Gastroenterology

Abdominal & Primary Care

Abdominal pain, also called a stomach ache, is pain that is typically located under the rib cage and above the pelvic region. An inflammation that affects the small or large intestines, kidneys, appendix, spleen, stomach, gallbladder, liver or pancreas can cause abdominal pain. Infections (viral, bacterial or parasitic) that affect the intestines and stomach may cause severe abdominal pain. Your primary care doctor can typically diagnose abdominal pain by evaluating your physical signs and symptoms. Treatment for abdominal pain is dependent upon the conditions that could be causing the pain, the age of the patient and the patient’s medical history. Patients with a viral stomach bug or indigestion may be able to alleviate symptoms by resting the stomach and avoiding eating for a period.