Pain in the right hypochondrium and bitterness in the mouth: what does it mean and what to do?

Author of the article: Tironova Inna Igorevna

Gastroenterologist, therapist

15 years of experience

Professional skills: Colon hydrotherapy, treatment of gastrointestinal diseases

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Diarrheal syndrome often develops due to diseases affecting the digestive organs. When a patient has pressure, pain in the right side and diarrhea is observed, one can suspect the presence of inflammatory processes occurring in the intestines, liver, and pancreas. In any case, it is better to see a doctor and together with him look for the cause of the pathological condition. The patient should avoid taking medications on his own so as not to cause serious consequences and not to worsen his well-being.

Anatomical features

Important organs are concentrated on the right side of the body, which, when inflamed, begin to project pain specifically into this area of the human body.

Variants of affected organs

liver;
pancreas;
gallbladder;
small intestine;
colon.

Sometimes the painful sensation radiates to the right side, although the source of the problem is on the left side of the body. Thus, the other side will be sick, so an accurate determination of the initiating factor is possible only after the patient undergoes laboratory tests.

Duodenitis and enteritis - diseases of the small intestine

Duodenitis is characterized by damage to the duodenum, which is the initial part of the small intestine. Typical symptoms: nausea, pain after eating (after 2 hours), bitter aftertaste of belching, sudden attacks of increased sweating. Due to impaired digestion, a person also feels weakness and severe pain. Severe diarrhea often develops with duodenitis caused by Giardia.

Lack of therapy for duodenitis leads to the development of enteritis, often accompanied by the transformation of stool into a mushy mass. Enteritis is associated with the appearance of a pathological inflammatory process on the entire surface of the small intestine, modified not only by microorganisms, but also by helminths, if they are present in the body. In the latter case, acute enteritis is diagnosed, in which diarrhea may alternate with constipation.

Both diseases lead to disruption of the transport and barrier function in the intestines - as a result, food can rot or leave the body not fully digested. Disruption of the natural process of digesting food also leads to the appearance of loose stools. The likelihood of an intestinal disorder increases significantly if the patient is simultaneously diagnosed with both duodenitis and enteritis.

Warning. Severe stress can cause irritable bowel syndrome, leading to wandering pain and loose stools.

Correct history taking

During the consultation, the doctor will ask the person many questions to clarify the nature of the disease and the location of the affected internal organ. Therefore, it is better to think in advance about the nuances of heaviness in the liver area and prepare answers for a specialist.

Since not only the liver, but also other structures are located in the right hypochondrium, pain in this area will be characteristic of many pathologies and disorders of organ functioning. For example, aching pain is characteristic of chronic cholecystitis, pyelonephritis, or damage to the intercostal nerve endings - neuralgia. After excluding the main diseases - cirrhosis/hepatitis, liver tumors, the doctor will definitely continue research to establish the root cause of heaviness in the hypochondrium.

The period when you feel worse is important - for example, after eating, or after physical activity, or a night's rest. The accompanying clinical manifestations will tell the specialist a lot - flatulence/belching, changes in the skin, the nature of the stool, urination, as well as parameters of the patient’s body temperature and weight. It would not be amiss to indicate the profession and working conditions at the workplace, previous diseases and methods of their treatment.

After a thorough history taking and physical examination of the patient, the doctor will select a set of necessary laboratory and instrumental studies. They will make it possible to clarify the changes occurring in the human body and conduct a differential diagnosis of the feeling of heaviness in the liver area.

Dangerous inflammatory diseases - appendicitis and peritonitis

With appendicitis, intestinal disorder is rarely diagnosed, especially in adults, although in children the symptom is observed in most cases. Diarrhea and pain occur due to inflammation, which causes infection and harmful microorganisms - staphylococci and E. coli - to appear in the gastrointestinal tract. A peculiarity of damage to the appendix of the cecum in children and adolescents is the appearance of diarrhea, after which pain occurs (temporarily decreases when turning to the right), intensifying and continuing subsequently.

Symptoms of appendicitis

nagging, bursting pain (initial stage);
acute pain syndrome (the height of the disease);
loss of interest in food;
fever;
physical weakness.

A complication of advanced appendicitis is peritonitis, which is characterized by the appearance of tears in the appendix and the spread of inflamed contents to neighboring tissues and organs. Diarrhea becomes very severe during peritonitis - the person leaves the most liquid stool, close in consistency to water. The rapidly developing infectious process of infection leads to the appearance of pus inside the abdomen, so the patient is indicated for urgent hospitalization for surgical intervention. After surgery, these patients often have a temporary tube placed at the incision site to force any residual pus to drain. After 2-3 days it is removed.

Problems with the gallbladder and its ducts

If the functioning of the gallbladder is disrupted, pain in the right side and the appearance of diarrhea are diagnosed very often.

Cholelithiasis. Forming dense, hard accumulations of irregular shape in the organ, the disease causes inflammation and drawing, sometimes cutting pain, which radiates to the shoulder blade or shoulder joint. Foul-smelling loose stools, numbering up to 10 bowel movements per day, are diagnosed during an exacerbation of the disease.
Cholecystitis. Inflammation of the organ is not associated with the presence of stones, so pain occurs less frequently, mainly after eating fatty and spicy foods. Intestinal upset with cholecystitis is not common, but if present, it indicates progression of the disease.
Dyskinesia of the urinary tract. Due to improper distribution of bile in the intestines, the patient suffers from poor digestibility of food and bitterness in the mouth. JVP acts irritatingly on the gallbladder, so the person begins to experience a dull pain.

The patient's condition returns to normal after taking anticholinergic drugs and choniolytics. In case of hypotension of the bladder (reduced tone), choleretic drugs are prescribed.

Diagnostics

If the right side is very painful, and diarrhea accompanies the unpleasant condition, a specialist, after a visual examination and questioning of the patient, may prescribe:

Analysis of urine and vomit.
Coprogram.
General and biochemical blood testing.
Endoscopy, fluoroscopy.
Ultrasound and CT.
Duodenal sounding.

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Intoxication with various substances

The entry of toxic substances into the body leads to increased stress on the liver, and diarrhea develops due to the inability of the digestive tract to break down and absorb harmful components. In case of poisoning, vomiting and stomach pain initially appear, and then - after 1-3 hours - pain occurs in the right side and a strong feeling of weakness.

Causes of intoxication

alcohol poisoning;
eating spoiled food;
entry of poisons into the body;
long-term medication use;
consumption of technical alcohol-containing liquids.

When taking medications, you should be extremely careful: antibiotics and antitumor drugs often lead to an extremely high load on the liver, so pain in this part of the body is localized very often. Regardless of the initiating factor that caused the discomfort, forced vomiting and the use of activated carbon are used to remove toxic substances. After relief of acute symptoms, doctors prescribe the use of probiotics, which help restore the intestinal microflora (Linex, Lactobacterin).

Advice. After poisoning, it is advisable to use vitamin complexes to quickly restore performance. On the first day you need to completely abstain from eating food, on the second - take only liquid food.

Features of diagnosis and treatment

A blood test will help diagnose the disease.

Pain in the right hypochondrium after eating requires diagnosis of the disease that caused it.

Initially, the patient is examined by a doctor and palpated the diseased area. It also assesses the sclera of the eyes and the condition of the skin.

During the examination, the patient must tell the doctor about his diet. Also, to diagnose the disease, the patient must undergo general urine and blood tests.

To diagnose diseases, it is necessary to take food samples from the gastrointestinal tract - the contents of the duodenum, gastric juice, and bile. The patient is also prescribed an ultrasound examination.

To relieve pain, antispasmodics are recommended to the patient. Noshpa is used most often. The patient must remember that medications only eliminate symptoms, but do not cure the underlying disease.

If the patient suspects gastritis, then to eliminate the pain it is necessary to drink a glass of heavy cream. Thanks to this folk medicine, which coats the walls of the stomach, the sour secretion will not irritate it.

After diagnosing and determining the cause of pain in the right side, the doctor prescribes appropriate treatment for the patient. This may involve taking certain medications or undergoing surgery.

During the treatment of the disease, the patient must strictly adhere to the doctor’s recommendations, which will eliminate the pain as soon as possible.

There are many reasons for pain in the right side after eating. In most cases, these are serious diseases that require emergency treatment.

That is why, if a patient notices persistent pain, he needs to seek help from a doctor. After carrying out the appropriate diagnostic procedures, the specialist will prescribe the most effective treatment to the patient.

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This article takes a closer look at right side pain and OUR TEST will help YOU make the correct pain assessment. We have prepared answers to the TOP 4 of your questions. Together we will understand the causes and treatment.

Any pain that arises in our lives brings discomfort and anxiety. But is it always necessary to worry and take action? Painful sensations after eating are already a reason to think about your health. But when should you really worry? To answer this question, try a little testing:

Question 1. How often does pain occur:

After every meal;
1-2 times a week;
Once a month;
They don't arise.

Question 2. What kind of lifestyle do you lead:

Sports active lifestyle;
Exercise a couple of times a week;
I do housework and gardening several times a week;
There is practically no physical activity.

Question 3. Do you mainly eat:

A variety of foods, I try to eat small portions several times a day;
Main meals twice a day;
Allow yourself to eat large amounts of fatty, floury and salty foods.

Question 4. How often do you drink alcohol:

On holidays several times a year;
On weekends and special occasions;
Few times a week.

Question 5. Are you often exposed to viral and infectious diseases:

Several times a year (4-5);
Rarely (once a year);
Often (from 5 times);
I'm not sick.

Question 6. Do you have problems with urination:

No;
Incontinence;
Pain;
Blood in the urine;
Unpleasant odor;
Frequent urge to go to the toilet.

Let's summarize. If the test answers are not the same:

= d.
= a,b,c.
= a.
= a,b.
= b,d.
then you should think about your health.

Liver problems and related diseases of the organ

An inflamed liver almost always causes pain in the right side of the body, mainly under the ribs. When an organ is damaged, there is a disruption in the process of detoxification of the body from poisons, excess vitamins and hormones, so diarrhea in patients with liver disorders is regularly diagnosed by attending physicians. Other symptoms of liver disease include yellowing of the skin, weakness and frequent bloating.

Hepatitis. Loss of body weight and itchy skin occur with chronic and acute inflammation of the organ. A typical sign of the presence of this disease is light-colored feces formed as a result of the development of the viral form of the disease. In addition to diarrhea, high fever, yellowed whites of the eyes and dull pain in the right hypochondrium are diagnosed.
Cirrhosis. The condition is characterized by an increase in the size of the organ (additional connective tissue is formed), leading to the appearance of nagging pain. Reduced bile secretion leads to dyspeptic disorders, causing changes in the consistency of stool. The waste products are coated with grease and are therefore poorly washed off the surface of the toilet bowl.
Hepatocellular carcinoma. The appearance of cancer cells in the liver is observed against the background of the development of hepatitis, but sometimes it forms without this factor. Accompanied by severe digestive disorders, which are followed by attacks of constipation, diarrhea and flatulence.

Pain in the right side caused by liver problems is dangerous: the organ is one of the vital parts of the body, which is not able to maintain its viability without their presence.

Common causes of discomfort in the right side

The No. 1 reason among disorders that manifest themselves as a sensation of a foreign object or increased pressure in the right hypochondrium is considered to be intercostal neuralgia. It can be recognized by very acute signs: pain, spasm, inability to breathe calmly.

Pulsation, which indicates pain in the liver, is associated with the following organs and diseases:

enlargement of the liver walls;
chronic cholecystitis;
congestion in the gallbladder, liver;
cirrhosis - with this disease the pain is intense, the skin becomes yellow, heat is felt in the area above the liver, and the skin itches when touched;
hepatitis, hepatosis and other organ diseases;
diseases of the aortic or tricuspid heart valve - the pathology is accompanied by tachycardia, pulsation “in time” with the heartbeat;
hepatic artery aneurysm.

In rare cases, a feeling of bulging in the right hypochondrium is associated with diseases of the stomach and intestines.

Specific symptoms and liver diseases

The liver is an organ that is involved in more than 500 physiological and chemical processes. Any violations lead to the fact that the liver begins to perform poorly and wears out faster. The specificity of the organ is the absence of pain in the first stages of disease. But pulsation, a feeling of pressure and other unpleasant symptoms occur quite often. If, among additional sensations, it is noted that something is twitching and moving in the liver, this may be a sign of dangerous conditions:

Echinococcosis. Parasitic infection of the body associated with the reproduction or development of a tapeworm. Because of this, there are most often signs of movement.
Problems with intestinal motility. If active processes of fermentation and gas formation begin in the intestines, it increases significantly in size. Constant bloating leads to compression of all organs, they begin to move, changing their position and causing a feeling of movement. Similar signs can be observed in the last months of pregnancy.
Conditions requiring urgent surgical intervention: appendicitis, blockage of the bile ducts with a stone, biliary colic, abscess, cyst rupture, acute pancreatitis. The symptoms in these cases are quite pronounced and are accompanied by acute and aching pain.

Among the conditions that require an emergency call to the ambulance, doctors identify: frequent vomiting interspersed with bile, yellowness of the eyes and skin, and the rapid appearance of spider veins throughout the body.

If there is tingling, squeezing and pulsation on the right side, it is better to consult a doctor to prescribe diagnostic procedures. If symptoms are combined with acute pain, vomiting, fever and diarrhea, you should immediately call an ambulance.

The role of pancreatic diseases in pain on the right side

Impaired secretion of enzymes necessary for digesting food leads to bloating and intestinal upset. Food, passing through the gastrointestinal tract, rots due to insufficient breakdown by elements secreted by the gland. As a result, food particles are often present in stool almost unchanged. Similar symptoms are often present with pancreatitis.

Signs of pancreatitis

frequent stomach upset;
gray color of stool;
anemia;
dry skin.

Localization of the painful sensation on the right indicates focal damage to the organ: irradiation of the unpleasant sensation on the left occurs when the body and tail of the organ are affected, and to the right - the head. Girdle pain is formed during a total inflammatory process. Pain can also be projected into the back in acute pancreatitis, and prolonged profuse diarrhea is a sign of severe damage to the pancreas, including cancer.

Fact. With the development of diabetes mellitus, pain in the pancreas does not occur.

Factor of intestinal infections

Consumption of contaminated foods, contact with infected animals, and ingestion of livestock feces are common causes of intestinal infections that lead to severe diarrhea.

Salmonellosis. The pathogen manifests its activity within 24 hours from the moment of entry. Having reached the small intestine, the infection begins to actively multiply, leading to general intoxication of the body. The first three days there is a release of liquid feces, which are subsequently externally burdened with mucus and blood. With salmonellosis there is always a high fever and chills.
Botulism. The microorganism Clostridium botulinum makes itself felt within 4 hours - cramping pain, diarrhea, vision deteriorates, and occasionally acute respiratory failure occurs (if the symptoms of suffocation are not treated, death occurs within 3-4 hours). To treat this form of intestinal infection, an urgent call to the ambulance is required.
Dysentery. Yellow diarrhea is a sign of dysentery, which causes severe pain in the liver area. It is here that the parasite Entamoeba histolytica forms an amoebic abscess; the microorganism also concentrates its pathogenesis in the area of the large intestine. When dysentery persists for a long time, it provokes the appearance of ulcers and even necrotic areas in the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms: irregular heart rhythm, dry mouth, cutting pain in the left (more often) and right (less often) part of the body.

In these conditions, diarrhea is relieved by taking enterosorbents and antibiotics that help kill the infection. All of the above pathogens are easily identified in clinics by examining the patient’s blood and stool.

Treatment

A set of therapeutic measures is prescribed only after the source of the pathology has been established. Depending on the type and severity, it can be:

Medicinal, using medications;
Physiotherapeutic;
Operational.

Under no circumstances should you self-medicate. Taking medications without a doctor's prescription can aggravate the condition or cause a toxic complication, especially with liver pathologies.

To maintain the body during the rehabilitation period, preventive or supportive treatment is prescribed. Folk remedies and herbal medicine, used in parallel with other types of therapy, increase the effectiveness of treatment.

You can prepare decoctions and teas yourself, following all the requirements and recipes. There are also ready-made herbal infusions and balms that can be purchased at the pharmacy. Traditional medicines should not contain alcohol.

Other dangerous conditions

The development of characteristic unpleasant sensations can also occur as a result of the progression of other diseases, in which pain occurs in the right side and loose stools are diagnosed.

Ulcerative colitis. The disease affects the large intestine, on the mucous membrane of which bleeding membranes form. As a result, the stool turns black with purple discharge. Ulcerative colitis develops under the influence of infections, hereditary factors and autoimmune diseases.
Pneumonia. Diarrhea does not always develop with this infectious disease, but it is invariably present in a certain form - legionella. The pathogen Legionella pneumophila is transmitted by inhaling contaminated air, as well as through nutritional means. The pain spreads in the chest area, but often radiates to the right side.
Crohn's disease. It is characterized by total inflammation of all organs of the gastrointestinal tract and its areas - from the oral cavity to the rectal opening. The nature of the pain can take different forms, radiating to different parts of the body. Diarrhea (often with blood) and pathological sensations in the liver area are not uncommon.
Hemorrhagic stroke. Pain and diarrhea in the hypochondrium occur due to the innervation of the intestine, which begins to function with significant disturbances.
Renal colic. They are characterized by pain in both parts of the body (activated by coughing), but if there is a problem in one kidney, it radiates only to the right side. The development of diarrhea in a pathological condition is not observed, but if an intestinal disorder is present, then the cause should be sought in other organs.

Aching pain can also be found with pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis; in men, the symptom may indicate the presence of an inguinal hernia. In the latter case, diarrhea occurs when pinched, but it soon gives way to constipation, aggravated by bloating. In women, such conditions are diagnosed during ectopic pregnancy, which leads to digestive disorders due to compression of the intestines.

Warning. With gastritis, pain is concentrated in two places - the center and the right side of the body. Loose stools appear during periods of exacerbation of the disease and in the presence of an ulcer.

Diagnosis of the problem.

First, it is necessary to determine the nature of the pain - aching or sharp.

Acute pain - its attacks occur with lightning speed, taking a person by surprise. This severe pain, or as they often say, “colic,” goes away as suddenly as it appeared. If the pain does not subside, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Aching pain is often chronic, but the patient is ready for it and can be “armed” with the necessary medications to relieve it. Usually long-term, debilitating, it requires taking analgesics. This is often an indicator of the presence of a chronic disease.

IMPORTANT! If the pain occurs suddenly and seems too severe, consult a doctor immediately! You should not take painkillers - this will “blur” the picture of the disease when examined by a surgeon.