What are the red flags for abdominal pain?

Concomitant symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, jaundice, melena, hematuria, hematemesis, weight loss, and mucus or blood in the stool help direct subsequent evaluation.
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What are the red flag symptoms for abdominal pain?

Red flag symptoms
  • Sudden onset abdominal pain.
  • Haematemesis.
  • Change in bowel habit (more loose stool) for > 3 weeks.
  • Dysphagia.
  • New onset dyspepsia.
  • Persistent unexplained vomiting.
  • Any distention of the abdomen.
  • Not passing wind/absolute constipation.
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How do you know when abdominal pain is serious?

Call your doctor if you have abdominal pain that lasts 1 week or longer, if your pain doesn't improve in 24 to 48 hours, if bloating lasts more than 2 days, or if you have diarrhea for more than 5 days. There are three body views (front, back, and side) that can help you to identify a specific body area.
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When should you go to the ER for abdominal pain?

If the pain is sudden, severe or does not ease within 30 minutes, seek emergency medical care. Sudden abdominal pain is often an indicator of serious intra-abdominal disease, such as a perforated ulcer or a ruptured abdominal aneurysm, although it could also result from a benign disease, such as gallstones.
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What are the four types of abdominal pain?

There are four types of abdominal pain: upper, lower, right-sided and left-sided. Each type has specific symptoms and causes, and all are briefly discussed below (for detailed discussion).
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abdominal pain red flags



What kind of stomach pain is concerning?

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:

a stomach ache came on very suddenly or is severe. it hurts when you touch your stomach. you're vomiting blood or your vomit looks like ground coffee. your poo is bloody or black and sticky and extremely smelly.
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What is the most likely diagnosis for abdominal pain?

Common causes of abdominal pain

Inflammation: Painful irritation or infection in your organs can be caused by inflammation from the stomach flu, a peptic ulcer, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), gallstones, pancreatitis or a urinary tract infection.
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Is it better to go to the ER or urgent care for abdominal pain?

1. Location and severity of your abdominal issues. If your stomach pain is debilitating or severe to the point that you cannot stand up, then it may be wise to visit an ER instead of an urgent care center.
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What are the 4 stages of appendicitis?

The stages of appendicitis can be divided into early, suppurative, gangrenous, perforated, phlegmonous, spontaneous resolving, recurrent, and chronic.
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What are the 3 types of abdominal pain?

There are three main types of abdominal pain: visceral, parietal, and referred pain.
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What should you look for in cases of abdominal pain?

When to see a doctor about abdominal pain
  • severe pain.
  • pain lasting for several hours.
  • pain or vaginal bleeding if you are pregnant.
  • pain in your scrotum if you are a male.
  • pain and vomiting or shortness of breath.
  • pain and vomiting blood.
  • blood in your bowel motions or urine.
  • pain that spreads to your chest, neck or shoulder.
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Should I ignore abdominal pain?

Stomach pain should never be ignored. If you are experiencing mild to moderate stomach pain, keep a food diary and record any symptoms. This will help your doctor with the diagnosis.
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What causes extreme pain in lower abdomen?

It can be a symptom of minor or major digestive system conditions such as gas, indigestion, constipation, colitis, diverticular disease, or appendicitis. Gynecologic conditions such as menstrual cramps or pregnancy may also be causes, as can kidney stones and urinary tract infections.
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What are red flag indicators?

A red flag is a warning or indicator, suggesting that there is a potential problem or threat with a company's stock, financial statements, or news reports. Red flags may be any undesirable characteristic that stands out to an analyst or investor.
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What are the red flags of bowel obstruction?

The cardinal signs of mechanical bowel obstruction are abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, abdominal distention, and decreased bowel sounds, regardless of the underlying etiology.
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What are the five signs and symptoms of acute abdomen?

Symptoms
  • Severe abdominal pain around the belly button or in the right lower abdomen.
  • The pain is sensitive to touch.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomiting.
  • Not wanting to eat.
  • Fever.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Generally feeling unwell.
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What is the leg test for appendicitis?

A health care provider tests for the obturator sign by asking the patient to lie down with the right leg bent at the knee. Moving the bent knee left and right requires ffexing the obturator muscle and will cause abdominal pain if the appendix is inffamed.
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Where do you press to check for appendicitis?

Your provider will do a physical exam. If you have appendicitis, your pain will increase when your lower right belly area is pressed. If your appendix has ruptured, touching the belly area may cause a lot of pain and lead you to tighten your muscles. A rectal exam may find tenderness on the right side of your rectum.
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How many days does your appendix hurt before it bursts?

If not treated it can burst (rupture). This can happen as soon as 48 to 72 hours after you have symptoms. Because of this, appendicitis is a medical emergency. If you have symptoms, see a doctor right away to avoid more infection, which can be life-threatening.
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Can you be hospitalized for abdominal pain?

For example, if your abdomen is sensitive to touch or your pain is accompanied by high fever, persistent vomiting, or chest pain, you need to go to the hospital. Certain individuals, such as pregnant people and those who have had recent abdominal surgery, should also consider their stomach pain potentially serious.
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Which specialist should a person with abdominal pain visit?

If you have unexplained or frequent digestive issues, such as abdominal discomfort or changes to your bowel habits, someone's probably told you to see a gastroenterologist, also sometimes referred to as a GI doctor.
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Can you be admitted to hospital for stomach pain?

From time to time, you may experience some form of abdominal pain. In most cases, pain in the abdomen is harmless and mild. However, when stomach pain is accompanied by other symptoms or is severe, you may need to go to the ER. This may indicate a serious issue that needs to be diagnosed and treated immediately.
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What is the most common cause of abdominal pain?

Digestion issues, including indigestion, gas, constipation, diarrhea, food allergies, and food poisoning, are all extremely common causes of stomach pain. In most cases, the discomfort will go away within a few hours or a few days. Inflammation caused by an irritation or infection.
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What if stomach pain goes untreated?

Left untreated, gastritis may lead to stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding. Rarely, some forms of chronic gastritis may increase your risk of stomach cancer, especially if you have extensive thinning of the stomach lining and changes in the lining's cells.
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What illnesses can cause stomach pain?

Conditions that may cause chronic abdominal pain include:
  • Angina (reduced blood flow to the heart)
  • Celiac disease.
  • Endometriosis.
  • Functional dyspepsia.
  • Gallstones.
  • Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Hiatal hernia.
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