Upper Right Abdominal Pain in Men and Women Causes and Treatment
Are you experiencing upper right abdominal pain? Here are top causes of upper right abdominal pain both men and women. In This article we’ll examine each cause independently to find solutions that could help you deal with the pain.
This is pain that is elicited from the right upper side of the abdominal as a result of underlying pathology of the visceral organs beneath the abdominal skin. The pain manifests itself in different ways depending on the organ affected in that it can be sharp pain, dull pain, reffered pain, deep or superficial pain.
Symptoms of Upper Right Abdominal Pain in Men and Women
This pain is associated with organs on the right abdominal side which include the liver, gall bladder, appendix, ascending colon, right ovary, right fallopian tube and abdominal muscles on the right side of the body.
Causes and Treatment of Upper Right Abdominal Pain in Men and Women
As stated the pain is related to organs on the right side of the body that have a pathology (infection, cancer, inflamed).some of the conditions include:
1. Appendicitis
This is inflammation(swelling of the appendix) that is due to obstruction of the lumen of the organ(the inner space in between the walls of the appendix).the obstruction causes stasis(lack of flow)of lymphatic fluid and blood leading to infiltration of bacteria that cause pus formation eliciting a lot of pain to the right side
Pain is the major symptom and it is sharp pain felt on the right side at a point reffered to as macburneys point
Nausea and vomiting follow
Fever ensues indicating a bacterial infection
Loss of appetite and the patient is unable to feed
Antibiotics are used to curb the infection surgery to remove the appendix is the ultimate treatment
Early diagnosis and management is the only way to prevent major complications
2. Bowel cancer
This is cancer of the cells of the large intestines that causes abnormal multiplication of cells of the lining of the large intestines
Dietary causes are suspected to be the major cause. Intake of large amounts of red meat is highly associated with the disease
Genes that code for the production of cancerous cells is also another factor
The pain that is caused by bowel cancer results from obstruction of the lumen of the bowel by the cancerous mass of cells that grows across the lumen leading to bowel obstruction which must be treated immediately
Rectal bleeding is caused by erosion of the blood vessels beneath the mass of cancer cells and this continuous bleeding can eventually lead to anemia
Loss of appetite and weight loss occur concurrently
The mainstay treatment is surgical removal of the cancerous mass and a course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy
Prevention of Bowel Cancer
Intake of large amounts of fiber containing foods especially from the brassicas family (cabbages, cauliflower and broccolis)
3. Salpingitis
This inflammation of the fallopian tubes that is caused by bacterial infection that mostly originates from the infection of the uterus which ascends up the fallopian tubes.
Causes of Salpingitis
Most common causative organisms include gonorrhea and Chlamydia which are transmitted through sexual intercourse.
Symptoms of Salpingitis
The pain that occurs on the right side is due to the inflammation of the right tube
Fever occurs secondary to the bacterial infection
Treatment of Salpingitis
Early and thorough diagnosis must be done and when confirmed a corse of antibiotics must be started those that are effective against the strain of gonorrhea and chlamydia
4. Crohn’s disease
This is among the conditions that are called irritable bowel diseases and is associated with inflammation of the lining or the colon leading to massive and severe pain
Cause of Crohn’s disease
This is an autoimmune disease, that is the body’s defense mechanism produces antibodies that fight to destroy the body’s own organs. The antibodies destroy cells of the colon leading to ulceration and eventually inflammation of the cells of the bowel
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease
Pain on the right side of the body is a common indication of crohn’s disease and it is elicited on the lower part of the abdomen slightly above the hip joint
Bleeding is another major symptom due to the ulceration of the lining of the colon large amounts of blood are lost as a result leading to anemia that is fatal
Treatment of Crohn’s disease
Treatment with corticosteroids is used to reduce the inflammation
Drugs that prevent damage of the cells by immune cells are also used known as cytotoxic drugs
5. Constipation
Constipation is that condition that ensues when one is unable to pass stool for less than three times in a week as a result the stool becomes hard.
Difficult to pass and there is pain sensation when one tries to pass the hard stool. It is in itself not a disease but a body a syndrome of many signs and symptoms
Cause of Constipation
It has been associated with a number of factors
Dietary causes: lack of intake of a high fibre diet reduces the bulk of food and roughage required to help in peristalsis. Intake of food rich in a lot of fats has also led to episodes of constipation
Dehydration: lack of intake of water is a major cause of constipation as food passes through the large intestines water is absorbed from the food into the intestines so intake of inadequate amounts of food leads to hard and dry stool
Lack of exercise: physical activity increases gut motility therefore lack of physical exercise leads to reduced gut motility and eventually constipation
Symptoms of Constipation
The pain associated with constipation is dull in nature and mostly felt when tries to pass stool
Treatment of Constipation
Use of laxatives to soften the stool helps to relieve the discomfort though such should be used with caution to avoid diarrhea due to excessive stool softening
Prevention of Constipation
High intake of fibre containing foods
Intake of large amounts of food
Regular physical activity
6. Ovulation pain
during ovulation most women experience pain when it’s the right ovary releasing the egg this is because during that time the ovary becomes tense and swollen and thus pain is elicited this pain is usually sharp and localized above the hip bone but only lasts a short while hence medications are not required
Upper Right Abdominal Pain in Men and Women Summary
As you have learnt, Pain in the upper right quadrant is associated with many things and therefore one can not apply one solution as a best fit treatment for all abdominal pains. This therefore call for a physical examination by a qualified doctor and proper diagnosis to establish it’s root cause.
Once the root cause is established then treatment can be administered correctly and appropriately
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