Upper abdominal pain is a pain
experienced in the upper part of the belly region. The anatomical area
of the abdomen is bounded by the lower edges of the ribs that are
above, the flanks on each side and the pelvic bone below.
Types & Causes Of Upper Abdominal Pain
Abdominal
pain can occur suddenly, can be severe, longstanding and chronic. There
can be various kinds of upper abdominal pain, which can be classified
into sharp, cramp-like, dull, knife-like, stabbing, boring and
twisting.
The causes of the pain depend on certain factors
like the age and sex of the patient. For some lucky people, the upper
abdominal pain can be a minor issue with no risk factors involved,
whereas for others, the pain can be a major one engaging one of the
organs in the abdomen. Very severe abdominal pain usually requires
instant medical attention.
The source of abdominal pain can
be within or outside the abdominal region. Upper abdominal pain can
result from inflammations, such as diverticulitis and appendicitis,
from the loss of blood supply to an organ as in ischemic colitis, and
from the stretching or distention of an organ, like blocking of a bile
duct by gallstones.
Having a pain in the upper middle abdomen
signifies problem in the epigastric area. In this case, the problem
lies in the pancreas, gall bladder and the upper small intestine. Pain
in the upper left abdomen refers to problems of the stomach, colon,
pancreas or spleen. Acute pain in the upper right abdomen suggests
inflammation of the gall bladder. The pain can extend to the center of
the abdomen and the back.
Treatment Of Upper Abdominal Pain
The
treatment for abdominal pain depends on the cause. For instance, a
woman can have a twisted ovarian cyst causing the abdominal pain, while
a man can have a twisted testis testicular torsion behind the abdominal
pain; so, treatment has to follow the cause of the pain.
Doctors
prescribe medicines that provide relief to the symptoms when treating
abdominal pain. If you have upper abdominal pain, and if the pain
occurs after meals, antacids are effective in providing you a certain
level of relief, chiefly from indigestion and heartburn.
Over-the-counter antacids also bring you relief.
Activated
charcoal capsules are also helpful in treating abdominal pain. When you
experience abdominal pain, try to avoid the consumption of fried food,
citrus foods, foods containing high-fat, alcohol, caffeine, tomato
products, as well as carbonated beverages.
Your doctor might
also recommend occasional laxatives and fiber supplements for
constipation, tranquilizers to calm you, medications to decrease
diarrhea and drugs to control colon muscle spasms. All the
aforementioned treatments should take care of your abdominal pain.