Abdominal Pain

Types of Abdominal Pain by Area

Your abdomen is divided into different areas, and the location of your pain helps doctors figure out what's going on. Here are the most common areas of abdominal pain and what they might mean:

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Upper Right Abdomen (RUQ)

Pain here may be caused by:

• Gallbladder Problems: If you have gallstones or inflammation in the gallbladder, you might feel sharp or crampy pain, especially after eating.

• Liver Issues: Conditions like hepatitis or fatty liver disease 

• Ulcers: Peptic Ulcers in the stomach or duodenum

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Upper Left Abdomen (LUQ)

Pain here might come from:

• Stomach Problems: Conditions like gastritis, acid reflux or peptic ulcers 

• Spleen Problems: An enlarged spleen or trauma

• Heart-Related Issues: Sometimes, heart conditions can cause pain that feels like it's in the upper left abdomen, though this is usually with chest pain.

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Lower Right Abdomen (RLQ)

Pain in the lower right part of the abdomen could be caused by:

• Appendicitis: If your appendix is inflamed, you'll feel sharp pain that often starts around your belly button and moves to the lower right side. This is an emergency and needs prompt attention.

• Gynaecological Issues in women: Conditions like ovarian cysts or endometriosis

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Particularly Crohn's Disease

• Kidney Stones or Urinary infections

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Lower Left Abdomen (LLQ)

If the pain is on the lower left side, possible causes include:

• Diverticulitis: This is when small pouches in your colon get inflamed or infected, causing crampy pain, especially with fever.

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease Particularly Colitis.

• Gynaecological Issues in women: Conditions like ovarian cysts or endometriosis

• Constipation: Difficulty with bowel movements can cause bloating and pain in the lower abdomen.

• Kidney Stones or urinary infections

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Upper Abdomen (Epigastric Region)

Pain in the middle upper part of the abdomen can be from:

• Acid reflux or stomach ulcers

• Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas can cause pain here, which might radiate to your back.

• Pancreatic Cancer

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Lower Abdomen (Suprapubic Region)

Pain below the belly button might be due to:

• Bowel conditions such as diverticular disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease or Constipation

• Gynaecological issues such as Ovarian Cysts or Endometriosis

• Urinary Problems such as Infection or stones.

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Tests for Abdominal Pain

Mr Ferguson will want toperform a full clinical assessment before deciding which investigations to recommend. Your preferences for specific investigations will always be taken into account. He will ask about your symptoms and will perform a physical examination to check for tenderness, swelling, or other signs of a problem. You may also require an internal examination of the rectum in clinic.

 

Depending on your symptoms, Mr Ferguson may recommend:

• Blood Tests

• Urine Tests to look for Blood or Infection

• Stool Tests to look for Blood or Inflammation

• Imaging Tests: An ultrasound scan, MRI or CT scan to look at your internal organs.

• Endoscopy: Examinations such as a colonoscopy can help diagnose abdominal pain.

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When Should You Seek Immediate Medical Help?

Most abdominal pain is not immediately worrying, but sometimes it can be a sign of something more serious. You need urgent medical attention if:

• You have severe or sudden pain that doesn’t go away.

• Your pain gets worse over time.

• You have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.

• You have fever, chills, or sweating with the pain.

• You notice blood in your stool or vomit blood.

• You have pain during pregnancy, especially if it’s also accompanied by bleeding or spotting.