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Abdominal Pain Specialist

Advanced Endoscopy Center

Gastroenterology located in St. Louis, MO

Everyone occasionally has abdominal pain. But severe or chronic pain is a red flag, telling you that there’s a problem in your gastrointestinal tract. The team at Advanced Endoscopy Center offers comprehensive care for abdominal pain, from getting to the root cause of your pain to medical care that ranges from medication and dietary changes to minimally invasive procedures that safely diagnose and treat the problem. Don’t wait to get help for abdominal pain. Call the office in St. Louis, Missouri, or connect online to request an appointment.

Abdominal Pain Q & A

What causes abdominal pain?

Abdominal pain can appear suddenly and cause severe pain. You could also have abdominal pain that’s a constant, dull ache or an occasional sharp pain. For some people, abdominal pain becomes a chronic problem.

In other words, abdominal pain doesn’t fit into one neat category. That’s because it can begin in many different areas and from numerous possible causes. 

A few of the most common causes of abdominal pain include:

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Liver disease
  • Pancreatitis
  • Gastroparesis
  • Diverticulitis
  • Cholecystitis
  • Kidney stones
  • Gallbladder stones
  • Appendicitis

 

Diarrhea and constipation also cause abdominal pain that should go away after you have a bowel movement. 

When should I get help for abdominal pain?

 

If you have severe pain or abdominal pain together with any of the following symptoms, you should seek immediate medical care:

 

  • Fever
  • Bloody stools
  • Persistent constipation
  • Ongoing nausea and vomiting
  • Abdominal swelling
  • Yellow-looking skin or eyes (jaundice)
  • Tenderness when touching your abdomen

 

If your pain is tolerable but lasts several days, you should schedule an appointment at Advanced Endoscopy Center to be sure you don’t have a serious underlying condition. 

When would I need an endoscopy for abdominal pain?

You may need an endoscopy when other diagnostic tests don’t identify the cause of your abdominal pain or treatments fail to relieve the pain.

 

During an upper GI endoscopy, your provider guides a thin, flexible tube through your mouth and down your throat. The scope transmits images from inside the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (upper part of the small intestine), allowing your provider to examine the tissues and find the cause of your pain.

 

If the pain is in your lower abdomen, your provider does a similar procedure, but they guide the scope through your anus and into the colon. This is called a colonoscopy.

How is abdominal pain treated?

The treatment for your abdominal pain depends on the underlying cause. For example, if you have GERD or Crohn’s disease, your treatment may begin with medication, a specialized diet, and other lifestyle changes. These steps often reduce your symptoms and ease your abdominal pain.

If your provider at Advanced Endoscopy Center diagnoses problems during an endoscopy or colonoscopy, they can treat the problem during your procedure. After inserting special instruments through the scope, your provider can remove polyps, eliminate blockages, take a biopsy, and stop the bleeding.

If you need help with abdominal pain, call Advanced Endoscopy Center or book an appointment online today.