Dull or sharp upper-center abdominal pain can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose dull or sharp upper-center abdominal pain, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Heartburn | 97% | Confirm |
Sphincter Of Oddi Dysfunction | 20% | Unlikely |
Pancreatic Cancer | 18% | Unlikely |
Gallbladder Disease | 0% | Ruled out |
Pancreatitis | 0% | Ruled out |
Atrophic Gastritis | 0% | Ruled out |
Stomach Ulcers | 0% | Ruled out |
Gastritis | 0% | Ruled out |
UPPER-CENTER abdomen: If you experience discomfort or pain in the epigastric (stomach) area that becomes worse after eating, what best describes this pain?
Possible responses:
→ Not applicable / pain only after food / don't know→ Pressure → Burning pain → Sharp, stabbing pain → Dull, nonspecific pain / not sure how to describe |
The pain can vary from a mild discomfort or dull throbbing, to a deep ache or cramp, to an excruciating sharp or stabbing pain.
The stomach pain caused by gastritis can vary from a dull gnawing ache to a persistent sharp stabbing pain that seems to go right through your body from front to back.