Abdominal Pain Causes

Abdominal (belly) pain can have many causes. Often the specific symptoms help determine the cause of the pain.

Causes of belly pain
Cause	Most common symptoms
Gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation, gallbladder disease, bowel obstruction, pancreatitis, appendicitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or diverticulitis	Belly pain or cramping Change in bowel habits Nausea or vomiting Bloating Blood in stool or in vomit
Food poisoning	Diarrhea Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) Vomiting Belly cramps
Urinary problems, such as a kidney stone, kidney disease, kidney infection, or bladder infection	Burning when urinating Blood in the urine Flank pain or lower pelvic pain Need to urinate small amounts frequently Unable to urinate Fever
Dietary, such as lactose intolerance or food allergy	Chronic, generalized belly pain Diarrhea (nonbloody) Gas and bloating
Inflammatory disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis	Diarrhea (may be bloody) Fever (may come and go) Generalized belly pain (frequently awakens you at night) Weight loss
Irritable bowel syndrome	Chronic or intermittent belly pain with either diarrhea or constipation (pain does not awaken you at night) Increases with stress No weight loss
Ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage	Belly pain (may be severe) Vaginal bleeding Common pregnancy symptoms
Infection with a parasite, such as giardia	Diarrhea (nonbloody) Belly pain or cramping Gas and bloating Weight loss
Reproductive problems, such as endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)	Belly pain or cramping Fever Abnormal vaginal bleeding Abnormal vaginal discharge Pain with intercourse
Sickle cell disease	Belly pain Pain in the arms and legs, the chest, or the spinal bones
Blood vessel problems, such as an aortic aneurysm or peripheral arterial disease	Sudden belly pain or back pain Drop in blood pressure Signs of shock
Hernias, such as hiatal, inguinal, or umbilical	Belly pain Bulging area in the belly or groin

Related Information

Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older

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Current as of: March 22, 2026

Author: WebMD Ignite Staff
Clinical Review Board
All WebMD Ignite education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

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Related Information

Current as of: March 22, 2026

Author: WebMD Ignite Staff

Clinical Review Board
All WebMD Ignite education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Current as of: March 22, 2026

Author: WebMD Ignite Staff

Clinical Review Board
All WebMD Ignite education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

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