Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The first step in diagnosis is to determine the etiology of abdominal distension. After making a differential diagnosis of abdominal distension, it is important to take a careful medical history. [9] Here are the most common causes of abdominal distension classified as an underlying cause and as a secondary disease. As an underlying disease cause:
The most common symptom associated with bloating is a sensation that the abdomen is full or distended. Rarely, bloating may be painful or cause shortness of breath. [citation needed] Pains that are due to bloating will feel sharp and cause the stomach to cramp. These pains may occur anywhere in the body and can change locations quickly. [8]
Depending on the level of obstruction, bowel obstruction can present with abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and constipation.Bowel obstruction may be complicated by dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities due to vomiting; respiratory compromise from pressure on the diaphragm by a distended abdomen, or aspiration of vomitus; bowel ischemia or perforation from prolonged distension or ...
Sometimes, bad breath can be caused by an issue bubbling up from the stomach. Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux, occurs when acid in the stomach flows back up the esophagus, says Hoss.
Ascites (/ ə ˈ s aɪ t i z /; [5] Greek: ἀσκός, romanized: askos, meaning "bag" or "sac" [6]) is the abnormal build-up of fluid in the abdomen. [1] Technically, it is more than 25 ml of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, although volumes greater than one liter may occur. [4]
Tympany or tympanites (sometimes tympanism or tympania), also known as meteorism (especially in humans), is a medical condition in which excess gas accumulates in the gastrointestinal tract and causes abdominal distension. [1] The term is from the Greek τύμπανο (meaning "drum").
The characteristic of cramping abdominal pain is that it comes in brief waves, builds to a peak, and then abruptly stops for a period during which there is no more pain. The pain flares up and off periodically. The most common cause of persistent dull or aching abdominal pain is edema or distention of the wall of a hollow viscus.
Breath tests have their own reliability problems with a high rate of false positive. Some doctors factor in a patients' response to treatment as part of the diagnosis. [4] Biopsies of the small bowel in bacterial overgrowth can mimic celiac disease, with partial villous atrophy. Breath tests have been developed to test for bacterial overgrowth.