Types Of Abdominal Pain And What You Can Do
Abdominal pain can occur anywhere between the chest and the lower abdomen and can range from a dull ache to severe pain. Abdominal pain is one of the common reasons people visit urgent care centers and emergency rooms in the 78130 area code of New Braunfels, Texas.
The doctors and the medical professionals at Riverside ER, a 24-hour emergency care center located near you in New Braunfels, Texas, want to educate the public on the symptoms of abdominal pain and the relevant treatment.
There are four types of abdominal pain: upper, lower, right-sided and left-sided. Each type has specific symptoms and causes, and all are discussed below.
How Is Abdominal Pain Diagnosed
As well as asking where the pain is, your doctor will ask you to describe your pain, so notice whether its sharp, stabbing, cramping or a dull ache. Also, notice whether the pain is there all the time or if it comes and goes in waves.
Your doctor will also ask if the pain came on suddenly , or whether you have had it for a while . They will also want to know if you have been sick or had diarrhoea .
Depending on what they think is causing your abdominal pain, they may want to do further tests.
How To Get Rid Of Gas
There are some home remedies you can try to treat and prevent excess gas, like:
- Drinking fennel or mint tea after meals
- Walking 20 to 30 minutes after meals
- Maintaining a balanced diet, making sure to eat foods rich in fiber and to drink plenty of water
- Avoiding sodas and other gassy drinks when eating
- Avoiding carb-heavy foods, like pasta, lasanha and fondue
- Drinking milk and consuming dairy products in moderation
Check out other ways you can treat gas at home.
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Upper Abdominal Pain Between The Ribcage
If you develop an aching or stabbing pain or pressure in the upper abdominal area just under the ribs, this may indicate a heart-related problem. Physicians say this pain is often accompanied by shortness of breath and is concerning if the pain persists. People often assume this type of pain is indigestion, and while that may be the case, anyone with risk factors such as diabetes or hypertension should see a doctor as soon as possible.
If you do struggle with acid reflux, it may be time to talk to a gastroenterologist. They can help you manage your symptoms through medications, lifestyle changes and diet.
Common Causes Of Right
The common causes for pains on the right side of the abdominal area are gallstones and appendicitis. The pain associated with gallstones originates in the upper right of the abdomen area and can spread to the right shoulder blade.
The pain associated with appendicitis begins at the lower right side and is not constant. As the pain moves lower, it becomes constant and severe.
The symptoms of both conditions are:
- shivers and sweats
If any of these symptoms and pains are experienced, medical attention at an emergency room in New Braunfels, Texas, should be sought immediately.
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Clinical Presentation And Gastrointestinal Involvement
Early and late variants of dumping syndrome have been described depending upon the timing of symptom onset postprandially. Symptoms caused by the rapid hyperosmolar load transmitted from the stomach to the small intestines consist of abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and postprandial fatigue. Flushing, palpitations, perspiration, hypotension, tachycardia and headache also occur with elevated bradykinin levels implicated in causing flushing.
Pain On Right Side: 26 Possible Causes With Treatment
Pain On the right side refers to pain in the right side of the chest or abdominal area. The right side of the human body contains many vital organs, including lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and large intestine. Some diseases, inflammation, or infection in any organs can cause pain. The pains usually range from mild discomfort to dull, intense, sharp tingling.
Many people worry that the pain on the right side of the body is related to the heart. However, heart attack or angina usually occurs on the left side of the body because the heart is located on the left side of the chest. In most cases, the pain on the right side of the body may be caused by stress, anxiety, excessive gas, muscle strain, or heartburn.
This article will discuss the 26 causes and treatments of pain on the right side. However, before starting the article, you need to know which vital organs are on the right side of the body.
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Symptoms Related To Stomach Pain
The symptoms that come with stomach pain depend on whats causing the stomach pain.
For example, if the stomach pain comes with symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, the problem could be gastroenteritis or food poisoning.
Stomach cramps and general stomach pain might be associated with food intolerance, excess wind, indigestion and bloating.
Tummy pain that doesnt go away could be constipation or a urinary tract infection. Children with a urinary tract infection might also have pain when doing a wee and be doing more wees than normal. They might also have a fever, be vomiting and feel irritable.
Tummy pain might also be associated with pneumonia or other respiratory infections. In this case, your child will probably also have a fever, cough and possibly a sore throat.
A sore tummy is more likely to be a sign of something serious if it wakes your child up, or if the pain is in a specific area of the abdomen, away from your childs belly button. For example, in appendicitis, the pain is usually sharp, and the pain often starts in the middle then moves to the lower right section of the abdomen. Your child might also have fever, loss of appetite and vomiting.
With all types of stomach pain, theres a risk that your child will become dehydrated. You should watch for signs of dehydration, including sunken eyes, less urination than usual, lethargy and weight loss.
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What Is The Right Upper Quadrant Of Your Abdomen
Your abdomen is divided into four quarters, or quadrants. Imagine a vertical line that divides your abdomen in half. Then, imagine a horizontal line at the level of your belly button. The uppermost quarter on your right-hand side is your right upper quadrant .
The RUQ contains many important organs, including parts of your liver, right kidney, gallbladder, pancreas, and large and small intestine.
Its important for you to pay attention to pain in your RUQ because it could be an indicator of a number of diseases or conditions. It can require emergency medical attention.
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How May Acute Nausea And Vomiting Be Treated
The first goal of treatment for nausea and vomiting is to prevent or treat dehydration. Treatment also depends on the cause of the nausea and vomiting. Any medical condition causing your nausea and vomiting will also be treated. Treatment is also aimed at stopping or preventing your signs and symptoms. You may need one or more of the following:
- Medicines may be given to calm your stomach and stop your vomiting. You may also need medicines to help you feel more relaxed or to stop nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness. Gastrointestinal stimulants may be used to help empty your stomach and bowels. This can help decrease your nausea and vomiting.
- IV fluids may be given to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. This may be needed it you cannot drink liquids.
- Nasogastric tube: An NG tube is put into your nose, and passes down your throat until it reaches your stomach. Food and medicine may be given through an NG tube if you cannot take anything by mouth. The tube may instead be attached to suction if healthcare providers need to keep your stomach empty.
Severe Stomach Pain After Eating A Fatty Meal
If you find yourself doubled over after eating a high-fat meal, you may be experiencing a gallbladder attack. “Women are especially prone to gallbladder disease,” says Hardeep Singh, MD, gastroenterologist from St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. “Overweight women in their 40s are at highest risk.” The pain becomes worse after eating, lasts 30 to 60 minutes, and may come and go, becoming more constant and severe over time, says Singh.
Get ahead of your abdominal pain with a diet that’s rich in nutrients and fiber and low in fatty foods.
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Other Sources Of Lower Abdominal Pain
A study published in April 2011 in the American Journal of Surgery suggests that almost 12 percent of appendectomies between 1998 and 2007 were conducted on patients who didn’t actually have appendicitis.
This is because several health issues can also cause pain that’s localized to your lower right abdominal area, making an accurate diagnosis of appendicitis difficult without using imaging tests, such as computed tomography , ultrasound, and MRIs.
For instance, ovulation pain occurs on either the right or left side of the lower abdomen and can be quite sharp, like appendicitis pain. But that pain doesn’t start near the belly button, nor does it get worse with movement.
Constipation can cause pain localized in the lower right abdomen, as well as rebound tenderness. But the constipation starts before the abdominal pain, unlike when you have appendicitis though constipation can be a symptom of appendicitis.
A kidney infection can be another cause of lower right abdominal pain if the right kidney is infected but this also causes groin pain, back pain, and painful urination.
Pain from kidney stones can spread to the lower right abdomen, though it doesn’t start at the belly button it usually starts below the ribs on one of your sides and back. It also usually comes in waves.
Pain When Stretching Right Side Stomach
A side stitch, also known as exercise-related transient abdominal pain , is a pain felt on either side of your abdomen. Its more commonly reported on the right side. Symptoms may range from cramping or a dull ache to a pulling sensation or a sharp, stabbing pain.
- Cramps can sometimes cause right side pain in your lower to mid stomach. In the first and second trimester, you might sometimes get cramps as your womb stretches. In your third trimester cramps might be caused by muscle and ligament strain around your stomach and groin area.
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Types Of Abdominal Pain
There are different types of abdominal pain depending on the structures involved.
Visceral pain comes from the organs within the abdominal cavity . The viscera’s nerves do not respond to cutting, tearing, or inflammation. Instead, the nerves respond to the organ being stretched or surrounding muscles contract. Visceral pain is typically vague, dull, and nauseating. It may be hard to pinpoint. Upper abdominal pain results from disorders in organs such as the stomach, duodenum, liver, and pancreas. Midabdominal pain results from disorders of structures such as the small intestine, upper part of the colon, and appendix. Lower abdominal pain results from disorders of the lower part of the colon and organs in the genitourinary tract.
Somatic pain comes from the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity . Unlike nerves in the visceral organs, nerves in the peritoneum respond to cutting and irritation . Somatic pain is sharp and fairly easy to pinpoint.
Referred pain is pain that is felt in an area that is distant from the source . For example, a person who has gallbladder disease may feel pain in the shoulder blade. The source of the pain is the gallbladder, which is located in the abdomen, but the pain is felt in the shoulder.
When To See A Doctor
There are many reasons for the pain on the right side of the body.Usually, if the abdominal pain has no serious underlying cause, the pain will disappear within a day or two.If the pain persists and natural remedies cannot relieve your symptoms, please see a doctor as soon as possible.
If you have one or more of the following symptoms, please seek medical help as soon as possible.
- Dizziness, nausea, vomiting
- High blood pressure, or fast heartbeat
- High fever or chills
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Pain In The Right Side When To See A Doctor
The reasons for experiencing pain on the right side of your body are many and varied. If right-sided chest pain and abdominal pain persist and natural remedies dont give you relief, you should visit your doctor.
Dr. Jennifer Robinson on WebMD advises that persistent upper body pain can be a sign of a serious health condition and needs professional medical advice.28
You should see a doctor for pain in the right side of your upper body if you have one or more of the following symptoms:
- A sudden crushing pain under your breastbone
- Any type of chest pain that radiates to your left arm, jaw, or back
- Along with the right-side pain, you have nausea, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat
- You have signs of an infection like a fever or chills
- Your urine is a red or pink color and/or you have pain urinating
- You have swelling in your abdomen
- You pass bloody stools
- Your chest pain doesnt go away
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Sudden And Severe Onset Stomach Pain
When mid-abdominal pain occurs suddenly especially in people with a history of peptic ulcer disease or in those who take excessive amounts of aspirin or NSAIDs it may be a sign of a perforation that could require emergency surgery. A tear could leak air and gastric content which can lead to a condition called peritonitis, and eventually, septic shock. Surgery would be required to seal the perforation.
If you’re experiencing chronic stomach pain, take steps now to head off any bigger problems down the road. Your primary care provider can help get to the bottom of what’s causing your issues and create a plan to help improve your gut health. Your plan may include medication, lifestyle changes, a healthier diet and stress management techniques.
7. Right or left lower abdominal pain in women
Sudden onset of right lower abdominal pain or left lower abdominal pain can indicate a ruptured ovarian cyst in a woman who is in the middle of her menstrual cycle. This kind of pain could also be a sign of ovarian torsion, which is the rotation of the ovary and part of the fallopian tube, or possibly a twisting of the ovary due to reduced blood supply. Seek treatment immediately at the nearest emergency department. Surgery to remove the ovary may be required.
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Right Fallopian Tube And Ovary
Part of the reproductive organs in women are located on the right side of their body. The right fallopian tube and ovary are found in the pelvic area are just below the right side of the belly button. Therefore, it quite common that premenstrual syndrome, ovarian cysts, or endometriosis can be a reason for right-sided abdominal pain in women.
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Symptoms Of Abdominal Pain In Adults
The type of pain can vary greatly. When abdominal pain occurs, it can:
- be sharp, dull, stabbing, cramp-like, twisting or fit many other descriptions
- be brief, come and go in waves, or it can be constant
- make you throw up
- make you want to stay still or make you so restless that you pace around trying to find âjust the right positionâ
- vary from a minor problem to one needing urgent surgery.
Symptom: Unusually Heavy Pressure On The Chest Like Theres A Ton Of Weight On You
Most heart attacks involve chest pain or discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. It usually lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It may even feel like the worst heartburn or indigestion youve ever had. Women may be more likely to use words like crushing or pressing to describe heart attack chest pain. Some women say it is discomfort or a very bad ache.4
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Pain On Right Side: Causes Treatments And When To See A Doctor
Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer Health
A feeling of pain in the right side of your chest or abdominal region usually makes many people worry. The right side of your upper body contains many vital organs like your liver, right lung, and one of your kidneys. Infection, disease, or blocked arteries can cause pain ranging from mild discomfort to sharp, stabbing right side pain. You might be concerned about any kind of acute or chronic right sided pain, but you need to know that not all causes of this pain are serious and in some cases they might be a result of common conditions such as heartburn, excess gas or muscle strain.
The right side of your rib cage protects your liver, right lung, right kidney, and gallbladder. Just below your ribs in your abdomen are most of the organs connected with your digestive system including your appendix. Disease, inflammation, or infection in any of these organs will cause pain ranging from a dull, mild ache to serious, sharp stabbing pains that can also feel like something is pressing on your chest.
Sometimes, the cause of pain on the right side isnt connected with an organ but could be caused by stress, anxiety, or damage to the nerves or muscles in your chest. Of course, many people are worried about a heart attack or angina if they suffer sudden sharp pains in their chest. However, because your heart is located on the left side of your chest, cardiac-related pain is usually felt on the left of your body.
