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Abdominal pain, also known as a stomach ache, is a symptom associated with both non-serious and serious medical issues. Since the abdomen contains most of the body's vital organs, it can be an indicator of a wide variety of diseases.
Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. [3] People may also experience feeling full earlier than expected when eating. [4] Indigestion is relatively common, affecting 20% of people at some point during their life, and is frequently caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or ...
Physicians believe that postprandial epigastric pain is the most common symptom of gastroparesis. [14] Abdominal pain has a wide range of symptoms. Around 40% of patients have localized epigastric pain, but it can be diffuse in some cases. Pain is usually classified as postprandial, but it can also occur at night and interfere with sleep.
However, upper central abdominal pain is the most common symptom; the pain may be dull, vague, burning, aching, gnawing, sore, or sharp. [13] Pain is usually located in the upper central portion of the abdomen, [14] but it may occur anywhere from the upper left portion of the abdomen around to the back.
[1] [2] Patients observe these symptoms and seek medical advice from healthcare professionals. Because most people are not diagnostically trained or knowledgeable, they typically describe their symptoms in layman's terms, rather than using specific medical terminology. This list is not exhaustive.
Stomach cancers usually occur due to fluctuations in acidity level and may present with vague symptoms of abdominal fullness, weight loss and pain. The actual cause of stomach cancer is not known but has been linked to infection with Helicobacter pylori , pernicious anemia , Menetriere's disease, and nitrogenous preservatives in food.
Traditionally, the use of opiates or other pain medications in patients with an acute abdomen has been discouraged before the clinical examination because of the concern that pain medications may mask the signs and symptoms of the condition and therefore may lead to a delay in diagnosis. However, the scientific literature has shown that early ...
A medical examination may be conducted to investigate for symptoms of liver disease. Blood tests may be used, particularly liver function tests, and other blood tests may be used to investigate the presence of the Hepatitis viruses in the blood, and ultrasound used. If ascites is present, abdominal fluid may be tested for protein levels.