pain. This is a common complaint in medical consultations. The following are some of the common diseases that cause acute lower abdominal pain.

Lower abdominal pain caused by acute inflammation. Acute pelvic infection, including acute endometritis, acute salpingo-oophoritis, pelvic peritonitis and acute pelvic cellulitis. Among them, acute salpingo-oophoritis is the most common, and in severe cases, abscesses may form. Acute pelvic infection often occurs after childbirth and abortion, such as acute endometrial and pelvic cellulitis; it is also seen in sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea. This type of sexually transmitted disease includes gonococcal infection and chlamydia infection, which often recur and can cause fallopian tube pyosalpinx in severe cases.

Non-inflammatory lower abdominal pain. Common causes include ectopic pregnancy, ovarian tumor pedicle torsion and rupture. ① Intra-abdominal bleeding caused by ectopic pregnancy. The pain symptoms vary depending on the amount and speed of bleeding. If the amount of bleeding is small and the bleeding rate is slow, the abdominal pain is often limited to one side of the lower abdomen, and blood accumulates in the rectouterine pouch, which can cause anal pain. This situation is often caused by tubal pregnancy miscarriage. If the fallopian tube pregnancy ruptures, the amount of bleeding is large and the speed is fast. The blood quickly spreads to the entire abdominal cavity and causes pain in the entire abdomen. The upward stimulation of the diaphragm can cause shoulder pain. Patients often suffer from anemia and shock. ② Ovarian tumor pedicle torsion. When the pedicle of an ovarian tumor twists, pain suddenly occurs on one side of the lower abdomen and is persistent colic, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In addition, ovarian cysts may rupture, and the contents of the ruptured cysts may irritate the peritoneum and cause pain.

Acute lower abdominal pain caused by other reasons. Acute lower abdominal pain may occur when uterine perforation occurs during artificial abortion or IUD. Ovarian endometrial cysts (chocolate cysts) may rupture as they enlarge during menstruation, and the cyst contents may irritate the peritoneum and cause severe abdominal pain.

Chronic lower abdominal pain. There are many causes, and it is often accompanied by lumbar pain and increased leucorrhea. It is common in chronic inflammation of the reproductive organs, endometriosis, adenomyosis, pelvic congestion and psychological pelvic pain.

Chronic inflammation of the genitals. Women suffer from long-term lumbar and sacral pain and lower abdominal pain, which worsens after sexual intercourse and during menstruation. It is often accompanied by increased leucorrhea, which is mostly caused by chronic cervicitis. If you experience long-term lower abdominal distension, pain, and lumbar pain that worsens after fatigue, sexual intercourse, or before and after menstruation, and are often accompanied by menstrual disorders and fatigue, it is mostly caused by chronic pelvic inflammation.

Dysmenorrhea is divided into primary and secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary pain often occurs in adolescent girls for unclear reasons. It usually heals itself as you age or after getting married and having children. Common causes of secondary pain are endometriosis and adenomyosis. A common symptom of endometriosis is secondary dysmenorrhea that gradually worsens. The pain may occur periodically, or there may be dull pain in the lower abdomen during non-menstrual periods that worsens before and after menstruation. It is often accompanied by pain during sexual intercourse, which is caused by the repeated thrusting of the penis during sexual intercourse, which causes the penis to collide with the ectopic nodules on the posterior wall of the cervix and the ligaments. In addition, it is often accompanied by infertility and menstrual disorders. Adenomyosis, like endometriosis, presents with secondary dysmenorrhea, often accompanied by menorrhagia.

Pelvic congestion. Also known as pelvic varicose veins. Caused by chronic pelvic congestion. The main symptom is lower abdominal pain, which is relieved when lying down. In addition, it is often accompanied by lumbar pain, menorrhagia and increased leucorrhea. The pain in the lower abdomen and lumbosacral region worsens after sexual intercourse. Due to the pain during sexual intercourse, symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, back pain, and increased vaginal discharge will be significantly aggravated the next day, thus causing a feeling of boredom with sexual life.

Tumor pain. When gynecological malignancies develop to the late stage, unbearable and persistent pain may occur. Lower abdominal pain is often accompanied by lumbar pain, and the pain often radiates to the lower limbs. The main cause of pain is the infiltration or compression of the pelvic nerves by cancer.

Psychogenic pelvic pain. Chronic, recurrent lower abdominal pain without any organic lesions may be psychological pelvic pain. Some people believe that psychological pelvic pain is a somatic conversion reaction, which transforms some repressed emotions into physical symptoms to relieve psychological conflicts; some people have suffered mental trauma in sexual behavior, and thus develop a fear of sexual intercourse, pain during sexual intercourse, and then develop pelvic pain. The patients' main complaints are many, mainly low back pain and pelvic pain, and the degree and location of pain vary from person to person.

If women experience lower abdominal pain in their daily lives, they need to pay attention to it in time, as it may be pain caused by some inflammation or gynecological diseases. They need to go to the hospital for relevant examinations in time to detect and treat the disease in time.