Abdominal Pain Specialist
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Imperial Digestive Health Specialists PLLC
Oforbuike Ewelukwa, MD, MSc
Gastroenterologist located in Katy, TX
Virtually everyone experiences abdominal pain at some point. Mild stomachaches of short duration usually aren’t serious, but frequent abdominal pain could be a sign of serious issues within your gastrointestinal tract. At Imperial Digestive Health Specialists PLLC, dedicated board-certified specialist Oforbuike Ewelukwa, MD, MSc, uses an evidence-based approach to diagnose and treat your pain effectively. Call the Katy, Texas, office or click on the provided link to schedule your evaluation now.
Abdominal Pain Q & A
What is abdominal pain?
Abdominal pain means discomfort, soreness, cramping, or tenderness anywhere in the middle section of your body. While you may think of abdominal pain as a stomachache, the stomach is only one of the many organs in that area.
Your pain may come from any part of your digestive tract, so that's why you need to see the digestive health experts at Imperial Digestive Health Specialists PLLC when you have chronic or severe abdominal pain.
What causes chronic abdominal pain?
Because abdominal pain can come from so many organs, there are a number of different causes. A few of the most common include:
- Peptic ulcer
- Excess gas
- Gallstones
- Appendicitis
- Gastroenteritis
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
- Lactose intolerance
- Indigestion, which may accompany acid reflux
- Liver disease
- Diverticulitis
- Colon polyps
If you have diarrhea or constipation, it may seem like the cause of your abdominal pain, but it's not the underlying cause. Some conditions, including IBS, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and lactose intolerance, may cause diarrhea, constipation, or both.
How is abdominal pain diagnosed?
At Imperial Digestive Health Specialists PLLC, the team performs a physical exam, discusses your specific symptoms, and looks at your medical history. Your specific additional symptoms, such as blood in stool, diarrhea, or constipation, can help the team determine the proper diagnostic tests.
To definitively determine the cause of your chronic abdominal pain, you may need blood and stool tests, or imaging tests like ultrasound or MRI. In some cases, the best way to diagnose abdominal pain is a procedure like an endoscopy or colonoscopy.
How is abdominal pain treated?
Abdominal pain treatment is very dependent on the specific condition that caused it. In some cases, you may need to change your diet and daily habits. You may also need medication to manage discomfort and other symptoms more effectively.
In some cases, the team can treat abdominal pain at the same time as they diagnose it. For example, if your colonoscopy reveals that colon polyps are causing your abdominal pain, the team generally removes those polyps immediately.
You can live without chronic abdominal pain. To learn more, call Imperial Digestive Health Specialists PLLC or click the provided link to book your assessment with expert gastroenterology providers now.
