Any abdominal pain that lasts more than a few hours is a potential problem.

Seek medical attention if the pain is severe, located in a specific area, or accompanied by:

• Weakness, dizziness, or sweating, signs of possible intestinal bleeding or a ruptured aneurysm.
  
  
• The passage of bloody or tar-like stools.
  
  
• Nausea and vomiting, with diarrhea (infection) or without (blockage).
  
  
• Pregnancy.
  
  
• Shaking, chills, and fever, signs of infection.
  
  
• A bulge in the groin, possibly a hernia.
  
  
• Blood in the urine, a sign of a kidney stone or a urinary-tract infection.