Dear Doctor,

I am in my mid-30s. I experience periodic pain around my umbilical cord. What causes this and how do I deal with it? Lydia

Dear Lydia,

Most likely you are suffering from colicky pain, i.e. pain which occurs due to spasms of smooth muscles of the abdomen. It commonly occurs due to infections like amebiasis, giardiasis or worm infestation, among others. This can be detected by simple stool examination to detect the underlying cause and is curable by suitable anti infective drugs.

It can also be due to constipation, when the bowels do not clear adequately or at all. Bowels loaded with fecal matter cause stretching of the bowels , which induces pain. Adhesions formed around the bowel due to old trauma or surgery can also obstruct the bowel and cause pain. Women may experience abdominal pain during menses due to hormonal changes.