Abdominal pain comes in many forms. It can range from flatus then usually follows by colic pain (often relieved with a fart, perhaps to the amusement of those around you), to feeling like you’re unable to move (which is amusing to no one). But how can you tell what’s causing your abdominal pain?
Stomach vs. Abdominal Pain: Understanding the Difference
6 mins
Topic
Stomach pain and cramps might be funny when they happen to Finch in American Pie, but they’re no laughing matter when they happen to you! What exactly is stomach pain, what causes it, and is it the same as abdominal pain? What is causing abdominal pains? Read on to find out.
Stomach ache vs. Abdominal Pain: What’s the Difference?
People often use the term “stomach ache” when referring to abdominal pain, the two are not exactly the same.
Stomach ache is usually cramping pain or a abdomen, which is usually referred to as stomach3. But your stomach is actually located in the center of the upper abdomen, slightly to the left4. Because your stomach is in the upper part of your abdomen, that’s where you’ll feel the belly ache5. By contrast, abdominal pain can be felt anywhere between your chest and your groin2. This is because your abdomen covers this entire area. It works like a cavity, hosting several vital organs in addition to your stomach6. Stomach pain is only one of the many types of abdominal pain that we might experience.
The abdominal cavity houses the following organs5:
- Stomach
- Pancreas
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Duodenum
- Small intestine
- Colon (large intestine)
- Appendix
- Bladder
- Kidneys
- Spleen
- Pelvic organs
Abdominal pain could be caused by an issue with any of these organs listed above, not even mentioning the rather large amount of blood vessels also found in this area of the body5.
So, while you may be tempted to say you have a “stomach ache” when you feel pain anywhere in your abdominal area, “abdominal pain” is probably a better term to describe it.
If you have abdominal pain, the causes could even be multiple, and not necessarily related to the stomach itself at all.
Abdominal Pain with Bloating
Bloating is a feeling of discomfort in which the belly feels full, tight, and swollen. When it is accompanied by abdominal cramps, the gas is often trapped wind, or flatulence.
Abdominal Cramps
Usually, abdominal cramps are associated with less serious symptoms and conditions, such as:
- Gas, bloating, and diarrhea2. Here, the pain often gets better after you poop.
- Belly bug (gastroenteritis or food poisoning); having sudden belly cramps and diarrhea usually indicates a belly infection with a virus or a bacterium7.
- FACP, or functional gastrointestinal disorders9
To learn more about potential causes of abdominal pain, and what to do for self-care, take our abdominal pain questionnaire.
If you have FACP once in a while, it may be helpful to keep track of the foods that trigger your episodes and remove them from your diet. For example, avoiding foods high in FODMAP (Foods with High Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Monosaccharides and Polyols) might be enough to clear your symptoms11. Or, if your pain tends to be caused by stress, relaxation techniques and avoiding the stress triggers may be enough to eliminate the pain9.
Treatment with OTC antispasmodics such as Hyoscine-N-butylbromide (Buscopan®) may also relieve your symptoms9.
To find out more about FACP and ways to treat it, read our article here.
To find out more about the different locations of abdominal pain and what each means, head on to Understanding Abdominal Pain: Locations of Abdominal Pain.
What Is Functional Abdominal Cramping Pain?
Sometimes, you may have abdominal cramps that come and go without any obvious cause9. This is called functional abdominal cramping pain (FACP). FACP is when there is no ‘physical abnormality’ causing the pain. Non-functional abdominal pain is called organic abdominal pain, and this is when there is a structural abnormality because of an illness or disease that leads to the pain.
The cramps from FACP may last between a few minutes and a couple of hours9. The cramps may occur on their own, with no other symptoms, or you may also experience9:
- indigestion
- pain in the upper right side of your abdomen
- diarrhea
- constipation
- bloating
Don’t let belly pain hold you back.
Find your Hyoscine N-butylbromide (Buscopan®)
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Abdominal pain: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, U.S. National Library of Medicine, accessed 27/11/2022, available at https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003120.htm
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NI Direct Government Services, Stomach ache and abdominal pain, accessed 23/11/2022, available at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/conditions/stomach-ache-and-abdominal-pain
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NHS Inform, Stomach ache and abdominal pain, accessed 23/11/2022, available at https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-gastrointestinal-tract/stomach-ache-and-abdominal-pain
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Underlying causes of abdominal pain - when a medical emergency | Healthdirect Australia, Accessed 28/11/2022, available at https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/what-causes-abdominal-pain
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Müller-Lissner S, Andresen V, Corsetti M, Bustos Fernández L, Forestier S, Pace F, Valdovinos MA. Functional Abdominal Cramping Pain: Expert Practical Guidance. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2022 Nov-Dec 01;56(10):844-852. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0000000000001764. Epub 2022 Sep 23. PMID: 36149666; PMCID: PMC9553264.
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Indigestion: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, U.S. National Library of Medicine, accessed 28/11/2022, available at https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003260.htm
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Fikree A, Byrne P. Management of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Clin Med (Lond). 2021 Jan;21(1):44-52. doi: 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0980. PMID: 33479067; PMCID: PMC7850201.
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Abdominal bloating: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, U.S. National Library of Medicine, accessed 28/11/2022, available at https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003123.htm