Pain In Epigastric Region
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We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness. Epigastric pain refers to pain or discomfort right below your ribs in the area of your upper abdomen. It can have many causes, including acid reflux, gallstones, or indigestion.
Depending on the cause, you may need medical attention and monitoring. Is this cause for concern? Epigastric pain is a name for pain or discomfort right below your ribs in the area of your upper abdomen. It often happens alongside other common symptoms of your digestive system. These symptoms can include heartburn, bloating, and gas.
Epigastric pain isn’t always cause for concern. This condition has many possible causes, especially when it happens right after eating. It’s important to be able to tell the difference between pain that’s a result of something harmless, like overeating or lactose intolerance, and pain that happens because of an underlying condition, such as GERD, inflammation, or infection.
- Eep reading to learn more about what may be causing your symptoms.
- Heartburn is a result of acid reflux.
- This can cause burning chest pain.
- Indigestion (dyspepsia) is a name for digestive symptoms that happen when you eat types of foods that don’t seem to agree with you.
- The most common symptom of heartburn is a burning feeling in your chest after you eat.
This burning feeling usually is worse when you lie or bend down. This is because the acid moves farther up your esophagus. Common symptoms of indigestion include:
feeling bloatedburpinggetting full even if you haven’t eaten muchnauseapressure in your abdomen from gas
Learn more: How to stop overeating » Lactose intolerance happens when your body has trouble digesting dairy products, such as milk or cheese. Dairy products all contain a type of sugar called lactose. Typically, symptoms will occur every time you eat dairy.
feeling bloatedstomach painspressure in your abdomen from gasdiarrheanauseathrowing up
Drinking alcohol in moderation, or about one drink per day, normally doesn’t cause stomach pain. But drinking too much alcohol at one time or over a long period of time can cause your stomach lining to become inflamed. Long-term inflammation can lead to bleeding. Drinking too much can also cause conditions such as:
gastritis, or stomach inflammation pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreasliver disease
These conditions can all cause epigastric pain, too. Check out: Gastritis diet: What to eat and what to avoid » When you eat too much, your stomach can expand beyond its normal size. This puts a lot of pressure on the organs around it. This pressure can cause pain in your gut.
It can also make it hard to breathe because your lungs have less room to expand when you inhale. Overeating can also cause stomach acid and contents to back up into your esophagus. This can cause heartburn and acid reflux. These conditions can make the epigastric pain that you feel after eating much worse.
If you have an eating disorder related to binge eating, repeated vomiting after eating can also cause epigastric pain. Learn more: Identifying gallbladder problems » A hiatal hernia happens when part of your stomach gets pushed up towards your diaphragm through the hole that the esophagus passes through, which is called the hiatus.
indigestionburning feeling in your chestirritated or sore throatburping loudly
Esophagitis happens when your esophagus lining becomes inflamed. Common causes include acid coming back up from your stomach, allergies, infection, or chronic irritation from medications. If you don’t treat it, over time esophagitis can eventually lead to scarring on your esophagus lining. Common symptoms of esophagitis include:
burning in your chest or throatabnormal acidic taste in your mouthcoughinghaving trouble swallowing or having pain when swallowing
Gastritis happens when the lining of your stomach (mucosa) becomes inflamed due to a bacterial infection, an immune system disorder, or ongoing damage to your stomach. It can be acute and last for only a brief time, or it can be chronic, lasting for years or more if you don’t get treatment. Common symptoms of gastritis can include:
pain or discomfort in your upper body or chestnauseavomiting, or throwing up blood or something that looks like coffee groundspassing black stool
Peptic ulcer disease happens when the lining of your stomach or small intestine gets damaged due to a bacterial infection or by taking too much of certain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief. Common symptoms of peptic ulcer disease can include:
nauseavomitingfeeling easily fullstomach pains that food can make better or worsesigns of bleeding that can include tiredness, paleness, or shortness of breath
Barrett’s esophagus happens when the tissue that lines your esophagus starts to become more like the tissue lining your intestines. This is known as intestinal metaplasia. This condition requires close follow-up. Unchecked, Barrett’s esophagus can lead to cancer of the esophagus.
throat soreness or hoarsenessabnormal acidic taste in your mouthburning in your stomachheartburnhaving trouble swallowing
Epigastric pain can develop when your gallbladder becomes inflamed as gallstones block the opening of your gallbladder. The condition is known as cholecystitis, This can be painful and may require hospitalization or surgery. Common symptoms of gallbladder inflammation can include:
not having an appetiteintense pain around your gallbladder (upper right side of your stomach)nausea and vomitingbloating and gashigh feverclay-colored stoolsskin that looks yellow ( jaundice )
Mild epigastric pain is common while you’re pregnant due to the pressure that your growing pregnancy puts on your abdominal area. It’s also common because of the changes in your hormones and your digestion. You may also experience frequent heartburn while you’re pregnant.
- However, significant epigastric pain in pregnancy is sometimes a symptom of a serious condition known as preeclampsia,
- It requires close monitoring by your doctor and can become life-threatening if severe.
- You’ll require close observation, blood pressure checks, blood tests, and urine tests to rule this out as a cause of epigastric pain.
Treatment for epigastric pain depends on the cause. If your pain is a result of your diet or overeating, your doctor may recommend that you change your diet or lifestyle. This may include exercising for about 30 minutes each day or eating healthier foods.
Eating foods like ginger and taking vitamin B supplements may help relieve symptoms like nausea and throwing up. Shop for vitamin B supplements online. If the pain is a result of taking certain medications, such as NSAIDs, your doctor may tell you to stop taking these medications and help you find another way to manage pain.
Your doctor may recommend antacids or even acid-blocking medicines to relieve your pain. If an underlying condition such as GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, or peptic ulcer disease is causing your epigastric pain, you may require antibiotics as well as long-term treatment to manage these conditions.
trouble breathing or swallowingthrowing up bloodblood in your stool or black, tarry stoolhigh feverchest paindifficulty breathingpassing out
You should also see your doctor if your symptoms last for more than a few days without getting any better with over-the-counter or home treatments. Many causes of epigastric pain can easily be treated, including chronic conditions. Seeing your doctor as soon as you notice epigastric pain that isn’t going away can help you relieve your symptoms and get any underlying conditions under control.
Contents
What causes pain in the epigastric region?
Epigastric pain is pain in the upper abdomen. It can be a sign of disease. Common causes include:
Acid reflux (stomach acid flowing up into the esophagus) Gastritis (irritation of the stomach lining) Most often this is from aspirin or NSAID medicines such as ibuprofen, bacteria called H. pylori, or frequent alcohol use. Peptic ulcer disease Inflammation of the pancreas Gallstone Infection in the gallbladder
Pain may be dull or burning. It may spread upward to the chest or to the back. There may be other symptoms such as belching, bloating, cramps or hunger pains. There may be weight loss or poor appetite, nausea or vomiting. Since the cause of your pain is not certain yet, you may need more tests.
When should I be concerned about epigastric pain?
What is Epigastric Pain and When should I be Concerned? Epigastric pain is pain that is localized to the region of the upper abdomen immediately below the ribs. Often, those who experience this type of pain feel it during or right after eating or if they lie down too soon after eating.
- It is a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn.
- Some people have mild epigastric pain that occurs after eating and subsides quickly, while others may have a severe burning feeling in the abdomen, chest and neck that prevents sleep.
- Other symptoms that may accompany epigastric pain include abdominal bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting, depending on the underlying cause.
In rare cases, epigastric pain is due to heart conditions such as heart attack and angina (chest pain due to the heart not getting enough oxygen). Epigastric pain is not a serious symptom on its own. However, if it occurs with other life-threatening symptoms, it may be a sign of a condition that should receive immediate medical treatment, such as a heart attack.
Seek prompt medical care if you are being treated for epigastric pain but mild symptoms recur or are persistent. If you see or experience emergency symptoms, head to: Highland Park Emergency Room 5150 Lemmon Ave. Suite #108call us at 972-268-6346or Preston Hollow Emergency Room 8007 Walnut Hill Lanecall us at 214-217-0911
A free-standing emergency room right in your neighborhood. We are open 24-hours a day — the only no-wait emergency rooms around. An emergency room physician can see you quickly, evaluate your condition, and take steps to alleviate your symptoms immediately. If appropriate, they will admit you to the hospital if needed. : What is Epigastric Pain and When should I be Concerned?
How do you investigate epigastric pain?
Lab Tests – One way to diagnose a health problem is to analyze substances in your body. This may mean drawing blood, taking a stool sample, or collecting a sample of saliva, among other options. Blood tests and urine tests are among the most common tests for abdominal pain. Depending on the results, you may need further tests.
What foods cause epigastric pain?
Diet –
If certain foods seem to cause your pain, try not to eat them. Certain foods can worsen symptoms of gastritis. Limit or avoid fatty, fried, and spicy foods, as well as coffee, chocolate, mint, and foods with high acid content such as tomatoes and citrus fruit and juices (orange, grapefruit, lemon). Eat slowly and chew food well before swallowing. Symptoms of gastritis can be worsened by certain foods. Don’t drink alcohol. It can irritate the stomach. If you have trouble giving up alcohol, ask your doctor for treatment resources. Don’t consume caffeine, or use tobacco. These can delay healing and worsen your problem. Try eating smaller meals with snacks in between. Don’t eat large meals before bedtime. Keep an empty stomach for 2 to 3 hours before lying down. Prop the head of the bed up if you have overnight symptoms. This helps acid clear from your esophagus.
What organ is in the epigastric region?
The epigastric region contains the duodenum, a portion of the liver, the pancreas and a portion of the stomach, while the umbilical quadrant contains the transverse colon and the duodenum.