Acute abdominal pain is when there is sudden pain about the stomach region that gets worse rather quickly but only lasts a relatively short time (usually under three days). The abdominal area of the body is found between the hips and the chest, and contains those organs that are responsible for digestion, i.e. the bowel, the stomach, the liver, the pancreas, the gallbladder and the spleen.

There are different kinds of acute abdominal pain. These include visceral pain, which is the pain felt if the internal organs are swollen or damaged and can be described as a burning or “crampy” pain that can build slowly and is usually felt in the middle of the stomach.

Parietal pain is the pain felt after an injury, the result of which can mean contents like pus, urine or bile leaking into the abdomen and hurting the lining. The pain associated with this is quite sharp and can start all of a sudden, with the patient knowing exactly where it’s found in the abdomen area.

Referred pain can be due to a damaged or pressed on nerve and is actually felt in another area of the body, away from the cause.

Although in a few cases acute abdominal pain has no obvious cause, there are times when one of the subsequent conditions could be to blame: a bowel blockage, inflammation of an abdominal organ, kidney stones, or a blood disease of some sort.

Acute Abdominal Pain

Nearly everybody alive goes through a state of feeling sad, or what we normally call depressed, but this usually goes away after a time. Individuals that happen to have a depressive disorder, or what we know as clinical depression, tend to find that this interferes with their daily lives and routines.

Depression in Men

To give depression an official description, the MediLexicon’s Medical Dictionary states that: depression is “a mental state or chronic mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach; accompanying signs include psychomotor retardation (or less frequently agitation), withdrawal from social contact, and vegetative states such as loss of appetite and insomnia.”

Depression in Women

There are many types of depressive disorders and these include dysthymic disorder, major depressive disorder, psychotic depression, postpartum depression (which is normally referred to as postnatal depression), SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and bipolar disorder.

The symptoms and signs of depression are not clear-cut at all. Some symptoms that may be experienced by some individuals may not be had by others. Also, the severity of the illness all depends on the individual concerned and the type of depression they may have. Nevertheless, common symptoms experienced by sufferers of depression include the feeling of pessimism, sadness or anxiety; feelings of hopelessness, restlessness and irritability; loss of interest in pursuits, activities and sex, among other things; fatigue, loss of concentration and disturbed sleep; aches and pains, change of eating habits and sometimes even suicidal thoughts.

Depression and Heart Diseases

Sinusitis affects the cavities inside the cheekbones and forehead.  It usually develops after a cold or flu and clears up on its own.  This is known as acute sinusitis.  Chronic sinusitis however is less normal and lasts much longer.  The sinuses become swollen and other symptoms include pain over the area as well as a high temperature and a blocked or runny nose. As well as having pain in the sinuses, there are other symptoms of sinusitis which may be present including headache, cough, tiredness or a feeling of unwell. Painkillers can be used to treat the symptoms or a doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

Viruses that cause the cold or influenza virus can spread to the sinuses causing sinusitis. It can also be caused by a bacterial infection. There are also several factors which can cause a person to be more susceptible to sinusitis such as, asthma or hay fever, smoking, weakened immune system, allergies, facial surgery, pregnancy, or an infected tooth.

Sinusitis

Most cases of sinusitis will clear up by itself but antibiotics may be needed for more severe cases.  Painkillers can help to ease the pain associated with sinusitis.  Nasal sprays can help to unblock the nose and help make breathing easier but should not be used for more than seven days at a time.

In order to prevent sinusitis there are a number of things that can be done including, getting plenty of exercise, eating a well balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, drinking plenty of water, keeping stress levels to a minimum and even having a flu vaccination annually.