Nearly everyone experiences some type of abdominal pain in their lifetime. Eating spoiled food may cause you to vomit, eating extra fatty foods can cause digestive distress or you may pick up a stomach virus that causes nausea and diarrhea. Unless you are experiencing severe symptoms, such as uncontrolled vomiting, excessive diarrhea or a high fever, abdominal pain can be treated at home. Resting, eating bland food and rehydrating will often solve simple abdominal issues.
However, if you experience sudden crippling pain, have blood in your urine or stools, have a high fever or experience shortness of breath, you should seek emergency medical care as soon as possible. Residents living in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area trust Baylor Scott & White Emergency Hospitals for their compassionate, prompt and professional emergency medical services. From acute abdominal pain to traumatic injuries, our medical team is here to provide emergency care when you need it most.
Abdominal Pain Location and What It Means
For physicians to understand your abdominal pain beyond “my tummy hurts,” they divide the abdomen into five anatomical sections to locate the organs that may be causing acute pain. Our physicians will use diagnostic equipment to help identify the cause of your pain.
Upper Right Quadrant
If you place your hand on the upper right side of your body just under the rib cage, you’ll find these organs:
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Right kidney
- Bile ducts
Upper Left Quadrant
Put your hand on the upper left side under the rib cage, and you’ll find the following organs located there:
- Stomach
- Pancreas
- Spleen
- Left kidney
Middle and Lower Abdomen
Across the middle and lower part of the abdomen, you have:
- Transverse, small and large intestines
- Reproductive organs
- Bladder
Lower Right Quadrant
Place your hand on the lower right part of your abdomen, and the organs there include:
- Appendix
- Ascending colon
- Terminal ileum, where the small intestine meets the large intestine
- Right ureter from the kidney
Lower Left Quadrant
The lower left section contains the following:
- Left ureter from the kidney
- Descending colon
- Sigmoid colon, where the large intestine meets the rectum
Pinpointing the area causing the pain is essential because the abdominal region contains many major organs. Abdominal pain can be severe and may radiate to other areas. For example, pain from the liver and gallbladder can be sudden and crippling, and pancreatitis pain can radiate to your back. When visiting your primary care physician or the emergency department, be as specific as possible about the location of the pain so the doctor has a clearer starting point for diagnosis.
Stomach Pain: When To Worry
While abdominal pain is normally uncomfortable and often accompanied by nausea and changes in bowel habits, there are significant red flags that signal you need to visit your nearest Baylor Scott & White emergency care department as soon as possible.
Red flags for acute abdominal pain emergency diagnostics and treatment include:
- Sudden, severe, sharp, burning and unrelenting pain
- Unusual bowel habits, fever and nausea with pain
- Dizzy spells, vertigo or fainting
- Red blood in the stools or urine
- Jaundiced skin or eyes
- Severe pain in a specific area of the abdomen
- Rigid or extremely tender abdomen
- Worsening pain
These are concerning signals that could indicate that something is wrong in your abdomen, affecting your digestive, urinary or reproductive systems.
Common Serious Causes of Acute Abdominal Pain
The abdomen contains many organs that can affect one another. For instance, with gallstones in the gallbladder, you may feel pain in the upper right quadrant as the gallbladder releases enzymes and bile. Pancreatitis can cause pain in the upper abdomen, along with back pain and a rapid heartbeat.
Severe pain in your lower right quadrant could indicate an inflamed or infected appendix that needs immediate attention because it can rupture and cause sepsis. Dull pain in the upper back or sides may indicate a kidney infection and lower abdominal pain may result from a urinary tract infection or diverticulitis of the colon.
With so many variables, it’s essential to get a professional diagnosis so the physician can accurately identify the problem and take appropriate action to treat the medical emergency.
How Emergency Departments Diagnose Abdominal Pain
A physician’s exam is required for an abdominal pain diagnosis, along with details about your medical history and the exact nature of your pain and symptoms. Our physicians use diagnostic equipment to identify the cause of your medical emergency. With our on-site laboratory, we can perform a urinalysis to detect urinary tract infections and bloodwork to check liver enzymes, a metabolic profile and white blood cell counts that may indicate an infection.
In cases of severe abdominal pain, we use our on-site emergency imaging equipment for an ultrasound or CT scan to identify abnormalities in your abdomen. Our medical team will determine treatment options based on the results from our diagnostic testing. For severe cases, we may recommend you stay with us overnight at select Baylor Scott & White Emergency Hospitals. We provide 24/7 monitoring during your stay, and family and friends can visit anytime.
Take Action When Severe Abdominal Pain Strikes
Severe or acute abdominal pain can lead to serious medical emergencies. If you or a loved one is experiencing sudden, intense abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or blood in your stools, come to one of Baylor Scott & White Emergency Hospitals in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area immediately. We offer a comprehensive range of emergency services for traumatic injuries and illnesses, including acute abdominal pain. If you have an extremely high fever, are bleeding or have a rapid heart rate, call 911 for immediate advanced medical care.