
Pain during sex, spotting or discoloured, smelly discharge can be other symptoms of an STI, or infection of the reproductive system. These kinds of infections are often caused by an underlying sexually transmitted infection (STI), so if you’re sexually active, make sure you have regular sexual health screening. An untreated infection in the reproductive tract can become very serious and lead to long-term problems, so needs to be treated by a doctor. Infections in the reproductive system can affect the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. It’s important to speak to a doctor as soon as possible if your symptoms are more severe or if you have recurring UTI symptoms. More severe UTIs can affect the kidneys, and might cause lower back pain on either or both sides, and make you feel generally unwell, sometimes with flu-like symptoms. Mild urinary tract infections like cystitis often clear up on their own if you drink plenty of fluids, but more persistent UTIs might need a short course of antibiotics, which a GP can prescribe. Urinary tract infection (UTI)Ī UTI or water infection can also cause lower abdominal pain in women, as well as urinary symptoms like burning when you pee, or needing to go to the toilet very frequently or urgently. It can be very uncomfortable, but many people find they can manage it with a hot water bottle and painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen. Period pain is usually a crampy, dull or tight pain in the middle of the lower abdomen, sometimes spreading further into the lower back. Here are some of the potential causes of pain in this area. What causes central lower abdominal pain?Ī woman’s lower abdomen has two main organs including the uterus (womb) and part of the bowel. Pain in that area might also be referred to as pelvic pain. The lower abdomen refers to the part of your tummy below the belly button.

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If you do experience this type of pain, it’s helpful to familiarise yourself with the area of the tummy that hurts and how to manage the different types of pain,’ says Dr Rhianna McClymont, Lead GP at Livi. ‘Most lower abdominal pain in females isn’t a sign of a serious condition, but occasionally there can be something that needs investigating. It’s extremely common and generally easy to manage if you know the cause.

There are lots of reasons why women of all ages might experience abdominal pain.
