Many times, pain is an indication that something is wrong. If you are having pain under your right rib cage, you need to find out why it is occurring. The rib cage plays an important role in the body because it helps to protect the organs of your cardiovascular system, like the heart and lungs. The pain you feel in this area can vary from mild to severe, depending on the cause of the pain.
Causes of Pain Under the Right Rib Cage
1. Injuries
An injury to the ribs is one of the most common reasons for feeling pain on the right side of your rib cage. You may not always realize you have injured your ribs and may need to see your doctor to diagnose an injury. The ribs will usually heal by themselves, though treatment may be required if you have a severe injury to the rib cage.
2. Gallstones
One of the main reasons for pain on the right side of the rib cage is gallstones due to where the gallbladder is located. You may not be aware of having gallstones until they grow large enough to block the passageway for urine. Trying to pass urine under these circumstances can be painful, and the less urine that is released, the more painful it can be to urinate.
3. Kidney Stones
Kidney stones form from the debris found in urine. While small stones can be passed through your system when you urinate, larger stones can cause pain under the right rib cage (or left) if they block the passage for urine. Fortunately, many kidney stones can be dissolved with medications, but if the stones are too large, you may need surgery to remove them.
4. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Many people do not know what IBS is, but basically, it involves changes to the bowel. These changes may result from problems with the gut that can cause pain on the right side of the rib cage. The pain usually starts in the abdomen, but it can travel up the right side until it can be felt underneath the rib cage.
5. Too Much Gas
Overeating can make it difficult for your body to digest food and when you’re having problems with digestion, the stomach produces too much acid and gas. While gas can be trapped in any part of the digestive system, gas pains can be felt under the right side of the rib cage.
6. Fecal Impaction
This occurs because waste products in the colon do not pass through your system as they should. It isn’t uncommon for you to be constipated and have some impaction. However, if fecal matter stays in your system for too long, it can cause other problems. Being constipated often causes pain under the right rib cage due to the location of the intestines.
7. Costochondritis
This condition is caused by inflammation of the cartilage of the ribs that holds them to the breast bone. Costochondritis can occur on either side of your body, and it can be excruciating. There are many reasons for this condition, but most people think it happens because they have been injured by incorrectly doing physical activity, such as lifting weights.
8. Acid Reflux and Ulcers
When your stomach has been empty for a long time, or you feel a burning sensation in your throat, you may have acid reflux. When the stomach acids splash up the throat, you may sometimes feel pain in the right rib cage. Peptic ulcers, which affect the duodenum, located on the right side of the body, can also cause pain there. A doctor should treat both acid reflux and ulcers to keep them from causing further complications.
9. Liver Disorders
Conditions affecting the liver can cause pain under the right rib cage, as the liver is located there. Hepatitis, which is liver inflammation, liver enlargement, cirrhosis, fatty liver, and damage to the liver caused by drugs, alcohol, or toxins can all result in pain in the abdomen on the right side.
10. Appendicitis
If the appendix, a part of the small intestine, becomes infected, it can result in pain on the right side of your body. While the pain is usually located on the lower right side, the pain can radiate upwards beneath your rib cage. An infected or inflamed appendix should be treated immediately as the appendix can burst.
What Can You Do to Treat It?
As pain under the right rib cage is usually a symptom of a medical issue, a doctor needs to diagnose the cause to treat it correctly. The type of treatment used will depend on the cause of the pain. These treatments include:
1．Medications
Over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including painkillers, may be needed to help address a medical condition causing pain under the right rib cage. If the ribs have been fractured, bruised or cracked, your doctor may prescribe a medication to help reduce pain.
2．Rest
The best treatment for ribs that have been injured is to relax and rest as much as possible. Strenuous activity can further injure or cause damage to your ribs. Your doctor may bandage the ribs to help them heal.
3．Surgical Treatments
Depending on the reason for discomfort under the right rib cage, surgery may be necessary. However, it is avoided if other treatments can help resolve the medical problem. Even though having surgery is serious, the vast majority are successful now, thanks to medical advances.
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