Abdominal pain refers to feelings of discomfort in the abdomen, the section of your body that starts at the chest and extends down to the pelvis. Abdominal pain can be chronic, meaning long-term and reoccurring, or acute, meaning severe but short-lived. Common causes of mid to lower abdominal pain include food allergies, physical injury and medical illness, or disease such as appendicitis, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, Crohn's disease and pancreatitis.

Pain in the lower abdomen, also described as pelvic pain, can be caused by appendicitis, bladder inflammation (cystitis), diverticulitis, obstruction in the intestine, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, ovulation, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease and salpingitis.

Mid abdominal pain can be caused by aortic aneurysm, appendicitis, diabetic ketoacidosis, physical injury, obstruction of the intestines, blood clots, pancreatitis and uremia.

Causes of lower left abdominal pain include aortic aneurysm, appendicitis, cancer, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, inguinal hernia, physical injury, obstruction of the intestine, kidney infection, kidney stones, ovulation, ovarian cysts, seminal vesiculitis, colon injuries, tubo-ovarian abscess and ulcerative colitis.

Causes of lower right abdominal pain can include aortic aneurysm, appendicitis, cancer, cholecystitis, diverticulitis, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, inguinal hernia, physical injury, obstruction of the intestines, kidney infection, kidney stones, ovulation, ovarian cysts, salpingitis, seminal vesiculitis, tubo-ovarian abscess, stomach flu and stomach inflammation.

While most instances of abdominal pain do not warrant emergency care, individuals who experience symptoms of bloody bowl movements or diarrhoea, or intolerable pain in conjunction with the abdominal pain should seek immediate medical assistance. Also call a doctor if the pain is resulting from a physical injury.