Though many women are conditioned to believe and accept that pelvic pain in women is somehow part of life and something that one has to live with, very often, this kind of lower abdomen pain can be an indication that something is wrong, and that medical attention is required.
To identify the cause of pelvic pain in women, one has to see whether the pain is related to the menstrual cycle, to one’s bowel movements, if it is triggered by sexual intercourse, whether it relates to the urinary tract, or if it is due to an infection or the after effect of a surgery performed there.
Tests may be conducted to pinpoint what causes the lower abdominal pain, however it could be due to one of many different reasons:
Gynecological reasons for pelvic pain in women
At times it is the woman’s reproductive organs that are responsible for causing pain.
If the pain is one sided, it is possible that an ovary is causing the pain. Conditions such as ovarian cysts or polycystic ovarian syndrome, and in rare cases, ectopic pregnancy could be the underlying cause for such pain.
Gynecological conditions such fibroids (non malignant growths in the wall of the uterus), endometriosis (where the lining of the uterus starts to grow outside the uterus), pelvic inflammatory disease (where there is any infection in the female reproductive organs), and so on can cause female pelvic pain.
Sometimes when a small remnant of an ovary gets left behind after a complete hysterectomy, painful cysts can develop here as well.
Also frequently experienced causes of pelvic pain in women are menstrual pain, which should be investigated if severe and prolonged. Pain during intercourse should also not be ignored, since among younger women, this could be one of the signs of premature ovarian failure.
Pelvic pain in women caused by Urinary conditions
Urinary tract infections, cystitis which is inflammation of the bladder, can result in female pelvic pain. Also any inflammation in the kidneys, stones in the urethra, kidneys or bladder or tumors in any of these organs could also result in pain.
The presence of an infection or stones in the urinary tract could also have other indications such as burning sensation while passing urine, the urge to urinate more often, and the peculiar sort of pain that radiates from the back to the front.
Infections that could be causing pelvic pain
Many sexually transmitted diseases may be asymptomatic, however many such as Chlamydia or gonorrhea can cause pelvic pain as the cervix and then internal reproductive organs of the woman get affected.
Other medical conditions that could be responsible for lower abdominal pain in women
Sometimes it could be appendicitis that is responsible for pelvic pain and that would need urgent attention. Sometimes it is the digestive tract that is responsible for pelvic pain in women – diarrhea or constipation could cause pain in the lower abdomen, and so could chronic conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
If there is the presence of blood or discharge when passing stool, this should be reported to the doctor for investigation.
