What Should I Consider If I Have Abdominal Pain?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

When you have abdominal pain, it is important to consider where the pain is located, how long it lasts, its severity, and if any other symptoms accompany it. These details help in understanding what is triggering the pain and how best to treat it.

Explanation

When experiencing abdominal pain, it's crucial to pay attention to several key factors that can help identify the underlying cause. The characteristics of the pain itself provide important diagnostic clues for your healthcare provider. To monitor your abdominal pain effectively, consider keeping track of the following details:

Location of the pain (upper, lower, right, left side of abdomen)
Duration (how long each episode lasts)
Pattern (constant, intermittent, worsening, improving)
Quality (sharp, dull, cramping, burning)
Severity (on a scale of 1-10)
Associated symptoms (fever, nausea, vomiting, changes in bowel habits)
Factors that seem to trigger or worsen the pain
Factors that relieve the pain

This information can help your healthcare provider make a more accurate diagnosis and develop an appropriate treatment plan. For example, pain in the upper right abdomen might be related to the liver or gallbladder while pain in the lower right abdomen might be related to the appendix or ovary. If pain is severe or associated with other concerning symptoms., it’s important to seek medical help to identify the cause.

(References)

Sherman R. Abdominal Pain. In: Walker HK, Hall WD, Hurst JW, editors. Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition. Boston: Butterworths; 1990. Chapter 86. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK412/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Cartwright SL, Knudson MP. Evaluation of acute abdominal pain in adults. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Apr 1;77(7):971-8. PMID: 18441863.
Yew KS, George MK, Allred HB. Acute Abdominal Pain in Adults: Evaluation and Diagnosis. Am Fam Physician. 2023 Jun;107(6):585-596. PMID: 37327158.

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