Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Are There OTC Medications or Home Remedies for Abdominal Pain?
Abdominal pain without fever, vomiting, vaginal bleeding, passing out, chest pain, or other serious symptoms often get better without special treatment.
If the pain persists or if the person believes the pain may represent a serious problem,
they should see a health care practitioner.
A heating pad or soaking in a tub of warm water may ease the person's pain.
Over-the-counter antacids, such as Tums, Maalox, or Pepto-Bismol, also can reduce some types of abdominal pain. Activated charcoal capsules also may help.
Acetaminophen (common brand names are Arthritis Foundation
Pain Reliever, Aspirin Free Anacin, Panadol, Liquiprin, Tylenol) may help.
This product should be avoided if liver disease is suspected. Try to avoid aspirin or ibuprofen (common brand names are Advil, Motrin, Midol, Nuprin, Pamprin IB)
if stomach or ulcer disease is suspected. These drugs can make some types of stomach ache worse.
Abdominal Pain in Adults Overview
Abdominal pain can range in intensity from a mild stomach ache to severe acute pain. The pain is often nonspecific and can be caused by a variety of conditions. Many organs are found within the abdominal cavity. Sometimes the pain is directly related to a specific organ such as the bladder or ovary, while other times it is more diffuse or non-specific.. Usually, abdominal pain originates in the digestive system. For example, the pain can be caused by appendicitis, diarrheal cramping, or food poisoning.
The type and location of pain may help the physician
find the cause. The intensity and duration of pain must also be considered when
making a diagnosis. A few general characteristics of abdominal pain are as follows:
Character of Pain: Abdominal pain can be sharp, dull, stabbing,
cramp-like, knifelike, twisting, or piercing. Many other types of pain are
possible.
Duration of Pain: Abdominal pain can be brief, lasting for a few
minutes, or it may persist for several hours and longer. Sometimes abdominal
pain comes on strongly for a while and then lessens in intensity for a while.
Triggering Events: The pain may be worsened or relieved by certain
events, such as worse after meals, better with a bowel movement, better after
vomiting, or worse when lying down.
Abdominal pain can make a person want to stay in
one place and not move a muscle. Or the pain can make
them so restless they want to pace around trying to find "just the right position."
The health care practitioner will try to pinpoint the area of the abdomen
where the pain originates when determining the cause of abdominal pain. This is done by combining questions
such as - "When you first had the pain, where did you feel it?" - with examination of the abdomen. Softly pressing on certain areas to
elicit the pain and perhaps palpating other areas to examine the size and exact location of an organ are other parts of the physical examination.
When this is combined with general questions about the pain such as "Is the pain dull or sharp?"
"How long have you had the pain?" and questions about your state of health - "Did you have to vomit?"
- the health care practitioner can narrow down the possible causes of the pain.
Once the questions and physical exam are completed, the health care practitioner will either give
the patient a diagnosis and advise on follow-up recommendations or order blood tests, and possibly
X-rays and
imaging studies to further help identify why
the patient is in pain.
Constipation refers to a decrease in the frequency of bowel movements or
difficulty in passing stools. The stool of a constipated person is typically
hard because it contains less water than normal. Constipation is a symptom, not
a disease.
Generally, constipation is difficult to define clearly because as a symptom
it varies from person to person. In addition, because we generally don't discuss
the frequency of our bowel movements or observe each other having them, it is
often difficult for people to know whether they are having less frequent stools,
or experiencing increased difficulty in moving their bowels than others.
The "normal" frequency of bowel movements varies greatly, ranging from 3
movements per day to 3 per week. Such variation may occur among cultures and
groups of people, among individuals, or even for an individual person
without necessarily being a sign of disease. H...
Although Schnitzler first described the clinical picture of postprandial clinical pain in 1901, the syndrome of postprandial abdominal angina generally is attributed to Baccelli or Goodman (1918).
