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What Causes Pain In The Lower Abdomen Upon Taking Deep Breaths?
I m think I m having symptoms of appendicitis, but I m not sure if it is since I ve heard symptoms are usually gradual, but this all came on quickly. I have a sharp pain in my lower right abdomen that intensifies if I take a deep breath or move from lying down to sitting up. It s not unbearable yet, but it is very uncomfortable and limiting my movement. When I press on the lower right side of my abdomen, where the pain is located, it intensifies and also causes a dull ache by my navel. I haven t been able to eat anything throughout the day, despite feeling hungry. I m 28 years old. It s currently 1am and I don t have access to any out-of-hours services. I have no form of transport to get me to the hospital and wouldn t want to call out an ambulance if it turns out to not be anything serious.
Mon, 14 Nov 2016
Hi there,
It does sound like acute appendicitis, and I would advise you to get yourself to the hospital as soon as you can. You have actually described the pain very well, because an acute appendicitis, unlike the usual spasms of a diarrhoea or urinary colic, causes a localised area of inflammation. This makes movement from deep breathing or changing positions painful, something that doesn't happen with the regular cramps.
It is also at the correct location at the lower right abdomen, and yes, the pain can be referred to the navel. In fact in the early stages, many people feel it only at the navel before it moves to the right lower area.
So yes, I would say that it is worth calling the ambulance to get you to the hospital before the infection spreads further. Waiting 7 hours until morning comes is pushing it a little too far, because we also have to factor in the time it would take the doctors to screen, refer, and get you prepped for surgery. Don't eat or drink anything in the meantime, because ideally they would want your stomach to be empty for at least 4 hours before you go into surgery.
Hope this helps, and all the best to you.
Regards,
Dr. Teh
It does sound like acute appendicitis, and I would advise you to get yourself to the hospital as soon as you can. You have actually described the pain very well, because an acute appendicitis, unlike the usual spasms of a diarrhoea or urinary colic, causes a localised area of inflammation. This makes movement from deep breathing or changing positions painful, something that doesn't happen with the regular cramps.
It is also at the correct location at the lower right abdomen, and yes, the pain can be referred to the navel. In fact in the early stages, many people feel it only at the navel before it moves to the right lower area.
So yes, I would say that it is worth calling the ambulance to get you to the hospital before the infection spreads further. Waiting 7 hours until morning comes is pushing it a little too far, because we also have to factor in the time it would take the doctors to screen, refer, and get you prepped for surgery. Don't eat or drink anything in the meantime, because ideally they would want your stomach to be empty for at least 4 hours before you go into surgery.
Hope this helps, and all the best to you.
Regards,
Dr. Teh
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