Is the pain all over (diffuse or generalized) or in a specific location?
What part of the abdomen is affected? Lower or upper? Right, left or middle? Around the navel?

From your medical history and physical examination, your doctor will try to deterine the cause of your abdominal pain. Knowing the location of pain and its time patten will help, as will the presence of other symptoms like fever, fatigue, general ill feeling, nausea, vomiting, or changes in stool.

During the physical examination, the doctor will test to see if the pain is localized to a single area (point tenderness) or whether it is diffuse. He or she will be checking to see if the pain is related to inflammation of the peritoneum (called peritonitis). If the health care provider finds evidence of peritonitis, the abdominal pain may be classified as an "acute abdomen", which may require surgery right away.

General Information:

Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.

Considerations

There are many organs in the abdomen. Pain in the abdomen can originate from any one of them, including:

Organs related to digestion -- the stomach, the end of the esophagus, the small and large intestines, the liver, the gallbladder, and the pancreas.
The aorta -- a large blood vessel that runs straight down the inside of the abdomen.
The appendix -- an organ in the lower right abdomen that no longer serves much function.
The kidneys -- two bean shaped organs that lie deep within the abdominal cavity.

However, the pain may originate from somewhere else -- like your chest or pelvic region. You may also have a generalized infection affecting many parts of your body, like the flu or strep throat.

The intensity of the pain does not always reflect the seriousness of the condition causing the pain. Severe abdominal pain can be from mild conditions, such as gas or the cramping of viral gastroenteritis. On the other hand, relatively mild pain or no pain may be present with life-threatening conditions, such as cancer of the colon or early appendicitis.

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Understanding Left Abdominal Pain Recommended Resources:

University of Cincinnati

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School