Diagnosing Abdominal Pain

by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough

Abdominal pain is one of the most complex issues we have to deal with as doctors.

Many people might think belly pain is not much of a big deal, after all we have all had indigestion or a stomach virus. But the thing doctors worry about is what is known as a surgical emergency. Things like appendicitis often show up as stomach pain.

So how do you tell if you need to see the doctor? It all comes down to how you feel and how your stomach pain compares to past episodes. If you have any question, call your doctor. Physicians have an army of tests they can order but most important they have the physical diagnosis, based on centuries of treating people with this problem.