Abdominal Pain

Hernias are a common ailment among Americans; more than 4 million people develop the painful condition. And although both men and women develop hernias, female patients may be harder to diagnose. Doctors and patients may not realize the abdominal pain a woman is feeling is because of a hernia. Dr. Hien Nguyen, assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the pain can be mistaken for other conditions with similar symptoms, such as adhesions from prior surgery, endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts.

Here we go again. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced another voluntary recall of several brands of pet treats due to possible salmonella contamination, which can be dangerous both to pets and to people who handle the treats. Kasel Associated Industries recalled all treats manufactured at its Denver facility from April 20 through September 20, 2012. Brands affected include Boots & Barkley (sold at Target stores), Bixbi, Nature's Deli, Colorado Natural, Petco, and Best Bully Stick.

Here we go again. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced another voluntary recall of several brands of pet treats due to possible salmonella contamination, which can be dangerous both to pets and to people who handle the treats. Kasel Associated Industries recalled all treats manufactured at its Denver facility from April 20 through September 20, 2012. Brands affected include Boots & Barkley (sold at Target stores), Bixbi, Nature's Deli, Colorado Natural, Petco, and Best Bully Stick.

Daniel Gray's stomach tells a story. The gnarled lines across his abdomen are the mementos of three surgeries on his digestive system. The slashes along each side are reminders of the time the stitches broke and the doctors put him into a drug-induced coma for seven weeks, keeping his abdomen open for repeated washes. The doctors made the slits so that they would have enough skin to stretch over the opening when they sewed him together. Gray, 46, was diagnosed 24 years ago with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammation of the bowel and intestines that afflicts nearly 1 million people worldwide.

My 11-year-old son is always complaining his tummy hurts. Can a child his age have an ulcer?Ulcers are much rarer in children than in adults, but they do occur. An ulcer is a deep sore in the lining (called mucosa) of the stomach or upper intestine. The most common place for an ulcer is in the duodenum, the first segment of the intestine.Most children who get ulcers have some other chronic health problem that weakens the system or requires medicine that can promote the formation of ulcers as an unfortunate side effect.

Q. I've heard that taking enteric-coated peppermint oil can help irritable bowel syndrome. My worst symptoms are stomach cramps and flatulence, but I'm reluctant to eat out or travel. Some of my friendships have suffered. What does "enteric" mean, and why would peppermint oil help? A. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can produce symptoms such as abdominal pain, gas, cycles of constipation and diarrhea, urgency of stools and bloating. The only drug approved for this condition, Lotronex, was recently withdrawn from the market because of serious adverse effects.

When Alice L. Bower went to the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center's emergency room last April, the 32-year-old mother of four complained of abdominal pain that the staff of the Bel Air hospital diagnosed as a benign ovarian cyst, court documents show. Five days later, Bowers died. In a lawsuit filed yesterday in Harford County Circuit Court, a lawyer for Bower's four children contends that she died after receiving an excessive dosage of a powerful pain medication. The medical malpractice suit seeks at least $2 million from Upper Chesapeake Health System Inc., the doctor who oversaw Bower's care and the medical provider that employs the physician.

Kenny Cooper was the most notable absentee from yesterday's exhibition loss to the Maryland Bays, as the Blast coach spent his third day under observation at a local hospital.Cooper was admitted Friday afternoon complaining of abdominal pain, and he will be hospitalized indefinitely."This is a recurrence of something I had six years ago," Cooper told a Blast spokesman via telephone at halftime of yesterday's game. "I had some stomach pain late Thursday night and decided to get it checked out on Friday.

Q: This may sound crazy, but I dread our family vacation because I'm afraid my 10-year-old will get appendicitis. I did when I was about that age, and I got very sick. How would I know if my son had appendicitis? We are going to be camping in the mountains.A: As far as we know, appendicitis doesn't run in families and there is no reason why a 10-year-old should be a special risk, so we don't think you need to be more concerned than anyone else. The chance that your son will come down with appendicitis during one particular week of his life is very small.

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics says that even children who can't easily digest lactose should have dairy foods to make sure they get enough calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients for growth. "A lot of people say they are lactose-intolerant, so they can't have any dairy products," said Dr. Melvin Heyman, chief of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital. "But now we know there is a problem with that down the road: osteoporosis," said Heyman, lead author of the report published in the September issue of Pediatrics.

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics says that even children who can't easily digest lactose should have dairy foods to make sure they get enough calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients for growth. "A lot of people say they are lactose-intolerant, so they can't have any dairy products," said Dr. Melvin Heyman, chief of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital. "But now we know there is a problem with that down the road: osteoporosis," said Heyman, lead author of the report published in the September issue of Pediatrics.

When Alice L. Bower went to the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center's emergency room last April, the 32-year-old mother of four complained of abdominal pain that the staff of the Bel Air hospital diagnosed as a benign ovarian cyst, court documents show. Five days later, Bowers died. In a lawsuit filed yesterday in Harford County Circuit Court, a lawyer for Bower's four children contends that she died after receiving an excessive dosage of a powerful pain medication. The medical malpractice suit seeks at least $2 million from Upper Chesapeake Health System Inc., the doctor who oversaw Bower's care and the medical provider that employs the physician.

WIMBLEDON, England - Venus Williams says she's doing a lot of praying that her abdominal injury won't keep her from playing today's Wimbledon final against her sister, but she's not avoiding more mortal help, either. Her personal trainer, Kerrie Brooks, spent much of yesterday giving her treatment, and Williams also stayed off the practice courts, trying to get as much rest as possible. She's game to play and there's no question of her motivation after her courageous semifinal win over Belgium's Kim Clijsters on Thursday.

Q. I've heard that taking enteric-coated peppermint oil can help irritable bowel syndrome. My worst symptoms are stomach cramps and flatulence, but I'm reluctant to eat out or travel. Some of my friendships have suffered. What does "enteric" mean, and why would peppermint oil help? A. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can produce symptoms such as abdominal pain, gas, cycles of constipation and diarrhea, urgency of stools and bloating. The only drug approved for this condition, Lotronex, was recently withdrawn from the market because of serious adverse effects.

A medical revolution is taking place, in case you haven't heard. More and more Americans are getting their health information online and then marching into their doctor's office armed with computer printouts. The Internet "will ultimately change the dynamics of medicine," says Dr. Dean Edell, host of a popular health-related radio talk show and co-founder of the Web site HealthCentral.com. Take Kris Moore, 42, who lives in Michigan. She searched such sites as InteliHealth, jointly run by Johns Hopkins and Aetna U.S. Healthcare, when her 9-year-old daughter started waking up in the morning with abdominal pain -- 12 hours after she had eaten.

Brady Anderson said yesterday he was "fine, just fine" more than a week after feeling pains typical of appendicitis, but doctors who have treated hundreds of cases said his recent play and apparent good health probably mean he never really had the disorder.If he had, his appendix would have ruptured by now and presented him with no choice but to have an emergency operation."I don't think it's reasonable to think that he will ever have appendicitis out of this episode," said Dr. Claudius Klimt, director of emergency medicine at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center.

School just started and our second-grader has already missed four days. She was a wonderful student last year, but this year she is reluctant to go to school; and recently she has been sent home from school twice with a stomachache. She seems fine after she's been home a while. What should we do?You are not alone. We hear about this problem every year. Fortunately, your daughter's school refusal should be easy to solve, since she is young and it hasn't been going on very long.The first thing to know is that your daughter's stomachache is quite real to her. It is bodily symptom of some kind of fear or stress.

My 11-year-old son is always complaining his tummy hurts. Can a child his age have an ulcer?Ulcers are much rarer in children than in adults, but they do occur. An ulcer is a deep sore in the lining (called mucosa) of the stomach or upper intestine. The most common place for an ulcer is in the duodenum, the first segment of the intestine.Most children who get ulcers have some other chronic health problem that weakens the system or requires medicine that can promote the formation of ulcers as an unfortunate side effect.