When to Worry About Abdominal Pain Something needs to happen before the doctor can make a diagnosis: the patient has to come in. Deciding when to worry about symptoms is one of the hardest decisions. One one side, you don't want to feel foolish coming in for something small; on the other side, you don't want sit at home with a serious problem. I'll try to give you guidelines as to when a symptom is worrisome, and when it is OK to wait. Let me emphasize, however, that this is general advice that doesn't apply to all circumstances. It is far better to be seen for a problem that ends up not being serious than to sit at home with a dangerous condition. Upper right quadrant: The right upper quadrant contains the liver and gallbladder, which are protected by the lower right part of the ribcage. The large intestine, or colon, also spends a little time in this section. Upper middle section: Between these two sections, in the upper middle of the abdomen, is a section known as the epigastrium. This is an important section because it contains the most of the stomach, part of the small intestine, and the pancreas--all of which can cause pain. Lower left quadrant: The other ovary lives in the left lower quadrant, along with the last part of the colon. The appendix: This is a small tube that can become infected and cause a dangerous problem. Appendicitis pain usually starts around the naval, but then settles in the right lower quadrant. This is true the majority of time, but not all the time. More on this later. The stomach and first part of the small intestine: Ulcers can form in these organs, causing bleeding, pain, and occasionally a perforation, leaking stomach acid into the abdominal cavity. Ulcers usually cause pain in the middle above the belly button. The colon: Pain from the colon can occur at nearly any place in the abdomen, although the most serious condition, an infection called diverticulitis usually causes pain in the left lower quadrant. Location is important, but the nature of the pain itself is even more so. Here are some of the things that make stomach pain more worrisome: Persistence: Pain that's continuous or lasting more than 10 minutes is more worrisome than intermittent, brief pain. Loss of appetite: When a serious problem happens in the abdomen, the body shuts down digestion. Things stop moving through the digestive tract and the person feels nauseated and doesn't want to eat. It's rare for someone with appendicitis, for example, to want to eat anything. Blood in bowel movements: Painless bleeding is not as big of a concern, as it's usually from hemorrhoids. But bleeding along with abdominal pain is a bigger concern. Dizziness: If you are getting dizzy or light-headed with abdominal pain, it may mean your blood pressure is dropping. Get seen right away for this. When to Worry About Abdominal Pain
Anatomy of the Abdomen
The abdomen is divided up into five sections. The location of the pain can sometimes help in determining whether pain is worrisome or not. Here are the main regions: What Causes Abdominal Pain?
There are a few common problems that are caused by certain troublemakers in the abdomen. I'll give you the list of the "abdomen's most wanted," and where they tend to hang out. When Should You Worry About Abdominal Pain?
It's better to get checked out by a doctor for nothing than to stay at home with something more serious. When Don't You Need to Worry About Abdominal Pain?
The reassuring signs are the flip-side of the worrisome signs:
Furthermore, the passage of stool and gas shows that the digestive tract is working, which is also reassuring. That's why surgeons ask people if they are passing gas after they perform abdominal surgery. The Quick and Dirty Tip
The bottom line, of course, is that it's better to get checked out by a doctor for nothing than to stay at home with something more serious. www.keralites.net 
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