Abdominal Pain in Adults

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Medical Author:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

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.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

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.

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• Abdominal Pain in Adults Overview
• Abdominal Pain in Adults Causes
• Abdominal Pain in Adults Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Abdominal Pain in Adults Diagnosis
• Abdominal Pain in Adults Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Surgery
• Follow-up
• Abdominal Pain in Adults Prevention
• Abdominal Pain in Adults Prognosis
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Related abdominal pain article:
  Abdominal pain - on MedicineNet
• Pictures of Digestive Disease Myths - Slideshow
• Pictures of Appendicitis & Appendectomy - Slideshow
• Pictures of What's Causing Your Pelvic Pain - Slideshow
• Read more on Abdominal Pain in Adults from Healthwise
• Viewer Comments: Abdominal Pain (Adults) - Describe Your Experience

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.