Your abdomen is a large section of your body that generally refers to the area below your ribs and above your pelvis. Since you have about a dozen different organs residing in your abdomen, the location of your abdominal pain is vital to finding a proper diagnosis. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be super specific; just giving a quadrant can be very helpful in narrowing down what is causing the pain.
Pain in the Upper Abdomen
Abdominal pain in the upper right quadrant
- Gallbladder (gallbladder attack/biliary colic, gallstones, gallbladder disease)
- Liver (hepatitis, liver abscess, portal vein thrombosis)
- Duodenum, a.k.a. the upper part of your small intestine (duodenal ulcer)
- right kidney (kidney stones)
- pancreas (pancreatitis)
Abdominal pain in the upper left quadrant
- stomach (peptic ulcer, gastritis)
- pancreas (pancreatitis)
- spleen (splenic infarction/abscess/rupture, enlarged spleen)
- Liver (hepatitis, liver abscess, portal vein thrombosis)
- left kidney (kidney stones)
Pain in the Lower Abdomen
Abdominal pain in the lower right quadrant
- appendix (appendicitis),
- right kidney (kidney stones)
- right ureter (narrow tube between your kidney and bladder)
- right ovary or fallopian tube (for females)
- right spermatic cord (for males)
- Crohn’s disease
Abdominal pain in the lower left quadrant
- Diverticulitis (inflammation of the small pouches in your intestine called the diverticula)
- left kidney (kidney stones)
- left ureter (narrow tube between your kidney and bladder)
- left ovary or fallopian tube (for females)
- left spermatic cord (for males)
Pain on Both Sides of the Abdomen (multiple quadrants)
There are some organs, such as the intestines, that are present in more than one quadrant. Some disorders of the intestines can cause pain in any quadrant, like an:
- obstruction
- GI tract perforation
- inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- ulcerative colitis (UC)
- Crohn’s disease
- colon cancer
- ketoacidosis
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- constipation
- lactose intolerance
In some cases, the pain may not be only on one side of your abdomen. If your upper abdomen is causing you pain (both sides), the culprit could be a stomach issue (ulcers or gastritis a.k.a. inflammation of the stomach lining), pancreatitis (pain often radiates to the back), or even a heart attack.
If you have pain in your lower abdomen (both sides or either side), it could be due to a disorder of the bladder or appendix, diverticulitis, kidney stones, or gynecologic problems (ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine fibroids).
No matter where your abdominal pain is located, your doctor will also have other questions about your abdominal pain, such as:
- When does the pain occur?
- Is the pain sharp/dull/constant/intermittent/radiate to other areas?
- How long does the pain usually last?
- What makes the pain better/worse?
- Do you have any other symptoms in addition to the pain?
It’s important to see a gastroenterologist if you’re having persistent and/or severe belly pain. You may need an endoscopic procedure to appropriately diagnose/treat your disorder. Contact our gastroenterologists at Digestive Health Associates of Texas today!