ABDOMINAL PAIN
BETWEEN 35 & 41 PERCENT
of patients admitted to a hospital for abdominal pain are discharged WITHOUT A DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS
And out of those 2 million or so patients, about 80 percent improve or become pain-free within two weeks of the initial discharge.
But the pain doesn’t quite end there; many patients face the financial pain of multiple hospital bills and collection calls months after being discharged.
The good news is that Hospital Health ER seeks to eliminate some of these unnecessary pains that come with a typical visit to the ER.
A Sensible Alternative to Hospital ERs
There’s no question that you should seek medical attention if you have abdominal pain, but some patients wind up paying for a hospital stay they really don’t need. If you can’t wait to be seen by your primary care physician or a gastroenterologist,
Hospitality Health ER offers a way for patients to receive emergency care in Tyler and Longview without the long wait times and complicated billing process of a hospital. We may even be able to help you avoid an unnecessary hospital stay.
Your Comfort is Our Priority
Abdominal pain (and chest pain) continue to be the most common ailments for a visit to the ER for patients who are 15 and older, but it can happen to anyone.
Hospitality Health ER will evaluate you right on site to understand what organs are causing the pain in your abdomen. So if you are need of urgent care and monitoring, both of our ERs in Tyler and Longview offer private, state-of-the-art rooms for you to stay overnight.
Our board-certifified ER doctors are equipped to rule out serious conditions like kidney stones, appendicitis, diverticulitis, or blockages—while also working to manage your discomfort. We will only admit you into a hospital if surgery or more complex testing is required.
- Severe or unrelenting pain
- Fever
- Unable to eat without vomiting
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain
- Irregular heartbeat
- A feeling of lightheadedness or that you could faint
- Dark or black stool
- Vomiting blood
- If you are pregnant, have recently undergone endoscopy, gastric bypass, or abdominal surgery
- Tightness in the chest (may indicate a heart attack)
- Cramping that doesn’t get better with tylenol
- Pain that doesn’t get better with antacid
- Jaundice
- Pain that wakes you up
- Suspicion of a growth or mass in the abdomen
Abdominal pain can be an indicator of many serious conditions:
| Food poisoning | Hernia | Appendicitis |
| Gastritis | Blockages | Intestinal Disorders |
| Abnormal Growths | Pregnancy | Pregnancy Complications |
| Celiac’s Disease | Diverticulitis | Other more serious complications |
On the other hand, abdominal pain may be an indicator of something less serious, like gas, indigestion, a stomach virus, or food/lactose intolerance. Medical professionals agree that abdominal pain is often times difficult to diagnose because there are many possible causes. Your abdomen is made up of many parts including your intestines, stomach, bladder, kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, and adrenal glands. It’s actually the whole area between your chest and your pelvic bones, so when you think about it, there are a lot of organs that could be causing you pain.
Up to 10 percent of children require evaluation for intermittent abdominal pain. Chronic abdominal pain (CAP) is pain that persists for more than 3 months either continuously or intermittently. Studies show that the continued increase in patients with abdominal pain is mainly the result of poor diet, aging, and a lack of primary care. But chronic abdominal pain, or frequent “tummy aches”, is pretty common in children. Unlike adults, most children don’t know the difference between gas or a sour stomach—a sharp or a dull pain. When an adult has gas, we just chalk it up to having gas. But when a kid has gas or needs to poop badly from holding it in too long, they’re going to say, “My tummy hurts.” But abdominal pain can indicate something more serious like an appendicitis or infection. The best thing for parents to do is:
- Monitor the severity of your child’s pain. If they are exhibiting tremendous pain and/or cannot walk, take them to the emergency room.
- Monitor your child’s diet for foods that may trigger reflux or gas, such as dairy products.
- Watch to see if your child is going to the bathroom regularly. Constipation is common in young children. Also check to see if your child exhibits pain during urination and if the urination has an odor. If so, it may indicate a urinary tract infection.
- Check your child’s stool for abnormalities like diarrhea or blood.
- Ask your child if their throat or ear hurts. Sometimes infections or drainage can lead to tummy aches.
Copyright 2017 Hospitality Health ER | All rights reserved