Abdominal pain when lying down
introduction
Abdominal pain is a symptom that can occur due to a variety of different causes.
In addition to the type and extent of the complaints, the exact localization and the body position at which the pain is greatest are important for the diagnosis of the underlying disease.
Abdominal pain, which varies in intensity in different body positions, can in most cases be traced back to flatulence.
You can find more information on the topic here: Abdominal pain from gas
With a large amount of Intestinal gases or then if the Intestinal passage difficult is, these can be in the intestines for strong pain to care.
Depending on the body position, more or less severe pain can occur. If the pain is particularly severe when lying down, for example, a Change in body position often help to ease the passage of intestinal gases and thus to improve the symptoms.
In some cases, serious illnesses can also be behind the symptoms. Typical of abdominal pain, which can be traced back to serious illnesses, is that the body position usually has no influence on the intensity and the Occur that takes pain.
In order to be able to determine the cause behind the complaints, you should especially with one persistent symptom duration and a doctor should be consulted in the event of severe pain.
Using the anamnesis and a advanced diagnostics it is usually possible for the doctor to find out the cause behind the symptoms and to initiate appropriate therapy.
Even if Flatulence Therapy can help alleviate the symptoms.
In acute flatulence, a Changing body position will help to alleviate the discomfort. Likewise can Abdominal massages and thus a Massage of the intestines to provide relief. These measures allow the air a further passage in the intestine and thus often improve the pain.
Through an accurate Analysis of intolerances and a Adjusting eating habits In many cases a permanent improvement of the symptoms can be achieved and abdominal pain can be prevented in the future.
These could be the possible causes
Abdominal pain is one of the most common symptoms and ailments in everyday life. Abdominal pain is also a frequently described problem in hospitals and doctors' offices. The numerous causes can be harmless or life-threatening. In most cases, harmless and temporary symptoms are behind the pain in the abdomen while lying down.
- Constipation, gas, diarrhea, gastrointestinal infections or food intolerance can be common but often harmless causes of the problem.
- Furthermore, severe infections or inflammations from other causes can also affect the intestine and lead to abdominal pain. An example of this is the inflammatory bowel disease "Crohn's disease".
- Intestinal blockages, intestinal infarctions or tumor diseases of the intestine can in rare cases be behind abdominal pain when lying down.
- Apart from the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of various organs of the chest or abdomen can also make themselves felt as abdominal pain when lying down. For example, diseases of the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, ovaries, genital organs or the heart can be noticed for the first time as abdominal pain.
- In many cases, the musculoskeletal system can also project its pain onto the abdomen and mask diseases of the muscles, bones and the musculoskeletal system. In particular, complaints of the spine, which are common, can feel like stomach ache when lying down.
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Possible accompanying symptoms
The abdominal pain can be accompanied by very different symptoms. This depends on the type and severity of the underlying disease. Harmless intestinal upset can be associated with diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, nausea, loud bowel noises, abdominal cramps and fever. In the longer term, weakness, fainting, weight loss and other symptoms that indicate impaired digestion can follow. Warning symptoms for potentially life-threatening and dangerous illnesses are extremely severe pain, restricted bowel movements for several days, bloated stomach, fluid in the abdomen, strong defenses in the abdominal wall, blood in the stool or high fever. This can be due to diseases that are associated with damage to the intestinal walls, such as a tumor disease or chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Extreme pain and restricted bowel movements, on the other hand, suggest a life-threatening intestinal obstruction.
Abdominal pain when lying down and gas
Gas build-up is a normal and healthy by-product of digestion. They escape the intestines in the form of slight flatulence, which can be very uncomfortable for those affected, as they can either be foul-smelling or, if you force them to, lead to abdominal pain and a painful flat stomach. In most cases, increased flatulence is caused by consumed foods that the intestine cannot digest well, which leads to increased formation of gases by the intestinal enzymes. Known triggers of flatulence are legumes and high-fiber foods. Carbonated drinks, creatine, or swallowing more air can also trigger increased gas. More rarely, food intolerances are behind the flatulence. For example, lactose intolerance or fructose intolerance can manifest themselves in the form of flatulence. The flatulence can sometimes cause pain as a result of stretching the bowel. Keeping the flatulence is not recommended in these cases.
You might also be interested in this topic: Abdominal pain from gas
Abdominal pain when lying down and diarrhea
Diarrhea is a symptom of many different diseases.
If diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal pain, it is usually a complaint that occurs due to increased bowel movement, which is also known as bowel cramps.
Because of the illness that causes the diarrhea, the body tries to move the stool out of the body as quickly as possible, which is why the bowel usually increases in its movements in diarrheal diseases.
The body position usually does not play a role in the abdominal pain that occurs. Sometimes an improvement can be achieved by changing position to lying down or from lying down to standing if flatulence occurs in addition to diarrhea.
The respective cause, which is responsible for the occurrence of the complaints, can be very different.
Gastrointestinal infections with diarrhea and abdominal pain are common. These can be caused by viruses as well as bacteria and often do not require any therapy.
Food intolerances such as lactose intolerance are also increasingly responsible for the occurrence of diarrhea and abdominal pain.
In the case of frequently recurring symptoms, irritable bowel syndrome should also be considered and targeted diagnostics should be carried out.
You can find more information on the topic here: Abdominal pain and diarrhea
Abdominal pain when lying down and back pain
Abdominal pain and back pain can interact with one another. Typically, symptoms of the abdominal organs can radiate into the back and incorrectly represent themselves as back pain. Diseases of the spine can also be perceived as abdominal pain less often. The spatial proximity of the spine to abdominal organs such as the gastrointestinal tract means that strong movements, flatulence, swelling, enlargement or tumors of the intestine can press on the spine and cause local pain. In the case of persistent back pain without any recognizable disease of the spine, a disease of the intestine or other abdominal organs should therefore always be considered.
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Abdominal pain when lying down according to localization
Abdominal pain in the left or right side
Abdominal pain is a very general symptom that can be an indication of a variety of different diseases.
In order to find out which disease is causing the symptoms, a medical diagnosis is essential.
The exact location at which the abdominal pain occurs when lying down is often helpful in finding the correct diagnosis. For this reason, the doctor-patient interview is usually followed by a physical examination. The doctor can usually determine whether the abdominal pain can be triggered by certain tests and at which point the symptoms are particularly severe.
The most common cause of abdominal pain, which occurs both on the left and on the right and changes sides frequently during the day, is gas.
Depending on the point at which the gases in the intestine are stuck, the complaints occur and dissolve at the moment when a passage through the intestine is reached. However, gas with abdominal pain can also occur on just one side.
Other diseases are associated with a specific localization of the abdominal pain. In addition to a division into left and right, the abdomen should also be divided into upper, middle and lower abdomen.
Abdominal pain, which is triggered by gastric diseases, is typically found in the upper abdomen on the left side.
For appendicitis, which is characteristically also accompanied by very severe symptoms, an onset of abdominal pain in the middle of the abdomen at the level of the navel and a shift of the pain to the right lower abdomen in the course of the disease are typical.
However, it must be noted that the localization of the abdominal pain and the information whether it occurs more frequently when lying down or in another body position can be helpful in the search for the diagnosis, but is rarely sufficient to define the disease causing the complaint.
Further diagnostics are usually necessary and useful after the physical examination.
You can find more information on the topic here: Abdominal pain right- what do I have ?, stomachache left- what do I have?
Abdominal pain lying on the left side
Temporary gastrointestinal disorders are also the most likely cause of abdominal pain on the left. The diseases of the spleen or diseases of the left kidney can also be responsible for the pain. A common disease of the intestine that affects the left side is diverticulitis of the large intestine, which can lead to severe inflammation and dangerous disease. Liver disease, stomach disease, and pancreatic disease can also manifest on the left side and cause pain here.
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Abdominal pain in the upper abdomen when lying down
Upper abdominal pain initially suggests the stomach, which is located below the costal arch and can often be plagued by pain due to poor nutrition, infections or heartburn. However, this can also be due to diseases of other organs such as the spleen, liver, pancreas or even the heart. Pain in the gallbladder, liver swelling or injuries to the spleen can trigger non-specific upper abdominal pain, as these organs are all located in the upper abdomen. If you have a heart attack or any other acute disease of the heart or the main artery (aorta) the pain can radiate to different parts of the body, for example to the jaw, back, left arm or upper abdomen. Acute upper abdominal pain can therefore also indicate a heart attack in an emergency.
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Abdominal pain in the lower abdomen when lying down
Pain in the lower abdomen can be typical of various organ diseases. In addition to the parts of the intestine located here, the genital organs must also be taken into account in women. The so-called sigmoid diverticulitis or appendicitis are associated with typical lateral pain in the lower abdomen. Entrapment of the intestine, for example in the form of an inguinal hernia, can also lead to lower abdominal pain. In women, the period can cause pelvic pain when lying down; diseases of the ovaries, diseases of the fallopian tubes and diseases of the uterus should also be considered. For example, an ectopic pregnancy can be a life-threatening disease that manifests itself as pelvic pain.
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Abdominal pain when lying down during pregnancy
Abdominal pain is also a common symptom during pregnancy with a multitude of possible causes.
Abdominal pain in particular, which occurs when lying down, is typical for the last few months of a pregnancy.
In most cases the symptoms are harmless and do not cause concern. As the child grows and the growing lack of space in the pregnant woman's abdomen, abdominal pain can occur.
The reason for this is usually an increased pressure on the stomach with associated reflux symptoms. The symptom, also known as heartburn, is sometimes noticeable with severe upper abdominal pain. Flatulence during pregnancy is also often responsible for the symptoms and is also dependent on the individual body position.
Other causes that can be responsible for the symptoms are stretching of the ligaments and muscles caused by pregnancy, so-called labor pains, an ectopic pregnancy and infections or cysts.
It should be noted, however, that serious illnesses are usually associated with complaints that occur regardless of the body position and cannot be influenced by changing it.
Read more about the topic here: Abdominal pain in pregnancy
Symptom improvement
It often happens that a spontaneous improvement in abdominal pain occurs, although no causal therapy has been undertaken.
In most cases, this is due to the fact that flatulence was the cause of the symptoms. With a spontaneous passage of the fixed winds an improvement of the symptoms occurs.
An easier passage of the flatulence can often be achieved by changing the body position. Stuck winches can often be successfully released while lying down and by turning from one side to the other. If the abdominal pain is worse lying down, it may be helpful to put your feet up or to walk a little.
But other diseases can also be accompanied by a spontaneous improvement in abdominal pain. Some diseases are associated with so-called colicky pain. These occur in waves and typically have symptom-free phases. In these diseases, however, a symptom-free phase is often followed by a phase in which extremely severe pain is described. A change in body position does not usually bring any improvement in these diseases.
Worsening of symptoms
If the symptoms get worse lying down and the pain is stronger in this position of the body, this can have different causes.
As a rule, flatulence is the cause of the deterioration in the changed body position. The pressure prevailing in the intestine and the distribution of the gases change when the body position changes.
If the pressure in the intestine is increased by the lying position, the pain will increase. Conversely, an improvement can often be achieved if the body position is changed. If the symptoms are worst lying down, turning on your stomach or back and walking a short distance can improve your symptoms.
There are also serious illnesses that are associated with abdominal pain, which can get worse when lying down.
Particularly noteworthy is the reflux. The lying position of the body makes it easier for stomach acid to get into the esophagus and cause discomfort there.
If the symptoms typically occur in the upper abdomen and are worse when lying down, reflux diagnostics should always be carried out for this reason.
Read more on the topic: heartburn
treatment
The treatment of abdominal pain that occurs while lying down is basically based on the Underlying disease which can be blamed for the pain.
To find out whether the symptoms are a sign of a serious illness or if there is nothing to worry about, especially at severe pain and one long-lasting complaint a doctor to be visited. This can usually determine the underlying disease using diagnostic methods and prescribe a suitable therapy.
Should the Complaints express a increased accumulation of air in the intestines can be one Change in body position as well as a Abdominal massage help alleviate the discomfort.
These measures can ensure that the tight winds can pass the painful area in the intestine and spread or leave the intestine.
With repeated problems and severe flatulence can a Adjusting eating habits as well as a analysis on any Intolerances prevent the recurrence of gas.
These home remedies can help
Home remedies can alleviate symptoms and aid healing in mild discomfort. Before using home remedies, threatening causes of abdominal pain should be ruled out. Stomach upset, constipation and flatulence are the most common causes of abdominal pain and can be treated very well with home remedies. First of all, avoiding things that are harmful to the digestive system, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, fatty foods and low-fiber foods, should be in the foreground. On the other hand, in addition to drinking a large amount of water, high-fiber, high-fiber, anti-inflammatory, vitamin-rich and healthy foods should be consumed. For example, onion, ginger and honey can have a calming and anti-inflammatory effect on the mucous membranes. Food such as oatmeal and rusks add energy to the body and at the same time protect the stomach lining. In the case of diarrhea, it is also advisable to get the lost fluids and electrolytes in the form of foods such as water, broth and bananas rich in potassium.
forecast
The prognosis for abdominal pain when lying down is generally very good. Often there are only harmless temporary causes behind the symptoms. They usually subside on their own after a few hours to days and do not require any specific therapy. Serious illnesses can only cause abdominal pain in rare cases. Chronic illnesses or highly acute life-threatening illnesses can be behind this. As a rule, highly acute symptoms are indicated by correspondingly strong symptoms. With timely medical treatment, these clinical pictures can often be treated and cured.
