When To Go To The Emergency Room For Abdominal Pain

Stomach pain can be caused by a number of factors. Some types of stomach pain require immediate medical intervention, some don’t. In fact, statistics show that over 15% of all emergency room visits for abdominal pain are categorized as a “serious condition”.

So how does one know when to go to the emergency room for abdominal pain?

Ectopic Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, and your abdominal pain is severe and is accompanied by vaginal bleeding, this may be a symptom of an ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches outside of the uterus. Commonly, the fertilized egg gets implanted in the fallopian tube. In a case like this, the pregnancy cannot continue normally, and requires emergency medical intervention.

The risk for ectopic pregnancies increases with the presence of a pelvic inflammatory disease, or the use of fertility drugs.

Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis occurs when one’s pancreas becomes suddenly inflamed. This happens when digestive enzymes activated before they are released into the small intestines. As a result, the enzymes attack the pancreas.

Typically, pancreatitis falls into two categories: acute and chronic.

Chronic pancreatitis is a long-lasting type of inflammation. Usually, chronic pancreatitis takes place because of the damage that the pancreas experiences due to persistent, heavy alcohol drinking. Acute pancreatitis on the other hand, is a short-term and sudden inflammation of the pancreas. There are researches that show that acute pancreatitis is more responsive to treatment.

The type of abdominal pain that is caused by pancreatitis radiates to the back, and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, as well as fever.

Appendicitis
Appendicitis is common among children and adults alike. For all cases of appendicitis, it is usually treated as a medical emergency.

Appendicitis occurs when the appendix, which is a small tissue in the abdomen near the large intestine, becomes inflamed. Once the appendix becomes inflamed, it needs to be taken out through a surgical procedure called an appendectomy. Otherwise, it can eventually burst, thus causing a fatal spilling of infectious elements throughout one’s abdominal area.

Appendicitis manifests as sharp, severe pain in the abdomen that moves from the navel to the lower right abdomen. This pain is also accompanied by vomiting, abdominal swelling, and fever. In some cases, painful urination also occurs.

In the presence of severe abdominal pain, it is always advisable to seek medical attention. There are many organs and structures in the abdomen, thus making it difficult to be able to pinpoint the cause of the pain without the expert assessment of a health professional.

If you are looking for expert care from a minor emergency room, visit Physicians Premier at Portland Texas. At Physicians Premier, you can be sure to receive only expert medical care from excellent emergency physicians and emergency staff.

The Portland, Texas Physicians Premier Emergency Room is a freestanding emergency room able to provide you with high-quality emergency care, with assured excellent service.

Our Locations:

• Saratoga Emergency Room
• Staples Corpus Christi Emergency Room
• Ennis Joslin South Padre Island Emergency Room
• Portland Texas Emergency Room
• Calallen Texas Emergency Room

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