Left-sided pain

In addition to a number of diseases of the abdominal area, which can cause pain in the left upper abdomen, certain diseases of the pancreas can also typically cause pain in this area. The pancreas lies transversely in the upper abdomen, which is why it can show unspecific symptoms in different places. Especially inflammation of the pancreas can cause pain, which then occurs in the left upper abdomen, among other places.

Typical for pancreatic diseases is pain that occurs in the left upper abdomen, has a belt-shaped character and radiates towards the back. If these pains occur for a longer period of time without load, a doctor should be consulted to clarify the symptoms. However, pain in the left upper abdomen does not necessarily have to be associated with a pancreatic disease. Other organs may provide a reason for the present symptomatology. For example, diseases of the stomach, oesophagus and kidney can cause back pain in this area.

Pain after a gall bladder operation

Pain in the area of the middle or left upper abdomen may indicate a disease of the pancreas. If surgery on the gallbladder preceded these symptoms, it is quite possible that the pancreas of the affected person is inflamed, as surgery on the gallbladder can cause such inflammation. This is because the gallbladder and pancreas share a common outlet to the duodenum.

If the gallbladder is now removed or gallstones are removed, damage to the pancreas and subsequent inflammation of the gland cannot always be prevented. However, the removal of gallstones is absolutely necessary, since even if the stones persist, an inflammation of the pancreas can result. It must be prevented that the digestive juices of the pancreas back up and thus attack the gland itself. Therefore, if there is pain in the upper abdomen after a gall bladder operation, it is strongly recommended that a doctor be informed of the symptoms so that he or she can determine the cause of the pain and, if necessary, confirm involvement of the pancreas and initiate therapy.

Postprandial pain

The pancreas is an essential part of the human digestive system. It produces digestive juices that can break down certain components of food and thus make them available to the body. If the pancreas is diseased, this production and release of digestive juices may no longer function optimally.

Particularly in the case of inflammation of the gland (pancreatitis), but also in the case of pancreatic tumours, existing pain can become significantly worse after eating. The pain is very strong, radiating in a belt shape in the upper abdomen and can extend backwards as far as the back. They occur either continuously or recurrently.

The typical symptoms are particularly common with very high-fat foods. Furthermore, the pain can be accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Mostly they develop when eating, are made worse by it, or occur afterwards.

Because of this recurring, very unpleasant pain after eating, those affected avoid eating and often lose weight as the disease progresses. It is important to note that, unlike in the case of a disease of the gallbladder or the bile ducts, the pain does not appear until a somewhat longer period of time (about 20-30 minutes) after eating, whereas the pain of a gallstone, for example, occurs very shortly after eating. Eating a particularly high-fat meal can make the pain significantly worse in the event of pancreatic inflammation, which is why low-fat food is recommended for affected persons.

In the case of chronic pancreatitis, the cells are broken down as the disease progresses. The gland burns out, so to speak. This process takes several years, but can also last for decades.

The initial severe discomfort and pain in the upper abdomen area then subsides more and more. Especially at the beginning of the disease, the damage to the pancreas can be reversed. Over time, the symptoms increase and many years later the full picture of a weakened pancreas (pancreatic insufficiency) can develop. An already existing alcohol dependency can increase the symptoms. People with this type of pain often develop an abusive use of pain medication.