Pain in the upper abdomen

Mild abdominal pain is usually harmless and temporary. Nevertheless, serious illnesses can also hide behind it. Pain in the left upper abdomen is often caused by the stomach.

An inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach (gastritis), or a stomach ulcer (ulcer) are painful. If the pain is more likely to occur on an empty stomach or at night, an ulcer in the duodenum can also be behind it. Pain in the right upper abdomen usually comes from the gallbladder or the liver.

The most common is certainly inflammation of the gall bladder (cholecystitis) due to gallstones (cholecystolithiasis). An inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) can also be painful. Last but not least, appendicitis can also cause pain in the upper abdomen; depending on the position of the appendix, especially in pregnant women, appendicitis is more likely to present itself as such than with classic pain in the right lower abdomen.

Other diseases with pain in the upper abdomen are pancreatitis and tumors. Patients then often complain of belt-shaped upper abdomen and back pain. You should therefore always consult a doctor. Diagnostics include physical examination, blood tests, ultrasound and an ECG. Especially in women, heart attacks initially manifest themselves only with pain in the left upper abdomen.

Pain in the shoulder

People of all ages can suffer from shoulder pain. The causes are very different. Often, diseases of the cervical spine also cause pain that only radiates into the shoulder.

In any case, the orthopedist is the first point of contact. Since the shoulder is a relatively mobile joint and is largely stabilized by muscles and ligaments, there is a high risk of injury. If the head of humerus slips out of the socket, this is known as a dislocation (shoulder dislocation).

An injury can also damage the muscles that provide support. These are called rotator cuffs. Depending on the extent, injuries are called rotator cuff tears or ruptures.

Another clinical picture that causes shoulder pain is the impingement syndrome. Here a tendon is clamped between the humerus and the acromion. In addition to pain, this also results in restricted mobility.

Shoulder pain is also caused by an inflammation of the bursa in the joint. This can be caused by overload, gout or rheumatism. Wear and tear lead to arthrosis.

Individual tendons can store more calcium (“calcium shoulder”). The result is shoulder pain. Last but not least, pain in the left shoulder can also be caused by a heart attack, especially when chest pain and shortness of breath are added.

Arthrosis in the shoulder
Pain in the upper arm
Pain in the shoulder blade
Collarbone pain