Could Your Abdominal Pain Actually Be From Allergies?

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It is a terrible feeling, and we have all felt it: the combination of abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Normally, people grin and bear it hoping it will go away, but sometimes it lasts longer. In some extreme cases it can also lead to hospitalization.

Common causes include infectious agents, and we have to think about infections from traveling, and, of course, about food poisoning. The last thing many physicians think about is allergies.

If you're allergic to something, sometimes one of the first reactions is a problem with the gastrointestinal system, or GI system, and this system can actually cause irritation.

That irritation is what's going on, and is what can cause diarrhea and the problems associated with it.

Avoiding the food you are allergic to can make a big difference.