Why does abdominal pain appear when breathing?

A little information about the process of inhalation and exhalation

An unpleasant feeling in the peritoneum occurs when taking a deep breath against the background of an abnormal process. It leaks near the diaphragm. This area separates the important organs that are located in the chest and abdominal cavities. In addition to all this, the diaphragm takes part in inhalation, affecting blood circulation and the functioning of the digestive canal.

During contraction of the diaphragm, ventilation of the lungs is observed. And also with this phenomenon, food moves through the esophagus. The organ responds to the expansion of the heart sac and abdominal cavity. When you sigh, the heart fills with blood and increases in size. When you exhale, the pressure in the peritoneum rises, against the background of which blood flows from the liver into the inferior vena cava.

If a person experiences pain in the lower abdomen when inhaling, it means there is a pathology in the body that requires immediate medical therapy.

Treatment methods

Pneumonia can be successfully treated at home. The standard of treatment is powerful antibacterial therapy, and the drugs are best administered intramuscularly. Expectorant and antipyretic drugs are also prescribed to speed up recovery.

If pneumonia occurs in a child or an elderly person, or if it is very severe, the patient must be hospitalized.

Pleurisy should be treated in a hospital, since this disease may require not only antibiotics, but also pleural punctures. During these procedures, the doctor pierces the chest in the intercostal space and, using a special syringe, sucks out the fluid accumulated in the pleural cavity.

At the slightest suspicion of pulmonary embolism, you should immediately call an ambulance and prepare for hospitalization. This complication is considered life-threatening and its treatment should not be delayed under any circumstances.

Causes of abdominal pain when exhaling

The main task of the diaphragm is based on maintaining the organs of the peritoneum and sternum. If the muscle structures do not work well enough, this leads to the movement of the internal digestive organs several centimeters upward to the chest.

Why does my stomach hurt when I inhale? Near the diaphragm there is the lower part of the lungs and the pleural membrane, the esophagus and part of the mediastinum. When they become inflamed, painful sensations arise that radiate to the epigastric zone. They radiate and touch the nerve of the diaphragm.

Abdominal pain when taking a deep breath appears even in the absence of problems with the respiratory or cardiovascular system. If a person actively works with breathing, then at this moment a contraction of the diaphragm is observed. This leads to displacement of internal organs, changes in abdominal pressure and the development of discomfort.

Abdominal pain when inhaling occurs due to the fact that the diaphragm moves very low and compresses the stomach. And he already has the rest of the organs. This phenomenon leads to a sharp painful feeling. An unpleasant sensation when sighing may appear when changing posture or performing intense exercise.

Such symptoms occur in various diseases. Often this pain syndrome occurs with pneumonia. The pain subsides when the patient lies on the affected area.

The disease is indicated by a number of symptoms such as:

• dry and persistent cough;
• decreased breathing;
• noise when the pleura touches;
• temperature increases above 37.5 degrees;
• general malaise, chills, weakness, night sweats.

The stomach may hurt during breathing due to changes in the rib cage or vertebrae as a result of injury or osteochondrosis. The cause of the uncomfortable feeling is often neoplasms in the pleura, pericarditis, and shortening of the interpleural ligament. If pain occurs in the stomach area when inhaling, then perhaps the cause lies in poor posture.

Causes of breathing discomfort

Most often, abdominal pain when inhaling is actually caused by a pathological process in the chest cavity, or more precisely, in its lower parts. This happens when:

• Lower lobe pneumonia, or pneumonia;
• Pleurisy, or inflammation of the pleura (the thin membrane covering the lungs);
• Pulmonary embolism;
• Irritation of the phrenic nerve due to an inflammatory or tumor process in the mediastinum.

The chest includes three sections: two pleural cavities, in which the lungs are located, and the mediastinum, where the esophagus passes, the heart and some other structures are located.

During the inflammatory process in the pleural cavities, the pleura located in their lower sections and above the diaphragm can be irritated, which is manifested by pain sensations radiating to the epigastrium.

On the other hand, the stomach may hurt when inhaling in patients who do not suffer from diseases of the respiratory system and mediastinum. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that separates the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity and with each act of breathing it rises and falls, slightly displacing the underlying organs.

If a person has problems with the gallbladder, spleen, stomach and other organs of the upper abdominal cavity, then rhythmic movements of the diaphragm can cause pain.

Diseases accompanied by pain when inhaling

If the painful sensations do not disappear even when changing position, then this indicates the formation of serious anomalies in the body.
They affect the heart, lungs, and abdominal organs. It also happens that pain in the abdominal area occurs when there is an abnormality in the gallbladder, stomach, intestines, spleen, or liver.

The main reasons include:

• inflammation of the appendix;
• acute course of pancreatitis or cholecystitis;
• impaired functionality of the cardiovascular system in the form of myocardial infarction or angina pectoris;
• renal colic;
• inflammation in the bronchi and lungs;
• kidney disease;
• pinched nerve and osteochondrosis.

If your stomach hurts when you sigh, the reason may lie not only in gastritis or ulcerative damage to the organ, but also in the following problems:

• hernia in the diaphragm with pinching;
• damage to the nerves that are located between the ribs;
• cardiac ischemia;
• enlarged spleen;
• exacerbation of pyelonephritis;
• osteochondrosis;
• dysfunction of the pancreas.

If there is pain on the right side, the doctor makes the following diagnoses:

• gallbladder damage;
• the appearance of stones in the kidneys or gall bladder;
• progressive liver diseases.

Discomfort does not always have serious causes. Perhaps the pain manifested itself against the background of disruption of the digestive tract.

Stomach hurts when inhaling: main causes and treatment methods

Pain in the peritoneum is usually associated with pathologies of the digestive organs. Pain can occur at any time: after eating, physical activity, stress. If your stomach hurts when you inhale or exhale deeply, this may indicate a disease of the organs located in the upper part of the abdominal cavity. As a result of movements of the diaphragm during breathing, a slight displacement of the internal organs occurs, causing pain. Let us next consider what are the main causes of pain when breathing and how to deal with them.

Stomach diseases that cause pain when exhaling

The stomach is closest to the diaphragm. This is why when taking a deep breath a person complains of pain on the left side. There are several diseases that are accompanied by unpleasant symptoms.

Gastritis

The stomach begins to hurt immediately after eating or after that. This process is explained by the fact that gastric juice is produced in large quantities and irritates the gastric mucosa. As soon as the food descends into the intestinal tract, the unpleasant sensations subside.

If gastritis is chronic, the pain is mildly aching. The acute course is characterized by loss of appetite, heaviness in the stomach, taste in the mouth, strong salivation, nausea, and belching. As the pain syndrome increases, the symptoms intensify, and additional symptoms appear in the form of flatulence, diarrhea, chills and fever.

Ulcerative lesion

If an ulcer forms on the gastric mucosa, pain occurs directly in the epigastric region. The symptom begins to increase an hour after eating. At the same time, the intensity has a varied character.

Additional features include:

• heartburn;
• nausea and vomiting after eating foods;
• sour belching.

If the “acute abdomen” syndrome manifests itself, then this process signals perforation. In such cases, urgent surgical intervention is required.

Benign neoplasms

This type of formation does not pose a threat to human life. But they can cause some discomfort during or after eating. The pain syndrome manifests itself due to the intake of different foods. As a result, the patient completely loses his appetite. Additional signs include nausea, vomiting, pain on palpation, and bleeding.

Malignant neoplasms

Cancerous tumors are life-threatening for the patient, as they metastasize to neighboring organs. Symptoms of intoxication clearly manifest themselves in the form of:

• loss of appetite;
• digestive dysfunction;
• heaviness in the stomach;
• chronic fatigue;
• development of anemia.

As soon as the tumor begins to grow, additional signs appear: bleeding from the rectum, vomiting with blood and bile.

Poisoning of the body

Pain when inhaling is often observed in cases of chemical poisoning. Against this background, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed.

The following signs are formed:

• painful sensations;
• burning in the epigastric region;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• lethargy;
• weakness.

In severe cases, the patient loses consciousness.

Food poisoning is a little easier to tolerate, but this does not mean that the body will recover faster. Putrefactive bacteria enter the intestinal tract along with poor-quality food. The patient complains of:

• severe pain of a spastic nature;
• nausea and vomiting;
• diarrhea;
• dizziness and headaches;
• weakness.

To recover faster, you need to get rid of toxins as soon as possible.

Stomach discomfort resulting from peptic ulcer

The main symptom of a stomach ulcer is pain in the epigastric region. Since the intensity of pain varies quite widely, it is very difficult to diagnose an ulcer based only on this sign. Sometimes the disease occurs with mild pain, and sometimes the pain is so intense that it is difficult for a person to breathe.

Unlike gastritis, discomfort in the stomach with a peptic ulcer appears approximately an hour after eating. In addition, this disease is characterized by a recurrent course: exacerbations alternate with periods of remission.

The following characteristic signs of peptic ulcer disease should also be noted:

• quite frequent heartburn;
• after eating, nausea and vomiting;
• belching sour;
• weight loss.

A dangerous sign is sudden pain in the stomach of a sharp, stabbing or cutting nature. Such pain usually indicates perforation of the gastric wall. At the same time, the intensity of the sensations is so high that a person may experience a state of shock. If such stabbing pains occur, the patient should be hospitalized to provide emergency care.

Diseases of organs in the abdominal cavity

A painful feeling when inhaling also develops with flatulence. Gases fill the intestines, against which the organ increases in size and compresses neighboring organs. Because of this, the stomach rises up and comes into contact with the diaphragm.

Sharp pain when inhaling occurs with renal colic. The disease is characterized by impaired urine passage, renal ischemia, or increased pressure within the organ. In addition, the patient is worried about painful sensations when urinating, nausea, vomiting, bloating, fever and hyperthermia.

Pain when inhaling occurs when the spleen ruptures. The most common cause is blunt trauma to the abdomen. Discomfort is felt on the left side in the hypochondrium. The patient complains of increased temperature, chills, and blue discoloration of the skin in the abdominal area.

In the absence of timely assistance, the patient's condition worsens. Discomfort extends to the shoulder blade and collarbone. Symptoms of intoxication also appear in the form of fever, fever, lethargy and nausea.

In acute appendicitis, pain radiates to the umbilical and right zone. The sensations are very unpleasant, which is why you have to take a lying position with your knees pressed. Additional symptoms include pain when sneezing and coughing, fever up to 40 degrees, repeated vomiting and diarrhea.

The gallbladder does not touch the diaphragm. But it is attached to the liver. During inhalation, the liver moves. If the gallbladder is inflamed, the person will feel pain.

Acute cholecystitis occurs against the background of the movement of stones that block the bile ducts. The pain syndrome is severe. Chronic cholecystitis is accompanied by a slowdown in the flow of bile.

Stomach hurts due to poisoning

Poisoning can cause damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive organ, thereby causing discomfort.

Chemical poisoning

As a result of poisoning with alkalis, heavy metals or acids, severe pain and nausea can occur.

This poisoning has symptoms similar to acute gastritis:

• Acute pain.
• Burning in the epigastric region.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Increased sweating.
• Weakness.

In more severe situations, the patient may lose consciousness.

It is necessary to prevent further spread of the poison and remove it from the body. Further therapy is aimed at restoring organ functionality.

Food poisoning

These poisonings appear as a result of eating poor quality food and are characterized by the following symptoms:

• severe spasmodic pain in the stomach when inhaling;
• nausea, vomiting;
• headache, dizziness;
• diarrhea;
• weakness and possible loss of consciousness.

The above symptoms can occur either immediately or after a few days.

To heal, toxins must be removed from the body, lost fluid and the functionality of the digestive organs must be restored.

Treatment of abdominal pain

If pain when inhaling does not appear so often, then stress or physical activity may be the cause. It's enough to just relax.

If severe pain occurs, additional symptoms must be taken into account. If you have chills, high fever and vomiting, call an ambulance immediately. Usually in such cases, urgent surgical interventions are required.

In case of an inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial agents, antispasmodics and painkillers are prescribed. You should also adhere to a strict diet. It involves avoiding fatty and fried foods, herbs and spices, alcoholic and carbonated drinks. Food should only be steamed, boiled or stewed.

If the gallbladder or pancreas is damaged, a complete refusal to eat for several days is required. In severe situations, nutrition is provided through a vein using a dropper. Do not forget about maintaining a drinking regime. Everything should enter the body in portions.

If a person experiences pain when inhaling, and it intensifies and is accompanied by other symptoms, then this indicates the development of a serious process in the body. Self-medication in such a situation is not applicable and can lead to dire consequences. To prescribe drug therapy, you should visit a doctor and undergo a thorough examination.

Other factors causing pain in the stomach

Soreness can be caused by stress, various infections, functional pathologies of the digestive organ or allergies.

Pain caused by stomach infections

Infections of viral or bacterial origin cause spasmodic pain in the digestive organ when inhaling. A common viral illness is gastroenteritis or “stomach flu.”

In addition to pain, the disease occurs with the following symptoms:

To treat this pathology, the doctor prescribes the use of sorbents that help eliminate toxins. Patients with gastroenteritis must follow fasting diets.

Pain and spasms in the digestive organ when inhaling can also cause diseases such as pneumonia or tonsillitis.

Stomach discomfort caused by functional disorders

Pressing pain in the stomach when inhaling can occur as a result of overeating, impaired digestion, frequent constipation, or overstrain of the abdominal muscles. And also be caused by bad habits: smoking and alcohol.

Pain caused by stress

Neuropsychic resets can also provoke the appearance of pain when inhaling. Since the food organ is equipped with nerve fibers, it reacts to stressful situations. In addition, nausea, vomiting, and bowel movements may occur.

It has been proven that frequent stress can provoke the development of serious diseases such as gastritis and ulcers.

Stomach pain also appears as a result of individual intolerance to certain foods, for example, milk.

When an allergen enters the body, a person may experience the following symptoms:

• flatulence;
• nausea and vomiting;
• loose stool.

Typically, pain caused by allergies is diffuse, aching in nature and appears after the penetration of the allergen.

Pain in the stomach when inhaling can occur as a result of various diseases of the digestive organ. Only a doctor can establish the final cause of their appearance and diagnosis.