    |
Upper Central Abdominal PainCommon causes of upper central abdominal pain are gastritis - inflammation of the stomach or erosion of the lining of the stomach, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, biliary colic, and heartburns. Upper central abdominal pain is abdominal pain occurring just below the breast bone, at the top of the abdomen between both rib cages down up to the umbilicus. This part of the abdomen is called epigastrium or epigastric region medically. Pain at this point in the tummy just below the chest is not uncommon. It can occur at any age, in any one and up to several times a day. Again, as we have done in each part of the abdomen described, to understand the possible causes of pain in the upper central abdomen, let’s remind our selves of the structures that can be found there. There are:
Expectedly then, disease or injury affecting any of these structures or organs would be transmitted as upper central abdominal pain. Pain from the heart and nearby organs like the gallbladder, even though not directly situated in the epigastrium, can be felt here too (referred pain). So can you see the picture unfolding now? If you have an upper central abdominal pain, one of these could be the cause. Lets go a bit further now, and try to decipher how disease or injury in each of these organs would present it self… and put things in a medical context by mentioning the disease or illness in specific medical name.
Common things occur commonly. We shall therefore start with the most common causes of upper central abdominal pain, and discuss them briefly here. You could be able to read more about each of these illnesses in full in the respective sections where they are dealt with. Possible causes of epigastric pain therefore include: Indigestion Over 7 out of 10 of us experience indigestion at one point or the other in our life. For some, it occurs every day. This is experienced as a discomfort rather than pain in the upper central abdomen, lasting for a few minutes. There may be associated feeling of bloating, nausea and burping. It often follows ingestion of a heavy meal or very rich food. You may find your self belching following an attack of indigestion. Indigestion is a word used to describe a constellation of the above symptoms. It is due to wind or indigestible material distending the STOMACH, and wind escaping up via the oesophagus or even downwards by causing flatulence. Should indigestion cause severe abdominal pain or chest pain lasting more than half an hour, it is strongly advised you seek urgent medical attention, because other potentially sinister problems can present like indigestion, including heart attack, and others mentioned below. Heartburn Heartburn is different from indigestion. Many people and even health professionals use these terms interchangeably, but should not be so. Heartburn is due to the reflux or back flow of acid material from the stomach into the lower part of the oesophagus (gullet). This often follows a weakness in the valve that controls the lower oesophagus. It manifests as a burning sensation behind the breastbone in the chest – not abdomen. The burning sensation is often worse following lying down in bed or at night and often leaves a sour taste in the back of the throat or mouth. It is a medical word that describes a range of conditions called Gastro-Oesophageal-Reflux-Disease (GORD).Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Again, like indigestion, if you feel a pain in your central chest not going off within half an hour, do not assume it is heartburn. Endeavor to see your doctor as soon as possible. Heart attacks can mimic heartburn! trapped wind could cause upper central abdominal pain . Gastritis Gastritis is inflammation of the wall of the stomach. This causes irritation and mild erosion, but no ulcer. It often follows period of stress, or excessive consumption of alcohol or binge drink. If you had recently had a moderate to heavy drinking, and feels upper central abdominal pain, you may be having gastritis. The pain can be severe, dull, burning or sharp, and may be piercing to the back, between both shoulder blades. It may be associated with a feeling of wanting to vomit. You may also distaste food, and seek to drink cold fluid. Pancreatitis may present like gastritis too, and only a blood test or ultrasound may help to differentiate between the two conditions. So it would be wise to go to the accident and emergency department to get checked out. Certain medications like ibuprofen or diclofenac, or aspirin, which belongs to the group of medications called non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) can also precipitate gastritis, and indeed go beyond that to cause or worsen stomach ulcer and even perforation of the stomach. Do you suffer from upper central abdominal pain following prolonged periods at work or smoking, or whenever you are really stressed? You may be having as form of gastritis too.Burns, or hospitalization would increase stress, and all theses can cause gastritis. Gastritis is the early phase in the spectrum of diseases that can progress to stomach ulcer or even stomach bleed or perforation. Stomach Ulcer Stomach ulcer, also called gastric ulcer literally to an ulcer occurring in the wall of the stomach. This often happens due to erosion of the lining of the wall of the stomach and the formation of an ulcer crater. Stomach ulcer presents as upper central abdominal pain of gradual onset. It may be worsened by eating, thus the sufferer usually would not like food, and starts losing weight. The pain may be sharp, piercing to the back, associated feeling of nausea, and pain may be worse at night, waking patient up at night around 1 – 3 a.m. Taking milk or antacid may help with the pain. The pain usually comes in a stretch of continuous attack, lasting for about two to four weeks and then disappears, to come back again after a while. You will need to see your doctor to confirm if the pain you feel is due to stomach ulcer. He will send you for an endoscope or camera test which will help visualize the ulcer, and treatment can then be planned to cure the problem. There may is often need to rule out a stomach cancer in someone with this type of pain too, especially if such one is more than 50 years old. Duodenal Ulcer Duodenal ulcer would cause pain in the upper central abdomen too, that spreads to the back. The signs and symptoms would be the same, except that eating food tends to help relieve the pain in duodenal ulcer, and thus the sufferer may find that he or she end up adding weight. Pancreatitis Do you have very bad upper central abdominal pain? Did it follow a bout of drinking? Does the pain bite deep, as if piercing through to the back? Does the pain feel slightly better when you lean forward? Have you been sick? You may be having pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is the inflammation of your pancreas, an organ that lies in the curve of your duodenum, and responsible for producing enzymes that aid digestion as well as insulin and glucagon – hormones that help regulate sugar in your blood. Have you been told you have gallstones before? Pancreatitis can follow gallstones too. Any severe upper abdominal pain not responding to simple pain killers should be suspected to be pancreatitis until proven otherwise, and needs to be seen by doctors. Gallstones Gallstones are stones formed from bile produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. These stones could block the gallbladder, leading to gallbladder diseases. Biliary Colic and Cholecystitis are two common conditions caused by gallstones that could cause upper central abdominal pain. Hiatus Hernia This occurs can also cause upper central abdominal pain. The pain may come on suddenly, and very biting. It may be associated with vomiting, and the filling of something stuck up in the upper abdomen. The pain may be worsened by eating, and relieved by vomiting Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm This occurs as sudden severe upper central abdominal pain, sharp, radiating to the back, causing sever back pain same time as the central upper abdominal pain. It is commoner in those with high blood pressure. It is associated with dizziness and may feel faint or actually collapse if the aorta ruptures. It is due to ballooning and rupture of the aorta, the large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body. Angina is usually a problem from the heart. It sometimes presents as upper central abdominal pain. The pain may start as a dull crushing pain, severe, spreading up to the chest and left arm. It may be associated with vomiting, cold sweats and fast heart beats or palpitation. It typically lasts for less than half an hour. If this pain lasts for more than that, it is classified as a heart attack. Heart Attack Heart attack presents like angina, with severe sudden onset chest pain. Sometimes, instead of the pain starting in the chest, it could come as an upper central abdominal pain. The pain is usually dull to severe, crushing, spread to the chest, left shoulder or neck and may go to the jaws as well. There may be nausea and vomiting, as well as racing heart. The person may become breathless, and cold and clammy. The pain typically lasts for up to or more than half an hour. There are the common causes of upper central abdominal pain.Others include epigastric hernia, hepatitis, Benign Recurrent Intrahepatic Cholestasis (BRIC), herpes zoster (shingles) affecting the skin over the upper central abdomen and pseudo pancreatic cysts. Appendicitis, in its very early phase may start at the epigastrium, but quickly moves downwards. If you or anyone you know suffer with upper abdominal pain, and you suspect that it may not be due to any of the above, please feel free to contact us and leave your query. We endeavor to respond within two working days. Double check your email address, as some reply we send comes back as undeliverable. Abdominal pain on the left abdomen or right side of the abdomen is discussed in their respective pages.
The information presented on this site is strictly for educational purposes only. It by no means constitutes a recommendation of treatment or substitute for medical consultations. Medical knowledge is dynamic. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy and up-to- date-ness of the content of this site, abdopain.com or its owners or partners will not accept responsibility or liability of any sort for the use of information here-in in any manner. │ UK Railways Tickets│ Bethelgroups Online Shop│Professional Exams│ │Boats and boating Accessories│
|
