Upper Abdominal Pain Treatment Specialist Q&A
Upper abdominal pain is discomfort or aching in the upper belly, often caused by indigestion, muscle strains, or serious conditions. Common symptoms include a burning sensation, nausea, vomiting, and feeling full after eating. Severe pain, radiating pain to the back, chest, or shoulder, vomiting blood, bloody stools, or fever are signs. If you’re experiencing upper abdominal pain, Immediate Care of Oklahoma can help. Dr. Kevin Penwell (D.O.) and his staff can diagnose and treat a variety of causes of upper abdominal pain. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We are located at 1664 S Choctaw Rd, Choctaw, OK 73020.




Table of Contents:
What are the most common causes of upper abdominal pain?
Can urgent care do anything about upper abdominal pain?
When should you go to an urgent care for upper abdominal pain?
How do you relieve abdominal pain?
Most do not realize that the stomach is actually located in the upper abdomen and not lower down in the area commonly referred to as the stomach as we grow up. This pain in the upper abdomen can actually be caused by situations such as stomach upset, indigestion, over-eating, and or peptic ulcers. Pain in the upper abdomen can be caused by the pancreas, gallbladder, spleen, and liver, as they are also located in the upper abdomen, but determining which is causing your pain at home is a little more difficult as the organs are located in different sections of the abdomen. If you are concerned about the pain in your upper abdomen, then it is important to go to an urgent care facility, as they will be able to determine what the cause of your pain is without the guesswork of attempting to treat the situation at home.
If your pain is located on the upper left side of your abdomen, the likely culprit for your pain is the stomach, as this is where it is located, and the right side of the upper abdomen is where the biliary system is located. The biliary system includes your pancreas, liver, and bile ducts, and if you are experiencing pain on the upper right side of the abdomen, it is likely that one of these organs will be the cause of the pain.
Yes, besides determining the cause of your pain in the upper abdomen at urgent care, they will also be able to prescribe medications if needed or refer you to a specialist if it is deemed necessary. Urgent care clinics are just a step below emergency care, and because of this, they are equally capable of helping you with pain associated with the upper abdomen. The physicians at urgent care clinics can also do blood labs to check for any abnormalities that could indicate the cause of your upper abdominal pain, as well as stool samples to check for bacterial causes, and if it is determined to be an emergency situation, they will make the recommendation to seek emergency care.
It is important to note that the abdomen is the region from just below the rib cage to the hip bones, and any pain located in the location of the rib cage is not considered to be abdominal pain. If your pain is in the rib cage and located on the left side, you should seek immediate emergency care, as this is most likely caused by the heart and could indicate a myocardial infarction (heart attack) or angina, which presents very similar to heart attacks.
If you are experiencing pain in the upper abdomen that you have never experienced previously, it is a good idea to visit an urgent care facility, especially if your symptoms appear to worsen over a short period of time, as this could indicate a blockage or digestion-related problems. Urgent care clinics are also a great option for those who are unable to see their primary care physician because the office is closed or the doctor does not have availability, because digestion-related issues can potentially continue to worsen as time goes on.
There are options that patients can try at home to relieve their abdominal pain, such as taking an over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, along with staying hydrated. If you find that this is not helping the pain, or the pain continues to worsen, you should seek urgent medical treatment, as the clinic will be equipped with IVs to help hydrate you if this is part of the cause of your pain. They will also be able to give anti-nausea medications or antacids to help relieve the symptoms you are experiencing once they have determined what is causing your pain.
Upper abdominal pain treatment is available at Immediate Care of Oklahoma. For more information, contact us. We are located at 1664 S Choctaw Rd, Choctaw, OK 73020. We serve patients from Chocktaw OK, Spencer OK, Edmond OK, Midwest City OK, Jones OK, Woods OK, and surrounding areas.


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