|  | Conditions Treatments | Medical Conditions

Abdominal Side Pain

Abdominal side pain can be a symptom of a wide variety of ailments and conditions. While abdominal side pain can be the result of very minor conditions, such as intestinal gas, other ailments such as appendicitis are serious and need the immediate attention of an emergency room doctor.

  1. About

    • According to Jay Marks, MD and Dennis Lee, MD, of MedicineNet the abdomen is the primary part of the body that holds organ systems. It is bound at the top by the lower edge of the rib cage and by the pelvic bone at the bottom. Abdominal side pain can be a symptom of pain resulting from organs directly located in the abdomen or it can be the result of pain that is radiating from organs close to the abdominal wall.

    Upper Right Side

    • According to Kevin Pho, M.D., of the MedHelp website, upper-right abdominal pain can be the result of problems with the gall bladder and gall stones. The gall bladder is located between the liver and the small intestine and provides digestive juices that help move food through the intestinal tract. If your diet that is high in fatty foods, small stones may develop that block the bile duct that empties into the digestive tract. As the gall bladder becomes filled with stones or the duct is blocked, the result can be pain that ranges from mild to severe in the upper-right side of the abdomen.

    Lower Right Side

    • The website WrongDiagnosis indicates that there are many potential conditions that can cause lower right side abdominal pain. These include appendicitis, endometritis, diverticulitis and pelvic inflammatory disease. Appendicitis occurs when the appendix is inflamed and potentially infected; it is treated with surgical removal of the appendix. Endometritis is a condition in which the endometrium begins to grow outside the uterus. It is an extremely painful condition and in severe cases may be treated with removal of the uterus. Diverticulitis is a gastrointestinal condition in which inflammation is present in pockets of the large intestine. Pelvic inflammatory disease or PID is a reproductive disorder found in women and is often the result of a chronic chlamydia infection.

    Upper Left Side

    • The upper-left abdominal area contains the stomach, the spleen and the left kidney. Dr Pho indicates that potential problems that result in upper-left-side abdominal pain include peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis and kidney infection. Generally, all of these conditions are treated with medications to address pain and the source of the problem. Often, a change of diet is a recommendation, including increasing dietary fiber and reducing the intake of fatty foods.

    Lower Left Side

    • Jay Marks, MD and Dennis Lee, MD indicate that lower left abdominal pain can be the result of kidney stones, urinary tract infections or cysts on the left ovary. Kidney stones are often treated with pain medication and waiting for the stone to pass. Urinary tract infections are usually treated with antibiotics. Ovarian cysts can develop prior to a woman's monthly cycle as the ovary is preparing to release an egg. However, tumors can also develop on ovaries and result in substantial pain.

Medical Conditions - Related Articles