To describe any abdominal pain is easier if you can tell where the pain is located. To communicate more clearly, medical practitioners divide the abdomen into 4 quadrants. There is the right half and the left half. And there is the upper and the lower quadrant. Some physicians even divide those 4 sections into subsections to make the location of pain even more specific in their descriptions. In short, it is easy to say a pain in the right side of your abdomen refers to anywhere on the right side of your body, either the upper or the lower right quadrant. A right side abdominal pain can be very serious.

It is important to pay attention to where it hurts, when it hurts, what kind of pain is it, and how long does it last.  There are many organs located in the right side of your abdomen; so, it is complicated to determine the precise source of your pain. The first thing people think of is, “Where is my appendix?”.  That is because appendicitis cannot wait.

Right side abdominal pain is often constant and dull. But sometimes it is sharp and stabbing.  When you have a constant, yet dull, pain it is often burning or tingling as well.  You need to get your healthcare professional to determine the reason for this pain. They will interview you about the pain itself and give you a complete physical exam. They also need your health history. Tell them if you have been vomiting or if you lost your appetite.

Never ignore an abdominal pain in the right side. Actually, any abdominal pain is your body giving you information about something that is not properly functioning.  It might be a sign of a serious health condition.  Sometimes a serious illness will generate mild right side abdominal discomfort while other less serious ailments might produce moderate or sometimes severe abdominal pain on the right side.

Causes of Right Side Abdominal Pain

To determine what causes abdominal pain on the right side, it is necessary to look at the different organs and structures that are found on the right side of abdomen. Any illness, infection or irritation in these organs can create abdominal pain on right side.  This is a list of various organs and structures that are located in the right half of the abdomen:

• Appendix
• Liver
• Adrenal gland (right)
• Blood vessels
• Pancreas
• Gallbladder
• Ureter (right)
• Skin
• Duodenum
• Fallopian tube (right)
• In females, right ovary
• Kidney (right)
• Muscles
• Right part of large intestines

A wide variety of health conditions or disorders or conditions may be common causes of right side abdominal pain even though they not found in that area. For example, some tumors could cause right side abdominal pain.  Also, the lower part of the right lung may have an infection or some other illness and result in right side abdominal pain even though it is not counted as a part of the right abdomen.

Signs and Symptoms of Right Side Abdominal Pain

Because a right side abdominal pain could originate with any of the organs in that part of the abdomen and even other organs or health conditions from other parts of your body, it is very difficult to identify the source.  Hence, the symptoms associated with any disorders of the various organs like fever, vomiting, changes in bowel habits, nausea, changes in appetite, intermittent pain or menstrual cycle changes are studied to assess the actual cause for the pain.

These symptoms help in diagnosing the actual cause of pain and thus reducing the need for unnecessary tests. These other conditions are often linked to right side abdominal pain symptoms:

Appendicitis

In fact, this is the most common cause for pain in the right side of abdomen, it is caused due to inflammation of the appendix. It usually starts around the navel moving towards the lower right side of abdomen. The severity can vary from dull to severe pain. Usually seen in individuals of 9 to 40 years of age, appendicitis pain is seen in combination with vomiting, nausea, fever, vomiting, and appetite changes.  Constipation or mild diarrhea is also noticed in some cases.

Kidney Stones:

If you have kidney stones in the right kidney, a sudden and intense pain may be experienced in the right side of abdomen. It starts on the upper right of abdomen and moves towards either the genitals or the navel.

See here for more information on Symptoms of kidney pain.

Gallbladder Disease:

A dull or severe pain in the upper right part of abdomen which is just below the right-side rib cage suggests a gallbladder disorder due to either gallstones or gallbladder inflammation. The pain feels like it comes in waves and usually after meals. Lasting for few hours, it is usually accompanied by vomiting.

Hernia Complications:

Hernias, may not be painful at all times, but a hernia can create severe right side abdominal pain. Often the steadily increasing pain is followed by nausea and vomiting.

Right Ovary Pain:

An ovarian cyst may rupture or twist and cause sudden moderate or severe pain in the lower right abdomen.   It is often accompanied by nausea or vomiting. The pain tends to spread downwards to the thighs.

Ectopic Pregnancy:

Pregnant women may experience a sudden pain in the lower right abdomen. It is usually accompanied by dizziness and vaginal bleeding. This is due to an ectopic pregnancy and requires an immediate medical care. An ectopic pregnancy is one in which the embryo is growing outside the uterus.   This condition is life-threatening to the mother. The fetus will not survive. [4]

Food Poisoning

A right side abdominal pain can also be caused due to food poisoning.  Often it appears as dehydration and respiratory, neurological or cardiac problems along with abdominal pain.

For further information see:

• Food poisoning causes, signs and symptoms
• Food poisoning diagnosis and treatment

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

A severe pain in the right abdomen could be due to tearing of abdominal aorta walls. Usually this accompanies symptoms of heart disease.

Mesenteric Lymphadenopathy

Often confused with appendix pain, mesenteric lymphadenopathy is seen most often in children. The child experiences pain in the lower right abdomen. Unlike appendicitis, the child’s appetite remains unchanged. Enlargement of neck glands and sore throat are other signs noticed along with trapped wind, blood in stool, constipation and pulled muscles along with abdominal pain. The mesentery is two thin layers of cells that encase the intestines and attach them to the abdominal wall. [5]

Other less common causes of abdominal pain are those with symptoms concerning disorders of urinary tract, liver, pancreas or heart. Though very rare, symptoms of diseases like ulcerative colitis, infectious colitis, colon cancer, and Chron’s disease are noticed along with right side abdominal pain.

Treating Abdominal Pain of Right Side

Right side abdominal pain treatment starts by identifying the actual cause of pain.  Diagnosing the actual cause of pain is difficult due to the presence of numerous organs in the right side of abdomen. Any abdominal pain in the right side can be temporarily subdued by using pain killers until the results of diagnostic tests point a particular disorder.

The actual cause of the pain needs to be determined before deciding which protocol to follow to try and cure right side abdominal pain.  The diagnostic tests include X-rays, MRI, colonoscopy, ultrasound, endoscopy, barium enema, and blood, stool and urine tests.

Any abdominal pain that persists for more than 3 days should immediately be referred to a doctor. Never ignore persistent or severe abdominal pain. The symptoms of right side abdominal pain play a vital role in diagnosing the cause without tests. Until the diagnosis of the actual disorder that caused the pain, the patient’s only relief may be pain killers. Once diagnosed, the proper treatment for the malfunctioning organ or structure can be started based on the condition.

The post Right Side Abdominal Pain appeared first on All Health Site - Health Articles and News.

Health care practitioners refer to the abdomen as having 4 sections:  upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right abdomen. Some physicians actually divide these quadrants into 9 areas for even more clear communication. Left side abdominal pain refers to pain in the upper left and lower left quadrants of abdomen.

Abdominal pains occur in the left side, right side or the entire abdomen. An average person experiences this pain at least once in a lifetime.  Any pain in the abdomen is important, especially on the left side. Abdominal pain on left side can vary according to the cause. On some occasions, it can be dull and at times it is a sharp pain. Some people experience a throbbing pain while for others it is cramp-like. Left side abdominal pain might be chronic and long-lasting. However, some people experience sudden and acute pain. Sometimes abdominal pains are accompanied by nausea or vomiting.

A pain in the abdomen should never be neglected as this may be a symptom of some other bigger problems.  It can be linked to any one of many conditions that do not occur in the abdomen itself though they cause discomfort in abdomen. Some pains may be directly associated with gastrointestinal tract while other abdominal pains, like the one experienced with strep throat, are not directly associated with the digestive tract.

Left Side Abdominal Pain Causes

What causes left side abdominal pain?

In order to determine the origin of this kind of pain, it requires a thorough physical exam and interview by a trained medical professional and a careful assessment of the circumstances surrounding the situation. There are so many organs in the left side of your abdomen a disorder in any of them could result in left side abdominal pain.

• Stomach
• Spleen
• Left part of liver; also see – pain in the liver
• Left adrenal gland
• Blood vessels, nerves, muscles and skin
• Left kidney
• Left half of large intestine
• Left ureter
• Sigmoid colon
• Descending colon
• The pancreas
• Left ovary and fallopian tube in women

Picture: Organs in the Abdomen (left and right)

These are the organs that can directly give an abdominal pain if any one of them has a disorder.  In addition, other organs that are not found in the left abdomen  may still generate abdominal pain. For instance, the lower left part of the lung, the heart or the left side of the diaphragm may be the source of the pain.   In rare cases, the appendix is located on the left side instead of the right. That could result in left sided abdominal pain. This condition, called Situs Invertus, is uncommon and is not considered as a major cause for left abdominal pain.

Signs and Symptoms of Left Side Abdominal Pain

If you have symptoms of abdominal pain on your left side, they are often accompanied by signs of other illness. The actual cause for an abdominal pain can be determined only by carefully studying the other symptoms experienced in combination. Following is some basic information on common causes of abdominal pain on left side and the symptoms related with each condition:

• Heartburns – Though the heart isn’t situated in the left abdomen, heartburn can give you abdominal pain.

• Gastritis – An irritation or swelling on the stomach lining.

• Stomach ulcers

• Diverticulitis – The interior wall of colon swells at a certain point forming a pouch. This hampers the easy passage of food. The left side abdominal pain acts as an indicator along with nausea, constipation and bloating in some cases.

• Bowel Obstruction – The intestines are spread across the whole of abdomen. When bowel obstruction is serious, severe abdominal pain is observed. This obstruction causes constipation and pain.  Not only that, but vomiting and stool that may be loose and watery or totally absent are accompanying signs.

• Kidney Stones – When a kidney stone moves from the left kidney you will experience sudden and severe left side abdominal pain.  It usually starts as a sharp pain in your back but then migrates to the front.  This condition needs immediate attention as it can give rise to infections and can be life-threatening. Also see – Pain in Kidneys

• Ulcerative Colitis – One of the most common causes of left side abdominal pain is ulcerative colitis. This is an inflammatory bowel condition. Sharp pain is felt in the lower left side of abdomen. Other signs include weight loss, loose stools, tiredness, sore muscles and blood in stools.

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease – This condition is observed only in women. The woman has dull and constant stomach pain on the left side. Fever is noticed. In some cases, pain may extend into the mid-abdomen. This condition can lead to further complications and shouldn’t be ignored.

• Hepatitis – A viral infection, hepatitis, results in a dull pain in the left abdomen. The eye whites turn pale yellow and skin shows signs of viral hepatitis infection. Dark tinted urine and nausea are additional symptoms. It can be distinguished from a bowel obstruction by the fact that it doesn’t abate even after meals. Timely medical help is needed as this is a dangerous and contagious disease. Avoid physical contact with others.

• Digestive Problems – Various digestive problems related to spleen, pancreas or the stomach itself can cause abdominal pain. A burning upper abdominal pain can indicate a bacterial infection caused due to Helicobacter pylori.

• Crohn’s disease – Crohn’s disease is seen in children and causes severe pain on the lower left part of the abdomen.

• Pernicious anemia

• Gallbladder disease resulting in a burning pain on left abdomen.

• Intestinal Parasites – Intestinal parasites result in abdominal pain. Knowledge of the patient’s recent activity may reveal exposure to potential parasites. Sometimes parasites do not show any symptoms for a long time.

• Gastroenteritis in children is often due to swallowing food without proper chewing.  Even excessive use of spicy food can result in stomach ache followed by constipation.

Some other causes for abdominal pain on left side are menstrual cramping, pneumonia, hernia, uterine fibroids, stomach flu, endometriosis, food allergy, ovarian cysts, food poisoning, and colic.

Treating Abdominal Pain on Left Side

The identification of the cause for abdominal pain is necessary to decide on how to cure left side abdominal pain as there can be various reasons. Since there are so many organs located in the left side of abdomen, most of the times the specific reasons for abdominal pain aren’t found. Generally, left side abdominal pain treatment involves the use of pain killers that provide temporary short-term relief.

To completely treat the abdominal pain, the cause should be identified and treated. Various diagnostic tests including X-rays, endoscopy, colonoscopy, barium enema, ultrasound, and blood, urine and stool tests are recommended to determine the associated illness that is the root cause of the left side abdominal pain. Sometimes a CT scan can be helpful, depending on the symptoms and circumstances presented.

When is Left Side Abdominal Pain Serious Enough To Go to The Doctor?

Sometimes a “tummy-ache” is just a bit of gas and does not require medical attention. So what signs should the average person be aware of that suggest this pain is more than a minor and temporary ache? If you or someone you know has these warning signs, do not hesitate to get to a doctor.

Warning Signs

• Breathing is labored.
• Fever is present and persistent.
• Pain lasts for several days.
• Pain happens during pregnancy.
• Very tender abdomen to touch.
• Cannot eat or pass stools.
• Frequent urination, possibly painful.
• Vomiting blood.
• Pain is from a recent abdominal injury. [4]

The post Left Side Abdominal Pain appeared first on All Health Site - Health Articles and News.