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Your Diet and IBS
Find out how you can adapt your diet to avoid foods that trigger discomfort.
Abdominal Pain in Men
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This article reviews some of the most common causes of abdominal pain in men, how to treat them, and when to see a doctor.
Common Causes of Abdominal Pain in Men
There are many things that can cause abdominal pain in both males and females, and only some of these causes are actually related to the stomach. So, even though we may be tempted to say we have a “stomach ache,” the pain may not come from the stomach at all. In addition to the stomach, the abdominal cavity hosts a few other organs as well, that may cause pain in what we so often mislabel the ‘stomach’. In medical terms, this is actually abdominal pain.
The specific location of the pain plays a key part. For example, pain in the upper abdomen may indicate a problem with your stomach, like indigestion, whereas pain in the lower right side could mean something very different, like appendicitis.
Abdominal pain in males includes:
- Appendicitis: The pain usually starts around your belly button and moves towards the lower right side of your abdomen. The pain may be sudden and severe, and you might experience additional symptoms, like loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, or a swollen abdomen.
- Gallbladder inflammation: Additional symptoms of gallbladder inflammation include pain in the right upper side of your abdomen that gets worse when you take deep breaths and when you touch the area. You may also have fever and yellowing of the eyes.
- Hernias: Usually, a hernia causes a small bulge in your abdomen, which you may only notice when you stand up, cough, or strain.
- Bowel obstruction: This means that there’s something blocking your intestines. Additional symptoms include vomiting, nausea, and constipation.
- Inflammation of the pancreas: This condition causes pain in your upper abdomen that can spreadas far as your back. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever and a fast heartbeat.
- Stones in the urinary tract, for example kidney stones: This happens when small stones get blocked in your urinary tract, causing renal colic. The condition typically causes pain in your groin and towards your testicles, as well as vomiting and nausea.
- More serious conditions that affect the liver: This could include cirrhosis or hepatitis.
What Causes Lower Abdominal Pain in Men?
Some pelvic organs may cause what feels like lower stomach pain in men. However, the pain may come from somewhere else, for example from the testicles. Common causes of lower abdominal pain in men include:
- Problems with the testicles: This can include testicular torsion, whereby the testicles rotate, causing the spermatic chord to twist. Testicular torsion is a medical emergency that often causes vomiting.
- Inflammation of the prostate: This causes pain in the central lower abdomen. You can also have pain in the genital area, or in the lower back. You may also experience pain during, or after peeing1
IBS and Cramps in The Stomach: Male vs. Female Symptoms
According to some estimates, up to 10 - 46% of the general population globally have abdominal cramps or pain which may not include an underlying disease at its cause. This form of pain is called “functional abdominal cramping pain” (FACP) and it usually doesn’t come with any other symptoms. Although this form of abdominal pain tends to affect women more than men, because it is so widespread, it is also very common among men.
According to the British Journal of Medical Practitioners, the overall prevalence of IBS in the UK is 11% among men. In both genders, IBS can cause abdominal pain. Males, however, tend to experience more diarrhoea ratherthan constipation, compared to women. The causes of FACP and IBS are unclear, but researchers think it’s a combination of several factors such as stress, an overreaction of the immune system, and an imbalance in the gut bacteria.3
How to Relieve IBS Symptoms
Once diagnosed with IBS, you can relieve IBS related abdominal cramps in several ways:
- Try taking antispasmodics such as Buscopan® (hyoscine butylbromide) or Buscomint® (peppermint oil). Antispasmodics are well-tolerated and available OTC in most countries.
- Avoiding foods high in so-called FODMAPs may help relieve your IBS symptoms, such as bloating and diarrhoea.2
- Psychotherapy and relaxation techniques can help ease the symptoms.2
When to See a Doctor for Abdominal Pain in Men
If you are worried about your abdominal pain, seek advice from a doctor for a diagnosis or if you have additional symptoms, such as:
- you lost weight without wanting to
- you look pale
- you feel generally unwell
- you have persistent vomiting or diarrhoea
- you have blood in your stool
- your abdominal cramps happen when you’re doing physical activity
- the pain is very intense
- the pain is keeping you from doing the things you love or are required of you (such as going to work or exercising)
MAT-XU-2404314 (v1.0) Nov 2024
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NIDDK, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Prostatitis: Inflammation of the Prostate, accessed 02/12/2022, available at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/prostate-problems/prostatitis-inflammation-prostate
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Kim YS, Kim N. Sex-Gender Differences in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2018;24:544-558. https://doi.org/10.5056/jnm18082
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Alexander C Ford, Nicholas J Talley, Irritable bowel syndrome, 2012, British Medical Journal BMJ 2012;345:e5836. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e5836
