It is likely to be due to gas and bloating, and is often followed by diarrhea. Cramp-like pain: This type of pain is not serious most of the time.It is more likely to be a sign of a problem in an organ, such as the appendix, gallbladder, or stomach. Localized pain: This is pain found in only one area of your belly.If the pain becomes more severe, it may be caused by a blockage of the intestines. This type of pain is more typical for a stomach virus, indigestion, or gas. Generalized pain: This means that you feel it in more than half of your belly.Other ways to describe pain in your abdomen include: However, life-threatening conditions, such as colon cancer or early appendicitis, may only cause mild pain or no pain. How bad your pain is does not always reflect the seriousness of the condition causing the pain.įor example, you might have very bad abdominal pain if you have gas or stomach cramps due to viral gastroenteritis. You had a recent injury to your abdomen.You have tenderness in your belly, or your belly is rigid and hard to the touch.You have chest, neck, or shoulder pain.You are vomiting blood or have blood in your stool (especially if bright red, maroon or dark, tarry black).You are currently being treated for cancer.You are unable to pass stool, especially if you are also vomiting.Your abdomen is stiff, hard and tender to touch.You’re vomiting blood or have blood in your stool.You have pain in, or between, your shoulder blades with nausea.You also have chest, neck or shoulder pain.You have abdominal pain that is sudden and sharp.Are you taking any medicines that can cause ulcers, such as aspirin or other medications commonly used or prescribed for arthritis or headaches ?.Do you have a previous history of ulcers, gastro-esophageal reflux, gallstones, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohnís disease), and intestinal surgery ?.Do you experience difficulty in swallowing ?.Is your pain associated with nausea and vomiting ?.Have you lost weight or your appetite ?.Does your pain impair your ability to work or perform your routine activities ?.Is your pain steady, severe, or regularly recurring ?.If you answer YES to any of the following questions concerning your abdominal pain, you should contact your doctor immediately. When should you see a doctor or get urgent medical attention ? To help physicians make the most appropriate diagnostic decisions for specific clinical conditions, below are a list of questions that can assist them to narrow down the potential causes of your abdominal pain.
The type, quality, onset, duration and location of abdominal pain are often a helpful starting point in differentiating the many potential underlying causes of abdominal pain. The function of your large intestine is to absorb fluids and salts from the gut contents, thus forming feces. Ascending, transverse, and descending colons thus form a squarish, three-sided frame around the small intestine. At this position, just below the spleen, the large intestine bends downward, forming the left colic flexure (splenic flexure) and continues as the descending colon through the left flank and into the left groin.
It makes a 90° turn at the right colic (hepatic) flexure, near the right lobe of the liver, and crosses the abdomen as the transverse colon to the left hypochondrium. The ascending colon begins at the ileocecal valve and passes up the right side of the abdominal cavity. Beginning in the right groin as the cecum, with its associated appendix, the large intestine continues upward as the ascending colon through the right flank and into the right hypochondrium. Your large intestine extends from the distal end of the ileum to the anus, a distance of approximately 1.5 m in adults (5 ft) long and 6.5 cm (2.5 in.) in diameter.
The large intestine consists of the cecum, appendix, colon, rectum, and anal canal. Although the patient history, physical examination, and laboratory test results can narrow the differential diagnosis, imaging is often required for definitive diagnosis and treatment. The myriad causes of abdominal pain is broad, encompassing gastrointestinal, gynecologic, urologic, vascular, and musculoskeletal conditions. Acute abdominal pain has many potential underlying causes, ranging from benign, self-limited conditions to life-threatening surgical emergencies. This is often referred to as the abdomen, stomach region or belly. Pain in the large intestine is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. What other symptoms are associated with the pain ?.When should you see a doctor or get urgent medical attention ?.