October 2026

Lower Right Abdominal Pain: Causes and Warning Signs

By Your Health Magazine Health Information Team

Lower right abdominal pain can come from the appendix, intestines, urinary tract, abdominal muscles, groin, or reproductive organs. Gas or constipation may cause temporary discomfort, but appendicitis, kidney stones, an ectopic pregnancy, ovarian torsion, and certain hernias require prompt care. Seek immediate medical evaluation if the pain is sudden, severe, steadily worsening, or accompanied by fever, repeated vomiting, fainting, vaginal bleeding during a possible pregnancy, or a hard and very tender abdomen.

What Is Located in the Lower Right Abdomen?

The lower right abdomen, sometimes called the right lower quadrant, contains the appendix, part of the small intestine and colon, and the right ureter, which carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. Depending on a person’s anatomy, this area may also include the right ovary and fallopian tube.

Although people commonly describe the symptom as pain in the lower right side of the stomach, the stomach itself is higher in the abdomen. The location and pattern of the pain can provide useful clues, but they cannot confirm the cause. Mild pain is not always harmless, and severe pain does not always indicate the most dangerous condition. The National Library of Medicine provides additional guidance about abdominal pain and its warning signs.

Common Causes of Lower Right Side Pain

Possible cause	Typical pattern	Other possible symptoms
Appendicitis	Pain may begin near the belly button, move to the lower right side, and worsen over several hours	Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal swelling, constipation, or diarrhea
Gas, constipation, or intestinal cramping	Cramping, pressure, or aching pain that may improve after passing gas or having a bowel movement	Bloating, hard or infrequent stools, or a change in bowel habits
Kidney or ureter stone	Sharp pain that may come and go in waves and travel from the side or back toward the lower abdomen or groin	Nausea, vomiting, blood in the urine, urinary urgency, or pain with urination
Urinary tract infection	Lower abdominal pressure or discomfort, sometimes more noticeable on one side	Burning urination, frequent urination, cloudy urine, fever, or back pain
Muscle strain	Pain following exercise, lifting, coughing, or a sudden movement	Tenderness that worsens when the abdominal muscles are tightened or used
Inguinal hernia	Aching, burning, or pressure in the lower abdomen or groin, often worse with lifting, coughing, or standing	A visible or palpable groin bulge
Gynecologic or pregnancy-related condition	One-sided pelvic or lower abdominal pain that may be sudden, intermittent, or related to the menstrual cycle	Vaginal bleeding, missed period, discharge, nausea, dizziness, or pain during sex

Inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal infection, bowel obstruction, and other less common conditions can also produce pain in the lower right quadrant.

Could It Be Appendicitis?

Appendicitis is an important concern when right lower abdomen pain is new and worsening. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, appendicitis pain may begin near the belly button and move lower and to the right. It may become worse with walking, coughing, sneezing, taking a deep breath, or other movement.

Other possible signs include:

Loss of appetite
Nausea or vomiting
Fever
Abdominal swelling
Difficulty passing gas
Constipation or diarrhea

Not everyone develops the classic pattern. Children, older adults, pregnant people, and people whose appendix is positioned differently may have less typical symptoms. Suspected appendicitis requires urgent medical evaluation because an inflamed appendix can rupture.

Appendix removal does not rule out every future cause of pain in this area. Anyone with new symptoms after an appendectomy can learn more about possible causes of pain where the appendix was removed years ago.

What Does Sharp Pain That Comes and Goes Mean?

A sharp pain in the right lower abdomen that comes and goes may occur when a hollow organ contracts or becomes temporarily blocked. Kidney stones are one example. The pain can arrive in waves and spread into the back, side, lower belly, or groin. The NIDDK’s information about kidney stone symptoms notes that urinary pain, blood in the urine, nausea, and vomiting may occur as well.

Intermittent pain can also result from intestinal cramping, an inguinal hernia, or an ovary that is twisting and untwisting. Therefore, pain that temporarily stops is not automatically harmless. Sudden one-sided pelvic pain with nausea or vomiting needs urgent evaluation because ovarian torsion can interrupt the ovary’s blood supply.

Pregnancy and Reproductive Causes

In people who could be pregnant, one-sided lower abdominal or pelvic pain may be associated with an ectopic pregnancy, in which a pregnancy develops outside the uterus. Warning signs can include a missed period, abnormal vaginal bleeding, shoulder pain, weakness, dizziness, or fainting. Sudden severe pain or fainting may indicate internal bleeding and requires emergency care.

Other reproductive causes include ovulation pain, ovarian cysts, a ruptured cyst, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Ovulation pain is often brief and occurs around the middle of the menstrual cycle, but symptoms alone cannot reliably distinguish it from a more urgent problem.

How Doctors Evaluate Right Lower Abdomen Pain

A clinician may ask when the pain began, whether it moved, what makes it better or worse, and whether there are bowel, urinary, menstrual, or pregnancy-related symptoms. Evaluation may include:

An abdominal and, when appropriate, pelvic or groin examination
Blood tests for infection, inflammation, anemia, or other abnormalities
A urine test for infection, blood, or kidney stone clues
A pregnancy test when pregnancy is possible
Ultrasound, CT, or MRI imaging, depending on age, symptoms, pregnancy status, and the suspected cause

No single symptom or home examination can safely confirm appendicitis or another specific diagnosis. For general information on digestive, urinary, reproductive, and other conditions, visit the MedlinePlus health topics directory.

When to Seek Care

Go to an emergency department or seek emergency assistance now for lower right abdominal pain accompanied by:

Sudden, severe, or rapidly worsening pain
A rigid, swollen, or extremely tender abdomen
Fainting, confusion, marked weakness, or difficulty breathing
Repeated vomiting or an inability to keep fluids down
Vomiting blood, bloody stool, or black stool
Inability to pass stool or gas, especially with vomiting or swelling
Possible pregnancy with one-sided pain, vaginal bleeding, shoulder pain, dizziness, or fainting
Sudden pelvic pain with nausea or vomiting
A painful groin bulge that becomes firm, discolored, or cannot be gently reduced
Testicular pain or swelling

Contact a primary care clinician, gastroenterologist, urologist, or gynecologist promptly if the pain persists, keeps returning, interferes with normal activities, or occurs with fever, urinary symptoms, bowel changes, unexplained weight loss, or abnormal vaginal bleeding. Because many conditions produce similar symptoms, timely evaluation is the safest way to determine the cause.