Abdominal Pain and Chills

Upset stomach or abdominal pain and chills can result from bacterial and viral conditions, such as food poisoning or gastroenteritis. It may also occur with serious conditions, such as a kidney infection or appendicitis.

Abdominal pain is pain that originates between the chest and the pelvis. It can be cramp-like, achy, dull, or sharp and is often called stomachache.

Chills cause you to shake or shiver as if you’re very cold. Shivering is one way the body protects itself from cold. It causes the muscles to flex and extend to warm them up. You may feel cold when you have the chills, or you may shiver without feeling cold. Chills are often associated with fevers.

Keep reading to learn the medical conditions associated with these symptoms and when to seek medical attention.

Chills and abdominal pain may result from several infectious conditions, both bacterial and viral.

Many of these conditions occur with other symptoms.

Common conditions associated with both abdominal pain and chills can include:

• bacterial or viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
• infectious mononucleosis
• pneumonia
• urinary tract infection
• salmonella food poisoning
• kidney stone
• pelvic inflammatory disease
• shingles
• intestinal ischemia or blockage

Abdominal pain and chills may also be due to inflammation of the abdominal organs. These conditions may include:

• appendicitis, inflammation of the appendix often caused by a blockage
• gastritis, inflammation of the lining of the stomach
• colitis, inflammation of the large intestine
• inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• diverticulitis
• hepatitis, inflammation of the liver
• pyelonephritis, a sudden and severe kidney infection
• gallbladder inflammation, or cholecystitis
• acute pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas usually caused by gallstones
• chronic pancreatitis
• peritonitis, which can be caused by injury, another condition, or a bacterial or fungal infection
• prostatitis, inflammation of the prostate, which may or may not be caused by bacteria

Some of the above causes may require emergency medical treatment. Not treating these conditions can become life threatening if the infection passes to other parts of the body.

Less common causes of abdominal pain and chills can include:

• yellow fever
• malaria
• Weil’s disease, or leptospirosis
• typhus
• cystic fibrosis
• tuberculosis
• leukemia
• brucellosis
• plague
• Addisonian crisis

In rare instances, abdominal pain and chills can result from a heart attack. In this case, other symptoms are usually present.

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following symptoms along with abdominal pain and chills:

• severe pain
• changes in vision
• chest pain
• fever greater than 101˚F (38.3˚C)
• neck stiffness
• severe headache
• loss of consciousness
• pain that radiates to your shoulder
• shortness of breath
• uncontrolled vomiting
• weakness

Consult a doctor if you experience abdominal pain and chills along with:

• body aches
• diarrhea
• fever
• muscle aches
• runny nose
• sore throat
• unexplained fatigue
• vomiting for more than 24 hours

In an emergency

If your symptoms feel severe or are accompanied by other severe symptoms, such as chest pain, high fever, or changes in vision or consciousness, you may need emergency medical attention. Visit an emergency room or contact 911 or your local emergency services.

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Treatments for abdominal pain and chills will usually address the underlying causes. Doctors treat bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections or kidney infections, with antibiotics.

Certain causes, such as appendicitis or gallstones, may be treated with surgery.

A doctor may recommend home care if the cause is a viral infection like infectious mononucleosis or viral gastroenteritis.

Home care

Rest and drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Sponge your body with lukewarm water about 70˚F (21˚C), or take a cool shower to manage your chills. This method can be more effective than covering yourself with blankets. However, very cold water may make chills worse.

Over-the-counter medications may help reduce fever and discomfort associated with abdominal pain and chills. These may include:

• aspirin (Bayer)
• acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• naproxen (Aleve)
• ibuprofen (Advil)

Aspirin should not be given to infants, children, or teens. In children, it can potentially cause Reye’s Syndrome, a rare condition that can lead to brain and liver damage.

Washing your hands frequently, especially before eating, can help prevent viral and bacterial infections that may lead to abdominal pain and chills.

Drinking plenty of fluids and wiping from front to back can help prevent urinary tract infections that can lead to abdominal pain and chills. Drinking a glass of water before sex and urinating afterward can help rinse out the bladder.

If you are going outdoors or traveling to areas where malaria is common, using insect repellants that contain 20 to 35 percent DEET can help to prevent malaria. A doctor can prescribe anti-malarial drugs as a protective means if you travel to an area where malaria is common. These medications are preventive and need to be started before traveling.

Many conditions may cause abdominal pain and chills. These may include viral or bacterial infections, blockages, and injury.

Depending on the cause and severity, you may treat abdominal pain and chills at home.

But if the pain is severe or occurs with other severe or concerning symptoms, you may need urgent medical care.

Causes and Treatment for Symptoms

There are many reasons you might have abdominal pain and a headache at the same time. While many of these causes are not serious, some may be. These pains can potentially be signs of a larger problem.

Both abdominal and headache pain can range from mild to severe pain, depending on the cause. Read on to learn more about potential causes and treatments.

Some causes of concurrent abdominal pain and headaches are common, while others are rarer. Some may be mild, while others are serious. Below are some of the potential causes of abdominal pain and headache, from most to least common.

Common cold

The common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat. Most people get a few colds per year, and recover in 7 to 10 days without treatment. However, you can treat the individual symptoms of a common cold. Other symptoms include:

• stuffy or runny nose
• sore throat
• coughing
• sneezing
• low-grade fever
• aches
• general feeling of being unwell

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis may sometimes be called the stomach flu, but it’s not actually the flu. It’s an inflammation of the lining of your intestines, caused by a virus, bacteria, or parasites. Viral gastroenteritis is the second most common illness in the United States. Other symptoms include:

• nausea
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• fever
• chills

Food intolerance

A food intolerance, or sensitivity, is when you have difficulty digesting a certain type of food. It is not an allergy. Lactose intolerance is a common food intolerance. Other symptoms include:

• nausea
• gas
• bloating
• cramps
• heartburn
• diarrhea
• vomiting

Salmonella infection

Salmonella is a foodborne illness, usually spread through meat, poultry, eggs, or milk. It is one cause of bacterial gastroenteritis. Other symptoms include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• fever
• abdominal cramps

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

A urinary tract infection is an infection in any part of the urinary system. It most commonly occurs in the bladder or urethra. UTIs are more common in women. They don’t always cause symptoms, but when they do, those symptoms include:

• strong, persistent urge to urinate
• pain while urinating
• red, pink, or brown urine
• cloudy urine
• urine that smells bad
• pelvic pain (especially in women)

Kidney stones

Urine carries waste in it. When there’s too much waste in your urine, it can form crystals and create a solid mass called a kidney stone. These stones can get stuck in your kidney or urethra.

In many cases, the stones pass naturally, but they can also back up urine and cause a lot of pain. Symptoms of kidney stones include:

• severe pain on one side of your lower back
• blood in your urine
• nausea
• vomiting
• fever
• chills
• cloudy urine
• urine that smells bad

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate. It can be caused by bacteria, but often the cause is unknown. Prostatitis may not cause any symptoms, but if it does, those symptoms include:

• pain that lasts for at least 3 months in at least one of the following areas: between your scrotum and anus, lower abdomen, penis, scrotum, or lower back
• pain during or after urination
• urinating eight or more times a day
• not being able to hold urine when necessary
• weak urine stream
• fever
• chills
• body aches
• inability to completely empty your bladder
• urinary tract infections

Mononucleosis

Mononucleosis (mono) is a contagious disease that is most common in teens and young adults. Symptoms usually last 4 to 6 weeks, but can last longer. Symptoms include:

• extreme fatigue
• fever
• aches
• sore throat
• swollen lymph nodes
• rash

Abdominal migraine

Abdominal migraine is a form of migraine most common in children. Most children with this condition grow out of it and develop more typical migraine headaches instead. Attacks usually last 2 to 72 hours, and may include:

• moderate to severe pain around the belly button
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting

Gastrointestinal disease

Gastrointestinal diseases include a wide range of diseases that fall into two categories: functional and structural. Functional gastrointestinal diseases are when the gastrointestinal (GI) tract looks normal but doesn’t function properly. These include constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

Structural gastrointestinal diseases are when the bowel doesn’t look or functional normally. Examples include hemorrhoids, colon cancer, polyps, and inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Flu

The flu is a respiratory illness caused by influenza virus. It can be mild to severe, and can even lead to death. Fatal cases are more common in the very young, the elderly, or people who are immunocompromised. Symptoms usually come on suddenly and include:

• fever
• sore throat
• coughing
• runny or stuffy nose
• aches
• fatigue
• vomiting and diarrhea (less common symptoms)

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection in the air sacs of one or both lungs. It can range from mild to life-threatening. Other symptoms include:

• chest pain
• cough with phlegm
• fever
• chills
• difficulty breathing
• fatigue
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea

Gallbladder inflammation

Gallbladder inflammation usually occurs when a gallstone blocks the cystic duct, which carries bile out of the gallbladder. This inflammation is also called cholecystitis and can be acute (come on suddenly) or chronic (long-term). Gallbladder inflammation requires hospitalization and may require surgery. Other symptoms include:

• fever
• nausea
• severe and steady abdominal pain in acute cholecystitis
• abdominal pain that comes and goes in chronic cholecystitis

Pelvic inflammatory disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection in a women’s reproductive organs. It’s caused by bacteria, usually from a sexually transmitted infection, and can cause fertility issues if not treated. Pelvic inflammatory disease often does not cause symptoms, but potential symptoms include:

• lower abdomen pain
• fever
• foul-smelling vaginal discharge
• pain during sex
• pain while urinating
• irregular menstruation, such as very long or short cycles

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is a blockage in your appendix. It can cause pressure to build up in the appendix, problems with blood flow, inflammation, and potentially cause the appendix to rupture.

Medical emergency

Appendicitis is a medical emergency. If you think you may have appendicitis, go to the hospital as soon as possible. Symptoms include:

• sudden abdominal pain, usually on the right side
• abdominal swelling
• low fever
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• constipation or diarrhea
• inability to pass gas

Diverticulitis

Diverticulosis is when small pouches, or sacs, form in your colon and push outward through weak spots in your colon walls. When the sacs become inflamed, you have developed diverticulitis. Diverticulosis often does not cause symptoms, but diverticulitis have potential symptoms that include:

• pain in your lower left abdomen
• constipation or diarrhea
• fever
• chills
• nausea
• vomiting

Other causes

Other, rarer causes of concurrent abdominal pain and headache include:

• cyclical vomiting syndrome, which causes recurrent episodes of severe nausea and vomiting
• hyperimmunoglobulin D syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes high fever, headaches, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite
• postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that affects circulation (symptoms include lightheadedness, fainting, and an increased heartbeat after standing up from reclining position)

If your symptoms develop 8 to 72 hours after eating or drinking, abdominal pain and a headache may be due to gastroenteritis. If the pain comes on sooner, it may be due to a food intolerance or gastrointestinal disease.

The most common cause of abdominal pain and a headache during pregnancy is a urinary tract infection.

The most common cause of abdominal pain and a headache with nausea is gastroenteritis (stomach flu).

Treatment for concurrent abdominal pain and headache depends on the cause. Potential treatments and what they can be used for include:

• No treatment (waiting for illness to pass). Common cold, gastroenteritis, and mononucleosis. However, you may still treat the symptoms of these illnesses, such as a runny nose or nausea. Hydration is often important.
• Antibiotics. Urinary tract infections, pneumonia, gallbladder inflammation, pelvic inflammatory disease, and diverticulitis. In serious cases, you might need intravenous antibiotics.
• Surgery. Severe kidney stones (in which the stones are blasted with sound waves), gallbladder inflammation (gallbladder removal), and appendicitis (appendix removal).
• Pain relievers. Kidney stones, pneumonia, and gallbladder inflammation.
• Drugs for migraine. Abdominal migraine. Both acute and preventive migraine treatment may be used, depending on migraine frequency and severity.
• Antiviral drugs. Flu
• Anti-inflammatory drugs. Inflammatory bowel disease.
• Avoiding trigger foods. Constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerance.

While many causes of concurrent abdominal pain and headache, such as the common cold, do not require medical attention, others can be serious. See a doctor if you have symptoms of:

• appendicitis
• pelvic inflammatory disease
• gallbladder inflammation
• pneumonia
• kidney stones
• diverticulitis

You should also see a doctor if your pain is severe — especially if it is sudden — or if the pain or other symptoms last for a long time.

Many causes of concurrent abdominal pain and headache can be treated just by waiting for the illness to pass and treating the symptoms in the meantime. Others can be serious.

Because concurrent abdominal pain and headache can be a symptom of a larger problem, see a doctor if your symptoms are severe or if you have other symptoms of a serious illness, as listed above.

Why does the stomach hurt: the main causes and treatment of abdominal pain – August 11, 2020

Abdominal pain can be caused by dozens of reasons

Photo: Timofey Kalmakov / 59.RU

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Abdominal pain is one of the most insidious. According to experts, such a symptom can appear with a variety of problems in the body – from poisoning to kidney disease. At the same time, it is dangerous to treat it on your own. We have already talked about the consequences of self-treatment of heartburn, and now let’s talk about pain in general. Together with doctors Igor Khlynov and Galina Bartashevich, we figure out how to understand what exactly hurts in the stomach, and what to do about it.

Igor Khlynov — Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Faculty Therapy and Geriatrics, USMU.
Galina Bartashevich – gastroenterologist, doctor of the highest category.

Diagnosis of abdominal pain is a serious problem dealt with by internists, gastroenterologists and paramedics. The average time to establish the cause of abdominal pain (abdominal pain. – Note ed. ) can be from several weeks to several months – the diagnostic process itself is very long and difficult even for an experienced gastroenterologist. Moreover, sometimes the cause of pain may be generally in the competence of another doctor. According to gastroenterologist-nutritionist Galina Bartashevich, abdominal pain can be caused by lower lobe pneumonia, abdominal myocardial infarction, appendicitis, and ectopic pregnancy.

— The fact is that several groups of diseases are hidden under one symptom: therapeutic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, surgical diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, infectious diseases, vascular diseases of the abdomen, neurological diseases, kidney diseases – the list is huge. Therefore, it is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own,” agrees Igor Khlynov, Associate Professor of the Department of Faculty Therapy and Geriatrics of USMU.

One of the traps that people fall into when self-diagnosing is the inability to identify acute pain. The fact is that the very concept of acute pain differs in medicine from what we understand by acute pain in everyday life. This is a definition of duration, not intensity.

– Acute pain – from a few hours to a week, subacute – from a week to six months, and chronic pain – six months or more. People often confuse concepts, thinking that acute pain is intense pain, and chronic pain is mild. But from the point of view of classical medicine, acute pain may be of low intensity, but it has arisen for the first time,” says Khlynov.

Not even intense pain that occurs for the first time is a reason to see a doctor. But on how exactly the stomach hurts, it depends on how urgently you need to get to the doctor.

Self-diagnosis is a thankless and dangerous business, and we do not call you to it in any case. But sometimes pain indicates a complication of chronic diseases, for which the patient already has a doctor’s prescription. The main thing is to correctly recognize the cause.

It is impossible to make a diagnosis by the nature of abdominal pain on your own

Photo: Timofey Kalmakov / 59.RU

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— If you are worried about pulling and aching pains “under the pit of your stomach”, then this is probably an exacerbation of gastritis. Stitching or dull pain in the right hypochondrium – probably an exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis or biliary colic. An exacerbation of pancreatitis can give pain in the upper abdomen + nausea and vomiting that does not bring relief, with relaxation of the stool to a mushy, says Bartashevich.

If the diagnosis has already been established, then everything is much simpler – we get an extract, see what the doctor recommended. Therefore, by the way, you need to protect medical records. You can forget about the disease for months or a year, but when you need it, it’s good to have the doctor’s recommendations at hand.

If such pains have arisen for the first time (or not for the first time, but you have not addressed a doctor with them before), you do not need to self-medicate, go to the doctor.

It is clear that when the pain is as intense as possible, “like a dagger hit” – this is immediately an ambulance and urgent hospitalization. But even if the pain is of medium or low intensity, from which a person can even be distracted, this requires attention. It is clear that it is not always possible to urgently see a doctor, but this symptom cannot be ignored.

— There are also so-called “anxiety symptoms” in which even mild, insignificant pain for a short time is a reason to seek medical advice immediately. This applies to pain that occurs at night, and the person wakes up – this is a very formidable symptom, even if the pain is minor. It is important to see a doctor in time if the pain is combined with fever, there is blood in the stool, there is vomiting with blood, explains Igor Khlynov.

“Symptoms of anxiety” – a reason to call an ambulance. Even seemingly ordinary poisoning, accompanied by such symptoms, can be life-threatening. Particular attention should be paid if the pain begins in a person after 50 years of age and if there is an unfavorable heredity: oncological diseases, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease.

One of the main mistakes in case of abdominal pain is the uncontrolled use of antispasmodics. According to doctors, they can be used, but only at the discretion of the doctor.

– If the doctor is sure that he is in front of a patient with functional pain, such as intestinal spasm, he can prescribe antispasmodics before the additional examination. But only on the condition that he palpated the abdomen, he made sure that the patient did not have “anxiety symptoms,” says the doctor of medical sciences.

You can drink an antispasmodic at home on your own, if a person has spastic pain, of the “grab and release” type, there is an examination, the doctor ruled out organic diseases. But in this case, there is already a prescription from a doctor who gave the go-ahead for taking the drug.

In case of poisoning, you need to drink more to avoid dehydration

Photo: Aleksey Volkhonsky / V1.RU

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In summer, abdominal pain is often poisoning, intestinal infections. If abdominal pain is combined with frequent loose stools, then the most important thing here is to remember that you need to start taking fluids.

— Drink at least 30–50 ml per kilogram of weight within a few hours. Otherwise, there is a possibility of dehydration and even death from it. This is especially true for children. Symptoms: weakness, dry mouth, apathy. Of course, you need to urgently hospitalize, but while the ambulance is on the way, it is very important to give the patient water. And it’s better not just water, but salted and sweetened: a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt per liter of water, Khlynov recommends.

Here’s what else not to do: apply cold or heat to the stomach. Both can be harmful, depending on the diagnosis. Only a doctor can determine what needs to be done with the stomach, cool or warm.

We talked about what to do (and what not to do in any case) when your back hurts in the previous article. And here you can read about what you need to keep in the first aid kit “just in case.”

Can the stomach hurt from cold? | Beauty and health

The intestines caught a cold

Such a diagnosis can only be made in a humorous story. The internal organs of all living beings are securely covered with muscles and subcutaneous fat. In warm-blooded animals, to which we also belong, the vital activity of the organism depends on maintaining a stable temperature in them, therefore, until death occurs, they cannot be exposed to cold. The stomach and intestines can cool down only in a dead body, in which the stomach definitely does not hurt.

What if the digestive organs suffered from a mechanical injury inflicted quite by accident? If a person is very cold, the muscles try to warm up with quick contractions, we shiver. The stomach covers a powerful abdominal press, which is involved in the process, but it is not capable of damaging the stomach or intestines with such movements. The structure of the muscles does not allow them to strike inside the abdominal cavity, and the amplitude with which the muscle moves during trembling is small.

Photo: Depositphotos

• The digestive organs are not directly affected by low temperatures. Winter digestive problems can be caused by very different reasons.

Mistakes in the preparation of the menu

There is an opinion that with the onset of cold weather, the body requires more food, it is difficult to refuse it. The case ends with extra centimeters in the waist and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

Those who spend a lot of time outdoors and need additional energy to maintain body temperature have a need to introduce more calories into the diet. Problems lie in wait for people who, lying on a sofa in a well-heated room, switch to the diet of Chukchi hunters. Changes in the diet turn into indigestion.
Photo: skeeze, pixabay.com

The awakening of winter appetite with subsequent pain in the abdomen can be caused by other reasons:

• Psychology and traditions . A plentiful feast on holidays makes the brain “tune in properly” – to demand food, wishful thinking.
• Diet . The peak of the hysterical, often unreasonable, fear of being overweight often becomes winter, when there is no opportunity to go for walks more often. The lack of physical activity cannot be replaced by a reduction in diet, which is what the body signals with discomfort in the stomach area.
• Trying to boost immunity with lots of citrus fruits . These fruits increase the acidity in the stomach, which causes appetite. Trying to quench hunger with another orange leads to unpleasant symptoms.
• Food stored in unsanitary conditions . Frosts tempt some housewives to use the balcony as an analogue of the refrigerator. The products that are stored there attract birds. In the conditions of the city, the birds that flew to the balcony, just before that, visited the landfill and brought the infection on their paws.

Photo: Artem_Apukhtin, pixabay.com

Seasonal problems with the gastrointestinal tract

Viral infections, the epidemics of which occur during the cold season – the winter-spring period – often affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

If, in addition to problems with digestion, a person observes a fever, discomfort in the nasopharynx, inflammation of the mucous membranes around the eyes, he probably caught ARVI. The presence of a vaccine does not give a 100% guarantee, because the vaccine works against specific strains, and not against the disease as such.

The prevailing opinion that winter is a difficult period for the body makes many people postpone a visit to the doctor in case of exacerbation of chronic diseases. The disease is activated regardless of the season, with warming the symptoms will not disappear. Trying to come to terms with the situation, to wait out the cold, a person seeks medical help with a more serious problem, he will have to be treated longer and there will be less guarantees of a full recovery.

Conclusions

Photo: mohamed_hassan, pixabay.com

Abdominal pain and cold are unrelated. People simply tend to transfer negative impressions from the weather to unpleasant sensations in their own bodies. Attempts to chalk up stomach discomfort to cold weather give the green light to disease and poor eating habits. Only self-treatment attempts can lead to even worse results.

• The relationship between pain in the abdomen and colds is reversed: the first will not allow you to successfully survive extremely low temperatures.