Okuzeka
Medicine vocabulary · Symptoms and Signs

Abdominal pain

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/æbˈdɑːmɪnəl peɪn/nounCore term

In medicine, abdominal pain means: Pain anywhere in the belly, between the chest and the groin; it has many causes, from indigestion to appendicitis.

In Turkish: karın ağrısı

How it is used

Doctors describe the site using regions (right iliac fossa, epigastric, right upper quadrant) and ask about vomiting, bowel habit and urine symptoms. Patients usually say 'stomach ache' or 'tummy ache', even when the pain is not in the stomach.

Example sentences

  1. She was admitted with right lower abdominal pain and a fever.

  2. The abdominal pain started around the belly button and then moved to the right side.

Common collocations

  • acute abdominal pain
  • lower abdominal pain
  • colicky abdominal pain
  • generalized abdominal pain
  • painAn unpleasant feeling in part of the body that tells you something is hurt or not working properly; it is the most common reason people see a doctor.
  • tendernessPain or discomfort that appears when a doctor presses on a part of the body during an examination.
  • vomitingBringing up the contents of the stomach through the mouth; it often follows nausea but can also happen without warning.
  • palpateTo examine part of the body by feeling it carefully with the hands or fingers, for example to check the size of an organ or to find a lump.
  • ultrasoundA scan that uses high-frequency sound waves to make live pictures of organs, blood vessels or a baby in the womb, without using radiation.

More terms: Symptoms and Signs

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.