Abdominal pain is pain in the area generally referred to as the stomach. It is anatomically the area from the chest to the groin. The abdominal area houses a number of organs such as the intestines, liver, gall bladder, kidneys, spleen and others. These organs make up a number of systems in the human body, and disorder in any of them could cause abdominal pain.

One cause of severe abdominal pain is the very common condition of gastroenteritis resulting from a viral condition. Pain in this case will generally be of spasms and cramping and the patient may also suffer from diarrhea and vomiting at the same time. In addition, the patient may run a fever and suffer chills. The condition is alleviated with fluid intake and rest. In some cases the patient may require medication to control the vomiting and the diarrhea.

It has been found that certain life threatening conditions of the abdominal cavity will only cause mild pain. Such conditions include cancer of the colon or early appendicitis. The first line of treatment for abdominal care is to use simple home remedies and wait. If the pain persists, worsens or more symptoms begin to develop, it is time to see the doctor.

Conditions such as strep throat in children also cause abdominal pain. Heart and coronary disease may also be responsible for pain in the abdominal area. Kidney back pain will also radiate into the stomach region.

An inflamed organ in the abdominal cavity, such as the appendix, can rupture or fluid from the inflamed organ may leak into the abdomen. In such cases, the lining of the abdominal cavity will become inflamed resulting in peritonitis. Peritonitis will result in excruciating pain, the abdomen will become still and the patient will also develop fever. This is a medical emergency and the patient must receive medical care.

Lower abdominal pain is generally associated with disorders of the reproductive system in women. It may manifest as the commonly occurring condition of menstrual discomfort, or more serious conditions as ovarian cysts or tumors.

Kidney pain, gall bladder infection and stones, chronic constipation and a host of other conditions can also manifest as lower abdominal pain.