What Is Abdominal Rigidity?

Abdominal rigidity is a stiffness of your stomach muscles that occurs when the abdomen is touched. This is an involuntary response to prevent pain caused by pressure on your abdomen. Another term for this protective mechanism is “guarding.”

This symptom is not the same as intentionally flexing your abdominal muscles or the rigidity associated with severe gas. Guarding is a completely involuntary response of the muscles. In other words, you have no control over it. It is a sign that your body is trying to protect itself from pain and can be a symptom of a very serious and even life-threatening medical condition.

If you have abdominal rigidity, you should see your doctor right away.

Abdominal Rigidity and Abdominal Pain

Abdominal rigidity and pain often occur together. Every condition that causes abdominal pain can cause guarding. Disorders of your abdominal organs can cause abdominal pain. Organs inside your abdomen include your:

liver

pancreas

gallbladder

stomach

small and large intestines

aorta (main artery)

vena cava (main vein)

kidneys and ureters

Problems with your pelvic organs can also cause abdominal pain. Your pelvic organs include:

bladder and lower ureters

uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries (in women)

prostate gland (in men)

rectum

It is less common to find diseases of the lower lung as a cause of abdominal pain and rigidity, but it does sometimes happen.

Symptoms You Might Have Along With Abdominal Rigidity

Abdominal rigidity is a medical emergency. Symptoms of greatest severity that could mean that you are in a life-or-death situation include:

vomiting blood (also called hematemsis)

rectal bleeding

black, tarry stools (this is associated with bleeding from the stomach or small intestines)

fainting

inability to eat or drink anything

severe vomiting

increased abdominal girth (distended abdomen)

shock (very low blood pressure)

Other symptoms include:

tenderness

nausea

yellowing of the skin or jaundice

loss of appetite (anorexia)

feeling of fullness after eating small amounts of food (early satiety)

inability to pass gas from the rectum

pale skin

diarrhea

constipation

Common Causes of Abdominal Rigidity

The location of pain varies with the location of the organ that is causing the problem. For medical purposes, your stomach is divided into four sections called quadrants. For instance, stomach ulcers can cause pain in the left upper quadrant of your abdomen where they are located. Gallstones can cause right upper quadrant pain, because they are located in the upper right part of your abdomen.

Abdominal pain can also travel to other areas of the abdomen. Appendicitis can start off as right lower quadrant pain, but the pain can start to move toward your belly button.

The causes of abdominal pain (and rigidity) can be different based on age.

Adults (most common in elderly adults):

abscess inside the abdomen

cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation)

cancer

bowel obstruction or blockage

perforation or hole in the intestines, stomach, or gall bladder

pancreatitis

trauma to the abdomen

peritonitis

Adolescents:

painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea)

pelvic inflammatory disease (from sexually transmitted infections)

ovarian cysts

pregnancy (includes ectopic)

peritonitis (inflammation of the tissue lining the abdomen)

Older Children:

urinary tract infections (UTIs)

appendicitis

ingested toxins (poisons)

Infants:

colic

gastroenteritis (digestive irritation caused by a virus)

viral infection

pyloric stenosis (narrowing of the stomach outlet)

When to Call the Doctor

If you have involuntary abdominal rigidity, you should see a doctor right away to rule out serious problems. Although something as minor as a stomach virus could cause guarding, you will not know until your doctor gives you a proper diagnosis.

Addressing Your Symptoms

Do not attempt to take medication to dull the pain before seeing your doctor. It will alter the pain pattern and make it more difficult for your doctor to diagnose your condition.

When you talk to your doctor, it is helpful for you to be aware of the following:

when the symptoms started

qualities of the pain (if it’s dull, sharp, occurring off and on, or travels to another area)

how long the pain lasts

what you were doing when the rigidity/pain began

what makes it better

what makes it worse

other symptoms and when they started

time of your last meal (in case you need surgery)

Being aware of these factors will help your doctor establish your diagnosis.

What to Expect When Seeing a Doctor

The first steps in finding the cause of abdominal rigidity are to discuss your medical history. A physical exam will usually reveal the cause. Your doctor may order the following tests:

Blood tests:

CBC (complete blood count)

serum electrolytes (potassium, sodium, chloride, bicarbonate)

BUN (blood urea nitrogen)

creatinine (indication of kidney functioning)

liver function tests

urinalysis

test for blood in your stool

Additional tests include:

abdominal X-rays (to evaluate for obstruction or perforation)

abdominal ultrasound (uses sound waves to make images of abdominal organs)

abdominal CT scan (uses high-resolution X-rays to make images of your abdominal organs)

The treatment your doctor chooses to use will depend on the cause of the abdominal rigidity. Obviously, treatment for colic in an infant will be different than treatment for cancer, for instance. While more minor conditions may only require monitoring, self-care, and prescription antibiotics, more serious causes of abdominal rigidity could warrant more aggressive treatments.

Depending on your diagnosis, aggressive treatment can include:

intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration

nasogastric (feeding) tube to provide nourishment

intravenous antibiotics

surgery

Long-Term Consequences of Untreated Symptoms

Untreated causes of abdominal rigidity can be fatal. Abdominal infection can cause bacteria to enter the blood. This can cause your blood pressure to fall dangerously low (shock). Severe blood loss can also cause death. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from prolonged vomiting can cause dangerous heart rhythm problems, shock, and kidney failure.

Source: http://www.healthline.com