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Pain in the left side of the abdomen

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The abdomen, unlike the spleen, heart or liver, is not an independent organ - it is the container of the most diverse structures, tissues, other organs, etc. It is easy to guess - the pain in the left side of the abdomen, as, in fact, in its other parts, can be provoked by one of the many components that are in the stomach.

A man must be alerted by a sudden, piercing pain in the abdomen. The fact is that most organs in the womb are hollow and cause pain only in case of excessive filling, clogging or rupture. In this case, human life is in serious danger.

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Diseases that cause pain in the left side of the abdomen

The abdomen is divided into four segments, or the quadrant is the right upper segment, the lower right segment, the lower left segment, and the upper left segment. Having determined which organs are in one or another quadrant, one can approximately understand which of the organs caused the pain.

Pain in the left side of the abdomen (upper) may result from the development of some disease in such organs as:

  • Stomach. Any stimuli of the gastric mucosa can easily provoke inflammation of this organ (simply gastritis) or functional dyspepsia, and those in turn cause pain. The patient has vomiting, nausea, and the pain in the abdomen is pulling or aching. Also, the cause of pain can be cancer or stomach ulcer.
  • Diaphragmatic hernia is the next source of pain in the left side of the abdomen. In the diaphragm there is a through hole, which serves the esophagus as an overpass to the stomach. Control over the size of this hole is controlled by muscles. When the muscles begin to weaken and can no longer restrain the size of the opening, an increase in size begins to occur. In the opening passage from the abdominal cavity to the chest cavity, the upper part of the stomach slips. This factor is called "diaphragmatic hernia." Sour stomach juice, which is in an unacceptable place, causes very unpleasant and painful sensations. Most often this disease occurs in the elderly.
  • The pancreas, passing through the upper part of the stomach and for some reason inflamed, can also provoke pain in the left part of the abdomen, in the middle of the abdomen or right in it. The causes of inflammation of the pancreas can be cancer of the gland, various toxins and other diseases. First of all, the pain that arises should alert people who are prone to pancreatic disease. Pain in inflammation of the pancreas girdling, coming from within, very sharp and sharp. She may be accompanied by such unpleasant factors as nausea, vomiting, high body temperature. Pain can radiate in the back. Also, one should be on the alert for people who abuse cigarettes, alcohol, taking steroid or diuretic hormones, suffering from diabetes mellitus and other diseases.

If there is pain in the left side of the abdomen (lower), it can be the result of all conditions causing pain in this part of the body (exclude appendicitis).

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What if you have pain in the left side of your abdomen?

A sharp pain in the left side of the abdomen, lasting more than half an hour - an occasion to immediately call the ambulance car, or independently turn to the medical center for examination and find out the source of painful sensations.

In no case can you diagnose yourself and engage in self-medication - this can lead to quite sad and irreversible consequences, because the focus of pain can be, for example, a burst stomach, which requires urgent surgical intervention. Any funds in the home medicine cabinet will be powerless here.

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