LET'S face it. You probably don't have more than 10 minutes to describe your symptoms to the attending general practitioner.
And for something as general as stomach pain, you might want to be more specific to help the doctor figure out what is the real issue behind the pain.
So, if you are going to your nearest clinic for another bout of gastric pain, these are the questions you may want to think about before your visit.
Doctors may also want to have a mental checklist when a patient comes to him for a bout of abdominal pain.
Patients: Describing your abdominal pain
Timing
When did the pain start? How long did it last? How frequent is the pain throughout the day? Did you have a similar type of pain before? Does the pain coincide with other biological processes (e.g. menstrual periods, pregnancies etc.)?
Trigger of pain
What triggers the pain? Is it before or after food or when you lie down? Did anything intensify the pain?
Location of pain
Where exactly is the pain? Did the pain radiate to any other parts of the body?
Type of pain
Describe the pain. Is it a dull, sharp, stabbing or cramping kind of pain? How severe is the pain? Do you notice any other changes (such as unable to move your feet) in other parts of your body?
Pain relief
Did you notice anything that makes the pain worse? Does the pain worsen with food intake or when pressure is applied?
Stools
Did you notice any changes in your bowel motions? Did you notice changes in your stools (e.g. blood, black stools)?
Weight loss
Did you lose weight without trying? Did you lose your appetite?
Doctors: If the patient's response is "yes" to most of these questions, doctors may want to refer the patient for further investigation.
Is the patient more than 50 years old
Did the patient have any history of black stools (melena) in less than a year?
Did the patient have anaemia?
Did the patient have a sensation of early satiety/fullness?
Did the patient have persistent vomiting?
Did the patient have loss of weight?
Did the patient have difficulty swallowing solid food?
Did the patient have the gastric pain intermittently for less than a year or persistent for more than two weeks?
Reference: Upper GI surgeons Dr Ramesh Gurunathan, Dr Ahmad Sudirman and Dr Grace Lim
