Pinpointing Your Abdominal Pain: What Is The Cause?

Few pain sensors in the human body are as intense as those in the human abdomen. For that reason, when certain medical emergencies (and non-emergencies) occur inside a person's abdominal cavity, pain can often be unbearable. Many people want to write certain pains off as "gas" pains, but there are several severe emergencies that can exhibit severe abdominal pain.

The human abdomen is divited into 4 quadrants: the Right Upper Quadrant, the Right Lower Quadrant, the Left Lower Quadrant, and the Left Upper Quadrant. These quadrants are separated by an imaginary horizontal line at the level of the bellybutton and a vertical line that intersects the other line at the bellybutton.
 

Knowing what organs lie in each of these quadrants along with their etiologies can help you know whether your or a loved one's abdominal pain is an emergency or a "wait and see." Below you will find a breakdown of which organs are in which quardrants, along with descriptions of their symptoms, risk and more.

Lower Left Side Abdominal Pain

Although lower left abdominal pain is most often associated with large intestine pain, the cause can come from several other organs. The appendix can even cause Left Lower Abdomen pain in cases of Situs Inversus, a condition where a person's organs are on the opposite side from their normal position, although this occurs in less than 1 in 10,000 people. Causes of Left Lower Abdominal Pain can be:

• Large Intestine (Colon) pain from a bleed, blockage or Diverticulitis
• Small Intestine pain from a bleed or blockage
• Pain associated with Female Reproductive Organs
• Kidney Stone passing through the left ureter
• Blood in the abdominal cavity
• Blood clot in the Left Lower Abdominal area

Diverticulitis is a common cause of Left Lower Abdominal Pain that is usually closer to the center of the lower abdomen. Diverticulitis is usually caused by pouches in the colon or large intestine that get stretched (Diverticuli) and then catch undigested food (popcorn, sunflower seeds, peanuts) and become infected. This causes extremely sharp lower abdomen pain that will not subside.

Upper Left Side Abdominal Pain

Upper Left Side Abdomen Pain can be caused by a few different organs the the previous two. Some causes include:

• Pancreatic pain
• Splenic pain
• Large Intestine Pain
• Small Intestine Pain
• Stomach Pain
• Pain related to Female reproductive organs

The most common cause of Pancreatic pain, pain from the pancreas, is Pancreatitis, or an inflammation of the pancreas. Pancreatitis can be an isolated case or can be a chronic problem. Due to the makeup of the organ, surgical repair can be difficult so chronic pain is usually handled with long term pain management medication.

Although splenic pain can be caused due to infections and other medical causes, the more common cause of sudden severe pain from the spleen is actually trauma. Closely associated with driver-side impact in a vehicle collision, spleen rupture is a very deadly condition. Although splenic pain can be felt in the Upper Left Abdomen, "referred pain", pain felt somewhere other than where it is being caused, often can be felt in the left shoulder, shoulder blade, or collar bone areas.

Stomach pain causing severe Left Upper Abdominal Pain can be caused by gas, hunger or cramping, but a serious concern would be an ulcer, whether bleeding or not. These are generally found by upper endoscopy which should be considered for anyone who experiences recurring upper abdominal pain.

Upper Right Abdominal Pain

Upper Right Abdominal Pain is generally linked to three organs, the Liver, the Gallbladder, and the Stomach. Although pain can come from blockages or bleeds in the small or large intestine, one of those three is usually the culprit.

The liver, a large organ that occupies the upper right abdomen but can also reach into the upper left abdomen and into the thorax behind your right lower ribs. Pain from the liver can be from injury but it can also be from infection to the liver, which is called Hepatitis. We all associate Hepatitis with a disease transmitted by sex, blood transfusions, or dirty needles, but it can be caused by any medical problem with the liver, including cirrhosis and other causes.

Gallbladder pain can be caused by stones and/or infection. The pain usually occurs when the bile duct that travels from the Gallbladder to the small intestine is blocked due to swelling or a stone. Pain can be more prevalent after eating a greasy meal, and is more common with slightly overweight females who are over forty years old.

Stomach pain in the right upper abdominal area is often due to stomach and/or duodenal ulcers (ulcers occurring in the first section of the small intestine).

Right Side Lower Abdominal Pain

One of the most commonly thought of pains in the abdomen is Right Side Lower Abdomen pain. Generally, this pain is associated with appendicitis or appendix rupture, but other organs can cause Right Lower Abdominal pain. Some of the possible causes of right lower abdomen pain are:

• Appendicitis
• Small or Large Intestine Bleed or Blockage
• A passing Kidney stone in the Ureter or Bladder
• Pain associated with female reproductive organs (Ovaries, Uterus, Cervix)
• Blood in the abdominal cavity
• Blood clot in the area

Although, as I said, Appendicitis is associated with pain in the Right Lower Quadrant, it generally begins in the umbilicus (belly button) area, due to how our abdominal sensory nerves develop while we are in the womb, then it moves over to an area between the belly button and the top front of the hip bone. One aspect of abdominal pain that is indicative of appendicitis or appendix rupture is pain when releasing pressure on the right lower abdomen.

Kidney stone pain in the ureter is usually associated with side (flank) and back pain. It can be accompanied by fever and even blood in your urine.

Diffuse Abdominal Pain

Diffuse abdominal pain, or pain that is spread all over the abdomen and not in one specific spot, can be just as painful and just as deadly as other types of abdominal pain. Peritonitis, inflammation and infection of the lining of the abdomen, can be caused by:

• Blood in the abdominal cavity
• lack of oxygen due to a blood clot
• infection spreading from a specific organ to all of the abdominal organs
• pain from one of the other causes that is felt all over the abdomen rather than in their normal spot

Bleeding from either injury or medical problems, such as aneurysm, can be very deadly due to the amount of blood that can be lost in the abdominal cavity and the size of the blood vessels that run through the abdomen. AAA, or abdominal aortic aneurysm, is the swelling and even ripping of the descending aorta. Symptoms can also include numbness or paralysis to one or both legs, weakness, profuse sweating, cold skin, and feeling of impending doom. If you have any of these symptoms call 911 immediately.

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How To Know If You Have A Kidney Stone

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans are diagnosed with Kidney Stones. Generally, these patients are seen in their local emergency room due to the extreme lower left abdominal pain in men and women caused by these calcifications, sometimes even by ambulance due to the debilitating nature of the pain. For the most part, people experiencing symptoms of kidney stones are generally sent home to wait for the stone to pass naturally, but occasionally they may require medical intervention, especially if the stone is too large to pass or if there is a substantial level of infection or other medical issues.

For many people, the thought of sitting in an ER waiting room, waiting to be seen by a doctor while in pain, is unthinkable, especially with the extreme level of sharp lower abdominal pain that kidney stones can cause. Are you asking yourself, "How do I know if I have a Kidney Stone?" Are you or a family member at risk of having kidney stones? Do you know all the signs and symptoms of kidney stones?

Kidney stones can cause from a couple days of pain to a life-long health issue. Kidneys damaged from stones may heal quite quickly if the stones are small or pass easily or they may be damaged forever and possibly need to be replaced via transplant. Read further to learn more about kidney stones so that you will know if you have one and how to deal with it.

What Are The Symptoms Of Kidney Stones?

Kidney stone pain generally begins with a dull pain in the mid to lower back. The pain from the lower back will generally begin radiating to the affected flank/side. When the pain begins to move, the stone has entered the ureter that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. This is the sight of some of the worst pain associated with the kidney stone.

The reason for the pain in the ureter is that the kidney stone basically looks like a really small sand spur, and it digs into the wall of the ureter as it moves the urine downward to the bladder. Once the stone has damaged the ureter, the walls begin to spasm, causing much worse damage. Once the stone has reached this point, blood can sometimes be seen in the patients urine.

When the stone finally reaches the bladder, pain generally ceases for the female, with some exception to soreness associated with damage caused by the stone. For the male, however, pain will soon begin again when the stone enters the urethra that travels from the bladder down through the penis. This is generally not as painful for the female because her urethra is very short. During this part of the passage, urination can be painful, and spasming of the urethra can occur due to similar damage as in the ureter.

Although fever, nausea, and vomiting can accompany the pain from kidney stone, the pain is predominantly the main symptom. Other symptoms can include chills, burning sensation at urination, or urine that is cloudy or has a strong odor.

What Risks Do Kidney Stones Pose?

There are many different risks that kidney stones pose to an individual that reach far beyond the excruciating pain that accompanies them traveling out of the body. The most worrisome issue related to multiple kidney stones is that of kidney damage. If a person has untreated stones that are too large to leave the kidney, or multiple cases of kidney stones, they can do irreparable damage to the kidney itself. This can lead to the loss of kidney function of the particular kidney. If a person only has one kidney or has damage to both kidneys, they could have to go on dialysis and/or be placed on a waiting list for a kidney transplant.

Another issue that correlates to the loss of kidney function is that of electrolyte imbalance. The function of a persons kidneys helps regulate the level of certain electrolytes in the body, such as sodium and potassium. These substances have a large impact on the heart, brain, and other areas of the body, and imbalances can lead to various health issues such as heart arrhythmias, memory problems and more.

How To Care For Kidney Stones

The best initial care for a kidney stone is to seek a confirmed diagnosis at an ER or doctor's office. Depending on your health care plan, you may be able to go to a urologist without a referral. However, if you have never had a confirmed kidney stone, you will probably be sent to an emergency room to have a CT and x-rays to confirm that there are kidney stones, how many, and how big. They will also most likely check a urine sample for cloudiness, blood, and sign of infection.

After the kidney stone has been confirmed, you will either be sent home to pass the stone naturally, or, depending on size and quantity, you might be referred to a urologist. If referred to a urologist, you can expect any where from passing the stone naturally to certain non-surgical procedures to break up stones so that they are passable. That care can also include placement of a stint in the affected ureter or urethra or both to help dilate or hold it open to help passage and minimize damage.

If released to pass the stone without visiting a urologist, you will be encouraged to drink plenty of water to keep everything opened up and give plenty of "flow" to help push the stone out. You may also be given prescriptions such as Flowmax to help dilate or other prescriptions for pain management.

There are many home remedies on the Internet that claim to help break down the stone or push it out. Be sure to consult a physician before attempting to use any of these remedies. Your physician may not agree with you using them, but he can definitely tell you if any of them are dangerous or counterproductive.

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