Plano, TX, July, 20th2018 - Stomach aches, cramps, and discomfort are common symptoms that plague humans on a daily basis. They can show up after a meal or a tough workout, or as the symptom of a sickness. However, if abdominal pain persists, it can often signal something else, such as gallstones or acid reflux.

“Gallbladder surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the U.S.” Dr. Long explains, and patients often get gallstones due to diet, obesity, genetics or other reasons. The gallstones may cause pain in the upper right area of a patient’s abdomen, which is often sudden and can travel to the patient’s shoulder or even to their back. Once gallstones develop, dietary changes to dissolve them are typically unsuccessful, leaving a minimally-invasive gallbladder surgery as the best way to remove them and stop the pain.

Acid reflux is another potential cause of stomach pain, with the “most common symptom being heartburn” according to Dr. Long. While some acid reflux happens to most people, treatments are available to lessen the effects if needed. Medications, diet changes, and surgery are all ways to deal with constant acid reflux and the pain that heartburn causes.

Another problem that could be causing abdominal pain is an abdominal wall hernia, which is a hole in the muscle where fat or an organ can squeeze through, often presenting itself as a bulge in the stomach. This can lead to abdominal pain and other symptoms if left untreated, but can be fixed with minimally-invasive surgery to repair the hole.

All three of these potentially dangerous conditions can typically be treated with a brief outpatient surgery, but all of them start with abdominal pain. Understanding how to differentiate a simple cramp or upset stomach from pain that signals something much worse will help most people catch these problems while they are still easily fixable.

About Abdominal Surgery Specialists
Founded by Dr. Nick Nicholson, one of the country’s leading weight loss surgeons and co-author of “Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny,” Abdominal Surgery Specialists provides patients with a variety of options to treat conditions including gallbladders, hernias, reflux and obesity.