The abdomen, the region of the body from the chest to the pelvis, contains the majority of the organs, including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, spleen, liver, gallbladder, appendix, pancreas and kidneys. Abdominal pain, a common complaint, ranges from mild to severe. The severity of the pain, however, does not always indicate the seriousness of the condition, according to MedLine Plus.
Appendicitis
The appendix, a small pouch connected to the large intestine, resides in the lower right portion of the abdomen. The function of the appendix remains unknown, but its removal does not affect a person's health, reports National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The appendix contains mucus, which empties into the large intestine. Appendicitis, inflammation and infection of the appendix occurs when the mucus backs up into the appendix, allowing bacteria to multiply.
Appendicitis causes severe abdominal pain exhibiting classical signs. The pain, the first symptom, comes on suddenly and feels like no other pain ever felt. The intensity of the pain triggers nausea and vomiting. The pain usually begins near the belly button and then moves lower and to the right. The pain gets markedly worse within a few hours and also feels worse when moving around, coughing or sneezing.
Gallstones
The liver produces a digestive fluid known as bile. Bile contains cholesterol, fats, bile salts, water, proteins and bilirubin---a waste product from the breakdown of red blood cells. Bile travels from the liver to the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ, which stores bile until needed. The gallbladder then secretes bile into the small intestine to aid in digestion.
When the bile contains too much cholesterol or bilirubin or when the gallbladder fails to empty completely, the liquid bile can crystallize, forming gallstones. Gallstones range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball, notes MayoClinic.com. Gallstones that remain in the gallbladder may produce no symptoms, but if they release into the ducts they can block the flow of bile. When this occurs, severe abdominal pain that intensifies rapidly occurs in the upper right part of the abdomen. The pain can radiate to the back between the shoulder blades or to the right shoulder.
Diverticulitis
Small pockets form in the lining of the large intestine, resulting in a condition known as diverticulosis. The pockets, known as diverticuli, can become inflamed and infected, causing diverticulitis. Although diverticulosis often causes no signs or symptoms, once it escalates into diverticulitis, severe abdominal pain which begins suddenly alerts the patient to the condition. Additional symptoms include nausea, vomiting, cramping, fever, chills and a change in bowel habits. Although the exact cause remains unknown, diverticulitis is most common in industrialized nations, such as the United States, pointing to a lack of fiber as a contributing factor, suggests the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
