Liver Pain?

[jim_circa]

Lately,while lying on my left side,I sometimes feel an constant aching in my right side (where my liver is located). If I roll over on my right side the pain/ache leaves my body.

Is this something I should be concerned about?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Did you mean you have pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen? Right upper quadrant pain and white stool could indicate disorders in the liver or gall bladder. If you have jaundice then it could point towards an obstructive disorder like gall stones. Burping could be due to the diaphragm getting irritated by the inflamed liver or gall bladder. The other causes for pain could be GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease), where the acid contents of the stomach came up into the esophagus and peptic ulcer disease. Please consult your primary care physician for proper assessment and therapy.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[Kaneda2112]

If it's to the point where it's bothering you you may need to get it checked out. Are there any accompanying symptoms such as bowel issues, types of food you've eaten? I wouldn't necessarily rule out appendix issues either -

The symptoms of appendicitis can vary. It can be hard to diagnose appendicitis in young children, the elderly, and women of childbearing age.

The first symptom is often pain around your belly button. (See: Abdominal pain) The pain may be minor at first, but it becomes more sharp and severe. Your appetite will be reduced and you may have nausea, vomiting, and a low fever.

As the swelling in the appendix increases, the pain tends to move into your right lower abdomen. It focuses right above the appendix at a place called McBurney's point. This most often occurs 12 to 24 hours after the illness starts.

If your appendix breaks open (ruptures), you may have less pain for a short time and you may feel better. However, once the lining of your abdominal cavity becomes swollen and infected (a condition called peritonitis), the pain gets worse and you become sicker.

Your pain may be worse when you walk or cough. You may prefer to lie still because sudden movement causes pain.

Later symptoms include:

    Chills

    Constipation

    Diarrhea

    Fever

    Nausea

    Shaking

    Vomiting

Signs and tests

If you have appendicitis, your pain will increase when the doctor gently presses on your lower right belly area. If you have peritonitis, touching the belly area may cause a spasm of the muscles.

A rectal exam may find tenderness on the right side of your rectum.

Doctors can usually diagnose appendicitis by:

    Your description of the symptoms

    The physical exam

    Lab tests

In some cases, other tests may be needed, including:

    Abdominal CT scan

    Abdominal ultrasound

Treatment

If you do not have complications, a surgeon will usually remove your appendix soon after your doctor thinks you might have the condition. For information on this type of surgery see: Appendectomy.

Because the tests used to diagnose appendicitis are not perfect, sometimes the operation will show that your appendix is normal. In that case, the surgeon will remove your appendix and explore the rest of your abdomen for other causes of your pain.

If a CT scan shows that you have an abscess from a ruptured appendix, you may be treated for infection. You will have your appendix removed after the infection and swelling have gone away.
Expectations (prognosis)

If your appendix is removed before it ruptures, you will likely get well very soon after surgery. If your appendix ruptures before surgery, you will probably recover more slowly, and are more likely to develop an abscess or other complications.
Complications

    Abnormal connections between abdominal organs or between these organs and the skin surface (fistula)

    Abscess

    Blockage of the intestine

    Infection inside the abdomen (peritonitis)

    Infection of the surgical wound

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if you have abdominal pain in the lower-right portion of your belly, or any other symptoms of appendicitis. Also call your doctor if:

    Your pain is severe, sudden, or sharp

    You have a fever along with your pain

    You are vomiting blood or have bloody diarrhea

    You have a hard abdomen that is tender to touch

    You are unable to pass stool, especially if you are also vomiting

    You have chest, neck, or shoulder pain

    You are dizzy or light-headed

    You have nausea and a lack of appetite with your pain

    You are losing weight that you did not mean to lose

    You have yellowing of your eyes or skin

    You have bloating for more than 2 days

    You have diarrhea for more than 5 days, or your infant or child has had diarrhea for 2 days or vomiting for 12 hours (call right away if a baby younger than 3 months has diarrhea or vomiting)

    You have had abdominal pain for more than 1 week

    You have burning with urination or you are urinating more often than usual

     Your pain gets worse when you take antacids or eat something