Pain in the left side - a rather unpleasant symptom, which in some cases signals the presence of serious pathologies: irritable bowel syndrome, urolithiasis, nonspecific ulcerative colitis and even coronary heart disease - not a complete list of causes that can cause pain on the left side.
This is reported by the Dr. Evin website.
According to the expert, most often there are pains associated with the chest wall - that is, ribs, sternum muscles, intercostal nerves. Usually the unpleasant sensations have a clear localization - stabbing or piercing character, although they can be pulling or aching, can be intensified by pressing on the chest, deep breathing or coughing.
Often the onset of pain in the left subcostal region is preceded by intense exertion or, conversely, prolonged sitting in one position. Changing the position of the body, spreading the shoulders or moving to a supine position often reduces the pain.
Possible causes of pain on the left side of the chest or in the lower abdomen can be very diverse. In some cases, they signal the presence of serious pathologies of internal organs, muscle, nerve tissues and even bones.
What organs can provoke pain in the left side?
Pain in the left side can be a signal of a variety of serious diseases. According to the expert, several organs are located in the area of the left side.
Which organ projections are on the left:
- stomach;
- spleen;
- descending thick ĸishĸa;
- left kidney;
- left ureter (partially).
The pancreas communicates with all nerve plexuses of the abdomen, so pain syndrome in the left side is also possible with the disease of this organ.
We must also understand that the ĸskin, ĸbones and muscles ĸthat are located in this area can hurt on their own, but also when there are problems with neighboring tissues and nerves ĸthat have to do with ĸthis area.
Gastricĸ
In this case, the nature of the pain (increasing or decreasing) is usually related to eating or fasting. Such pains may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, heartburn or belching. Therefore, in case of all these symptoms, you should first seek medical attention ĸ from a gastroenterologist.
Spleen
"In most diseases affecting the spleen, this organ does not hurt, so it is more likely to be associated with abdominal trauma, such as a car accident or a severe blow to the abdomen. According to the expert, rupture of the spleen is fraught with fatal hemorrhage, so in case of pain in the area of this organ, it is necessary to immediately seek medical help.
The descending thick ĸishĸa.
Pain syndrome in colorectal diseases may be associated with abdominal bloating, constipation or diarrhea and, accordingly, the pain may be relieved after going to the toilet. If unpleasant sensations appear regularly and cause discomfort, it is necessary to consult a gastroenterologist.
Left kidney and ureter.
Kidney and ureter pain is often very severe, so people suffering from problems with these organs prefer to call an ambulance as soon as possible, the doctor noted.
He added that such pain is usually associated with frequent urination, the presence of blood in the urine, a change in the color or odor of the urine, or a decrease in the amount of urine. If these symptoms are present, a urologist should be consulted.
Pancreas
Lavrishchev emphasized that in serious lesions of this organ, ĸaĸas a rule, there are very severe pains. Therefore, again, patients try to call an ambulance as soon as possible.
Less serious problems can spoil life just as much: pancreatic pain usually occurs 30-40 minutes after a meal, especially if the person has consumed alcohol, fatty foods, fried foods, raw vegetables and fruits. Almost always the pain is accompanied by liquid stools and abdominal bloating. In such cases, in addition to a gastroenterologist, it is necessary to visit a surgeon.
Spine and musculoskeletal pain.
Left bone and muscle pain on the left side is most likely to be movement-related - it may increase with careless bending, turning of the torso and physical exertion. The pain may increase during coughing, sneezing and laughing. For example, intercostal neuralgia is often manifested in this way, and in this case a neurologist can help to solve the problem.
Can left side pain be caused by heart problems?
Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in developed countries. Therefore, any pain in the chest, especially in the left side or left side of the chest, leads first of all to suspect unstable angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. Ischemic heart disease is detected in only two to four percent of patients presenting with left-sided chest pain.
However, despite the fact that myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris and other heart problems are relatively infrequent, these diseases are life-threatening, so when unpleasant sensations occur in the chest, it is important to highlight those symptoms and features of pain that may indicate exactly their ischemic nature, in order to seek medical help in time.
A dangerous sign is chest pain - not necessarily in the left side of the chest - that occurs with physical exertion, such as walking faster and climbing stairs. It usually decreases or goes away when you stop moving.
This pain does not have a clear localization. Patients may describe it as "a hoop squeezing the chest" or "a brick placed on the chest". If burning behind the sternum occurs, it is often accompanied by shortness of breath, shortness of breath, severe sweating. These unpleasant sensations also respond in the lower jaw and shoulders.
If such pain occurs for the first time on load and goes away immediately after stopping, or if it recurs repeatedly with physical effort or stress, you should consult a doctor. The specialist is likely to prescribe a number of procedures that will help to establish an accurate diagnosis.
What tests to undergo if you suspect heart disease:
- EKG;
- cardiac ultrasound;
- stress test;
- blood and urine tests.
If the patient has suspicions of other diseases, including those not related to the heart, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and a number of other studies may be appointed, depending on the nature and localization of pain.
Early diagnosis and timely treatment of even such dangerous diseases as unstable angina and myocardial infarction often allow to fully preserve normal heart function and physical abilities of the patient.
If the pain described above persists for more than 5-10 minutes at rest, you should not wait for it to go away on its own - it is necessary to call an ambulance urgently
What is the difference between left side pain in men and women?
Diagnosis of chest pain in women and men has a number of differences. The fact is that female sex hormones have a protective effect, thanks to which women have a lower risk of coronary disease and myocardial infarction than men. Even after menopause, this advantage lasts for quite a long time.
When going to the doctor with chest pain, even typically ischemic, coronary disease is detected in women one and a half to two times less often than in men, especially under the age of 50.
However, the favorable effect of female hormones on the cardiovascular system has its disadvantages: the vigilance towards coronary disease and myocardial infarction in women is usually lower than in men, which increases the risk of untimely diagnosis.
It is impossible to ignore gynecological diseases, which can also cause lower abdominal pain on the left side.
What gynecologic diseases can cause pain in the left side:
- Myoma is a benign hormone-dependent tumor of the uterus;
- Endometriosis - a disease in which cells of the inner layer of the uterus, the endometrium, grow outside the organ;
- inflammation of the uterus and ovaries - inflammatory processes can cause widespread pain without clear localization and accompanied by very high body temperature;
- Pelvic adhesions - formation of connective tissue fusion in the pelvis, which provokes displacement of internal organs, chronic pain, infertility and bowel disorders;
- Ovarian cysts - benign masses filled with liquid content (a large cyst can squeeze nearby organs and lead to complications);
- Rupture or apoplexy of the ovary - accompanied by acute pain in the lower abdomen, weakness, decreased blood pressure, increased pulse rate, there may be vomiting with increased body temperature.
In addition, a woman may feel pain in the left side during pregnancy, both ectopic and normal. Such pain can be caused by the characteristic expansion of the uterus, which, as the embryo grows, slightly displaces the surrounding organs.
A careful attitude to your condition, preventive examinations to identify risk factors and contacting a doctor in case of new unusual symptoms will allow you to timely identify health threats and successfully eliminate them.
What other conditions can provoke pain in the left side?
Reflux esophagitis
This disease quite often provokes pain in the left side. In this case, unpleasant sensations are associated with irritation of the mucosa of the esophagus, which occurs due to the intake of acidic content from the stomach.
This pain is usually burning, more often occurs in the middle of the chest, behind the sternum, but may move to the left. It is sometimes accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth or belching. The pain of reflux esophagitis often decreases after eating or drinking and goes away completely after a week of taking medications that reduce the acidity of gastric juice.
Titze's disease
A fairly common cause of pain in the left side of the chest is Titze's disease, which is an inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum. This diagnosis is easy to make during examination, having found a strong soreness when pressing on the rib-chest articulations.
Panic attacks
Panic attacks and anxiety disorder are more common causes of chest pain in women than in men. Special questionnaires have been successfully used to diagnose panic attacks and anxiety disorder.
These conditions occur in 8 to 42 percent of people with chest pain, and one in four cases of panic attacks is accompanied by chest pain.
Irritable bowel syndrome
Pain in the left side can be provoked by a violation of intestinal function. After defecation, that is, getting rid of feces, a person with irritable bowel syndrome often feels a strong pain in the stomach, as well as in the lower abdomen. In most cases, painful sensations are accompanied by vomiting. By the way, similar sensations can cause nonspecific ulcerative colitis.
Urolithiasis
Left side pain can be caused by a malfunction of the urinary system, which consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. If these organs are not healthy - for example, there are kidney stones or the left ureter is blocked - a person in most cases feels pain in the lower left side of the abdomen.
Oncological diseases
Malignant or benign tumors can cause pain in the lower abdomen or just in the left side - it depends on the localization of oncology. Moreover, the pain sensations provoked by the tumor become more intense every day and in most cases intensify when pressing on the area of its spread.
What prevention will help avoid left side pain?
There is no such thing as a separate disease as "left side pain" - it is just one symptom, which can have a thousand causes. Therefore, it is not possible to speak of a single profiling strategy. For most diseases, modern medicine offers a standardized preventive model.
Standard prophylaxis for most diseases:
- good and adequate sleep;
- proper nutrition;
- 150 minutes of physical activity per week;
- adequate fluid intake;
- from smoking;
- moderate use of alcohol and ideally withdrawal from it altogether.
With regard to physical activity for left flank pain, it is best to use only walking at a moderate pace. More vigorous exercise should be avoided, at least until a doctor has been consulted and a diagnosis has been made.
In medicine, it is impossible to assess the seriousness of the problem in case of pain in this area without the obligatory examination and conversation with a doctor. Therefore, if the pain is recurrent, tends to be worse, more frequent, nocturnal, accompanied by fever and worsening, it is necessary to seek medical help as soon as possible. If the symptoms appear frightening or the patient's condition deteriorates rapidly, it is better to call an ambulance immediately.
It is also advisable to learn that Women after 50 years of age may develop heart rhythm disturbances.
