Decoding Abdominal Pain: Is It Your Gallbladder, Appendicitis or Something Else?

The main rule in real estate is also the No. 1 clue your doctor needs to diagnose your abdominal pain: Location. Location. Location.

That’s because the digestive tract stretches from the mouth to the anus and involves many important organs, including the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. Trouble can arise at any point along the way, and symptoms often overlap, making it tricky to diagnose the cause. Knowing where you hurt will be an important clue.

Most of us experience occasional abdominal pain that resolves on its own without medical intervention, but no matter where your pain is located, if it’s sudden and severe, persistent or recurring, you’ll need to see your healthcare provider to determine the cause and a course of treatment.

In addition to location, it will be helpful to know when your pain began and its severity and duration. You’ll also be asked to provide a description of what you are feeling: Is the pain sharp or dull? Relentless or pulsing? Burning? Stabbing? Radiating?

This information will allow your healthcare provider to quickly rule out some problems and hone in on other possibilities.

Regions of the Abdomen

The abdominal cavity is a crowded place, housing the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder and pancreas.

To help locate your pain, imagine your abdomen divided into these four regions:

• Upper right: Pain could originate in the liver or gallbladder
• Upper left: Pain could suggest problems with the pancreas, including pancreatitis
• Lower right: Appendicitis is often the cause of pain, although problems with the pelvic organs are another possibility, especially for females.
• Lower left: Pain may signal digestive issues like diverticulitis or irritable bowel syndrome, urological problems such as kidney stones or problems within the pelvic organs

With these diagnostic roadmaps, it’s easy to see how the location of your pain can rule out some problems and raise the likelihood of others.

Types of Abdominal Pain

Your healthcare provider will also ask you to describe your abdominal pain and try to fit it into one of these three categories:

• Visceral pain is pain originating from the internal organs. It occurs when nerves in the walls of abdominal organs are stretched. It is often described as a dull, aching or cramping pain that is not well localized.
• Parietal pain occurs when the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) is inflamed or irritated. This pain is typically sharp, localized and aggravated by movement or coughing.
• Referred pain is pain felt in a location different from the actual source. It occurs because nerves from the abdominal organs can transmit pain signals to other parts of the body.

Other Steps in Diagnosis

Once healthcare providers know where your pain is located and what organs that could involve, they are ready for the next steps in reaching a diagnosis and treatment plan.

They will take a detailed medical history, perform a physical exam and perhaps order tests of your blood, urine or stools. Other possibilities include imaging tests or endoscopy to see what’s going on inside your body. Additionally, they’ll want to know if you have related symptoms like nausea, vomiting or bowel changes, for example.

Ultimately, with your help, you’ll have a diagnosis, the important first step in relieving your abdominal pain and, usually, curing the problem.