Acute vs Chronic abdominal pain - Essay Example

ACUTE VERSUS CHRONIC ABDOMINAL PAIN Acute Versus Chronic Abdominal Pain Abdominal pain is a common phenomenon across all age groups. Whether server or mild, any pain requires attention due to the discomfort caused. Abdominal pain can either be acute or chronic resulting from a number of reasons. It can also be either continuous or recurring. However, the main difference between the two is that chronic pain persists for months while acute pain is short-lived (MayoClinic, 2015).The causes of abdominal pain in a 20-year-old and a 50-year-old male vary.

The biliary system of older patients experiences various changes due to aging. As result, they experience acute abdominal pain. Diverticulitis is another common cause of acute pain among people in this age group. This is a condition whereby pouches develop on the walls of the colon. Older patients also experience bowel obstruction that may result from cancerous cells (Lyon & Clark, 2006). Common causes of acute abdominal pain in a 20-year -olds male may be due to indigestion, stomach irritation, and parasitic infections.

Chronic abdominal pain in a 50-year-old male can be caused by colon cancer, gallstones or appendicitis. In a younger patient, chronic pain can be caused by pancreatitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis and liver disorder (Greenberger, 2014). In reference to diagnosis, it is more likely to misdiagnose a 50-year-old as compared to a 20-year-old. This is because older patients are prone to other co-existing diseases that may be the hidden cause of abdominal pain (Bryan, 2015). As compared to younger patients, diagnosis in older patients does not rely on symptoms such as fever, nausea and vomiting (Tazkarji, 2008).

This is because most of them do not exhibit these symptoms. Older adults also present late symptoms. All in all, both young and old patients require specialized treatment (Penner, 2015). ReferencesBryan, D. (2015). Abdominal Pain in Elderly Persons Differential Diagnoses. Medscape. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/776663-differential.Greenberger, N. J. (2014). Chronic and Recurring Abdominal Pain. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/digestive_disorders/symptoms_of_digestive_disorders/chronic_and_recurring_abdominal_pain.html.Lyon, C.

, & Clark, D. (2006). Diagnosis of Acute Abdominal Pain in Older Patients. American Academy of Family Physicians. Retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/1101/p1537.html.MayoClinic. (2015). Abdominal Pain. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/abdominal-pain/basics/definition/sym-20050728.Penner, R. (2015). Diagnostic approach to abdominal pain in adults. UpToDate. Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/diagnostic-approach-to-abdominal-pain-in-adults.

Tazkarji, B. (2008). Abdominal Pain Among Older Adults. Medscape. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/583677_.