Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon CausesPain in FemalesPain in MalesAppendicitisEmergency SymptomsEasing PainWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Common Causes
Pain in Females
Pain in Males
Appendicitis
Emergency Symptoms
Easing Pain
When to See a Provider
Lower right abdominal pain can have many causes, includingappendicitis, digestive discomfort like constipation, kidney conditions, or even ectopic pregnancy in females or prostate problems in males. The specific symptoms will depend on the cause.
In some cases, symptoms of severe pain, shortness of breath, vomiting blood, or vaginal bleeding can suggest a life-threatening condition that needs immediate care.In other cases, your right lower quadrant abdominal pain may resolve as soon as you pass stool (poop), or a minor stomach ailment clears up.
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Most Common Causes of Lower Right Abdominal Pain
Lower right abdominal paincan occur from eitheracute or chronicconditions. Acute pain appears suddenly and can worsen over time. It can also disappear without treatment. Chronic pain lasts longer than six months and may vary in intensity over time.
Lower right abdominal pain can result from problems that range from mild to serious. Some of the most common causes of abdominal pain include the following conditions:
1. Abdominal Muscle Strain
Anabdominal muscle strain, also called a pulled muscle, can occur from strain, overuse, lifting, or coughing. Symptoms of a right-side muscle strain can include soreness or pain on that side. Pain may come and go with the use of the muscle. Rest and stretching exercises may be advised. Healing can take up to six weeks, depending on the severity of the strain.
2. Appendicitis
Appendicitisis an inflammation of yourappendix. This fingerlike pouch is located between the small and large intestines on the lower-right side of your abdomen.
Appendicitis can result from an infection, tumor, or blockage. It typically appears as an acute condition that causes sharp and sudden pain in the lower right abdomen. It can also occur as chronic pain.
Appendicitis requires immediate care due to a risk of the appendix bursting when it is infected. If this occurs, you can developperitonitis, a life-threatening infection that can spread in your abdomen.
3. Constipation
Constipationoccurs when you have difficulty having a bowel movement. The problem can make you feel bloated and cause constant pain on the side or across your abdomen because you cannot pass gas or hard stools. It can occur as an acute or chronic condition.
A low-fiber diet,dehydration, lack of exercise, and taking certain medications can contribute to this problem. It may occur as a symptom of another medical condition.
4. Diverticulitis
As the matter grows, it causes an infection. Your body reacts with inflammation, which is your body’s natural immune response to damage and disease.
Pain usually occurs suddenly and severely, though it can also occur as a mild ache that develops gradually. About 20% of people have recurrent flare-ups, usually within five years of their first attack.
5. Dyspepsia
Dyspepsiais commonly known as indigestion.Along withnauseaand gas, it can cause abdominal pain in the lower right quadrant although the classic epigastric pain associated with dyspepsia is usually in the upper abdomen. You also can have swelling in the abdomen. Changes in diet (sometimes along with medication) often help to relieve symptoms.
6. Food Poisoning
Food poisoningoccurs as a result of consuming food that has been contaminated with toxic substances, bacteria, or other germs. The pathogens release toxins that cause diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and headache. These symptoms can also include abdominal pain and cramps. Dehydration is a common complication.
7. Gallstones
Gallstonesare hard pieces of solid material that form in your gallbladder. The stones are usually made of cholesterol or the digestive juice calledbile. When gallstones block your bile ducts, they can lead to life-threatening infections of the bile ducts,pancreas, or liver.
You usually will not experience symptoms of gallstones until they become large and the stones begin to block your bile ducts. Gallstones can cause steady, severe pain in your abdomen, pain in your back, pain in your right shoulder, jaundice, nausea, and fever. Some people have pain that comes after eating and then disappears.
8. Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis—or the stomach flu—is an infection of your intestines that typically causes:
Sometimes fever also occurs.
The condition is acute. It usually lasts less than a week and improves without treatment.
9. Hepatitis
Hepatitisis inflammation of the liver. Viruses, toxins, heavy alcohol use, and certain medications can cause hepatitis. Symptoms include:
Symptoms of acute infections can occur from two weeks to six months after exposure. It can take decades for symptoms of viral hepatitis to develop.
10. Inguinal Hernia
Aninguinal herniaoccurs in a part of the lower abdominal wall called the inguinal canals, which exist on each side of your groin. An inguinal hernia occurs when the intestine pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. It is more likely to form on the right side than on the left.
Symptoms include a bulge in the groin and pain or burning on the affected side. Pain may worsen when you lift, cough, or strain. Inguinal hernias occur up to ten times more often in men than women.
11. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
“Inflammatory bowel disease”(IBD) is an umbrella term that includesCrohn’sdisease andulcerative colitis. These two chronic disorders cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. They can cause:
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can become worse over time. Without treatment, they can cause problems throughout your body.
12. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that results in abdominal pain, cramping, and diarrhea. While the cause is unknown, having a previous bowel infection or an overgrowth of bad gut bacteria may increase your risk of IBS.
IBS can cause recurring belly pain with bowel movements. Changes in the appearance of bowel movements, stool consistency, gas, or bloating can also occur.
13. Kidney Infection
Akidney infection, calledpyelonephritis, occurs when bacteria from your bladder move up into your kidneys. It is common to get a kidney infection if you have aurinary tract infection (UTI).
The bacteria trigger inflammation in the kidneys, causing pain in the lower back that can move around to the lower side of the abdomen. Other symptoms include fever, chills, vomiting, and nausea.
14. Kidney Stones
Kidney stonesare hard, solid objects that form crystals from certain substances that are eliminated naturally in your urine. Crystals form when your urine contains too much of a waste substance in too little liquid. Stones develop as the crystals join together with other elements and form a solid mass.
Kidney stones often cause pain as the stone travels through your ureter, urethra, and bladder. Symptoms include extremely severe back pain that can creep forward to your abdomen’s right or left side. If you have one kidney stone, you have a higher risk of developing others either simultaneously or later.
15. Pancreatitis
Pancreatitisis an inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland near your stomach and liver that makes digestive enzymes to help you absorb and digest food. Gallstones, heavy alcohol use, genetic disorders, and certain medicines can cause this condition.
Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include abdominal pain, rapid heart rate, nausea, fever, and vomiting.
Lower Right Abdominal Pain in Females
1. Ectopic Pregnancy
Anectopic pregnancyoccurs when a fertilized egg grows outside your uterus. Almost all ectopic pregnancies occur in a fallopian tube. As the pregnancy grows, it can cause the fallopian tube to burst and cause major internal bleeding. The situation is a life-threatening emergency.
As the ectopic pregnancy grows or the fallopian tube ruptures, symptoms may include:
2. Endometriosis
Endometriosisoccurs when uterine lining cells travel outside the uterus and begin growing on other organs like the right ovary or fallopian tube. Swelling, bleeding, and pain on the lower right side, especially before and during the menstrual period, can occur.
3. Menstrual Pain
It is possible to have pain in one or both ovaries on certain days during anormal menstrual cycle. Dysmenorrhea is the cramping pain that is experienced during or just before menstruation. It occurs due to the release ofprostaglandins. This hormone-like substance contracts muscles in the uterus. The pain may come and go with contractions.
4. Ovarian Cysts
Anovarian cystis a fluid-filled sac in either ovary.It may cause intermittent pain and discomfort on the lower right side if the cyst is located on the right ovary. Bleeding and menstrual irregularities can occur.
The most common types of ovarian cysts includefollicular cysts, which form a follicle that does not release an egg duringovulation. Corpus luteum cysts develop if a normal follicle does not dissolve as intended right after ovulation.
5. Ovarian Torsion
Ovarian torsionoccurs when your fallopian tube, which connects your ovaries to your uterus, twists around the tissues and blood vessels and cuts off the blood supply to the organs. The most common symptom is intense lower abdominal pain, more commonly on the right side. It is a medical emergency that requires immediate care to save your ovary and reproductive organs.
6. Ovulation
Ovulation pain, also calledMittelschmerz, can occur as a periodic dull ache, severe pain, or sharp cramp on the right or left side of the pelvis. It tends to happen about two weeks before the start of your period when the ovary releases the egg. While it may feel like a serious problem, it is considered normal.
7. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Pelvic inflammatory disease(PID) is inflammation and irritation of reproductive organs. It can be a complication of an untreatedsexually transmitted infection (STI). Pelvic inflammatory disease causes pain in yourlower abdomen, an unusual discharge, irregular bleeding, and burning during urination.
Lower Right Abdominal Pain in Males
Causes of lower right abdomen pain are outlined below.
1. Prostatitis
Prostatitisis inflammation of the prostate gland, which is part of the reproductive system. The prostate is a small gland between the bladder and the penis. A bacterial infection causes acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis.
Some types of chronic prostatitis may relate to nerve damage in the pelvic area or chemicals in urine. Pain in the lower abdomen, urinary frequency, fever, and pain during urination occur most often with bacterial prostatitis.
2. Testicular Torsion
Testicular torsionoccurs when the testis twists on itself. The result kinks the blood supply that delivers oxygen necessary for the testis to survive. It happens most often to newborn boys and boys going through puberty.
Symptoms include pain and swelling in the lower portion of the abdomen, though newborns usually don’t have pain. It is a surgical emergency that requires immediate care.
Emergency Appendicitis Symptoms
Acute appendicitisis one of the most common surgical emergencies. Emergency appendicitis symptoms include the following:
Emergency appendicitis pain may include the following symptoms:
If you experience this type of pain, call 911 or seek immediate medical care.
When Is Pain in the Lower Right Abdomen an Emergency?
Pain in the lower right abdomen should not be ignored. While it can be harmless, sudden severe pain in the lower right abdomen or pain in this area that does not improve within 30 minutes requires emergency care.
Pain in the lower right side is an emergency if any of the following symptoms accompany your pain:
Easing Right-Sided Abdominal Pain
The severity of pain is based on its duration, location, and intensity. Sudden and severe lower right abdomen pain requires a medical assessment for appropriate treatment.
Less serious causes of mild lower right abdomen pain may improve with the following strategies:
However, treating your condition with home remedies may delay or interfere with an accurate diagnosis. When your condition is properly diagnosed, pain medicine, antibiotics, or surgery may be necessary to relieve your pain and prevent complications.
It can be frustrating to experience pain without a clear diagnosis. It’s possible to have a misdiagnosed or missed condition, especially if you are pregnant or immunocompromised. Listen to your body if you feel something isn’t right. Remember that pain is not normal.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Symptoms of severe abdominal conditions may start subtly before they cause severe pain and require emergency care. Don’t ignore persistent right-side pain that comes and goes. Early diagnosis and treatment can give you the best chance of preventing serious complications.
Consult your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms:
Summary
There are many causes of lower right abdominal pain. While it can signify a severe problem like appendicitis, lower right abdominal pain can also result from benign problems like gas or spicy food.
Since there are so many causes of this type of pain, it can be hard to know the source of your problem. Learning how severe problems affect your body can help you find the cause and decide when to seek treatment.
Avoid or treat lower right abdominal pain with a wait-and-see approach. Contact your healthcare provider if you have pain that persists without improving. If you have symptoms that align with a health crisis, call 911 or seek care right away.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Cedars-Sinai.Gallstones.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Viral hepatitis basics.
Mount Sinai.What is IBD?
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American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Benign Ovarian Cysts.
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Mount Sinai.Abdominal pain.
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UPMC.Stomach pain: when to worry about stomach ache.
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