Therapy

Treatment for pain on the left side of the abdomen always depends on the underlying disease. If, for example, an inflammation in the area of the colon could be diagnosed during the examination, the therapy is usually carried out by administering an antibiotic. In the case of severe and/or chronic courses, however, a surgical intervention is usually required to remove the inflamed sections of the intestine and rejoin the healthy ends of the intestine.

During this procedure, the unaffected bowel is also examined as far as possible. In this way, possible bulges in these areas can be detected at an early stage and treated without further removal of parts of the bowel. If the pain on the left side of the lower abdomen is caused by pancreatitis, the patient must be admitted to hospital immediately and undergo extensive treatment.

If the course of the disease is particularly severe, pancreatitis can even become life-threatening. Pain in the left lower abdomen caused by inflammatory processes in the renal pelvis or the urinary tract must always be treated depending on the type and cause of the infection. In most cases, antibiotic therapy adapted to the typical pathogen spectrum is initiated. If kidney, bladder or urinary stones are detected, they must be removed promptly. There are various options available to the treating physician for this purpose.

Man/Woman

In a patient who complains of pain in the left abdomen, the possible causes may be gender-specific. For this reason, different diseases must be excluded for men and women. In a woman who complains of pain in the left lower abdomen, gynecological changes should be excluded in addition to the gender-unspecific diseases.

In a woman, pain on the left side of the lower abdomen can indicate inflammatory processes. In addition, large cysts on the left ovary typically lead to pain on the left side of the abdomen. Ulcers in the woman’s uterus can also cause corresponding symptoms.

However, some women also report completely harmless causes for the development of pain on the left side of the abdomen.If these symptoms occur between the 12th and 14th day of the cycle, they can be an indication that ovulation has occurred. An early pregnancy and the resulting stretching of the so-called “mother ligaments” can also cause pain in a woman’s left and/or right abdomen. In a man who suffers from pain on the left side of the abdomen, inflammatory processes in the area of the testicles, the vas deferens and the prostate should be examined.

In addition, inflamed diverticula in the large intestine can often be detected, especially in affected men. Although inflammation of the kidneys or the urinary tract can be the cause in both sexes, the risk of developing such inflammation is much greater in women than in men. The reason for this is the fact that a woman’s urethra is much shorter than a man’s.