Abdominal pain is discomfort anywhere between your rib cage and your groin. It can show up while you eat, as your body digests a meal, or around a bowel movement. Some people feel a dull ache, others a sharp cramp, and the feeling can come and go or stay put for days.
Most belly pain is short lived and harmless. But pain that will not quit, keeps coming back, or comes with other symptoms deserves a closer look. Our board-certified gastroenterologists in Akron and Massillon focus on finding the real cause so you are not left guessing.
If your pain is severe, sudden, or paired with fever, vomiting, blood, or a hard or tender belly, treat it as urgent and seek care right away.
Symptoms
- A dull ache, cramping, or sharp pain between the ribs and the groin
- Pain that flares during eating, digestion, or bowel movements
- Bloating, gas, or a feeling of fullness
- Nausea, vomiting, or changes in your bowel habits
- Pain that wakes you at night or keeps returning week after week
Causes
Abdominal pain has a wide range of causes. Many are minor and pass on their own, while others need treatment.
- Common and short lived: constipation, gas, indigestion, and food poisoning
- Ongoing or more serious: peptic ulcers, GERD, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, gallstones, diverticulitis, celiac disease, pancreatitis, and, less often, cancers of the digestive tract
Because so many conditions share the same symptoms, where the pain sits, how it feels, and what makes it better or worse all help point us toward the cause.
How we diagnose it
We start with a careful history and a physical exam, asking about the location, timing, and pattern of your pain along with your diet, medications, and other symptoms. From there we may order lab work to check for infection, inflammation, or other clues.
When the picture calls for a direct look inside, we may recommend endoscopy. An upper endoscopy lets us examine the esophagus, stomach, and upper intestine, and a colonoscopy lets us examine the colon and take biopsies if needed. We only suggest these when they will help us reach a clear answer.
How we treat it
Treatment depends entirely on what is causing the pain. Simple problems like constipation or indigestion often respond to changes in diet, fluids, and over-the-counter measures. Conditions such as ulcers, reflux, or inflammatory bowel disease usually call for targeted medication and follow-up. Gallstones, diverticulitis, and other structural problems may need a procedure. Whatever the cause, we build a plan around your diagnosis and stay with you to make sure it is working.
When to see us
Reach out if your belly pain lasts more than a few days, keeps returning, or comes with weight loss, fever, vomiting, trouble swallowing, or blood in your stool. Seek emergency care for sudden, severe pain or a rigid, very tender abdomen.
You do not need a referral to see us, and we welcome new patients. To get answers about your abdominal pain, call The Gastroenterology Group at (330) 869-0954 or request an appointment in Akron or Massillon, and we will help you find relief.