What are the Different Types of Upper Abdominal Pain?

What’s Causing Your Upper Abdominal Pain? Find Out Fast

Understanding the different types of upper abdominal pain can help you and the healthcare provider identify the underlying cause of the pain more effectively. There are different types of pain, which are as follows:

• Upper left: This area is located to the left of your sternum. It mainly contains your stomach and your pancreas.
• Upper right: This area holds most of your biliary system. It includes your gallbladder on the far right, half of your pancreas, and most of your liver and bile ducts.
• Upper middle (Epigastric region): This area contains parts of your stomach, liver, and pancreas. Crucially, pain here can also be a sign of heart problems, such as a heart attack. It can also be related to your biliary system or digestive system. Any unexplained epigastric pain, especially if accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, or sweating, requires immediate medical attention to rule out a cardiac cause.
   

Keep reading to discover more about upper abdominal pain causes, its symptoms and its diagnosis.

What are the Most Common Causes of Upper Abdominal Pain?

Some of the most common causes of abdominal pain include:

• Indigestion: Pain in the upper middle abdomen after eating is a common sign of indigestion. This pain often has a burning feeling, which is usually caused by stomach acid during digestion.
• Abdominal muscle strain: Pulling a stomach muscle is a common injury. It can happen from lifting, sports, exercise, or even coughing too much.
• Peptic ulcer disease: Stomach acid or a common bacterial infection can cause ulcers in your stomach.
• Hernias: A hernia happens when an internal organ or tissue pushes through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle wall. If it gets stuck or pinched, it can cause pain. Most hernias occur in the abdomen.
• Gallstones: When a gallstone gets stuck in your bile ducts, it can cause gallbladder pain and inflammation, and sometimes even inflammation of the pancreas.
• Pregnancy: Upper abdominal pain is common in pregnancy as the growing foetus pushes against your upper organs. You may also feel discomfort from muscles, ligaments, and tissues stretching. However, severe or persistent pain can be a warning sign of complications and should be checked by your healthcare provider.
   

What Symptoms are Related to Abdominal Pain?

The symptoms in your abdomen can feel like:

• Aching
• Stabbing or sharp
• Burning
• Twisting
• Cramping
• Dull
   

Abdominal pain may occur in various parts of your abdomen and can sometimes spread to other areas. If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, consult a healthcare provider immediately.

How is the Cause of Abdominal Pain Diagnosed?

To determine the cause of a patient’s abdominal pain, the doctor will first ask about the pain and any additional symptoms the patient may be experiencing. The doctor will also review the patient's medical history and any medications they are currently taking. A physical examination will further help them in guiding the diagnosis.

The doctor may recommend some tests, which are as follows:

• Blood tests
• Urine tests
• Stool tests
• Imaging tests, like an ultrasound, X-ray, CT scan, or MRI scan of the abdomen
• An endoscopy or colonoscopy: these use a long, flexible tube with a camera to look inside your stomach.
• An electrocardiogram (ECG) test to check your heart
   

What are the remedies to treat abdominal pain?

Abdominal pain can have many different causes and treatments. Some conditions, like gallstones or appendicitis, may need surgery. Others, such as ulcers or infections, can often be treated with medication.

If you do not know what is causing your abdominal pain, it is important to find out, especially if the pain does not go away on its own. However, you can begin with some home self-care remedies if you are quite certain that your stomach ache is caused by digestion:

• Bowel rest: Stop eating for a short time and eat easy-to-digest foods like crackers, toast, or bananas.
• Hydration: Drink plenty of water or an oral rehydration solution to stay hydrated.
• Heat therapy: Use a warm water bottle or take a warm bath to help relax your belly muscles.
• Home remedies: Some people find relief with natural options such as peppermint to help relax the intestines, ginger to treat indigestion, or liquorice to relieve gas.
   

Not all causes of upper abdominal pain can be treated effectively at home. If your pain seems to be due to mild indigestion, over-the-counter (OTC) antacids may help relieve it. For general pain and inflammation, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen might provide some relief.

If you find yourself needing pain medicine frequently or if it does not help enough, it is important to see a healthcare provider to find out what is causing the pain and how to treat it properly.

Upper abdominal pain can have many possible causes, ranging from minor digestive issues to more serious conditions that may require medical treatment. While some mild discomfort can often be managed at home. Therefore, early diagnosis and proper treatment can help prevent upper abdominal complications and ensure better health and comfort.