Overview

Abdominal pain can occur due to various underlying causes. The causes can be divided based on duration, severity, location, or other factors. A less complex way to understand these causes is to divide them on the basis of onset and duration.
Acute abdominal pain can occur due to blunt or perforating trauma, inflammatory diseases (appendicitis, hepatitis, diverticulitis, pancreatitis, peritonitis, cholecystitis, pyelonephritis, etc.), structural abnormalities, mechanical obstruction, hernia, obstruction of the vascular supply, or ectopic pregnancy. Acute abdominal pain can become a life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical attention to identify the underlying cause.
Chronic abdominal pain can be caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease, celiac disease, dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, hernia, gall stones, kidney stones, peptic ulcer, menstruation, constipation, and other several cases. Chronic abdominal pain is comparatively less severe but can cause recurrent discomfort if not identified and managed well.
Abdominal pain can also occur due to external factors such as food poisoning, alcohol poisoning, drug intoxication, etc. Another major cause of abdominal pain is cancer of one of the abdominal organs, such as pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, etc. As the tumor grows, the pain progresses from mild to severe and needs appropriate treatment measures.