What Are The Most Common Causes Of A Hard Stomach?

1. What are the most common causes of a hard stomach?

Abdominal diseases are one of the most common problems among people in developed countries. Symptoms of bloating, irregular bowel movements and pain in one of the wards are especially common.

In surgical anatomy, the abdomen can be divided into three floors - the upper , which is located between the navel and the thoracic cavity, the middle , located between the navel and the line connecting the two most prominent pelvic bones, and the lower abdominal floor, which in practice corresponds to the pelvis.

The organs in the abdominal cavity are protected in different ways. First of all, the role of the peritoneum , which wraps the organs in the abdomen and wraps them around its sheath, must be taken into account . On the one hand, it has a protective function , preventing the spread of disease units to neighboring organs. On the other hand, the peritoneum has the function of protecting the organs from injury in case of concussion - after jumping from a height, falling or driving a car in poor road conditions.

On the outside, the abdominal cavity is protected by a well-defined muscle layer . The rectus abdominis muscles start at the level of the costal line and continue to the pubic bone, where they are located. There are also lateral oblique muscles that twist along the straight abdominal muscles.
Physiologically, a healthy abdomen should be soft, painless and involved in a person's respiratory function . But in some diseases, it is this physiological function that is impaired.

2. In which diseases are a hard stomach felt?

The hard abdomen is a subjective sensation , which is expressed by a well-defined rigidity of the abdominal muscles. In some cases, this may be the result of a very well- defined relief of the abdominal muscles in active athletes, and in other cases it may be a sign of diseases that occur with irritation of the peritoneal lining of the abdominal organs. The disease is called peritonitis .

In turn, peritonitis can be caused by other diseases in the abdominal cavity. Such are, for example, ruptures of the gastrointestinal wall, which result in mixing of the digestive environment with the surrounding intestinal environment. The reaction causes acute inflammation of the peritoneum and hardening of the abdominal wall.

There are other diseases in which the symptoms of a hard stomach occur . Such are acute cholecystitis, in which there is inflammation of the gallbladder , appendicitis , which is accompanied by inflammation of the rudimentary growth of the colon - appendix.

A hard belly can be a symptom of a black widow bite , which is a very highly venomous spider. Its toxins cause instant hardening of the entire muscular system of the body and lead to permanent and complete paralysis of the individual. The condition progresses to heart failure and death of the individual due to affecting the smooth muscles of the vessels, a sharp decline in blood supply to vital organs and paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

Hard abdomen is also a symptom of biliary tract diseases . It is often acute cholangitis due to local irritation when a gallstone passes through the bile duct. There are other diseases in which a hard stomach can be found. These include acute abdominal abscess , diverticulitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bleeding cyst, gastric and intestinal volvulus, sepsis, abortion and splenic perforation.

All these listed conditions are life threatening . In some of them the danger is urgent , ie this kind of disease requires urgent consultation with a doctor and treatment. In conditions of acute perforated peritonitis , a clinical picture of acute surgical abdomen develops. The expressed symptoms are pain or impossibility of pressure, strongly expressed muscular defense at which the abdomen becomes firm as a board and the most important symptom - absolute silence.in the abdominal area, which is explained by the lack of any peristalsis due to perforation, blocked muscle contraction and the gradual disruption of blood circulation in the intestine.

Other diseases such as cholecystitis, cholangitis, abdominal cyst, diverticulitis, necrotizing enterocolitis and others may be delayed conditions, ie those that are subject to further diagnosis and precise decision on the most appropriate course of treatment.

Hard abdomen can also occur during pregnancy and in obese people. The symptom is known and common in eating disorders. As the pregnancy progresses, the abdomen may harden with the growth of the fetus and a violation of eating habits. The presence of many gases is often found.

Abdominal bloating in pregnant women is an extremely uncomfortable condition and can cause damage to the fetus. Therefore, experts offer an adequate diet to restore intestinal passage and flatulence. They recommend drinking plenty of water without fizzy drinks and sweet canned fruit juices, as well as eating more fiber and vegetable protein with food.

It is recommended to avoid solid and stale pasta , due to slow abdominal peristalsis and metabolic processing of food. As a result, the food stays longer in the gastrointestinal tract, which is a prerequisite for food decay and respectively for the formation of more gas.

If bloating is also associated with the appearance of pain in the abdominal cavity, experts advise to immediately start a diet with more potatoes , rice and laxative teas . If the pain and swelling persist for more than a week or two and cannot be restored through changes in eating habits, they advise to consult an abdominal surgeon or gastroenterologist.