What causes pain on your right side? A comprehensive guide to symptoms and causes

October 1, 2025 •

5 min read

According to Radiologyinfo.org, pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen is one of the most common reasons for emergency room visits. Understanding what causes pain on your right side is crucial for knowing whether your symptoms indicate a minor issue or a medical emergency.

Quick Summary

Pain on the right side can result from various conditions affecting the digestive, urinary, or reproductive systems, or from musculoskeletal issues. Causes range from minor concerns like gas or muscle strain to urgent problems like appendicitis, gallstones, or kidney stones, and often depends on the specific location of the discomfort.

Key Points

Appendicitis Risk: Sharp pain in the lower right abdomen, especially if it starts near the navel and is accompanied by fever, nausea, or loss of appetite, requires immediate medical attention.
Gallbladder and Liver Issues: Upper right quadrant pain, particularly after fatty meals, could indicate gallstones or gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis), while a dull ache may signal a liver problem like hepatitis.
Kidney-Related Pain: Pain originating in the back or flank that radiates to the abdomen or groin could be caused by kidney stones or a kidney infection.
Musculoskeletal vs. Organ Pain: Differentiating between muscle strain and organ-related pain can be difficult, but muscle pain often occurs with movement or exercise, while organ pain may be more constant or accompanied by other systemic symptoms.
Warning Signs: Seek urgent medical care for any right-sided pain that is severe, persistent, accompanied by fever, vomiting, or jaundice, or if you notice blood in your stool or urine.
Common vs. Severe: Many cases of right-sided pain are benign (e.g., gas, muscle strain), but serious conditions like appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy, or ovarian torsion are medical emergencies that must be ruled out.

Experiencing pain on your right side can be alarming, especially when the cause is unclear. The vast number of organs and structures in this part of the body—including the gallbladder, liver, appendix, right kidney, and sections of the large and small intestines—means that pinpointing the origin requires careful consideration of the pain's location, intensity, and accompanying symptoms. While some causes are minor and resolve on their own, others can indicate a serious condition requiring immediate medical attention. This article explores the common causes of right-sided pain, categorized by location.

Understanding the location of your pain

To help narrow down the potential cause, medical professionals often divide the abdomen into four sections, or quadrants. The location of your pain can be a key clue:

Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ): This area houses the liver, gallbladder, and parts of the small and large intestines.
Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ): This section contains the appendix, cecum, and, in women, the right ovary and fallopian tube.
Right Flank/Side (Mid-Back): The kidneys are located toward the back, on either side of the spine, so pain here can indicate a kidney-related issue.

Common causes of right upper quadrant pain

Pain in the right upper quadrant is often related to the digestive system, particularly the gallbladder and liver.

Gallbladder Issues

Gallstones: Hardened deposits of digestive fluid can block the bile ducts, causing sudden, intense, cramping pain.
Cholecystitis: The inflammation of the gallbladder, often caused by gallstones, results in persistent, sharp pain in the RUQ that may radiate to the right shoulder or back. Other symptoms include fever, nausea, and vomiting.

Liver Conditions

Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, caused by a viral infection or alcohol use, can cause a dull, widespread ache in the RUQ, along with fatigue, nausea, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin).
Fatty Liver Disease: An accumulation of fat in the liver can cause a dull ache or sense of fullness in the upper right abdomen.
Liver Abscess or Cysts: Pockets of infection or fluid can cause tenderness and pain in the area.

Other RUQ causes

Lung Conditions: Inflammation of the lining of the lungs (pleurisy) or infections like pneumonia can cause sharp pain in the chest or upper abdomen that worsens with deep breathing or coughing.
Pancreatitis: While often causing pain in the upper-middle or upper-left abdomen, inflammation of the pancreas can sometimes radiate to the right side.

Common causes of right lower quadrant pain

The right lower quadrant is a critical area, most notably because of the appendix.

Appendicitis

Pain often begins vaguely around the navel before moving to the lower right abdomen and intensifying over several hours.
It is typically accompanied by nausea, loss of appetite, a low-grade fever, and can worsen with movement or coughing.
A ruptured appendix is a life-threatening emergency.

Kidney and Ureter issues

Kidney Stones: These can cause severe, sharp, intermittent pain (colic) in the side or back as they move through the urinary tract. The pain can radiate to the lower abdomen and groin.
Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis): A type of urinary tract infection that reaches the kidneys. It can cause a constant ache in the flank, fever, chills, and painful urination.

Intestinal problems

Diverticulitis: Inflammation of small pouches (diverticula) in the colon, which can cause pain in the RLQ, though it is more common on the left side.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn's disease can cause intense abdominal pain in the RLQ, along with chronic diarrhea and weight loss.

Gynecological causes (in women)

Ovarian Cysts: Pain can occur if a cyst on the right ovary ruptures or grows large.
Ovarian Torsion: A sudden and intense pain is caused by the twisting of an ovary.
Ectopic Pregnancy: A life-threatening condition where a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tube, often causing sharp, localized pain.

Causes affecting multiple areas on the right side

Some conditions are not confined to a single quadrant and can cause pain anywhere on the right side.

Musculoskeletal Pain: Muscle strains or sprains in the abdominal or back muscles from exercise or poor posture can cause localized pain. Spinal issues, such as a herniated disc, can also cause pain that radiates into the flank.
Inguinal Hernia: A weakness in the abdominal wall can cause tissue to bulge into the groin, resulting in pain or a feeling of heaviness, especially when straining.
Shingles: The reactivation of the chickenpox virus can cause a painful rash on one side of the body, often affecting a single stripe of the torso.
Gas and Indigestion: Trapped gas or indigestion can cause cramping or general discomfort that may localize to one side.

Gallbladder vs. Liver Pain: A comparison

While the gallbladder and liver are located near each other, their related pain can have different characteristics.


Feature	Gallbladder Pain	Liver Pain
Location	Upper right side, just under the ribs; may radiate to the right shoulder or back.	Upper right side; often more widespread and difficult to pinpoint.
Pain Type	Sharp, stabbing, or cramping; often sudden and intense.	Dull, aching, and steady.
Trigger	Often triggered or worsened after eating fatty or heavy meals.	Usually doesn't change with food, but can worsen with illness.
Duration	Comes in episodes lasting 30 minutes to several hours.	Lasts a long time and doesn't resolve easily.
Other Signs	Nausea, vomiting, fever, yellow skin or eyes (jaundice).	Fatigue, weakness, jaundice, itchy skin, dark urine, light-colored stool.

When to seek medical attention

While minor aches can often be managed at home, certain symptoms warrant an immediate call to a doctor or a visit to the emergency room:

Severe, sudden, or persistent pain that worsens over time.
Pain accompanied by a fever, chills, or persistent nausea and vomiting.
Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).
Blood in your stool, urine, or vomit.
Significant abdominal swelling or tenderness to the touch.
Pain that makes it difficult to walk or move.

Conclusion

Pain on the right side can stem from a wide array of sources, and its specific characteristics offer important clues for diagnosis. The appendix and gallbladder are common culprits, but musculoskeletal issues, kidney problems, and other conditions can also be responsible. Paying close attention to the location, nature, and other symptoms of the pain is vital. While simple gas or a muscle strain may resolve on its own, any severe, persistent, or accompanied by concerning symptoms, should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to rule out a serious medical condition. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are essential for a positive outcome. A helpful resource for identifying specific kidney-related pain can be found at Healthline's resource on kidney pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

You should be worried about right side pain and seek medical attention if it is severe, persistent, or accompanied by other symptoms like fever, chills, persistent nausea or vomiting, jaundice, or blood in your stool or urine. A sudden, sharp pain that worsens over time is also concerning.

The most common and most serious cause of lower right abdominal pain is appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix. Other possibilities include gas, kidney stones, or, in women, ovarian issues.

Gallbladder pain is typically a sharp, sudden, and localized pain in the upper right abdomen, often triggered by fatty foods. Liver pain, conversely, is usually a dull, widespread ache in the same area and is not usually triggered by meals.

Yes, trapped gas in the intestines is a common and often harmless cause of pain on the right side. The pain may feel like a cramp or fullness and can be relieved by passing gas or having a bowel movement.

In addition to general causes, women can experience right-sided pain due to gynecological conditions such as ovarian cysts, ovarian torsion, pelvic inflammatory disease, or an ectopic pregnancy. These typically cause pain in the lower right abdomen.

Yes, a kidney infection (pyelonephritis) in the right kidney can cause a constant ache or tenderness in the right flank area, which is the side of your body between your ribs and hip. It is usually accompanied by a fever, chills, and painful urination.

An inguinal hernia on the right side is typically characterized by a bulge in the groin area. The pain or discomfort is often described as a burning sensation and tends to worsen with straining, lifting, or coughing.