Abdominal pain: should you be worried?

Autore: Mr Ashish Rohatgi
Pubblicato: | Aggiornato: 11/05/2023
Editor: Emma McLeod

There are many causes of abdominal pain, with some causes less dangerous than others. Therefore, it’s vital to get a diagnosis as soon as possible. Mr Ashish Rohatgi is an upper gastrointestinal laparoscopic and general surgeon with a vast amount of knowledge on abdominal pain-causing conditions. Learn from him about when to seek help, what to expect during diagnosis and what treatment you could be offered.

The torso of a man with abdominal pain. He is wrapping his arms around his abdomen.

What are some common causes of abdominal pain?

Many conditions have the potential to cause abdominal pain. The most common are:

 

When should you seek urgent medical attention for abdominal pain?

Anyone who has severe abdominal pain should go to the A&E department - without a doubt. Severe abdominal pain consists of, for example, pain that’s so severe that it’s impossible to get up, being unable to move and having a constant pain that’s not resolved with medication.

 

When should someone go to their GP or a specialist?

As abdominal pain can be a sign of a wide range of symptoms, any abdominal pain should be explored. If you’re experiencing abdominal pain that isn’t severe, it’s incredibly important to visit your GP or a gastroenterologist to determine the cause.

 

What might patients be asked at their consultation?

At the consultation, you’ll be asked a series of questions so that your doctor can get a history of your condition. For example:

  • “When did the pain start?”
  • “What is the nature of the pain?”
  • “Is the pain going anywhere?”
  • “What increases and decreases the pain?”
  • “Are there other associated symptoms with the pain?”

 

What tests could I expect?

If your pain is not specific (i.e. not clearly caused by one specific part of the body) you’ll require scans. With abdominal pain, you can expect some form of scanning to take place, and perhaps an endoscopy. The most common scans are abdominal ultrasound and CT scan (CAT). You’ll also have a blood test.

 

In general, we aim to get tests done as soon as possible and sometimes, a few visits to the clinic are necessary if several tests are needed.

 

What happens if abdominal scans show no results?

Sometimes, there isn’t any visible cause of abdominal pain for scans to detect. If this and all other tests show no conclusive results, we sometimes offer physio, dietetic advice or a referral to a pain specialist.

 

What treatment can you be provided?

The treatment you’re offered will be specific to the cause of your abdominal pain. Treatment may involve:

  • An endoscopy or colonoscopy .
  • Further scans - more scans can be used to pinpoint issues and further explore the condition causing your abdominal pain.
  • An operation – this is almost always the case for gallstones
  • A further consultant with a subspecialist in the problem you have.
  • Dietetic advice
  • Physiotherapy

 

In any case, we talk you through each suitable option for managing your condition.

 

Learn how you can benefit from Mr Rohatgi’s leading patient care - visit his profile.

*Tradotto con Google Translator. Preghiamo ci scusi per ogni imperfezione

Mr Ashish Rohatgi
Chirurgia generale

*Tradotto con Google Translator. Preghiamo ci scusi per ogni imperfezione

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