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Pain in the upper abdomen
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
Pain in the upper abdomen can be a signal of diseases of the internal organs, which are located in the abdomen. Therefore, if you have pain, you should definitely see a doctor, especially if it lasts more than half an hour without a break. He will help make the correct diagnosis and avoid serious health consequences.
Overeating
This can also provoke blockage of blood vessels, inflammation of internal organs, and chronic pain.
When a person consumes a lot of milk (containing lactose), it can provoke an allergy, intolerance to milk and its products.
There are foods, especially fatty ones, that cause increased gas formation, and this is also very harmful to internal organs, which means abdominal pain may occur.
Such pains usually occur suddenly and can last for several hours, and then go away on their own.
Inflammation of the appendix
If the stomach hurts at the top and on the right, as well as around the navel, the cause may be an inflammatory process in the intestines - in its right part. The cause of abdominal pain may also be inflammation of the appendix.
The culprits of appendicitis may be the retention of feces, which eventually pass through the rectum. If you do not react to pain in the upper abdomen in time, the appendix may become even more inflamed over time, its walls stretch and tear. Then urgent surgical intervention is needed, since the person may die from blood poisoning.
What other causes can cause pain in the right side of the abdomen?
The cause may be an inflamed intestine. It turns in an unnatural position and twists. Then part of the intestine may become inflamed due to diverticulitis or colitis. And the person may feel pain in the upper abdomen.
The nature of the pain may not be very sharp, constant, aching, these pains are more like spasms. The pains may continue for 15-20 minutes, but after half an hour, the pains pass. Then after some time, the pains may arise again.
If this is your situation, you should immediately call a doctor and go to a hospital for an examination. Associated symptoms are constipation or, conversely, diarrhea. These two unpleasant conditions can alternate.
Pneumonia as a cause of abdominal pain
Can pneumonia really cause stomach pain? It turns out it does. But why? Some people develop a cough, fever, and stomach pain after they catch a cold. The pain is localized on the right side.
But what does pneumonia have to do with it? When a lung becomes infected, it becomes inflamed. And when that inflamed lung touches the diaphragm, it becomes irritated and transmits that irritation to the part of the intestine that touches it.
This causes pain in the right side of the abdomen. This is how an inflamed lung can affect the pain in the upper abdomen - through the intestines, which are in the abdominal cavity. So, an infection in the intestines can be a consequence of an infection in the lung.
Lichen as a cause of abdominal pain
It is surprising, but lichen can also be the cause of pain in the right corner of the abdomen. Especially the lichen that is inside the abdominal cavity. Moreover, this pain can be localized in any part of the body, because lichen can be located anywhere where there are nerves. Lichen can appear near nerve endings that are located throughout the body.
A virus that can cause rashes in the nerve area can be in the body for years. But not clearly, a person may not know about it. As soon as an infection enters the body, the virus awakens from its sleepy state and internal rashes appear. The trigger for infection can be not only a virus, but also stress, allergies, and other situations that are dangerous to health.
In the case of internal rashes caused by shingles, the nerves can become inflamed, and this causes severe pain shallow in the peritoneum, almost at the very surface of the skin. In addition to pain, the skin can be very irritable, there can be a burning sensation, itching, which alternates with pain or precedes it. This pain may not subside for 5 days.
The abdomen is a hollow organ.
This is why it can contain organs and systems that hurt if they have an inflammatory process, chronic diseases, deformation, atrophy or damage.
The abdomen (its upper part) can hurt if a person has the following diseases. Gastrointestinal tract
Gastritis, stomach cramps, stomach ulcers, gallstones, gallbladder dysfunction.
These diseases may be accompanied by symptoms: nausea, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea.
If a gastrointestinal disease is accompanied by bleeding, you must immediately call an ambulance, but in no case should you use strong palpation of the painful area, and you should not massage the painful area, since bleeding may intensify.
Wandering pains
Pain may occur in a completely different part of the body, and not in the one where a certain organ hurts. Pain may radiate to some other part of the body, so it is difficult to determine the diseased organ and the source of pain by the localization of pain.
Additional studies are needed to understand the cause of the pain. For example, when a woman has abdominal pain on the left and above, the source of this pain may be the right lung, not the left. This may be the case with a diagnosis of "right-sided pneumonia."
Stomach pain
When the stomach hurts, the pain can be localized around the navel. Concomitant diseases can be gastric ulcer, as well as gastritis, a violation of the acidity level in the stomach (it is often elevated).
If a person is bothered by pain in the navel area, it may be pain in the duodenum, which is inflamed. The organs that cause pain around the navel (in the upper abdomen) may be the gallbladder and bladder.
If the left or right side of the abdomen hurts
Pain in the abdomen on the left may indicate that there is something wrong with the stomach, colon, or pancreas.
Pain in the abdomen on the right and above may indicate an inflammatory process in the gallbladder. Severe pain in this organ means that you need to immediately contact an ambulance, otherwise the pain syndrome may worsen.
The gallbladder, when inflamed, can cause pain not only on the right but also on the left in the abdomen, the pain can migrate throughout the peritoneum and bother a person in its central part. Such pain can be a signal that the functions of the duodenum are impaired, the abdomen can also hurt with pancreatitis.
Heart and lung diseases
They can also provoke abdominal pain - at the top and right or at the top and left. This pain can be very sharp, the person turns pale, breaks out in a cold sweat, the lips turn blue, the person suffers from general weakness.
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Gastrointestinal diseases
The stomach and duodenum are located in the abdominal cavity, so they can cause abdominal pain, mainly in the upper part. Gastrointestinal diseases can be very serious, for example, it can be a gastric ulcer with perforation or a duodenal ulcer.
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Types of perforation
Perforation is a rupture of the walls of an internal organ, such as the stomach. Perforation is a possible and very painful and dangerous consequence of ulcers in their chronic and acute forms. The pain can be localized in the stomach or duodenum.
The ulcer perforation may be directed into the abdominal cavity (into any part of it, such a perforation is called free). Or the perforation may be directed into the retroperitoneal region, into the tissue, or into the omental bursa (such a perforation is called atypical). This condition is accompanied by acute pain.
Three stages of the perforated ulcer process
The first stage is shock.
It lasts for six hours from the moment of perforation of the ulcer of the duodenum or stomach. The symptoms are as follows: severe stabbing pain in the upper abdomen. Such pain occurs suddenly, like a blow.
The following symptoms are nausea, vomiting, general instability, the person turns pale, breaks out in a cold sweat, and weakens. The patient's lips turn blue with a perforated ulcer in the first stage, breathing is intermittent, frequent, difficult, and shallow.
The heart beats frequently, sometimes strongly, sometimes weakly, the heart contractions become rarer, the heart may hurt along with the pain in the abdomen. Moreover, when touched, the abdomen hurts even more. The body temperature at this stage of the ulcer may not increase. The abdomen is sharply drawn in, the person breathes with the chest, not the abdomen.
The second stage is false prosperity
It occurs after the first stage has passed – up to 10 hours, lasts 4 hours.
The pain in the abdomen becomes much weaker, subsides. The heart begins to beat faster, the body temperature becomes higher, the tongue is dry, the abdomen is bloated. A person may suffer from the fact that gases do not come out, the stool does not come out. The abdomen hurts in the upper part.
If a doctor is not called during this stage, the person may suffer from peritonitis - the diseased organ bursts, the blood may become infected.
The third stage is peritonitis.
This stage occurs 10-12 hours after the onset of abdominal pain and ulcer perforation. After the stage of pain subsiding and the normalization of heart function, a new wave of pain and poor health occurs in the peritonitis stage. This stage is characterized by the following symptoms.
- Severe, surging pain in the abdomen.
- The stomach is bloated, and the gases still don't pass.
- The body temperature becomes increasingly higher, reaching 39 degrees and higher.
- The heart begins to beat stronger and more often, and may hurt.
How does an ulcer begin?
An ulcer may begin with a sharp and severe pain in the upper abdomen. It feels like a knife has been stuck into it. However, the pain may gradually disappear. This happens because the ulcer (a hole in the diseased organ) is covered by internal organs - the right upper part of the liver or the greater omentum.
When an ulcer perforates into the omental bursa, the person does not go into shock, since the pain is not as strong and sharp.
What can pain in the upper right corner of the abdomen mean?
There are the liver, intestines (part of it), gallbladder, diaphragm (its right part), and also the pancreas.
If at least one of these organs starts to hurt, then the pain is felt in the upper right part of the abdomen, it can be quite strong.
If your liver hurts
Liver pain can occur because the organ swells, becomes inflamed, and the liver lining stretches. The cause may be heart disease, viral or bacterial infections, or chemical agents that a person may not even be aware of.
Worms in the liver - if they settle there, the liver swells, this can cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting.
Hepatitis (A, B, C) – can occur due to infection of the liver with viruses (viral hepatitis). This name consists of two Greek words – “hepat” – liver, and “itis” – inflammation. Viruses that cause hepatitis are divided into types, hence the different names of hepatitis – A, B, C.
Hepatitis A
The source of infection is water containing E. coli and other viruses, or food contaminated with viruses.
Hepatitis B
It is transmitted mainly through blood, this happens during sexual contact, drug addiction, if people brush their teeth with the same toothbrush, infection can also occur in a salon through manicure or pedicure accessories.
Hepatitis C
People can become infected by coming into contact with a person with hepatitis, sharing a needle, or becoming infected through blood.
Toxic hepatitis
It can be contracted when a person takes high doses of medications or other substances that may be too toxic or cause allergies. These can be antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, contraceptives, alcohol, household chemicals, including detergents, household chemicals. This type of hepatitis is called toxic hepatitis because the body is oversaturated with toxins.
Where does liver pain come from?
When the heart muscle is too weak, it can pump blood very poorly from the veins that pass through the heart. This blood stagnates, particularly in the lungs, and then the person begins to suffocate. The lungs stretch and hurt.
The same thing happens to the liver when venous blood stagnates in it. The liver stretches, and then the upper right part of the abdomen hurts. The nature of this pain is not very strong, but the pain is constant, boring, aching, it is felt deep in the abdomen, since the liver is not very close to the surface of the skin. The pain does not subside, does not roll in waves - it comes without spasms, evenly, but persistently.
Hepatitis test
To determine if you may have hepatitis, take a test.
- Have you had shellfish in your diet in the last 2-3 weeks? (maybe hepatitis A)
- Could you have used a needle that was used to prick another patient? (maybe hepatitis B)
- Have you had alcohol intoxication in the last week or two (possible hepatitis C)
- Have you had a blood transfusion in the last week or two (hepatitis C)
- Do you have yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes, and urine that has become intensely red or red-brown (hepatitis of any kind)
Gallbladder disease
Gallbladder diseases occur when too much bile is produced in the liver and ends up in the gallbladder. Bile is very hot in its composition and therefore irritates the walls of the gallbladder, causing them to become inflamed.
If a person has not eaten for a long time, was on a low-fat diet, then bile tends to accumulate in the gallbladder. The intestines, which suffer from a large amount of bile, also suffer from this.
The gallbladder can be plagued with problems and pain if it contains stones.
The liver also responds with additional pain, which can also suffer from excess bile, in addition, if it does its job poorly, its functions are weak.
Gallbladder infection
Pain in the upper right side and in the middle of the abdomen can also occur when the liver and gallbladder are affected by infection.
Risk groups for these diseases are people of any age and any physical activity, as well as gender. Particular danger threatens women from the group "Over 40", when they have had several births, who have intestinal dysfunction due to gas formation, who abuse contraceptives.
Symptoms of gallbladder diseases do not appear soon, pains are initially slight. At first, a person may feel the appearance of gases, then the stomach swells, then the stomach may begin to hurt, and this condition may worsen over months and even years. Over the years, pains in the gallbladder can intensify to sharp and stabbing. They become stronger when a person has eaten fatty, sweet, and vegetables that can cause fermentation in the intestines: apples, cabbage.
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Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease and What to Do
If you have an attack of acute pain, you should immediately see a doctor. This is more dangerous than a constant aching pain in the liver, which is also a reason to see a doctor for an examination. Acute pain in the right side of the abdomen, caused by the gallbladder, can be accompanied by increased sweating, nausea, vomiting, weakness.
There may also be a high temperature, but only in the rare case when the gallbladder is inflamed. Then the gallbladder becomes inflamed, the temperature rises to 40 degrees, the person shakes, shiveries, and has a fever. The pain may occur not only on the right side, but also disturb under the right shoulder blade and in the back in the center of the spine.
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Gallstones
Gallstones can be large or small. If the stones are smaller than average, they can leave the gallbladder on their own, into the bile ducts through which bile passes into the intestines. This can cause abdominal pain in the form of colic.
They come in waves, spreading throughout the body. Waves of pain arise because the stones are pushed through the bile ducts and touch their walls, they can injure them. Then the walls of the bile ducts become inflamed and hurt. When the stones come out of the ducts, the person feels better, the pain goes away. And still, in this case, it is necessary to call a doctor to exclude cases of injury to internal organs by stones.
Consequences of stone formation
If the stones come out of the gallbladder and pass through the ducts, then they do not need to be removed. But there may be a situation when the stones are too large and cannot come out on their own, or they sit too tightly in the gallbladder. Then there are several ways to get rid of them. This is dissolution of stones, extraction (crushing) of stones or a surgical intervention method.
If stones block the bile ducts and cannot pass through them, the person's skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow. People call this disease jaundice. As soon as the stones pass through the bile ducts, the pain subsides and the jaundice disappears, the skin and whites of the eyes acquire their usual color.
Pain in the pancreas
They can occur when the pancreas becomes inflamed or develops cancerous growths. This organ, the pancreas, is called the pancreas. It is located deep in the abdomen, so pancreatic pain is usually felt deep inside, and not at the surface of the skin. The pancreas is located from right to left, so pancreatic pain can be localized on the right, left, and in the middle of the abdomen.
Compared to other organs located in the abdominal cavity - the gallbladder and liver - the pancreas can hurt much less often. But cases of pain in it still happen.
Attacks of pancreatitis
Such attacks can often bother people who eat too much fatty or fried food, as well as those who abuse alcohol, and those who have gallbladder pain.
Symptoms of pancreatitis include vomiting, nausea, weakness, increased sweating, and the sweat may be cold. These manifestations of pancreatitis are not the same as the manifestations of gallbladder deformation. The pain is localized not in the upper right part of the abdomen, but in the back. The person feels more pain when lying down, and it becomes easier when walking or sitting. The greatest relief is in a sitting position, leaning forward. Then the pain subsides.
To make sure that you really have pancreatitis, you need to do additional diagnostic tests. You need laboratory blood and urine tests. You need tests for pancreatic enzymes. These tests can help you determine whether you really have pancreatitis or a disease with similar symptoms.
Pain in the left upper abdomen
The causes of this pain may be a disease of the kidneys, spleen, intestines (the left part), stomach, pancreas, and also the diaphragm (the left part). The liver and gallbladder are located on the right, so when they are sick, the pain is localized on the right, not on the left. True, there are exceptions, and pain in inflamed organs can radiate to the left.
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The cause of the pain is the spleen
This organ is located quite close to the skin surface, so pain in the spleen can give shallow pain. Unlike the pancreas, which is located deep - then the pain is given to the left upper side as if from the inside, from the depths. They can also give to the spine.
The spleen works very intensively when it eliminates blood cells - erythrocytes from the blood. This process occurs after the erythrocytes have been developing for a whole third of the year - 120 days. Then the erythrocytes that are captured by the spleen enter the bone marrow. Then the spleen becomes inflamed, from this it becomes larger, its capsule increases, the spleen tissue stretches, and pain occurs in it. The spleen capsule becomes soft, loose, and from stretching it experiences overstrain, this increases the pain.
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When the spleen can't take it anymore
The spleen can burst, and then there is simply incredible pain in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. The reason for the spleen bursting can be such a serious disease as infectious mononucleosis.
When the spleen is stretched, a person should not actively engage in sports, because this increases the risk that it may burst. Also, with mononucleosis, one should avoid heavy physical labor, constant movement during the day. Any injury, blow or fall can provoke a rupture of the spleen. That is why the doctor, examining the spleen by palpation, should not press hard with his fingers on this organ to avoid damage.
It happens that the spleen can rupture without any external influence on it, by itself, under external pressure. What are the symptoms of a ruptured spleen?
Severe pain in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, very high sensitivity of the skin in the area where it hurts, the skin around the navel turns blue. These are signs that a person may have a ruptured or damaged spleen. Blueness around the navel occurs because blood accumulates in this area due to a ruptured spleen.
The cause of pain on the left is the intestines
Since the large intestine is located along the entire abdominal line, the pain can be localized not only on the left, but in any part of the abdominal cavity. Gases can often accumulate in the intestines, which causes the abdomen to swell, and its left side can hurt. Diverticulitis, an inflammatory process in the intestines, can also be the cause of pain.
Symptoms, in addition to pain, may also include constipation, diarrhea, blood in the stool, and a temperature of 37 to 38 degrees. Blood in the stool may be due to bleeding in the large intestine (in its lower section). Hemorrhoids may also be the cause of bleeding.
Bleeding in the small intestine, stomach, or upper colon can be recognized by black colored stool.
The cause of the pain is the stomach
The stomach is located on the left side of the abdominal cavity. Therefore, stomach pain is localized on the left side. The causes of stomach irritation, and therefore pain in it, can be irritation of the mucous membrane, dyspepsia, gastritis. Also, stomach irritants can be alcohol abuse, smoking, poor diet, frequent use of medications, in particular, aspirin, which irritates the gastric mucosa.
The nature of the pain is aching, constant, not too strong, but the pain is long. Side effects of this condition are vomiting, nausea, weakness, sweating (cold sweat).
If the pain in the upper abdomen continues for more than a day, you should definitely see a doctor for additional examination. Perhaps constant pain for more than a day indicates an ulcer, cancerous tumors or gastritis.
In all these cases, antacid drugs can be of great help.
The cause of abdominal pain may be a diaphragmatic hernia
The diaphragm is an organ that serves to separate the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. There is an opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes towards the stomach.
The size of this opening can arbitrarily decrease or increase when the muscles of the diaphragm weaken. Then the upper part of the stomach falls out of the abdominal cavity into the chest, this is a violation of its natural boundaries and location. This condition of the diaphragm is called a hernia.
Symptoms of this condition are increased stomach acidity, this acid gets on the mucous membrane, which causes irritation of the mucous membrane and pain. The pain can radiate to the left side of the abdomen or to the heart area.
If a person begins to doubt whether it is the diaphragm or the heart that hurts, he needs to pay attention to the difference between the symptoms. If a person's pain intensifies when lying on his back after bending or unbending, then the cause of the pain is not the heart, but the diaphragm. With heart pain, bending and unbending the body does not affect the nature of the pain.
If you cannot understand the nature of the pain, consult a doctor to clarify the diagnosis. It is necessary to examine the organs that are in the chest and the organs that are in the abdominal cavity. Then the exact cause of the pain will be clear.
Is the pain caused by the pancreas?
Yes, it can be the cause of pain in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. The pancreas is located in the upper abdominal cavity, so its inflammation or damage, as well as toxin contamination, can be the cause of pain on the left, mild or severe. The pain can radiate to the middle of the abdomen, as well as to the right side. Pain on the left can also be caused by pancreatic cancer.
People who smoke a lot, drink alcohol frequently, and also take a lot of medications, in particular steroids and diuretics, may be at risk of developing pancreatic diseases with subsequent pain on the left.
These remedies can be used for cancer, asthma, organ transplants, inflammatory processes when bile flows from the bile ducts. Therefore, all these diseases can be the causes of pain in the left upper abdomen. Another serious cause of abdominal pain on the left can be stones in the gallbladder or bile ducts. They scratch and damage the walls of the bile ducts, causing them to be injured and hurt.
Symptoms that can help determine that the pancreas is the cause of pain may include sharp and severe pain on the left side of the abdomen, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and elevated body temperature or the area where the pain occurs.
At-risk groups
People with gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, diabetes, those who abuse alcohol and tobacco, as well as those who take high doses of medications, in particular those with a diuretic effect.
The cause of the pain is the lungs
The lungs are organs that can cause pain in both parts of the abdominal cavity, and on the left as well. When a person has had (or is suffering from) pneumonia, viral pleurisy, tuberculosis, any other disease that can cause irritation or inflammation in the lungs, he may have pain in the left quadrant of the abdomen. Pain in the lungs is not the same as in other organs - it is a feeling as if many small needles have stuck into the abdominal cavity. The pain is sharp, stabbing, dagger-like.
Painful sensations with pain in the lungs increase when a person inhales sharply and deeply. Pain in the lungs can also affect the diaphragm, then the pain is localized in the abdomen - any part of it.
Therefore, you need to pay special attention if after pneumonia you have abdominal pain that you cannot explain. This may be the transfer of infection and irritation from one internal organ to another.
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The cause of the pain is rib injuries
If a person has injured a rib, the pain may radiate to the left side of the abdomen. This pain may intensify with increased physical exertion, impacts, injuries, even small, strong jolts.
Risk groups include older people whose bones become too brittle and weak, women who are breastfeeding or pregnant (due to loss of calcium), and women before and after menopause, who also suffer from increased bone fragility.
Symptoms
Pain in the upper abdomen due to rib damage can become stronger and more unbearable if a person sneezes, coughs, presses with a palm or fingers in the place of localization of pain. In this case, you should immediately contact a doctor for emergency medical care.
How to determine a diagnosis based on external symptoms?
External symptoms are not visible - the skin remains clean, without rashes, they are internal. The only symptom of this disease can be pain in the right side of the abdomen or any other part of the body. Therefore, additional diagnostics are indispensable, since the doctor may consider pain an insufficient symptom to accurately determine the cause of the disease.
Pain in the right side of the abdomen can be a symptom of pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, kidney stones, and bile duct stones. If the cause of the pain is shingles, then in 6-7 days, small red rashes may appear at the site of pain. These rashes run exactly along the line where the person feels pain. This symptom can be used to accurately determine that the cause is shingles and not another disease.
The cause of the pain is kidney pathology
This may well be the case when the right upper part of the abdomen hurts. The kidneys are located on different sides of the lower back, so the pain can be localized in both the right and left upper part of the abdomen.
Particularly severe pain occurs in the kidneys when they are infected with viruses or bacteria, and a source of pus forms in it. If there are also stones in the kidneys, the pain can be simply unbearable. A kidney stone that comes out can cause twitching pain, and this pain goes down the back in waves. This pain can radiate to the groin, testicle (in men), testicle (in men), ovary (in women).