Abdominal Pain Left: Possible Causes

Abdominal pain is often caused by fat accumulation. However, if the pain is acute, it could also be a more serious condition.

Pain, no matter where and in what form and intensity, is always a sign of an existing imbalance in the body. Often times , stomach ache is completely harmless, but sometimes it is a warning sign of a serious problem. You should not immediately become anxious and fear the worst, nor should you take pain lightly or ignore it. If you are unsure because you cannot explain the cause of the bulging pain , then you should not hesitate to see a doctor.

In today’s article, we are going to look at the possible causes of left side abdominal pain. These are very common and often cause fear and worry. As soon as you feel that you are stuck on your own, see your doctor and get a thorough examination!

Symptoms to be aware of

This article is particularly important to us as left-sided abdominal pain is a common occurrence. In addition, the causes of this pain are many and you should definitely not ignore it!

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should act immediately and see a doctor: 

• Constant, chronic pain : If the abdominal pain occurs not only occasionally but regularly, lasts for a long time or does not go away at all, then you should take it very seriously. The same applies to abdominal pain that begins or gets worse after meals.

• How exactly does this pain feel? Do you feel like you have a hot slice in your stomach? Do you have a burning sensation and feel stabbing pain? Unlike ordinary flatulence that comes and goes and where the pain is usually not particularly severe. This type of stomach ache, on the other hand, is constant and you often can’t think of anything else.
• Even taking a pain reliever will  only subside the symptoms, if at all, only temporarily. Usually they intensify again after a few hours or occur again in a similarly strong manner the next day at the latest.
• Left side abdominal pain is one of the most common types of abdominal pain. Often the symptoms are caused by excessive accumulation of gas. Since your pancreas, stomach, left kidney and liver are also located in this abdominal region, abdominal pain should always be taken seriously and correctly diagnosed at this point.

Possible causes of abdominal pain  on the left side

In the following, we will introduce you to possible causes of left-sided abdominal pain and explain how you should behave if you observe the symptoms described in yourself.

1. Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)

After the mostly harmless flatulence, pancreatitis is the second most common cause of left-sided abdominal pain.

Usually, pancreatitis is so severe that immediate hospitalization is  often inevitable.

Usually you will then have severe abdominal pain, accompanied by fever, vomiting, fluttering heart, etc. It is therefore important that you watch out for any other accompanying symptoms during the day.
You should also take care of your digestion.

Do you feel excessively full and heavy after eating and do you also have severe pain in the left half of your stomach? If the pain is sharp and you experience one or more of the other symptoms, you should definitely see a doctor.

2. Intestinal obstruction

An intestinal obstruction  can be very serious and even life-threatening if it is not treated in time. Therefore, you should pay careful attention to how your digestion is and whether your small or large intestines are clogged. If you have a bowel obstruction, this is a medical emergency that cannot be postponed!
What exactly is an intestinal obstruction? It is a blockage in the intestine, which means that neither food nor liquids can pass through the intestines. The symptoms are usually very obvious: severe stomach pain on the left side, fever, gases cannot escape from your intestines and you cannot have a bowel movement.

3. Diverticulitis

Diverticulosis is a change in the intestinal wall that causes small protuberances called false diverticula to form. Diverticulosis usually does not cause any symptoms and is often discovered only by chance. But if the wrong diverticula become inflamed or bleeding occurs, then one speaks of diverticulitis.

Purulent wounds then develop in the digestive tract. which are very painful. Symptoms include: diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, severe lower left abdominal pain, extreme inflammation, and possibly rectal bleeding.

Therefore, it is very important that you pay close attention to any symptoms that you experience in yourself. And contact your doctor. Hospitalization is essential for acute and severe diverticulitis.

4. Kidney stones

Kidney stones form slowly and do not cause any discomfort at first. However, once they reach a certain size, they can cause a great deal of pain. These can occur on the left side of the abdomen as well as on the right side of the abdomen or towards the back. This is because the kidneys are closer to your back.

5. Ovarian cysts (ovarian cysts)

Both the right and left ovaries can be affected. For example, if you have a cyst on your left ovary, the stomach pain will appear on your left side.

If you feel excessively bloated after eating a light meal, this could be the first indication of a cyst. If you also have  irregular menstrual cycles, severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, then you should see a gynecologist.

Other possible causes

Food poisoning, gas, stress, the list of other possible causes goes on and on.

• Food poisoning, gas, and stress are the most common causes of abdominal pain in addition to the conditions described in the previous section. Although they are nowhere near as serious as, for example, pancreatic inflammation, they too require a certain amount of attention and care.
• Your body just doesn’t tolerate some foods that well and you usually know that too. Your body gives you the appropriate signals. In the event of food poisoning, you will have severe left-sided abdominal pain and will also vomit.

• Flatulence is also a common ailment. As strange as it may sound, the gases often only collect on one side of the body and then cause one-sided abdominal pain.
• And what about stress? Can you even localize stress in your body? Remember, it can also manifest itself physically and can lead to indigestion and stomach irritation, for example … So if you suffer from abdominal pain, think about this possible cause as well.

Finally, we would like to remind you once again that you should definitely see a doctor if you suffer from one or more of the symptoms mentioned above. Only the doctor can make a reliable diagnosis. Avoid self-medication if you’re not sure what exactly is wrong with you. After the diagnosis, your doctor will initiate appropriate treatment with you.