Abdominal pain on the left after eating
If abdominal pain in the area of the central or also abdominal area on the left is indicated after eating, and if this pain also always occurs during food intake and is otherwise not present, many diseases can already be excluded. Most likely it is not a urological disease or gynaecological diseases. The pain seems to be directly related to the filling state of the stomach, which is why inflammation of the gastric mucosa or similar diseases become suspect.
In addition to an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach, also known as gastritis, the cause can also be a stomach ulcer, which is present in the stomach wall and leads to discomfort as the stomach fills up. After some time, when food has been passed into the deeper lying parts of the intestine, the stomach is in a relieved state and the pain becomes less. If there is a complaint of abdominal pain, but it gets better after eating, an ulcer is also suspected, although this is most likely located in the duodenum.
The abdomen is painless shortly after eating, even when palpated on a lying patient or only slightly painful when under pressure. Abdominal pain after eating is often described as stabbing or burning, rarely radiating into other parts of the body. An ultrasound can be performed for diagnosis, but more likely to rule out other diseases of the liver or bile system.
The standard diagnostic method is gastroscopy, which can reveal a stomach ulcer, but also allows samples to be sent for histological (fine tissue) examination and a so-called Helicobacter test to be carried out. This is a bacterial colonisation of the intestine, which can go unnoticed for a long time, but can also eventually lead to gastritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach) or to a stomach ulcer. If Helicobacter pylori is detected, antibiotic treatment should be administered immediately.
If a peptic ulcer is diagnosed and no malignant tissue is detected histologically, conservative drug treatment can be started (e.g. with pantoprazole, omeprazole). These are stomach acid blockers which should initially be taken regularly to prevent overproduction of stomach acid. Nowadays, only in rare cases and with pronounced findings does a stomach ulcer also require surgery.
Besides the malignancy, the depth of the ulcer is also decisive. Findings that extend particularly deep into the stomach wall must be removed surgically. In general, abdominal pain on the left side is much more difficult to assess in children than in adults.
The reason for this is that it is often difficult to prove the exact location of the pain. Children are usually much less able to describe the quality of the abdominal pain they experience. It is also often difficult for children to describe the intensity of the pain.
These problems exist in children especially in the case of abdominal pain in the upper abdomen. The only sufficient information regarding the perceived discomfort is particularly problematic because abdominal pain in the upper abdomen affects almost every child at least once. In addition to the typical organic causes, pain in the upper left abdomen in children is often caused by psychological stress.
Anxiety, grief and stress can be triggers for abdominal pain. Infectious causes (bacterial or viral pathogens) can also be involved in the development of abdominal pain in the upper left abdomen. In order to narrow down the possible causes of the symptoms, the affected children should be asked to show where exactly the pain is located.
In general, the rule of thumb for abdominal pain in the upper abdomen in children is that the further away from the navel the pain occurs, the more likely there is a physical cause. Abdominal pain in the upper abdomen that is located relatively close to the navel is more likely to have a psychological component. The physical causes for the development of abdominal pain in the upper abdomen can be different in children.
Although the lung is located in the chest, various lung diseases in children can lead to abdominal pain in the left upper abdomen. The most common lung diseases that cause pain in the upper abdomen in children are pleurisy and pleurisy. In these cases, accompanying symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, sputum and chest pain indicate that the lung is diseased.
In such a constellation of symptoms, a paediatrician should be consulted promptly and appropriate treatment initiated. Abdominal pain in the left upper abdomen can also occur in children in the course of various heart diseases. While diseases of the coronary arteries are a rarity in childhood, pericarditis is one of the more common causes for the development of abdominal pain in the left upper abdomen.
In this context it should be noted that heart diseases are typically accompanied by chest pain, pronounced shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea and dizziness. Every heart disease is a medical emergency that requires urgent medical attention. Parents who find a combination of symptoms in one of their children should therefore visit a pediatric clinic immediately.
In case of doubt, an emergency call can even be made. In most cases, however, abdominal pain in the upper left abdomen of children is caused by classic diseases of the digestive organs. Even a simple bacterial or viral infection can lead to severe abdominal pain in the left upper abdomen of the affected children.
In most cases the pain is accompanied by nausea and vomiting in the presence of an infectious gastrointestinal disease. However, these symptoms can occur with a time lag from the first perception of abdominal pain. In addition, many children classically start vomiting before the diarrhoea sets in.
Parents of affected children should especially make sure that enough fluid is consumed. If normal amounts of fluid are vomited quickly, slowly adding a teaspoonful of fluid can help prevent dehydration. If the affected children show signs of dehydration (for example, dry lips and standing skin folds), a pediatrician should be consulted immediately.
Especially in children under one year of age, the amount of fluid excreted through diarrhoea and vomiting often cannot yet be compensated. For this reason, hospital admission is usually necessary. In addition, injuries to the spleen and diseases of the left kidney are typical diseases that lead to abdominal pain in the left upper abdomen.
Blockages of the urinary tract can also cause such symptoms. Especially in childhood, various mechanisms can cause a narrowing (or blockage) of the intestinal passage. Depending on the location of this narrowing, the affected children may experience abdominal pain on the left side of the upper and/or lower abdomen. Due to the fact that abdominal pain in children is generally very difficult to assess, it is always advisable to consult a paediatrician promptly in case of doubt.
