Left side abdominal pain
Left-sided pain is most frequently manifested by a so-called sigmoid diverticulitis. In this case, increased pressure inside the intestine causes the formation of protrusions of the intestinal mucosa. The causes of this are a low-fibre diet, constipation and lack of exercise.
The protrusions become a problem when they become inflamed due to prevented further transport of the bowel movement. The pain is then increasingly localised in the left lower abdomen and is usually accompanied by slightly increased fever. In some cases they are recurrent and also occur in conjunction with changes in bowel movements in the form of constipation or diarrhoea. Furthermore, flatulence, nausea and vomiting and a defensive tension of the abdomen may be present.
Abdominal pain on both sides
Bilateral abdominal pain is initially not as easy to interpret as directly localizable abdominal pain. If pain occurs in the upper part of the abdomen and radiates into the back in the form of a belt, an inflammation of the pancreas may be present. An intestinal obstruction can also become painful on both sides.
Furthermore, diseases of the urinary tract, such as kidney colic or even cystitis, can be the cause of pain on both sides. Explicitly in women, for example, ruptured ovarian cysts or ovarian inflammation can be present. In men a so-called torsion of the testis, a twisting of the testis, can cause pain in the lower abdomen on both sides. The causes are manifold and do not always have to be located exactly on both sides of the abdomen; the causes mentioned only show possibilities.
Diagnosis for intestinal pain
In addition to a detailed anamnesis and physical examination, some aids such as an ultrasound machine are also suitable for making a diagnosis. This allows the first signs of inflammation to be detected, such as fluid accumulation. In addition, clinical pictures such as appendicitis can be detected.
The so-called digital rectal examination is urgently required for the physical examination. Here the doctor examines the patient’s rectum for resistance or blood. Conventional x-rays or computed tomography can also be used as a non-invasive method. In case of stool irregularities and acute pain, a colonoscopy should be avoided at first, as the risk of intestinal rupture is too high. This should be resorted to in the inflammation-free interval.
Associated symptoms of abdominal pain
Accompanying symptoms of abdominal pain can be as varied as their causes. After determining the quality of the pain and the location of the pain, a physical examination in the form of vital signs (pulse, blood pressure) and temperature can be helpful. Fever usually manifests itself as an increase in the feeling of cold and a decrease in the feeling of sweating.
In addition, nausea and vomiting may occur. A defensive tension of the abdomen usually arises during acute disease progression and should always be perceived as a warning signal. Diarrhoea or constipation often accompany abdominal pain and can be a burden to the person affected.
The accompanying symptom of intestinal obstruction is also reported as vomiting. If the food pulp is prevented from passing through the gastrointestinal tract, it causes backwater and finally vomiting. This is certainly the most unpleasant of the symptoms.
Diarrhoea, also known as diarrhoea in medical terminology, can occur in conjunction with pain in the gastrointestinal tract. The definition is groundbreaking in this respect, as only a liquid stool is not yet called diarrhoea. If one of the following criteria is met, it is referred to as diarrhoea: increased defecation, more than three times a day, reduction of stool consistency with more than three-quarters water content or more than 200-250g per day of unformed stool.
In acute cases of pain with accompanying diarrhoea, it is important to pay close attention to colour, smell and any blood admixtures. This information can be a guide to the cause. Flatulence as a cause of abdominal pain is not so rare.
After eating particularly flatulent foods such as cabbage, onions or legumes, sensitive people can also complain of accompanying pain. People with lactose intolerance may also suffer from flatulence (= intestinal wind, flatulence) in combination with abdominal cramps and diarrhoea after eating dairy products. In the case of an intestinal obstruction, affected people can also complain about wind at first, but later this turns into a stool and wind.
It is important not to hold back the wind, but to give it space, which is often perceived as relieving. The editorship recommends in addition: Stomach pain by BlähungenA multiplicity of back pain is first of all not to be led back on the intestine but causally with spannings of the muscles or blockings in the skeleton range to look for. In order to recognize avoidably dangerous courses of events, a careful anamnesis of the treating physician is required, who can exclude the worst cases or initiate countermeasures.
Abdominal pain in general, however, can, in its course and quality of pain, migrate into the back and increase a certain degree of suffering for the person affected. The pain of pancreatitis in particular is often described by the patient as belt-shaped, migrating into the back. This inflammation is considered to be very painful and requires a close meshed, often stationary therapy.
Nausea, as one of the most important accompanying symptoms of diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract, can often be one of the first complaints to be experienced by the affected person. In some cases, vomiting also occurs in addition to nausea, which often significantly increases the feeling of illness. Patients with severe abdominal or intestinal pain may also experience nausea, which is characteristic.
As a so-called vegetative symptom, nausea indicates that the body is in a stressful situation. For example, if someone suffers from appendicitis, the body releases an increased amount of messenger substances that can trigger pain, nausea and vomiting. This is part of the general inflammatory reaction of the body.
