Pain in the right side: what hurts in the abdomen on the right will be shown by ultrasound

Symptoms

Tingling in the side

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Tingling pain in the lower abdomen on the left or right is quite common. The appearance of tingling is provoked by minor, quickly passing disruptions in the functioning of the body, which are not dangerous. But this symptom may also indicate serious illnesses. The occurrence of tingling in the side on the right can be caused by increased gas formation in the intestines or a disease that requires immediate treatment. In addition to tingling, each disease is accompanied by other symptoms.

Biliary colic is characterized by discomfort on the right side. In addition to stabbing pain, which occurs more often at night, the patient feels nausea, which turns into severe vomiting and general weakness. He is chilling, there is a constant sensation of noise and ringing in his ears. To get out of this condition, intensive drug treatment is necessary.

What is on the right side of the abdominal cavity?

The content of the article

The abdominal cavity contains many internal organs, the stomach, intestines, pancreas, kidneys, adrenal gland, spleen, liver, pancreas, gall bladder. They are not protected, unlike the heart or lungs, by ribs. They are protected only by the muscles of the abdominal wall (abs).

Problems with any of the organs manifest themselves in the form of tingling, nagging pain and discomfort in various areas of the abdomen. If you experience periodic pain in your right side, you should consult a doctor to determine which organ has problems.

The abdominal cavity consists of 9 parts and is divided into 3 sections:

1. Epigastrium
   . The epigastrium itself is located directly above the navel. On the right is the subcostal region.
2. Mesogastrium
   . Consists of the peri-umbilical and right lateral regions.
3. Hypogastrium
   . Includes the suprapubic and right iliac region.

Due to the different anatomical structure, pain of the same nature and intensity, localized in the same place, in men and women indicates different diseases.

The following organs are located in the area of ​​the right hypochondrium:

• flexure of the colon of the large intestine;
• right kidney (from the back);
• liver;
• gallbladder;
• right adrenal gland;
• the right half of the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the peritoneum and sternum).

Sometimes pain radiates from organs located elsewhere, for example, from the pancreas or inferior vena cava. In this case, it seems to the person that it hurts on the right side, but in fact the true cause of the pain is in another area.

Acute appendicitis

Perhaps this is the first pathology that a person thinks about when pain appears in the lower abdomen on the right. The pain in this case does not go away, arising near the navel, and eventually moves downwards1, 2, 15. The sensation may begin as dull, gradually becoming tugging, cutting, burning. A person’s health deteriorates and symptoms of digestive disorders occur: vomiting, bloating, constipation, and sometimes diarrhea15.

Acute appendicitis is treated surgically; if similar symptoms appear, you should immediately call an ambulance1.

Causes of pain in the right hypochondrium

Pain in the right side of the abdomen does not always indicate any disease. At times they are caused by physiological changes that also happen to completely healthy people.

1. Stitches in the side after jogging
   or other physical activity. This is typical for unprepared people who are not used to playing sports. Physical activity is stressful for their body, and it reacts with a sharp release of adrenaline. The hormone provokes a spasm of the bile ducts, which stretch from the bile overflowing them. At the same time, the liver fills with blood, increases in size, and the organs press on each other, causing pinpoint pain and tingling.
2. Tingling in the right side
   after a heavy meal. On a full stomach you don’t want to move or move. Under the influence of adrenaline, the inferior vena cava expands and puts pressure on the liver, which is also under pressure from a full stomach. This is why you should not exercise immediately after eating.
3. Sharp pain in the right side
   , radiating to the back. This happens in women shortly before the start of menstruation. Hormonal imbalance causes spasm of the bile ducts, resulting in sharp pain that radiates to the back. It goes away on its own, but causes significant discomfort to the woman.
4. Pain in the right side during pregnancy
   . The uterus, stretched under the influence of the growing fetus, puts pressure on neighboring organs. Also, the hormone progesterone, secreted to relax smooth muscles and prevent miscarriage, provokes stagnation of bile (cholestasis in pregnant women). Many pregnant women experience pain in the right hypochondrium, which intensifies with movement. Therefore, women need to limit their loads and walk more at a slow pace.
5. Cramps in the lower abdomen (not menstrual)
   . Hepatic, renal, and intestinal colic are characterized by irradiation—reflection of the pain signal to another part of the body.

Treatment

Help before diagnosis

Since tingling in the side can be caused by various reasons, it is usually impossible to eliminate the unpleasant symptom without a visit to the doctor. To relieve colic, use antispasmodics or painkillers in accordance with the instructions. If the symptom is accompanied by dyspeptic disorders, the diet should be normalized and provoking foods should be excluded. If you experience severe stabbing pain and deterioration in health, you should immediately seek medical help.

Conservative therapy

To quickly eliminate pain and tingling, specialists in the field of gastroenterology use antispasmodics, which relax smooth muscles, and analgesics from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which have a universal effect. The tingling in the side is of medium intensity, so there is no need to resort to strong painkillers or novocaine blockades.

The further course of therapy is selected taking into account the underlying disease. For hepatobiliary pathologies, choleretics and cholekinetics, hepatoprotectors, etiotropic antimicrobial and antiprotozoal drugs are prescribed. To normalize the condition of the intestines, take probiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs or glucocorticoids), and intestinal antiseptics. To improve digestion, medications with pancreatic enzymes and bile components are recommended.

Physiotherapeutic methods of treatment are effective for relieving chronic pain: SMT and reflexology. To specifically deliver drugs to the lesion, the technique of medicinal electrophoresis is used. Hepatobiliary diseases that occur with stagnation of bile require individual selection of medicinal mineral waters.

Pain in the right side not associated with internal organs

Abdominal pain with depression

. Depression is accompanied by increased anxiety and increased levels of norepinephrine and cortisol. They cause spasms of smooth muscles, including the intestines. The person experiences symptoms characteristic of indigestion. Moreover, this is not associated with eating low-quality food. Abdominal pain cannot be relieved by medications because it is psychosomatic in nature.

A severe and persistent cough also causes abdominal pain

. This is due to the increased load on the abdominals, which not everyone has trained and strong. Often coughing, the patient strains the muscles, they stretch and put pressure on the diaphragm, causing a dull pain. It goes away on its own after the cough is cured.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

This condition is not associated with changes in the structure of organs and systems. However, pain with irritable bowel syndrome is almost always observed and is a common symptom overall. Women usually suffer from IBS more often than men. Pain (from moderate to severe) can cover the lower abdomen, including the right side, but is most often localized on the left9. IBS often develops against the background of psychoemotional disorders10.

Symptoms of the disease usually subside in the evening and do not bother patients at night. The pain in some cases spreads to the upper abdomen, radiating to the rectum and epigastric region9-11. An important role in the formation of complaints is played by impaired intestinal motility, accompanied by spasm. As part of complex therapy for IBS, antispasmodics (for example, No-shpu® and No-shpu® forte) can be used, which helps reduce pain7, 12, 22.

What can hurt in the stomach on the right?

The causes of pain under the right rib can also be diseases in various organs:

1. Liver diseases
   : hepatitis (inflammation), hepatosis (metabolic disorders), cirrhosis (replacement of parenchymal cells with connective tissue), liver parasites, metastases as a result of malignant tumors of other organs.
2. Heart diseases
   (they cause circulatory disorders): myocarditis, endocarditis, coronary heart disease, abdominal myocardial infarction.
3. Gallbladder diseases
   : cholecystitis (inflammation), cancerous tumors.
4. Intestinal diseases: colitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the large intestine), Crohn's disease (severe damage to the entire gastrointestinal tract from the throat to the anus), diarrhea, diverticulosis (protrusion of the intestinal mucosa through the muscle wall), irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal infections.
5. Diseases of the right kidney
   : abscess (purulent inflammation), pyelonephritis (bacterial inflammation), cysts, kidney stones, echinococcosis (presence of helminths in the kidney), tuberculosis (drying) of the kidney, malignant tumor.
6. Diaphragmatitis (inflammation of the pleura covering the diaphragm).
7. Adrenal tumors.
8. Intercostal neuralgia (irritation of the intercostal nerves).
9. Formation of blood clots in the inferior vena cava.

Pain in the right side of the lower abdomen

Often pain in the lower abdomen in women

associated with the onset of menstruation. They are caused by the fact that the uterus is poorly supplied with blood these days, and a situation similar to a myocardial infarction arises. Only in this case does a spasm of the uterine muscle occur.

The intensity of the pain is similar to the cardiac pain during a heart attack. Every sexually mature woman has experienced these sensations at least once in her life, and will not confuse them with anything. The source of pain is localized above the pubic bone, sometimes radiating to the side. This should not cause concern, but the painful sensations should not be tolerated. It is better to take an antispasmodic and be sure to go for an ultrasound. In some cases, too much pain, accompanied by nausea and loss of creation, indicates pathologies of the uterus and ovaries, and requires a mandatory consultation with a gynecologist.

• Pain to the right of the navel
  indicates possible appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix - an appendage of the cecum).
• Acute cramping pain on the right side
  just below the navel indicates inflammation of the fallopian tubes and ovaries (adnexitis) or inflammation of the ovaries (oophoritis), rupture of an ovarian cyst, torsion of a cyst, ectopic pregnancy, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis. The same symptoms indicate a pinched inguinal hernia (protrusion of the peritoneum in the inguinal canal). If you are predisposed to the disease (it occurs in 3% of women and 27% of men), you should immediately call an ambulance. There is a danger of necrosis of the hernial sac.
• Aching pain in the right side at the level of the navel indicates inflammation of the small intestine (enteritis), appendicitis, and in the projection of the navel from the back indicates pleurisy - inflammation of the pleura (the serous membrane covering the diaphragm).

Diagnostics

A gastroenterologist examines patients with complaints of pain in the right side; if necessary, other specialists are involved - a surgeon, a gynecologist, a nephrologist. During the physical examination, peritoneal symptoms, specific signs of appendicitis are checked, and deep palpation of the abdomen is performed. To establish a diagnosis, laboratory and instrumental methods are recommended:

• Sonography.
  Ultrasound of the abdominal organs is a screening method. Using ultrasound, inflammatory processes, space-occupying formations, and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes are detected. Doppler ultrasound visualizes blood flow in the large vessels of the abdominal cavity.
• Radiography.
  A survey radiograph is not very informative; detailed visualization of the intestine is provided by irrigoscopy with double contrast. The method is suitable for detecting tumors, ulcerative defects, local narrowing or expansion of the intestine. Abdominal CT is widely used.
• Colonoscopy.
  Using endoscopic instruments, the mucous membrane of the colon is examined, and a biopsy sample is taken for chronic inflammation or suspected cellular atypia. If symptoms indicate damage to the small intestine, a modern method is used - video capsule endoscopy.
• Gynecological examination.
  Women undergo a standard bimanual examination and vaginal speculum examination. To exclude pathology of the appendages, an ultrasound of the pelvic organs is performed. For a more detailed examination, hysteroscopy, transvaginal sonography, and hysterography are prescribed.
• Laboratory methods.
  The list of mandatory studies includes clinical blood and urine tests, coprogram, and checking stool for helminth eggs. The expanded diagnostic complex includes biochemical blood tests with assessment of the content of acute-phase proteins, and stool culture.

What to do if there is pain in the right side

For pain in the side, if the doctor cannot “by eye” determine the cause of the ailment, he sends the patient for an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, ultrasound of the kidneys or ultrasound of the pelvis. Ultrasound waves with a frequency of over 20,000 Hz penetrate the skin into the abdominal cavity, where they are either absorbed by internal organs or reflected back. Special sensors (with abdominal ultrasound) analyze the reflected sound, and based on it, conclusions are drawn about the patient’s condition.

1. When tissues become inflamed, they soften and absorb ultrasound more than healthy areas.
2. Various lumps, tumors, and stones reflect radiation better, and it can be reliably stated that the cause of the pain is a stone or neoplasm.
3. Doppler ultrasound allows you to evaluate the speed of blood flow to exclude compression of the inferior vena cava.

Explanation: ultrasound diagnostic results and diseases in the images

If abdominal pain is accompanied by flatulence, ultrasound becomes ineffective.

If inflammation is suspected, the patient undergoes blood tests, and the level of platelets and eosinophils can be used to determine whether there is an inflammatory process in the body.

Diseases of the kidneys, intestines and reproductive organs

Discomfort in the right side and pain in the lower abdomen, tingling between the ribs indicate kidney disease. Lack of treatment can lead to the development of urolithiasis.

The presence of stabbing pain in the lower left side is characteristic of intestinal or gastrointestinal pathologies. Associated signs of such disorders are the appearance of nausea and vomiting, problems with stool, high temperature, and increased formation of gases.

Often, stabbing pain in women in the lower side is associated with inflammatory processes in the reproductive organs. Depending on the accompanying symptoms, we can talk about inflammation of the appendages, the presence of an ovarian cyst and torsion of its legs.