Severe abdominal pain near the belly button area, which occurs sporadically or constantly can be indicative of various conditions. This article will throw light on some of the most common ones.
How often have you clutched your belly when a sudden pain shoots through it? The causes for this shooting pain near the belly button region may be varied, and most of them do not warrant a panic trip to the emergency room. Plus, easing the pain can be done even by using some simple home remedies. This HerHaleness article will tell you what the most common causes of a pain in the general area of your navel could be. Go through them and check what is most likely the cause of yours.
Disclaimer: This HerHaleness article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
Pain ABOVE the Belly Button
Sometimes, you may experience a constant and severely weakening pain right above your navel. Given below are the most common causes of this pulling pain.
Gas and Indigestion
What have you eaten in the past day or two? Is it something that you might be allergic to or something that hasn’t agreed with your stomach? Or is it food from a place that has questionable hygiene standards? Think back and answer these questions. This is because stomach problems like gas, acidity and indigestion due to certain foods that do not suit the person’s stomach are one of the leading causes of this kind of pain. An antacid generally works for this kind of pain.
Stomach Infection
Sometimes, it may happen that there are certain harmful bacteria present in the food that you must have consumed. These bacteria are not fought by the immune system, and the result is severe, leading to excruciating pain in the abdominal area above the belly button. It is most generally followed by diarrhea or constipation. If this pain continues for too long (more than a day), visit your doctor. He will prescribe antibiotics that will help ease the pain and the infection.
Pain BELOW the Belly Button
Another area where you can experience pain is the abdominal area below the belly button. Here are what could be the causes of this kind of pain.
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary Tract Infections are a result of the entry of bacteria into the urethra and also the urinary bladder of the person. This infection is characterized by an abdominal pain just below the navel, along with a burning sensation while urinating and also other symptoms like slight fever and cloudy urine. If you think you’re experiencing similar symptoms, visit the doctor.
Menstrual Cramps
Women can suffer from terrible menstrual cramps, before and during their monthly period. At this time, the muscles in the lower abdominal area expand and contract rather quickly, straining them and thus, giving rise to the cramping pain in the region. There are various remedies like hot compresses, teas, walks, etc. that you can try to alleviate the pain.
Pain AROUND the Belly Button
This last section will tell you what could be the causes for you experiencing pain in the general periphery of your belly button. See if you can identify with them.
Muscle Stress
If you are involved in a sport or any activity that involves a lot of physical stress to your abdominal area, then it could be one of the contributing factors to the pain in the region. For instance, if you indulge in sports, lifting of heavy objects from one place to another and other such activities, there are chances that your muscles in the abdominal area near the belly button have suffered from excess stress or have become inflamed. Also, sudden involvement in such activities without a proper warm up may be a cause of strain on the muscles, resulting in pain. Rest and compresses help to ease such a pain.
Appendicitis
The appendix can be the cause of severe pain and discomfort to a person, in case it gets infected. The appendix is situated within the large intestine. If, by some chance, the opening of the appendix gets blocked and bacteria begin to fester, it leads to appendicitis. Extreme pain in the navel area is one of the primary symptoms of appendicitis. This pain begins right below the navel, gradually spreads to the right side of the belly and can be quite excruciating. If even slight physical movements become very difficult due to this pain, visit the doctor immediately.
As you can see, except for appendicitis, the causes for this kind of pain are not really that worrisome. Most are situations which people encounter frequently and can be treated by consuming an analgesic (not without a prescription), a diet that suits your body, and a good fitness regime. However, these were just some of the causes of intermittent pain. If you suffer from prolonged and unbearable pain, then strictly avoid self-medication and consult your doctor for treatment.
