The Main Causes of Right Side Abdominal Pain (Extensive Guide)

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases report that an inguinal hernia will cause a noticeable bulge in the lower abdomen. Other symptoms of an inguinal hernia are: 25

Why Do I Have Lower Right Abdominal Pain?

Pain on the right side of the abdomen can be caused by conditions such as appendicitis, hernia, kidney issues, reproductive system issues, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), indigestion, or even gas.

There are many possible reasons for discomfort in your right abdominal region. More often than not, pain in the lower right abdomen is nothing to worry about. It’ll go away on its own in a day or two.

If you’re experiencing persistent discomfort, though, you should see a doctor. They can assess your symptoms and make a diagnosis.

If you have lower right abdominal pain, you might be wondering if you need to go to the emergency room.

Most of the time, lower right abdominal pain isn’t serious. You should get immediate medical attention if you’re experiencing sudden, severe abdominal pain, or your abdominal pain is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

a feeling of pressure in your chest
pain in your chest, jaw, neck, or arm
shortness of breath
dizziness or lightheadedness
difficulty or pain when swallowing
sweating
fever
blood in your vomit or stool
persistent nausea and vomiting
skin or eye whites that appear yellow (jaundice)
severe tenderness when you touch your abdomen
unusual swelling of your abdomen
black or tar-like stool
persistent loss of appetite
unusual weight loss

If you notice these symptoms, call 911 or local emergency services or have someone drive you to the nearest emergency room. Treatment can help prevent these symptoms from becoming severe or life threatening.

Appendicitis

Your appendix is a small, thin tube that’s attached to your large intestine. When your appendix becomes inflamed, it’s known as appendicitis. This condition is a common cause of pain in the lower right abdomen.

The pain may come on suddenly and get worse when you move or breathe.

Other symptoms of appendicitis can include:

loss of appetite
nausea or vomiting
abdominal swelling
fever
bowel problems, such as diarrhea, constipation, or being unable to pass gas

The condition often requires immediate medical attention. It’s possible for the inflamed appendix to burst, which can cause life threatening complications. So, if you’re experiencing symptoms of appendicitis, you should see a doctor right away or go to the nearest emergency room.

While antibiotics can clear some cases of appendicitis, surgery is sometimes needed to remove the appendix (appendectomy).

Kidney infection

A kidney infection is caused by bacteria that usually come from your urinary tract. One or both of your kidneys could be affected by the infection.

Although you may feel pain in your lower abdomen, discomfort from a kidney infection more often occurs in your back or sides. You may also feel pain in your groin, but it’s less common.

Other symptoms include:

fever
chills
nausea or vomiting
peeing more often than usual
feeling like you need to pee, even if you just went
pain or a burning feeling when you pee
pus or blood in your urine
urine that’s cloudy or smells bad
diarrhea

When untreated, kidney infections can cause permanent damage and serious complications. If you think you could have a kidney infection, you should see a doctor right away.

Kidney stones

Kidney stones are a hard buildup of minerals and salts that can form inside your kidneys. You may not feel any pain if the kidney stones are small. If a large kidney stone begins to move around or pass into the tube that connects your kidney and bladder, you may feel severe pain in your lower abdomen, back, side, or groin.

The intensity and location of the pain may change as the kidney stone shifts and moves through your urinary tract.

Other symptoms include:

pain when you pee
pink, red, or brown urine
urine that’s cloudy or smells bad
nausea
vomiting
feeling the constant need to pee
peeing more often than usual
fevers and chills, if infection is also present

If you have these symptoms, you should see a doctor.

Hernia

A hernia happens when a part of your body pushes through the lining or muscle that holds it in place. Most hernias happen in the abdomen. They can cause pain or discomfort in the affected area.

Other common symptoms include:

swelling or bulging on part of your belly
pain while lifting, laughing, crying, coughing, or straining
feeling full or constipated

Sometimes, a hernia can cause complications. If you have a hernia and any of the following symptoms, get emergency care right away:

sudden, severe pain
inability to pass gas (fart) or have a bowel movement
vomiting
a change in the feeling or position of your hernia, for example, if it becomes harder, or you can no longer push it back in

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common long-term condition that affects your digestive system. It affects up to 12 percent of people in the United States.

abdominal pain
changes to your bowel movements, in the form of diarrhea, constipation, or both
bloating
the feeling that you haven’t fully completed a bowel movement
mucus in the stool

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes IBS, though it appears to be related to interactions between your gut and your brain.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

IBS shouldn’t be confused with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a group of serious digestive disorders that cause changes in bowel tissue and increase your risk of colorectal cancer.

There are two types of IBD: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Both conditions cause inflammation within your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain.

IBD can also cause:

severe diarrhea
constipation
the feeling that you need to pass stool, even when you’ve just gone
the feeling that you haven’t finishing passing stool
weight loss
nausea and vomiting
fever
blood in your stool

IBD can lead to life threatening complications if left untreated. You should see a doctor immediately if you notice symptoms of IBD.

Indigestion

Indigestion, or dyspepsia, is a group of digestive symptoms. It typically happens after you eat or drink something, but it can happen at other times too. Pain usually occurs in the upper abdomen, though it may also be felt lower down. It may feel sharp, dull, or like burning.

Symptoms of indigestion also include:

bloating
feeling unusually full after eating a small amount
nausea
gas
burping
food or bitter-tasting fluids coming back up

Mild indigestion should go away fairly quickly and can usually be treated at home. If symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks, you should see a doctor to rule out underlying digestive issues.

Gas

Intestinal gas is air and other gases found in your entire digestive tract. It’s often caused by food that’s not broken down completely until it reaches your colon.

The more undigested food present, the more gas your body will produce. As gas builds up, it can cause abdominal pain, bloating, and a “knotted” feeling in your stomach.

Burping and passing gas (farting) usually provide relief. In fact, it’s typical for a person to expel gas up to 30 times a day .

However, excessive gas can sometimes be a symptom of a digestive disorder, such as IBS, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or lactose intolerance.

Intestinal gas can also happen from time to time when you swallow more air than usual, for example, due to overeating, chewing gum, or smoking.

The Main Causes of Right Side Abdominal Pain (Extensive Guide)

Right side abdominal pain can describe any kind of sharp, dull, aching, or painful feeling in the area between the top of your pelvis to your lower chest. Pain in the right side of your abdomen may be accompanied by nausea, bloating, digestive problems, and cramping. The right side of your abdomen contains organs like the gallbladder, pancreas, appendix, right kidney, liver, and part of your small intestine.

Thankfully, most symptoms associated with right-sided abdominal pain are nothing to worry about and don’t last long.

Right Side Abdominal Pain: Common Causes and Other Symptoms

For example, pain on the right of your abdomen caused by gas or indigestion can cause, sharp nagging aches. However, sometimes, dull aches that become more intense, or sharp cramping pains in the right side of your belly that don’t go away could be a sign of a more serious condition.

Reproductive organs like the right ovary and part of the uterus are located in the lower right abdomen of women. Cramping pain connected with the menstrual cycle can be felt on just the right side of the lower abdomen if the right ovary is ovulating or if there are cysts.

Even though aches and pains in the right abdomen are usually harmless, there are times when you shouldn’t ignore the constant discomfort. Cramping pain along with other symptoms can be a cause for worry.

Symptoms accompanying right side pains in your abdomen that need medical attention are:

Abdominal pain that causes nausea and vomiting
Dull aching pain that starts near your belly button and spreads to the lower right belly
Any kind of severe pain in the right abdomen that doesn’t go away
Passing bloody stools

In this article, I am going to examine the different reasons why pain can occur in the upper right abdominal area or in the lower right abdomen. You will also find out about causes of right-sided abdominal pain that only affect men or women.

Internal organs in the abdomen

Organs on the Right Side of the Abdomen

On the right side of your abdomen you can find some of the most important internal organs in your body:

Liver and gallbladder – Your liver lies under the ribcage on the right side of your stomach and the gallbladder is right under the liver. Gallstones or infection around your liver can cause sharp, right-sided pain below your ribs on the right side of the abdomen.

Right lung – Your lungs play an important function in removing toxins from your blood and replacing them with oxygen. Certain lung infections in the right lung can cause severe pain that can be felt in the right side of your abdomen.

Part of the stomach, intestines, and colon – Part of your stomach, intestines, and colon are also located on the right side of your abdomen. The last part of your colon is located in the lower right side of the abdomen. If you have any digestive problems, the digestive-related pain might be felt on the right side.

Appendix – You appendix is another organ on the right side of your abdomen that can cause right-sided pain. Sometimes, inflammation or infection can cause appendicitis which will result in severe pain the lower part of your belly.

Women’s reproductive system – Part of the reproductive organs in women are located on the right side of their body. The right fallopian tube and ovary are found in the pelvic area are just below the right side of the belly button. Therefore, it quite common that premenstrual syndrome, ovarian cysts, or endometriosis can be a reason for right-sided abdominal pain in women.

Organs on the Right Side of the Abdomen

Right Side Abdominal Pain: Common Causes

Unfortunately, abdominal pain on the left side or right side can affect all of us. Most of the time, aches, pains, and discomfort in the right abdomen are not symptoms of anything serious.

Because some types of right side abdominal pain can be serious, it’s important to know where the pain is coming from and how to describe the pain. According to Dr. Charles Patrick Davis on MedicineNet, doctors divide the abdominal area into four areas or quadrants. The upper right abdominal area or right upper quadrant (RUQ) is the part of your upper body below the right chest and above your navel. The right lower quadrant (RLQ) or lower right abdominal area is below your navel and above your right pelvis. 1

It is also important to recognize the type of pain and describe it properly. According to doctors from the National Institutes of Health, types of pain that you can feel in your abdominal area include: 2

Cramping pain
Mild to severe cramping
Gnawing aches
Sharp, shooting pains
Stabbing pain
Throbbing pains
Jabbing aches
Tenderness

For example, many women who have right side abdominal pain during their menstrual cycle describe the pain as cramping aches in the lower belly or pelvis. Pain associated with kidney stones or gallstones could be like sharp shooting pains that come and go. However, trapped gas can also cause similar stabbing or jabbing pains.

Trapped gas

Trapped gas is one of the most common reasons why you could have a sharp aching feeling in your right abdomen. Part of your small intestine and colon are on the right side of your middle abdomen, and gas can put pressure on the surrounding muscles.

Doctors from Johns Hopkins Medicine say that gas is caused by bacteria that break down certain foods in the colon. It is actually estimated that the average person passes gas around 14 times a day. If gas collects on the right side of the colon, the resulting sharp pain may be mistaken for appendicitis or gallstones. 3

According to the doctors from the Mayo Clinic, other symptoms of trapped gas include: 4

Burping or belching
Swelling of your abdomen or bloating
Passing gas with a strong odor
Chest pains caused by gas

The best way to get rid of the abdominal pains caused by gas is to expel the gas by making yourself fart. However, you can also try to cut back on foods that are making excessive amounts of gas. For some helpful advice on gas pain, please read my article on the best home remedies for gas and bloating.

Indigestion

Another digestive issue that could be to blame for your right upper quadrant pain is indigestion. Indigestion often causes abdominal cramping after eating as well as chest pain.

Dr. Jay Marks who specializes in gastroenterology reports that indigestion can be the result of various gastrointestinal issues. Another cause of abdominal pain caused by indigestion is the buildup of bacteria in the small intestine. However, the most common symptom of indigestion is upper abdominal or chest pain. 5

Other symptoms of indigestion include:

Felling of fullness after eating a meal
Excessive belching
Nausea with or without throwing up
Bloating
Constipation or diarrhea
Feeling of something stuck in the throat

Heartburn

A related condition of indigestion is heartburn. Heartburn causes burning feelings in the upper chest as well as abdominal discomfort.

Heartburn is often referred to as acid reflux and is also associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Dr. Melinda Ratini on WebMD says that heartburn causes upper abdominal pain because the acid from the stomach escapes up the esophagus.

Apart from upper abdominal discomfort, related symptoms to heartburn pain include:

Nausea after eating
Regurgitation where acidic stomach juices get up to your mouth
General stomach discomfort
Feeling of something stuck in your throat
Increased belching or burping

A great and cheap home remedy for heartburn is to make a drink of baking soda and water. The alkaline effect of baking soda neutralizes stomach acid and can help to quickly relieve the symptoms of heartburn. There also are many more ingenious ways to use baking soda as a medicine.

Shingles

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus and can cause a burning pain and tenderness in either side of the abdomen. Usually, only one side of the upper body is affected, not both at the same time.

According to medical information published in the Journal of Clinical Medical Research, pain in the upper body caused by singles can feel like acute abdominal pain. This usually precedes a rash that appears on the affected area of the body. 6

Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that other symptoms that accompany shingles can include: 7

A red rash that appears a few days after the abdominal and chest pain
The rash turns into painful blisters
Itching skin
Very sensitive skin
Headaches
Sensitivity to light

One of the best home remedies for treating shingles is to apply Manuka honey. Manuka honey is great for shingles because it contains antiviral properties and can quickly soothe the pain.

Upper Right Abdominal Pain: Common Causes

Let’s look in more detail at the common causes of upper right abdominal pain and how to use home remedies for getting rid of RUQ pain.

Gallstones

Your gallbladder is located in your upper right abdomen just below your ribcage. Gallstones can form in the gallbladder if you have high cholesterol or there is an obstruction in there. A gallbladder infection or bile duct blockage due to gallstones can cause pain in your upper right abdomen area. The pain associated with a gallbladder attack can come on suddenly and feel very intense.

Sharp upper right abdominal pain is also one of the side effects of a gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy). After a gallbladder removal, you may need to follow a gallbladder removal diet to prevent post cholecystectomy side effects such as indigestion and weight gain.

According to the journal BMJ, gallstones cause severe constant pain in the upper right quadrant. The discomfort can last between one and several hours and it can be difficult to get relief. 8

Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that along with intensifying pain below your right ribcage, gallbladder issues can also cause the following: 9

Back pain between your shoulder blades
Nausea and vomiting
Yellowing of the skin (in serious cases)
High fever with chills

If you have severe upper right quadrant pain that gets worse and doesn’t go away, you should visit your doctor for the best treatment.

Pancreatitis

The head of your pancreas is located on the right side of your upper abdomen. Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) can cause persistent right-sided abdominal pain.

Doctors from Cedars-Sinai say that pancreatitis can be caused by gallstones, drinking large amounts of alcohol, certain medications, or high-fat content in your blood (high triglycerides). This results in varying degrees of upper right abdominal pain. 10

Other symptoms of pancreatitis are:

Upper belly pain that radiates to your back
Rapid pulse
Stomach pain that is worse after eating
Tenderness in the upper right abdomen

It’s important to eat a healthy diet and avoid excess alcohol to help keep your pancreas healthy. Pancreatic problems have also been associated with one of the causes of type 2 diabetes.

Bowel obstruction

Bowel obstructions can be a result of underlying health issues and can cause sharp pains in the right side of your abdomen.

According to Dr. Christy Hopkins from the University of Utah School of Medicine, pain from bowel obstructions often happens on the right side. This is because the right colon has a larger capacity and lesions in the right colon that can grow quite large. 11

Doctors from the Cleveland Clinic report that possible causes of intestinal obstructions are: 12

Hernias
Inflammatory bowel disease
Diverticulitis
Scar tissue after abdominal surgery
Impacted feces
Tumors

The Cleveland Clinic reports that as well as abdominal cramping and pain, a bowel or intestinal obstruction can also cause:

Nausea and/or vomiting
Dehydration
Lack of appetite
Constipation and a possible inability to pass stool at all

If you have chronic constipation and other possible signs that you have an intestinal obstruction, you should see your doctor.

Problems with the liver

Your liver is located in your upper right abdomen and some liver conditions can cause pain in that area.

Problems with your liver that result in upper abdominal pain can be difficult to diagnose. Dr. Benjamin Wedro on MedicineNet says that some reasons for liver disease could be: 13

Drinking too much alcohol regularly
Taking statins for cholesterol
Infectious mononucleosis
Fatty liver disease
Too much iron

Dr. Wedro says that upper right quadrant pain is a symptom commonly associated with liver disease. However, you will usually experience some of the following symptoms if the right side abdominal pain is caused by your liver:

Yellow discoloration of your skin
Nausea and/or vomiting
Fatigue and general feelings of weakness
Unexplained weight loss

To help prevent liver disease, it’s essential to avoid habits that damage your liver. This includes drinking too much alcohol, getting too little sleep, smoking, and being overweight.

Lung issues

Medical issues with your right lung can result in sharp stabbing upper abdominal pains on the right side. Some common problems with the lungs that cause chest pain are pleurisy, pneumonia, or a collapsed lung.

Pleurisy. When the fluid in the protective membranes around your lungs become inflamed, the result can be sharp upper chest pains. Doctors from the National Health Service say that the first sign of pleurisy is sharp chest pains on the side of the affected lung. Accompanying symptoms of pleurisy can be pain in your shoulder, shortness of breath, or a dry cough. 14

Pneumonia. A viral or bacterial infection can affect your right lung or left lung or both at the same time. Researchers from PubMed Health say that one of the symptoms of pneumonia is mild to severe chest pains. A serious case of pneumonia will have signs of high fever, coughing up phlegm, vomiting, or diarrhea. 15

The journal Respiratory Medicine Case Reports reported that some types of pneumonia can also cause lower right abdominal pain. 16

Pneumothorax (collapsed lung). A right lung collapse or left lung can happen for a number of reasons. Dr. John Cuhna on eMedicineHealth says that one of the symptoms of a collapsed lung is sharp stabbing chest pains that are worse when breathing deeply. The pain may also radiate to the back or shoulders. 17

It’s important to keep your lungs in good health and avoid the signs of early lung disease. Eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding smoking are all good ways to care for your lungs naturally. You should also be aware of the early signs of lung cancer.

Lower Right Abdominal Pain: Common Causes

The lower right abdominal area just above the pelvis contains organs like the appendix, colon, and part of a woman’s reproductive system. Although the kidneys are located in your upper torso, kidney-related pain if often felt in the lower abdominal area (lower right quadrant or LRQ).