This article discusses clues to diagnosing the cause and severity of abdominal pain.

Abdominal pain can represent many different types of problems besides a simple stomach ache. Some of the keys to diagnosing abdominal pain include aggravating factors, relieving factors, onset, duration, and quality of the pain.

If abdominal pain is severe and is not improving quickly; if pain persists along with fever, persistent vomiting, vomiting blood, bloody diarrhea, nausea and lack of appetite, yellowing of eyes, burning with urination, weakness or dizziness; or if pregnancy is possible, a health provider should be contacted immediately.

Appendicitis generally starts with pain in the center of the abdomen. This is usually followed by loss of appetite and nausea and then by fever. As a person's appendicitis worsens, pain generally migrates to the right lower abdomen.

A health provider should check someone with persistent abdominal pain, nausea, and fever, as appendicitis is a medical emergency.

Ulcers often produce pain in the upper, central abdomen (epigastrium), although some people with ulcers have no pain. Ulcers in the duodenum (the tube leaving the stomach) often produce pain 1 or 2 hours after eating and pain at night, which decreases with eating or antacids.

Ulcers in the stomach (gastric ulcers) produce pain in the upper abdomen, which may or may not be related to food. Some patients with ulcers have stomach pain which travels to the mid-back. A bleeding ulcer can cause a person's stools to become black. Black stools can also be caused by medicines such as iron and Pepto Bismol, but in the absence of these medications, the passing of black stool, or melena, is a medical emergency. A physician should be contacted immediately.