Stomach cramps should i go to the er

Can you go into the ER? That's next on The Scope. Troy Madsen, on The Scope. Interviewer: One of our most popular pieces on TheScopeRadio.

One of the comments on that is what do emergency room doctors do if you go in with a bad stomachache? Troy Madsen is an emergency room physician at University of Utah Health. Bad stomachache somebody comes in, what do you start doing? Madsen: This is a really great question because you may think to yourself, "Okay, my stomach hurts. I'm going to go to the ER and they're going to look at me and say, 'Why are you here? So the first thing I'm going to do of course is find out more about the stomachache, when did it start, where does it hurt.

Have there been any other symptoms with it like fever or any pain elsewhere, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain with urination, any blood in the urine or in the stool. So these are all kind of things I'm doing to try and figure out, "Okay, what could be causing this sort of pain?

The next thing often that I'm doing is, not often always, is a physical examination. So I'm examining this person trying to push on their abdomen and I really focus on certain areas because these areas will make me think of different things. If I push on the right lower side of their abdomen and it hurts, I'm thinking of appendicitis. On the right upper side I'm thinking of the gallbladder, maybe a gallstone or an infection there. Just in the upper part of the abdomen, just kind of down below the ribs there where you feel a little notch that little bone there.

Thinking about the pancreas there. October 27, September 2, August 6, July 30, This information is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. You should always consult your doctor before making decisions about your health. Posted by Revere Health. Tips to Ease Your Stomach Pain Tip 1: Use heat Heating pads or warm water bottles can be an effective treatment for some forms of abdominal pain.

Tip 2: Take over-the-counter medications Antacids can be useful for stomach pain caused by heartburn, and gas pain can be treated with medicines, such as Gas-X, that contain simethicone. Their care is affordable and you can walk in and out within an hour without booking an appointment.

They also accept a number of different insurance policies. On the other hand, emergency rooms are meant to handle life-threatening health conditions. If your stomach pain is debilitating or severe to the point that you cannot stand up, then it may be wise to visit an ER instead of an urgent care center.

Some abdominal issues causes may result from recent abdominal medical procedures such as surgery to the appendix or severe medical conditions such as a ruptured appendix, cancer, cardiac conditions, or organ failure. For instance, if you experience abdominal pain after a recent surgery, then constipation or infections may be the immediate problem. But the severity of the symptoms that you experience will determine whether you should visit the ER.

Cleveland Clinic. Acute vs. Updated December 8, Abdominal pain. Reviewed January 15, Reported provision of analgesia to patients with acute abdominal pain in Canadian pediatric emergency departments. NSAID hypersensitivity - recommendations for diagnostic workup and patient management. Allergo J Int. Epub May Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth.

At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Frequently Asked Questions What causes lower abdominal pain? What is the difference between acute and chronic abdominal pain? How do I relieve stomach pain? Some steps you can take to relieve mild pain: Have small sips of water throughout the day.

For the first few hours, avoid solid food. If you're vomiting, wait six hours before eating. Then try small portions of mild foods like rice, crackers, or applesauce. Avoid dairy. Avoid citrus, spicy, fried, or greasy foods. You should also avoid caffeine, alcohol, and fizzy drinks. Why is my stomach hard? Was this page helpful?