Abdominal swelling Assessment Questionnaire

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Abdominal swelling. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.

Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:

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Where is the abdominal swelling?
Why: To determine if localized or generalised.
When did you first notice it?
Why: To determine if acute or chronic.
Have you noticed any change in the abdominal swelling with time?
Family history of bowel cancer or inflammatory bowel disease
Alcohol history?
Why: To establish risk of liver disease, cirrhosis, ascites.
How long have you had the abdominal swelling?
Why: If the abdominal swelling or distension has only recently begun, then it may be the result of constipation, irritable bowel syndrome or internal hemorrhage. However, if you have had the swelling for some time then it may in fact be ascites as a result of liver disease or from you being overweight.
Is the swelling worsening or staying roughly the same?
Why: Abdominal swelling which continues to increase unabated may be of some concern, and can indicate acute conditions such as aortic aneurysm or internal hemorrhage.
Have you experienced any abdominal pain in association with the swelling?
Why: The presence or absence of abdominal pain is very important in indicating the nature what is causing your abdominal swelling. The characteristics of that pain are also important i.e. colicky pain can indicate intestinal obstruction or irritable bowel syndrome; sharp or "tearing" pain can indicate a ruptured aortic aneurysm or internal hemorrhage; dull pain can be as a result of constipation.
Is there any abdominal pain (see abdominal pain)
Is there any appetite change (see appetite changes)
Is there any weight loss (see weight loss)
Is there any nausea or vomiting (see nausea) (see vomiting)
Is there any diarrhea
Is there any constipation
Is there any blood in the bowels (see bloody stool)
Is there any blood in the urine (see blood in urine)
Is there a fever (see fever)
Is there any abnormal vaginal bleeding (bleeding after menopause, bleeding in between the periods or bleeding after intercourse?
Is there any amenorrhea (see amenorrhea), (see pregnancy symptoms)

Conditions listing medical symptoms: Abdominal swelling:

The following list of conditions have 'Abdominal swelling' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Abdominal swelling or choose View All.

View All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Conditions listing medical complications: Abdominal swelling:

The following list of medical conditions have 'Abdominal swelling' or similar listed as a medical complication in our database.

» Next page: Types of Abdominal swelling

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