What is the cause of abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea?

Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea are common clinical symptoms with complex causes. Most patients suffer from digestive system diseases, such as improper diet, gastrointestinal inflammation, organic damage, etc.; they may also be caused by lesions in the intra-abdominal organs or extra-abdominal organs. Patients should seek medical attention promptly, undergo examinations and receive symptomatic treatment based on their condition.

Symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, etc. may be caused not only by digestive system diseases, but also by unexplained lesions in some patients. At this time, we should be alert to immune system diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects multiple systems and organs. The incidence of digestive tract involvement is about 50% according to statistics from abroad and about 20% according to statistics from the Immunology Department of Xijing Hospital. It can occur throughout the course of the disease. Clinically, SLE often presents with fever, rash, and joint pain as the first manifestations, while gastrointestinal symptoms are less common. Its pathogenesis may be related to vasculitis or SLE-related neurogenic damage. The deposition of immune complexes and complement in the blood vessel walls, the infiltration of inflammatory cells, and the formation of blood clots in small blood vessels lead to a series of clinical manifestations, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and even intestinal obstruction. A small number of patients may develop acute pancreatitis, protein-losing enteropathy, acute appendicitis, acute cholecystitis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.

Common causes of abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea

Intestinal bacterial infection is one of the causes of acute diarrhea. Including food poisoning, it is the most common cause of acute diarrhea and can be divided into:

① Bacterial dysentery: The onset is relatively rapid, often with chills, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea and tenesmus, which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The diarrhea is characterized by mucus, pus and blood in the stool, with varying frequency per day. Under the microscope, it is found that the stool contains a large number of red blood cells and white blood cells, and stool culture can detect Shigella dysenteriae.

② Escherichia coli enteritis: often with a history of unclean diet. The onset is relatively acute, and symptoms may include chills, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and may be accompanied by vomiting. Diarrhea is mostly watery stool, but may also contain mucus, pus and blood. Stool culture can detect pathogenic bacteria.

③Acute hemorrhagic necrotizing enteritis: It is now generally believed to be related to infection with Clostridium perfringens or Clostridium difficile. The onset is acute, and symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea are generally severe. The abdominal pain is severe and can spread throughout the abdomen. It can be continuous pain or paroxysmal. Early diarrhea may be loose or watery stools, more than 10 times a day, and may then contain blood. In severe cases, the stool may be bloody and watery, often accompanied by symptoms such as chills, fever, nausea and vomiting. This disease is more common in adolescents.

④ Cholera: caused by infection with Vibrio cholerae. The clinical manifestations vary in severity. In mild cases, the symptoms are relatively mild, often watery diarrhea, several times a day, and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and other symptoms. In severe cases, the bowel movements are more frequent and the stools may be rice-soup-like. Patients often have fever, dehydration, hypotension and other symptoms of systemic poisoning. Stool culture can identify pathogenic bacteria.

Treatment of abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea

Patients with symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea can have routine blood tests, and receive targeted anti-inflammatory drugs and drugs to protect the intestinal mucosa, combined with antidiarrheal drugs for conditioning treatment. If necessary, electrolytes can be supplemented to ensure electrolyte balance.