What can cause pain on your right side of abdomen

Right side abdominal (tummy) pain is often nothing to worry about, but as some of these conditions may need medical attention, it’s important to know what’s causing it.

Table of Contents Show

Digestive problems
Kidney conditions
Liver conditions
Appendicitis
Understanding Appendicitis -- Symptoms
What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis?
Call Your Doctor About Appendicitis If:
When should I be worried about right side pain?
What organ is on your right side that can cause pain?
What organ is on the right side of your abdomen?

Stomach pain on the right side could be coming from your digestive tract or your stomach, but it may also be related to other organs in this area: your small and large intestine, right kidney, liver or appendix.

Several different conditions can cause discomfort in this part of the body, but understanding the differences between them and which organs they affect, could help you pinpoint the cause.

Digestive problems

Digestive problems such as

or food poisoning can cause pain in the right side of your abdomen.

Chronic bowel conditions like

(IBS) and

(IBD) can also cause pain in the right side of your abdomen.

If you’re not sure if your bowels or digestive system are causing you pain, ask yourself the following questions:

does the pain feel crampy or come and go in waves?
do I feel bloated or sick?
do I find it hard to poo? (constipation)
do I have heartburn or acid reflux?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, your pain may be linked to a digestive problem.

Chronic or long-term digestive problems need to be treated by a doctor, but common conditions like gastroenteritis or constipation can be treated at home.

Try to drink plenty of fluids and take painkillers if you need help to manage the pain. If you have constipation or

, it may help to make small changes to your diet and lifestyle, such as eating high-fibre foods, drinking plenty of fluids or going for a daily walk.

Note: You should always visit a doctor if the pain won't settle or you’re worried about your symptoms. Also go straight to a doctor if:

there’s blood in your poo
you’ve lost a lot of weight without trying to
your symptoms are getting worse
you’re struggling to swallow

Kidney conditions

Pain from the kidney tends to be a dull, aching pain, but some kidney conditions can cause intense stabbing pain. You may feel like the pain starts at the back of your abdomen, or that it comes and goes.

Conditions that affect your kidneys include

and kidney cancers.

If you have a kidney infection, you may feel pain along your urinary tract (towards the bottom right corner of your abdomen) and it’s not unusual for kidney pain to get worse when you pee.

If you think your kidneys may be causing the pain, ask yourself the following questions:

do I have a high temperature (fever)?
do I feel shivery?
is there blood in my pee?
do I have symptoms that are normally associated with a ?

If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions, see a doctor.

Kidney stones and infections can cause long-term damage to your kidneys, so it’s important to treat them quickly.

Liver conditions

Any condition that causes your liver to become inflamed or swollen can cause dull, aching or stabbing pain towards the right side of your abdomen.

This includes liver infections like hepatitis A or B, liver cancer or an abscess. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic

can also cause liver pain, but most types of liver disease don’t cause any symptoms in the early stages.

See a doctor if you think your liver may be causing the pain.

Conditions like hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease can be treated, but it’s important to act fast because they can permanently scar your liver if left untreated.

Appendicitis

The appendix is a small organ located in the bottom-right corner of your abdomen. If your appendix gets inflamed or swollen (

), it can cause sudden, sharp or stabbing pain that gets worse when you move around or cough.

Other symptoms include constipation or diarrhoea, loss of appetite and nausea.

Untreated appendicitis can be life-threatening. You should seek medical help immediately if the pain in your abdomen:

gets slowly worse
gets worse suddenly and spreads across your tummy
gets a little better before getting worse again (this may be a sign that your appendix has burst)

Understanding Appendicitis -- Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis?

The classic symptoms of appendicitis include:

Dull pain near the navel or the upper or lower abdomen that becomes sharp as it moves to the lower right abdomen; this is usually the first sign, but it occurs in less than half of appendicitis cases.
Loss of appetite
Nausea or vomiting soon after abdominal pain begins
Abdominal swelling
Temperature of 100 to 101 degrees Fahrenheit
Constipation or diarrhea with gas
Inability to pass gas

In many cases, atypical symptoms appear, including:

Dull or sharp pain anywhere in the upper or lower abdomen, back, or rectum
Painful urination
Vomiting that precedes the abdominal pain

Call Your Doctor About Appendicitis If:

You have any of the symptoms listed above; acute appendicitis is a medical emergency that can be fatal. Prompt surgery is often essential. Do not eat, drink, or use any pain remedies, antacids, laxatives, or heating pads, which can cause an inflamed appendix to rupture.
You have symptoms of appendicitis, but your appendix has already been removed; you may have a urinary tract infection, pelvic inflammatory disease, diverticulitis, a tubal pregnancy, gastroenteritis, or inflammation of your colon, called colitis or Crohn's disease, or colorectal cancer. Seek medical care immediately.

After an appendectomy, call your doctor right away if you have:

Persistent vomiting
Continued pain in your abdomen
Dizziness/feelings of faintness
Blood in your vomit, urine, or stool
Fever
Diarrhea

When should I be worried about right side pain?

If you have severe abdominal pain,especially on the right side, it's a good idea to consult a physician and rule out causes that need immediate attention, such as appendicitis, an ectopic pregnancy, ulcer or kidney stones.

What organ is on your right side that can cause pain?

Right Upper Quadrant. Organs found in this quadrant include: the liver, the gallbladder, duodenum, the upper portion of the pancreas, and the hepatic flexure of the colon. Pain in the right upper quadrant may be indicative of hepatitis, cholecystitis, or the formation of a peptic ulcer.