Is abdominal pain around the navel a worm?

The article is professionally consulted by Master. BSCK II Phan Thi Minh Huong - Gastroenterologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.

Abdominal pain around the navel is a common condition that both children and adults experience, but there are many myths surrounding the cause of this phenomenon. One of the frequently asked questions is is abdominal pain around the navel caused by worms?

There are many people who share the same thought that when having abdominal pain around the navel is caused by worms. However, whether the real cause is due to worms or not, it remains to be seen how specific the patient's symptoms are.
When suffering from abdominal pain around the navel caused by worms, the patient will have nausea, a feeling of nausea and especially when hungry, the pain is stronger. In the case of many roundworms, it can cause an extremely dangerous intestinal obstruction.
In fact, worm infection is a very common situation in our country, especially in rural areas, where many crops are grown, where people use fresh manure to fertilize the fields, who have a preference for eating raw vegetables and drinking water. water...

When infected with worms, the patient often has digestive disorders such as defecation of raw feces, abdominal pain. To definitively diagnose abdominal pain around the belly button due to worm infection, the patient needs to do a stool test for worm eggs, after it is certain that the cause is caused by worms, then there will be the right treatment and cessation. point.

There are many causes for patients to have abdominal pain in the navel, with each cause causing a different type of abdominal pain and symptoms, specifically:
2.1 Abdominal pain around the belly button due to gastritis, intestinal inflammation Inflammation of the intestines, stomach Gastroenteritis is a very common digestive tract inflammation, the cause may be due to a bacterial or viral infection, a parasite. Gastroenteritis causes not only abdominal pain in the belly button, but also accompanied by the following symptoms:
Nausea or vomiting Fever Sweaty skin Diarrhea For this type of abdominal pain around the navel usually does not need to be treated. With medical treatment, the symptoms will go away on their own within a few days, but if the disease occurs in children, it is necessary to monitor it because it has the potential to cause dehydration complications that affect the child's health.
2.2 Abdominal pain around the belly button due to appendicitis When having abdominal pain in the navel area is also very likely to be caused by appendicitis, in this case, the pain only appears in the navel area and then finally pain spreading to the right side of the abdomen, accompanied by the following symptoms:
Nausea or vomiting Digestive disturbances, such as constipation or diarrhea Fever Loss of appetite Pain that gets worse when coughing or performing a Number of movements Abdominal bloating The type of abdominal pain caused by appendicitis is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention, or the appendix will rupture and cause potentially life-threatening complications. sick.
2.3. Abdominal pain due to acute pancreatitis In some cases, when suffering from acute pancreatitis, the patient will also feel pain around the belly button, this is due to the inflammation and the patient's use of certain medications. certain drugs. In addition to abdominal pain, it is also accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, increased heart rate, fever.
Requires hospitalization for treatment
2.4 Abdominal pain due to umbilical hernia This is a type of abdominal pain around the navel that often occurs in infants or older children, when abdominal tissue bulges through a hole in the abdominal muscles around the patient's navel. In this case, the pain will be around the navel or at the site of the hernia.
2.5 Abdominal pain around the umbilicus due to a small bowel obstruction When the intestines are blocked, it will prevent food from entering the digestive tract and cause abdominal pain around the navel accompanied by the following symptoms:
Stomach bloating Eating not tasty Loss of water Fever Increased heart rate Nausea and vomiting Severe constipation This case requires the patient to be hospitalized immediately for prompt treatment..

If the cause of abdominal pain around the navel is not determined, but the pain persists for more than a day, immediately go to the hospital for timely examination and treatment. Abdominal pain around the navel will be dangerous if accompanied by the following symptoms:
Blood in the stool Unexplained weight loss Jaundice Severe abdominal pain Fever Nausea and vomiting that does not stop Swelling or pain in the lower abdomen.

To determine the cause of abdominal pain around the belly button, the doctor will first review the patient's medical history and perform a physical examination. Depending on the evaluation, the person may need some additional tests such as:
Blood tests Urinalysis Take stool samples to check for pathogens Imaging tests: X-rays, CT scans. .. Currently, there are many possible causes of abdominal pain around the navel, this condition should not be taken lightly, but carefully monitor your body, if there is any problem, you need to go to the nearest medical facility immediately. to be examined promptly, to avoid unwanted complications.
Doctor Huong has over 30 years of experience in the field of Gastroenterology, in which with nearly 20 years holding the position of Deputy Department, Head of Department of Hue Central Hospital. Currently, he is a Doctor of Gastroenterology - Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - General Internal Medicine Department of Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.