Abdominal pain can have many causes. The most common causes usually aren't serious, such as gas pains, indigestion or a pulled muscle. Other conditions may need urgent medical attention.

The location and pattern of abdominal pain can provide important clues, but how long it lasts is especially useful when figuring out its cause.

Acute abdominal pain develops and often goes away over a few hours to a few days. Chronic abdominal pain may come and go. This type of pain may be present for weeks to months, or even years. Some chronic conditions cause progressive pain, which steadily gets worse over time.

Acute

Conditions that cause acute abdominal pain usually happen at the same time as other symptoms that develop over hours to days. Causes can range from minor conditions that go away without any treatment to serious medical emergencies, including:

  1. Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  2. Appendicitis
  3. Cholangitis, which is inflammation of the bile duct.
  4. Cholecystitis
  5. Cystitis (irritation of the bladder)
  6. Diabetic ketoacidosis (in which the body has high levels of blood acids called ketones)
  7. Diverticulitis
  8. Duodenitis, which is inflammation of the top part of the small intestine.
  9. Ectopic pregnancy (in which the fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the uterus, such as in a fallopian tube)
  10. Fecal impaction, which is hardened stool that can't be passed.
  11. Heart attack
  12. Injury
  13. Intestinal obstruction
  14. Intussusception (in children)
  15. Kidney infection (also called pyelonephritis)
  16. Kidney stones (Hard buildups of minerals and salt that form inside the kidneys.)
  17. Liver abscess, a pus-filled pocket in the liver.
  18. Mesenteric ischemia (decreased blood flow to the intestines)
  19. Mesenteric lymphadenitis (swollen lymph nodes in the folds of membrane that hold the abdominal organs in place)
  20. Mesenteric thrombosis, a blood clot in a vein carrying blood away from your intestines.
  21. Pancreatitis
  22. Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart)
  23. Peritonitis (infection of the abdominal lining)
  24. Pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs)
  25. Pneumonia — an infection in one or both lungs.
  26. Pulmonary infarction, which is loss of blood flow to the lungs.
  27. Ruptured spleen
  28. Salpingitis, which is inflammation of the fallopian tubes.
  29. Sclerosing mesenteritis
  30. Shingles
  31. Spleen infection
  32. Splenic abscess, which is a pus-filled pocket in the spleen.
  33. Torn colon.
  34. Urinary tract infection (UTI)
  35. Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)

Chronic (intermittent, or episodic)

The specific cause of chronic abdominal pain is often difficult to determine. Symptoms may range from mild to severe, coming and going but not necessarily getting worse over time. Conditions that may cause chronic abdominal pain include:

  1. Angina (reduced blood flow to the heart)
  2. Celiac disease
  3. Endometriosis
  4. Functional dyspepsia
  5. Gallstones
  6. Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
  7. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  8. Hiatal hernia
  9. Inguinal hernia (A condition in which tissue bulges through a weak spot in the muscles of the abdomen and can descend into the scrotum.)
  10. Irritable bowel syndrome
  11. Mittelschmerz (ovulation pain)
  12. Ovarian cysts
  13. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  14. Peptic ulcer
  15. Sickle cell anemia
  16. Strained or pulled abdominal muscle.
  17. Ulcerative colitis (a type of inflammatory bowel disease)

Progressive

Abdominal pain that steadily worsens over time is usually serious. This pain often leads to the development of other symptoms. Causes of progressive abdominal pain include:

  1. Cancer
  2. Crohn's disease
  3. Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)
  4. Gallbladder cancer
  5. Hepatitis
  6. Kidney cancer
  7. Lead poisoning
  8. Liver cancer
  9. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
  10. Pancreatic cancer
  11. Stomach cancer
  12. Tubo-ovarian abscess, which is a pus-filled pocket involving a fallopian tube and an ovary.
  13. Uremia (buildup of waste products in your blood)

Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

July 15, 2023

See also

  1. Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  2. Acute liver failure
  3. Addison's disease
  4. Adrenal fatigue: What causes it?
  5. Alcoholic hepatitis
  6. Alpha-gal syndrome
  7. Anaphylaxis
  8. Anaphylaxis: First aid
  9. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
  10. Aortic aneurysm
  11. Appendicitis
  12. Ascariasis
  13. AskMayoMom Pediatric Urology
  14. Barrett's esophagus
  15. Barrett's Study Results
  16. Behcet's disease
  17. Belching, intestinal gas, gas pains and bloating
  18. Bile reflux
  19. Biliary tract cancer: Should I get a second opinion?
  20. Bladder stones
  21. Blastocystis hominis
  22. Blighted ovum: What causes it?
  23. Botulism
  24. Dr. Wallace Video
  25. Dr. Mark Truty (surgery, MN) better outcomes with chemo
  26. C. difficile infection
  27. Calcium supplements: A risk factor for heart attack?
  28. Carcinoid tumors
  29. Cardiogenic shock
  30. Celiac disease
  31. Chagas disease
  32. Chlamydia trachomatis
  33. Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer)
  34. Cholecystitis
  35. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
  36. Churg-Strauss syndrome
  37. Colon cancer
  38. Colon Cancer Family Registry
  39. Colon cancer screening: At what age can you stop?
  40. Colon cancer screening
  41. Colon polyps
  42. Colorectal Cancer
  43. Constipation in children
  44. Crohn's Crisis
  45. Crohn's disease
  46. Crohn's disease and the gut microbiome
  47. What is Crohn's disease? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  48. Crohn's or Colitis
  49. Cyclic vomiting syndrome
  50. Dengue fever
  51. Diabetic ketoacidosis
  52. Diabetic neuropathy
  53. Diabetic neuropathy and dietary supplements
  54. Types of diabetic neuropathy
  55. Diarrhea
  56. Diverticulitis
  57. E. coli
  58. Ectopic pregnancy
  59. Egg allergy
  60. Encopresis
  61. Enlarged liver
  62. Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)
  63. Eosinophilic esophagitis
  64. Epididymitis
  65. Esophagitis
  66. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  67. Flu Shot Prevents Heart Attack
  68. Food allergy
  69. Food allergy or intolerance?
  70. Food poisoning
  71. Gallbladder cancer
  72. Gallbladder cleanse: A 'natural' remedy for gallstones?
  73. Gallbladder polyps: Can they be cancerous?
  74. Gallstones
  75. Gas and gas pains
  76. Gastroenteritis: First aid
  77. GI Stents
  78. Giardia infection (giardiasis)
  79. Gonorrhea
  80. Guide to different tick species and the diseases they carry
  81. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection
  82. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
  83. Headaches in children
  84. Heart attack
  85. Heart attack prevention: Should I avoid secondhand smoke?
  86. Heart attack symptoms
  87. Heart Attack Timing
  88. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
  89. Henoch-Schonlein purpura
  90. Hepatitis A
  91. Hepatitis B
  92. Hives and angioedema
  93. Hypercalcemia
  94. Hyperglycemia in diabetes
  95. Indigestion
  96. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  97. Inflammatory bowel disease FAQs
  98. Intervention: Help a loved one overcome addiction
  99. Intestinal ischemia
  100. Intestinal obstruction
  101. Irritable bowel syndrome
  102. Is a clinical trial for biliary tract cancer right for me?
  103. Is there a special diet for Crohn's disease?
  104. Ischemic colitis
  105. Kawasaki disease
  106. Kidney infection
  107. Lactose intolerance
  108. Lead poisoning
  109. Liver cancer
  110. What is liver cancer? An expert explains
  111. Liver cancer FAQs
  112. Liver cysts: A cause of stomach pain?
  113. Liver disease
  114. Liver hemangioma
  115. Living better with Crohn's disease
  116. Living with biliary tract cancer
  117. Maintain your social life with Crohn's disease
  118. Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoiding summer E. coli infection
  119. Mayo Clinic Minute: What you need to know about polyps in your colon
  120. Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS)
  121. Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness
  122. Mental health providers: Tips on finding one
  123. Mental illness
  124. Mesenteric lymphadenitis
  125. Mesothelioma
  126. Milk allergy
  127. Miscarriage
  128. Mittelschmerz
  129. Neuroblastoma
  130. New Test for Preeclampsia
  131. What is ulcerative colitis? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  132. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
  133. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
  134. Norovirus infection
  135. NSAIDs: Do they increase my risk of heart attack and stroke?
  136. Living with an ostomy
  137. Ovarian cysts
  138. Ovarian cysts and infertility: A connection?
  139. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
  140. Palliative care for biliary tract cancer
  141. Pancreatic cancer
  142. Pancreatic Cancer
  143. What is pancreatic cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  144. Infographic: Pancreatic Cancer: Minimally Invasive Surgery
  145. Pancreatic Cancer Survivor
  146. Infographic: Pancreatic Cancers-Whipple
  147. Pancreatic cysts
  148. Pancreatitis
  149. Pelvic congestion syndrome
  150. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  151. Peritonitis
  152. Pheochromocytoma
  153. Pinworm infection
  154. Placental abruption
  155. Plague
  156. Porphyria
  157. Postpartum preeclampsia
  158. Precision medicine: A new way to treat biliary cancers
  159. Preeclampsia
  160. Primary biliary cholangitis
  161. Primary sclerosing cholangitis
  162. Proctitis
  163. Proton Beam Therapy
  164. Pseudomembranous colitis
  165. Researchers Develop New Stents for Complex Aortic Aneurysms
  166. Rotavirus
  167. Ruptured spleen
  168. Salmonella infection
  169. Salt craving: A symptom of Addison's disease?
  170. Scrotal masses
  171. STD symptoms
  172. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
  173. Shellfish allergy
  174. Shigella infection
  175. Silent heart attack
  176. Small vessel disease
  177. Spastic colon: What does it mean?
  178. Staying active with Crohn's disease
  179. STD testing
  180. Symptom Checker
  181. Tapeworm infection
  182. Testicular torsion
  183. Tips for easing stress when you have Crohn's disease
  184. Toxic hepatitis
  185. Traveler's diarrhea
  186. Treatment options for biliary tract cancer
  187. Trichinosis
  188. Triple X syndrome
  189. Typhoid fever
  190. Ulcerative colitis
  191. Ulcerative colitis flare-ups: 5 tips to manage them
  192. Vasculitis
  193. Vesicoureteral reflux
  194. Cryotherapy
  195. How irritable bowel syndrome affects you
  196. Radiofrequency ablation
  197. What is biliary tract cancer?
  198. Where can I learn more about living with Crohn's disease?
  199. Whipple's disease
  200. Wilms tumor
  201. Fecal transplant treatment of C. difficile at Mayo Clinic
  202. Mayo Clinic study reporting increased incidence of C. difficile infection
  203. Zollinger-Ellison syndrome