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Health

Pain after eating in the left subcostal region: dull, aching, pressing, in front, single

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Pain after eating in the left hypochondrium can be the result of a variety of disorders, deviations from the body's normal functioning, and even diseases. It is for this reason that you should never ignore the signals from your body that tell you that certain processes in the system are not working as they should.

Pain in the left hypochondrium indicates possible dysfunctions of the heart and stomach, pancreas and spleen, but now we will highlight a separate type of pain - this is pain in the left hypochondrium after eating. Pain in the left hypochondrium can also be different in nature: cutting, dull, sharp and spasmodic. It is very important to understand how the pain syndrome manifests itself and how strong the pain is, since information about this will give the doctor the opportunity to correctly diagnose and begin treatment.

Now read carefully and remember what such pain can lead to, what are the symptoms of some diseases associated with it, and also learn how to diagnose and treat it. And then be sure to consult a doctor and do not self-medicate.

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The most common causes of pain under the ribs on the left side after eating can be:

  • Eating habits. Many fast food lovers complain of this type of pain after eating. This is due to the fact that when cooking French fries or fried pies, the oil in which these dishes are cooked is changed very rarely in order to save money. And when it is used for the third or even fourth time, vegetable oil begins to turn into poison, releasing harmful carcinogenic substances. This effect can be seen even with the naked eye, looking into the deep fryer in any kiosk. The oil begins to change color from transparent yellow to dirty brown, or even black. For this reason, lovers of eating "on the go" most often suffer from ulcers, and some of them know firsthand what stomach cancer is.
  • Alcohol abuse. Do you not have a single meal without "a hundred grams"? Then this may be one of the reasons for pain after eating. In moderate doses, alcoholic beverages can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, but the dosage should not exceed fifty grams of vodka, cognac or one hundred grams of wine; in large doses, alcohol not only clouds your mind, but also rapidly destroys healthy cells in the body, terrorizes the pancreas and takes away your vital resources.
  • Overeating. Excessive love for tasty food can lead not only to obesity, but also to pain after eating. When a person overeats, the walls of his stomach begin to stretch, which leads to pain syndrome. Control the amount of food that you can eat at one time, and you will be able to get rid of not only the unpleasant heaviness in the stomach, but also save yourself from gaining excess weight.
  • Trauma. Often, pain after eating under the left rib can result from a previously received physical injury. A bruise, blow, conflict or simple carelessness can forever provide you with pain syndromes after any meal. As a result of the impact of strong physical force on the body, hematomas, micro-tears and cracks form inside, which disrupt the normal painless functioning of internal organs.

Now let's move on to more serious reasons for pain after eating in the left hypochondrium:

  • Gastritis is a disease associated with inflammatory processes of the gastric mucosa, it is one of the most common and well-known diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Usually, patients with gastritis do not experience pain after eating, but with low acidity, a dull and boring pain signal from eating food becomes the norm, and with high acidity, pain occurs on an empty stomach.
  • Ulcer of the stomach and duodenum is a chronic disease that usually appears as a result of poor nutrition, nervous tension, smoking and alcohol abuse. Hereditary predisposition to ulcers in the duodenum plays a very important role. The main symptoms of ulcer of the stomach are usually pain in the pancreas, and with ulcer of the duodenum, aching and debilitating pain appears in the left hypochondrium, spreading to the left shoulder blade or back. With ulcer of the duodenum, nausea and vomiting may occur, and body weight decreases due to loss of appetite.
  • Acute pancreatitis is a disease of the pancreas, usually accompanied by gallstone disease and appears as a result of excess weight, addiction to alcohol, problematic pregnancy. It can also be a side effect of acute poisoning, or the ingestion of parasites. It is very likely that a relapse of acute pancreatitis can happen immediately after a heavy lunch with the consumption of a considerable amount of alcohol, because the affected pancreas reacts very strongly to the bad habits of the patient. At the moment of exacerbation, the pain has such strong manifestations that the patient can lose consciousness or even die from pain shock. And if pancreatitis has purulent complications, then the temperature will definitely rise. Vomiting often occurs after eating.
  • Chronic pancreatitis progresses much more slowly and affects larger areas than its acute form. However, it can cause a lot of discomfort to the patient. The pain in this form of pancreatitis is dull, aching, usually located in the epigastric region and under the ribs on the left side. Patients with chronic pancreatitis are always prescribed a diet, which must be strictly adhered to, but if the patient's lunch was not according to the specified menu, but as the soul desires, then pain in the left hypochondrium will not take long to appear. Usually, periods of exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis are replaced by remissions. If an attack of pancreatitis occurs, it is necessary to immediately call an ambulance. This is a necessary measure, because the patient will need further hospitalization, care of specialists. And sometimes the only correct solution is surgery, the outcome of which is ambiguous.
  • A diaphragm malfunction may be one of the causes of painful spasms in the left hypochondrium. A hernia or pinched diaphragm may cause a painful spasm on the left side under the ribs. Immediately after eating, the patient experiences shortness of breath, nausea may begin, and then vomiting.

Based on the above reasons for the appearance of pain in the left hypochondrium after eating, we can conclude that it is very important to determine the type of pain so that the diagnosis is correct and the treatment is effective. Therefore, further we will talk directly about the symptoms of pain:

  • A dull, aching and debilitating pain syndrome after eating under the ribs on the left is a clear sign of such serious diseases as gastritis, stomach cancer and ulcers. These unconsoling diagnoses are also determined with accompanying symptoms of nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, bitter belching. In particular, cancerous accompanying symptoms: sudden weight loss, depression, yellowing of the skin of the face and whites of the eyes, as a sign of intoxication, as well as a sharp aversion to certain foods, weakness and impaired performance.
  • Severe acute pain after eating in the left hypochondrium, leading to loss of consciousness - a sign of pancreatitis and abuse of fried food and alcohol, it is also one of the signs of ulcerative disease of the duodenum. Such pain can spread to the left shoulder blade or back.
  • Stabbing pain occurs as a result of a malfunction of the diaphragm and manifests itself as a consequence of past injuries. It is often accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting.

Who to contact?

It should always be remembered that any pain has its root cause, and only an experienced specialist can determine it. The initial examination is always conducted by a general practitioner, and after diagnosis, the patient is referred for examination to a specialist. Depending on the cause of the pain, the patient may be referred to the following specialists:

  • To the gastroenterologist.
  • To the oncologist.
  • To the surgeon.
  • To the endocrinologist.
  • To the traumatologist.

After the patient has determined the specifics of the disease, the specialist doctor must make a final diagnosis, which is made in four stages:

  • Patient survey, or as professionals call it - anamnesis. As a result of the survey, the doctor should receive detailed information about the patient's past, chronic and hereditary diseases.
  • Palpation is a method of examining a patient using tactile contact.
  • Diagnostics of the skin and mucous membranes, as well as the eyes and tongue.
  • Laboratory examination upon further hospitalization.

Nothing will protect your internal organs, such as the lungs, heart, spleen and pancreas, better than the left hypochondrium, as it is a reliable shield given to us by nature. Diseases of these organs have a very bad effect on the overall functioning of the body, so their treatment does not require delay. And the best solution when the above symptoms appear is a timely visit to the doctor.

It is highly recommended not to treat an existing disease on your own, but you can relieve pain before the doctor arrives or before being transported to the hospital using:

  • No-shpa - take strictly according to prescription: two tablets no more than three times a day.
  • Nitroglycerin: take one tablet under the tongue or three drops of liquid nitroglycerin on a piece of refined sugar.

If the pain from painkillers has passed, this is not a reason to give up on it. Because it will certainly return again. Very often, with acute pain, immediate surgical intervention is required. For example, an ulcer may open. In any case, you cannot take risks, but you must seek medical help.

When your doctor has already made a diagnosis and prescribed you medication, you can begin to help your body perceive the treatment better. Traditional medicine recipes will help you with this. Be sure to consult with your doctor before starting to use herbal mixtures and decoctions, make sure that you are not allergic to certain ingredients of medicinal preparations, so that additional treatment does not harm you. We offer you several proven traditional medicine recipes that will help you cope with pain in the left hypochondrium, not only after eating, but also for a longer period:

The following will help in the fight against gastritis:

  • Mix the medicinal herbs in equal parts: yarrow, calendula flowers and St. John's wort. To make an infusion, pour two tablespoons of the mixture with half a liter of boiling water and let it brew for an hour. Take one hundred grams each time half an hour before meals.
  • Propolis tincture will help cure gastritis at home. Dissolve ten drops of propolis tincture in one hundred grams of water and take half an hour before meals. Propolis tincture is such an effective remedy that it is even used to treat gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

The following will help in the fight against ulcers:

  • Four times a day for six weeks you need to drink a glass of cabbage juice. It helps better than any medicine. Of course, you can replace it with fresh tomato or sea buckthorn juice, but it's still not the same.
  • Mumiyo is a fast-acting and effective medicine for stomach ulcers. Take 150 milliliters of mint decoction and dissolve five grams of mumiyo in it. Take one teaspoon before breakfast and before bed for ten to fifteen days.

The following will help in the fight against pancreatitis:

  • Calendula tincture will improve the condition of the pancreas if you take one teaspoon every day.
  • Tincture of echinacea and eleutherococcus root helps well with pain caused by pancreatitis.
  • Grind one hundred grams of barberry and pour one liter of alcohol or vodka over it, let it brew for one week and drink one teaspoon daily.

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Pain syndrome and its causes are the result of the patient's lifestyle, bad habits and behavior. To prevent pain after eating in the left hypochondrium, you need to eat right and lead a healthy lifestyle. No fast food can give you as much pleasure as you get from a delicious home-cooked meal. Bad habits such as nicotine and alcohol are not only the causes of pain - they are nails in the coffin of your health! If you want to live a long and happy life, you should not artificially shorten it. Take care of your nerves so as not to get an ulcer. After all, all our experiences and stresses primarily affect the stomach.

If you have already been diagnosed, you must strictly follow the treatment and diet prescribed by your doctor. Otherwise, the disease may relapse, which will lead to very disappointing consequences.

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