Location of the abdominal pain
When patients complain of abdominal pain, it is especially important to ask in which area the pain occurs. The approximate location of the pain allows an approximate estimate of which organs may be causing the pain. If the abdominal pain is located in the area of the left lower abdomen, the cause may in principle be diseases of the intestine, but urological or gynaecological diseases may also be responsible for this pain.
Also important in this context is the patient survey, which should find out since when the pain has been present, whether it only occurs when pressing on it or whether it is also present without touching it. Since the ureters are located in the area of the left but also the right lower abdomen, urinary tract infections can also cause abdominal pain in the left lower abdomen. Pain is often reported on both sides, but also on one side.
Especially in women, if pain is reported on the left lower abdomen, the urine should always be examined as well. This can immediately tell whether it is a urinary tract infection or whether the urine is free of bacteria. A urinary tract infection that causes symptoms must be treated with antibiotics.
Since large parts of the colon are located in the area of the left lower abdomen, an inflammation of the colon must always be assumed if left lower abdominal pain is indicated. The so-called diverticulosis is a bulging of the large intestine which can be present in everyone without causing any symptoms. However, if these bulges become inflamed, which is also called diverticulitis, lower abdominal pain on the left side can occur.
An ultrasound examination and, above all, a blood test can give indications as to whether diverticulitis is a possible cause of the lower abdominal pain on the left. Mild courses of this disease can be treated with antibiotics, severe or chronic courses usually have to be treated surgically. In such an operation, the inflamed parts of the intestine are removed and the healthy ends rejoined.
Other parts of the intestine can also be examined during this procedure to see if there are any other sacs that are also potentially capable of becoming inflamed. In addition to intestinal diseases and urological infections, gynaecological diseases, such as inflammation of the fallopian tubes, which can also cause lower abdominal pain on the left, must always be considered. Flatulence is often responsible for slight, rarely occurring pain without further symptoms.
They occur increasingly after eating flatulent foods such as beans, peas or various types of cabbage and usually disappear again quickly. If diarrhoea, nausea or fever also occur, a gastrointestinal infection or food intolerance is also to be considered. Muscle pain after a bruise or sport also frequently occurs in the left lower abdomen.
The left upper abdomen contains the spleen and parts of the large and small intestine. In addition, the heart, lungs, stomach and left kidney are directly adjacent to the left upper abdomen. Many diseases of all these organs can cause pain there.
If the pain is only temporary and occurs without accompanying symptoms, causes such as flatulence or food intolerance are common. If diarrhoea or fever occurs, a gastrointestinal infection can be the trigger for the pain. Furthermore, in the context of various viral infections such as “Pfeiffer’s glandular fever“, the spleen can swell and cause pain in the left upper abdomen.
Pain due to these causes is harmless and improves relatively quickly. Indications of more dangerous diseases include sudden, very strong or frequently recurring pain, colicky pain, an accompanying shortness of breath, chest pain, very severe diarrhoea and blood in the stool. If any of these symptoms occur, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.
Important, serious illnesses are heart attacks, which can cause pain in the upper left abdomen in addition to chest pain, pneumonia and an inflammation or a stone in the left kidney, especially in women and old people. In addition to the diseases mentioned above, injuries can also cause pain in the left upper abdomen. Usually there is then a pain in pressure.
In the case of bruises or rib injuries, this can last up to several weeks. Abdominal pain, which is mainly located on the right side next to the navel, could indicate appendicitis. This is not, as always assumed, an inflammation of the entire appendix, but rather the appendix, which becomes inflamed and can cause very severe pain.
The symptoms (abdominal pain on the right) can occur suddenly or gradually and then increase. Patients with appendicitis often also complain of a poor general condition, nausea and possibly fever. They can hardly walk, the squatting of the legs is painful, the abdomen is sensitive to pressure.
The more harmless form can manifest itself in a so-called irritation of the appendix, which is very similar to appendicitis but does not get worse in its course and usually does not involve fever and poor general condition. Apart from appendicitis there are, however, other complaints that can cause abdominal pain on the right side. In the left middle abdomen are the small and large intestine and the left kidney.
In women, the left fallopian tube and ovary are also close by. Diseases of these organs are possible causes for pain in the middle abdomen on the left. One of the most common triggers of pain are infections of the small or large intestine, which are usually caused by viruses and heal without medical treatment within a few days without consequences.
Other common and harmless diseases of the intestinal tract are flatulence and irritable bowel syndrome. They usually occur without accompanying symptoms and can usually be treated by simple treatment procedures such as a change in diet or the intake of probiotics. More serious diseases that can cause abdominal pain in the middle left side and need to be clarified by a doctor are inflammations of the female genitals, which often occur after sexual intercourse.
Also in need of clarification are kidney stones running in waves of pain or inflammation of the urinary tract, which additionally cause flank pain or pain when urinating. Frequently, intestinal hernias near the navel are also the cause of abdominal pain on the left. They can cause pain around the navel and, if they are not treated, can lead to the death of parts of the intestine.
Abdominal pain on the left side of the navel, which is located directly under the ribs, often has a cause that is not found in the abdominal cavity. Possible reasons for the development of abdominal pain left under the ribs are pneumonia or a heart attack. The reason for the perception of pain in the abdomen is the close proximity of the lower lung sections, the apex of the heart and the upper abdomen.
In addition, bacterial or viral infections of the gastrointestinal tract and diseases of the colon can lead to abdominal pain on the left under the ribs. Other causes of such pain localization are inflammatory processes in the area of the left kidney and diseases of the spleen. Since it is so difficult to distinguish between intra-abdominal (found in the abdominal cavity) and intrathoracic (found in the chest cavity) causes of abdominal pain left below the ribs, the affected patients should observe possible accompanying symptoms.
In addition to pain in the upper left abdomen, a heart attack is often accompanied by chest pain, a feeling of anxiety, cold sweat, panic (fear of death) and complaints in the left shoulder. Infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, on the other hand, usually cause accompanying symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. If abdominal pain persists on the left below the ribs, a doctor should be consulted urgently and appropriate treatment initiated.
Abdominal pain to the left or right of the navel can be a first indication of incipient appendicitis. Typically, abdominal pain in the right lower abdomen is associated with an acute inflammation of the appendix. In fact, however, the symptoms usually begin in the area around the navel.
Only a few hours later do the symptoms felt by the affected patients migrate to the right lower abdomen. By this time the inflammatory processes have already spread very far. Abdominal pain around the left navel caused by acute appendicitis is usually accompanied by other symptoms.
Typically, the affected patients experience pronounced nausea and vomiting. The actual pain symptomatology is very strong in the case of appendicitis. Often the affected patients can hardly walk and take a relieving posture.
In addition, the inflamed parts of the intestine can burst and spread to the peritoneum (peritonitis). At this point at the latest, haste is required. Peritonitis must be treated surgically as soon as possible.
A typical indication of the presence of peritonitis provoked by appendicitis is the so-called “concussion pain”. In addition, abdominal pain to the left around the navel can be caused by an umbilical hernia. In this disease, parts of the abdominal viscera come out through a weak point in the abdominal wall (in this case the navel).
In addition, inflammatory processes within the stomach (e.g. an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach) can lead to abdominal pain to the left around the navel. In some cases, abdominal pain to the left around the navel also provides an initial indication of the presence of a serious gastrointestinal disease. Most diseases that lead to such symptoms are less harmless, as they can take on a chronic course.
Especially inflammatory processes in the area of the pancreas (pancreatitis) and the so-called “irritable bowel syndrome” (Crohn’s disease) require urgent medical clarification. In addition to diseases of the digestive tract, the causes responsible for abdominal pain on the left side around the navel can also be found elsewhere. For example, an imminent heart attack (myocardial infarction) is sometimes manifested by a hard, tense abdominal wall, which is accompanied by abdominal pain to the left around the navel.
Women who suffer from persistent abdominal pain to the left around the navel may also have a gynaecological problem. Especially inflammatory processes in the uterus or ovaries can cause such pain symptoms. In general, it can be assumed that abdominal pain on the left side of the abdomen is serious. The affected patients should definitely consult a specialist in good time and have the causative disease clarified. In many cases, surgical treatment must be initiated for abdominal pain to the left around the navel.
