Acute vs Chronic abdominal pain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Acute vs Chronic abdominal pain - Essay Example 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). Greenberger, N. J. (2014). Chronic and Recurring Abdominal Pain. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. Retrieved from