Abdominal Distension in Spanish

What it means

Abdominal distension means the belly looks swollen or is bigger than usual. MedlinePlus describes abdominal bloating as a condition in which the belly (abdomen) feels full and tight and may look swollen (distended), and it describes a swollen abdomen as a belly area that is bigger than usual. Abdominal swelling, or distention, is more often caused by overeating than by a serious illness. Other causes MedlinePlus lists include swallowing air, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, gas in the intestines, weight gain, and pregnancy. A buildup of fluid in the abdomen can be a sign of a serious medical problem. MedlinePlus says to contact a provider if the abdominal swelling is getting worse and does not go away.

Spanish term: Distensión abdominal
Gender and article: feminine: la distensión abdominal
Pronunciation: dees-tehn-SYOHN ahb-doh-mee-NAHL

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
hinchazón abdominal	General	Given as another name in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary entry for distensión abdominal.
abdomen hinchado	General	Title of the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article on a swollen abdomen, which lists distensión abdominal among its alternative names.
abdomen distendido	General	Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español article on a swollen abdomen.
distensión del abdomen	General	Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español article titled Distensión abdominal.

Distensión abdominal is the title MedlinePlus en español gives its article on abdominal bloating, and the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary has an entry under the same name. The noun is feminine: la distensión abdominal. The matching adjective is distendido: MedlinePlus en español says the abdomen can look hinchado (distendido). In English, MedlinePlus spells the word distention in its list of alternative names.

These sources do not keep swelling and distension apart in Spanish. MedlinePlus en español writes la hinchazón o distensión abdominal, and the NCI dictionary defines the term as hinchazón o sensación de llenura en el abdomen, adding plenitud gástrica as another name. Words MedlinePlus en español uses alongside it are tragar aire (swallowing air), estreñimiento (constipation), gases and eructos (belching). Its alternative names for the bloating article also include meteorismo.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My belly has been swollen for a week, and it feels tight.	Tengo el abdomen hinchado desde hace una semana, y lo siento apretado.
Clinician	Is the swelling getting worse, or does it come and go?	¿La hinchazón está empeorando, o va y viene?
Patient	It gets worse after I eat, and I have a lot of gas.	Empeora después de comer, y tengo muchos gases.
Clinician	Have you had constipation, diarrhea, or vomiting?	¿Ha tenido estreñimiento, diarrea o vómitos?
Patient	I have had constipation, and my clothes feel tight around my waist.	He tenido estreñimiento, y la ropa me aprieta en la cintura.
Clinician	Does your abdomen hurt when I press here?	¿Le duele el abdomen cuando presiono aquí?
Clinician	I am going to order blood tests and an abdominal ultrasound.	Voy a pedirle exámenes de sangre y una ecografía abdominal.
Patient	Could it be something I am eating? Should I write down what I eat?	¿Podría ser algo que estoy comiendo? ¿Debo anotar lo que como?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Abdominal Distension
Spanish (Español)	Distensión abdominal
Chinese (中文)	腹部膨脹
Korean (한국어)	복부 팽창
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Bụng phình to
Filipino (Tagalog)	Pamamaga ng tiyan
Portuguese (Português)	Distensão abdominal
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ท้องโป่งพอง
Japanese (日本語)	腹部膨満

Where you'll see it

charttriage notemedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: R14 → Flatulence and related conditions

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Digestive system

All terms in this area: Digestive system — Sistema digestivo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.