stomach pain

When to Seek Medical Attention for Abdominal Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

abdominal painAbdominal pain is fairly common and is usually not cause for alarm. Every structure in the abdomen can cause pain, including:

  • Stomach
  • Intestines
  • Liver
  • Spleen
  • Kidneys
  • Bladder
  • Appendix
  • Sexual organs
  • Blood vessels
  • Muscles

Since every organ and structure tends to have some type of sensory innervation, they can all be sources of pain.

Almost everyone has experienced pain from the stomach and intestines.  From overeating, to acid reflux and indigestion, to constipation or diarrhea, the problems are common.  Most of these issues are short lived, inconvenient, and not serious.  When they are intense and do not resolve quickly, sometimes they do require medical intervention.

When to Seek Medical Help

The main concern with abdominal pain is when to seek medical attention to help determine the cause.  Signs that indicate a need for further attention include:

  • Fever
  • Inability to eat or drink fluids for over a day
  • Ongoing vomiting
  • Vomiting blood
  • Severely painful abdomen and not being able to touch it
  • Painful urination
  • Passing blood in urine or stools
  • Difficulty breathing due to pain
  • Acute traumatic injury

Since there are so many different organs and structures linked to the abdomen, diagnosing the cause of pain may be difficult.  The starting point is always the history and story provided by the patient. A physical exam gives the next set of information.  With this basic information, the clinician then can determine the best tests to help find the answers to the cause of the pain.  Tests may include blood and urine analysis, X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, and sometimes invasive scopes of various systems.

Treating Abdominal Pain

Treatment options for abdominal pain are as variable as the causes.  Since the vast majority of causes are not life threatening, treatment is often simple.  Serious problems often require the intervention of medical specialists to guide the evaluation and treatment.  Self-diagnosis and treatment for minor problems is fine.  But when the symptoms are more serious, find a medical specialist who you can trust.  If looking up information on the Internet, stick to respected medical sites like WebMD, Mayo Clinic, and the NIH (National Institutes of Health).  Do not panic about information you read on the Internet but use it to discuss concerns with your provider.

How to Identify & Treat Abdominal Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

abdominal painMost everyone has had abdominal pain at some point in his or her lives.   Thankfully, the most common causes of abdominal pain are not serious. Every structure in the abdomen can cause pain. The organs and structures in the abdomen include:

  • Stomach
  • Intestines
  • Liver
  • Spleen
  • Kidneys
  • Bladder
  • Appendix
  • Sexual organs
  • Blood vessels and muscles

Since each of these structures tends to have some type of sensory innervation, they can all be a source for pain.

Almost everyone has had pain from the stomach and intestines.  From overeating, to acid reflux and indigestion, to constipation or diarrhea, the problems are not unusual.  Most of the problems are short-lived, inconvenient, and not serious.  When they are intense and not resolving, sometimes they do require medical intervention.

When to Seek Medical Attention

The main concern with abdominal pain is when to seek medical attention to help determine the cause.  Signs that indicate a need for further medical attention include:

  • Fever
  • Inability to eat or drink fluids for over a day
  • Ongoing vomiting
  • Vomiting blood
  • Severely painful abdomen and not being able to touch it
  • Painful urination
  • Passing blood in urine or stools
  • Difficulty breathing due to pain
  • Acute traumatic injury

Since there are so many different organs and structures linked to the abdomen, the diagnosis of the cause of pain may be difficult.  The starting point is always the history and story provided by the patient. After the history, a physical exam gives the next set of information.  With the basic information, the clinician then can determine the best tests to help find the answers to the cause of the pain.  Tests may include blood and urine analysis, X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, and sometimes invasive scopes of various systems and possibly surgery.

Treatment for Abdominal Pain

Treatment of abdominal pain is as variable as the causes.  Since the vast majority of causes are not life threatening, treatment is often simple.  Serious problems often require the intervention of medical specialists to guide the evaluation and treatment.  Self-diagnosis and treatment for minor problems is fine.  When the problems are more serious, find a medical specialist who you work well with and can trust.  If looking up information on the internet, stick to respected medical sites, including WebMD, Mayo Clinic, and the NIH (National Institutes of Health).  Do not panic about information on the Internet but use it to discuss concerns with your provider.

Top 4 Pains you Should Never Ignore

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

head painEveryone experiences and deals with pain in their own way. Some people rush to the emergency room every time they get a headache, while others refuse to see a doctor when they are clearly experiencing great pain. Ideally, you should strive to strike a balance between these two extremes. Toughing it out through certain types of pain can be dangerous (and even deadly).

Here are four pains that you should never ignore. If you are experiencing any of these pains, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Chest Pain 

Pain in your chest can be a sign of many things, including:

  • Heart Attack
  • Heart Disease
  • And more

It could also just be the worst heartburn of your life, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution considering the deadly possibilities.

 Severe Stomach or Abdominal Pain

Intense stomach pain can indicate a bevy of problems such as:

  • Ulcers
  • Gallbladder issues
  • Appendix issues

Pain from an infected appendix is especially dangerous. If you ignore it too long, the appendix is likely to burst, leading to even more intense pain, and even death in the worst-case scenario.

Burning Feet

If you feel a burning sensation in your feet, it could be a sign of diabetes or diabetic neuropathy. If not treated quickly, amputation may be necessary.

Intense Headache

Headaches are a common ailment. They can accompany colds and sinus infections, or be associated with a more serious condition like:

A good rule of thumb is that is you feel like you’re having the worst headache you’ve ever had get it checked out, especially if you can’t pinpoint what exactly caused the headache.

These pains can all be signs of serious underlying health issues. Pain is your body’s way of communicating to you that something is wrong. Don’t ignore these signals – listen to your body and address pain as it arises.