Abdominal Pain Specialist
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ML Gastroenterology
Maria Lufrano, DO
Gastroenterology located in Bronxville, NY
Abdominal pain is common and affects almost everyone at some point. In most cases, it isn’t a serious symptom, but if your abdominal pain is severe or ongoing, you should schedule an appointment with Maria Lufrano, DO, at ML Gastroenterology in Bronxville, New York. The board-certified gastroenterologist performs thorough examinations to find the root cause of your symptom and then provide the most effective treatment plan. To get relief from your abdominal pain, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.
Abdominal Pain Q & A
What is abdominal pain?
Abdominal pain refers to any discomfort you feel in your belly, which is the area between your chest and groin. This common pain symptom is rarely a serious health concern, but it can be a sign of a life-threatening health issue like appendicitis or colon cancer.
Abdominal pain may be described as:
Generalized pain
If your abdominal pain affects more than half of your belly, you have generalized pain. This type of pain may be caused by a stomach virus or gas.
Localized pain
Pain that affects only one area of the belly is localized pain. This may indicate a problem with a specific organ, such as your gallbladder.
Cramp-like pain
Cramp-like pain is rarely serious and may include other symptoms like bloating, gas, and diarrhea. However, cramp-like pain that lasts more than 24 hours should be evaluated.
Colicky pain
Abdominal pain that comes and goes is colicky pain. This type of pain may occur if you have kidney stones.
What causes abdominal pain?
Abdominal pain may be the symptom of any number of causes. Some are more serious than others. Gastrointestinal conditions that cause abdominal pain include:
- Gastroenteritis
- Food poisoning
- Constipation
- Food allergy or intolerance
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Appendicitis
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Bowel blockage
- Gallstones
- Cholecystitis — inflammation of the gallbladder
- Acid reflux or gastroesophageal acid reflux disease (GERD)
- Cancer
- Pancreatitis
- Ulcers
You may also have abdominal pain from conditions that affect other organs located in your pelvic region, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or kidney stones.
You may be able to manage most causes of abdominal pain at home. If your pain is severe, lasts longer than a week, or includes other symptoms such as a fever or blood in your stool, schedule an appointment at ML Gastroenterology.
What happens during an abdominal pain evaluation?
You can expect a patient-centered exam when you visit ML Gastroenterology for an abdominal pain evaluation. All exams at the gastroenterology practice are performed by the board-certified gastroenterologist.
Your doctor asks detailed questions about your symptoms and completes a physical exam. They may run diagnostic tests to confirm or rule out a diagnosis, such as bloodwork, urinalysis, or a stool test.
You may also need an endoscopy or colonoscopy.
How is abdominal pain treated?
Treatment for abdominal pain depends on the cause. ML Gastroenterology takes a conservative and integrative approach to care, designing plans that include traditional and alternative therapies to ease your symptoms and match your health needs.
To find out what’s causing your abdominal pain, call ML Gastroenterology, or schedule an appointment online today.
