What Causes Lower Abdominal Pain in Women?

At Fast Aid Urgent Care, we often see patients experiencing lower abdominal pain due to a variety of causes—including food intolerances and allergies. While both conditions can result in similar symptoms, they affect the body in different ways.

Food Intolerances
A common example of food intolerance is lactose intolerance, where the body lacks the necessary enzymes to break down lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. When lactose remains undigested, it moves into the colon, where bacteria ferment it. This fermentation can produce gas, bloating, cramping, and pain in the lower abdomen. Unlike allergies, food intolerances do not involve the immune system, but they can still cause significant discomfort.

Food Allergies
Food allergies, on the other hand, involve an immune response. If you have a food allergy and consume the offending food, your immune system reacts to certain proteins as if they are harmful. This response releases chemicals like histamine, which can cause inflammation in the digestive tract. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, often localizing in the lower abdomen due to the involvement of the intestines.

Both food intolerances and allergies can disrupt your digestive health and quality of life. If you’re experiencing persistent or severe lower abdominal pain—especially if it is accompanied by other symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or difficulty breathing—it’s important to seek prompt medical attention.

Kidney Stones: Symptoms and When to Visit Fast Aid Urgent Care

Kidney stones can cause a wide range of symptoms, depending on their size and location within the urinary tract. One of the most common and recognizable symptoms is sudden, severe pain—often described as sharp or cramping—that usually starts in the back or side, just below the ribs. As the stone moves, you may notice the pain shift toward the lower abdomen or groin area. This pain can be intense and may come in waves.

Other symptoms can include pain during urination, a frequent or urgent need to urinate, and blood in the urine, which may make urine appear pink, red, or brown. Some people also experience nausea, vomiting, or even fever and chills if an infection is present.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to seek prompt medical attention.

Our experienced medical team can evaluate your symptoms, perform necessary diagnostic tests, and provide immediate relief and guidance for kidney stone management. Don’t wait until the pain becomes unbearable—visit Fast Aid Urgent Care for fast, compassionate care when you need it most.

Yes, muscle strains—or a pulled muscle—can cause pain in the lower abdominal area. The abdominal wall consists of several layers of muscles, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transversus abdominis. These muscles help support your trunk, stabilize your core, and assist with movements such as twisting, bending, and lifting. When any of these muscles are overstretched or torn—often due to sudden movements, heavy lifting, intense exercise, or trauma—a strain or pulled muscle can occur.

Lower abdominal pain from a muscle strain typically feels like a sharp or aching discomfort that may worsen with movement, coughing, sneezing, or tensing your abdominal muscles. The pain is usually localized and may be accompanied by swelling or bruising in the affected area. Activities that engage your core are likely to make the discomfort worse.

It’s important to distinguish muscle strain pain from other causes of lower abdominal pain, such as gastrointestinal, urinary, or reproductive system issues, which may require different evaluations and treatments. If your pain is severe, persistent, or associated with symptoms like fever, vomiting, blood in the urine or stool, or if you notice a bulge that could indicate a hernia, it’s important to seek prompt medical evaluation.

If you are experiencing lower abdominal pain, it’s important to know that a sexually transmitted infection (STI) could be the underlying cause, especially for women. Common STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea can travel from the vagina and cervix into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, potentially leading to a serious condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID causes inflammation of the pelvic organs, often resulting in lower abdominal pain that can be mild or severe, constant or intermittent.

Other symptoms you may notice include unusual vaginal discharge, pain during intercourse, fever, or irregular menstrual bleeding. If left untreated, these infections can cause long-term complications, such as chronic pelvic pain or infertility due to scar tissue formation.

At Fast Aid Urgent Care, our experienced medical team is here to help. If you have lower abdominal pain—especially if you have a history of unprotected sex or other risk factors for STIs—visit us for prompt evaluation and treatment. Early diagnosis is key to preventing complications and protecting your reproductive health. We offer confidential STI testing, diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment, so you can get the care you need, fast. For more information, please contact us or join the virtual line. We serve patients from Bulverde Rd San Antonio TX, Windcrest TX, Selma TX, Bastrop TX, Paige TX, Smithville TX, Alamo Ranch San Antonio TX, Leon Valley TX, Helotes TX, La Grange TX, Rabbs Prairie TX, Halsted TX, Leon Springs TX, Fair Oaks Ranch TX, Cross Mountain TX, New Braunfels TX, Hunter TX, Zorn TX, Potranco Road San Antonio TX, Rio Medina TX, Rolling Oaks Estates TX, Dripping Springs, TX, Saddletree Ranch TX, Belterra TX, Lemon Creek Boerne TX, Scenic Oaks TX, Fair Oaks Ranch TX, Belle Chasse LA, Timberlane LA, Woodmere LA, and surrounding areas.