Q I often get a burning pain below the breastbone. Where does pain in this area come from?
A The upper abdomen is where pain from the stomach and duodenum, the gallbladder and pancreas, and rarely even the heart, can all be felt. So the same epigastric pain may have very different starting points. Separating how it hurts and when it hurts is the first step in narrowing the cause.
Detailed Answer
Pain from the stomach or duodenum is often burning and has a clear relationship with meals. Gallbladder pain tends to ache in the right upper abdomen after fatty food and may radiate to the back or right shoulder. Pancreatic pain bores through to the back, while cardiac pain typically feels tight and heavy during exertion.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At the first visit we separate these branches too. We press the abdomen directly to see where the pain is reproduced and examine its relationship with meals, posture and time of day. Only once it is confirmed as digestive do we move on to releasing the stiffened area.
Related FAQs
-
Q
My endoscopy showed only "mild chronic gastritis". Can something that mild really hurt this much?
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
The pain has lasted so long that I fear stomach or pancreatic cancer. How do I tell?
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
It improves, then returns a few months later. Will this cycle ever end?
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
Along with the pain I get dizziness and a foggy, heavy head. Are they connected?
#Comorbidities
-
Q
Is there anything I can do at home when the pain is frequent?
#Lifestyle Management