Almost every person has felt pain in the back of their left side, but not everyone attaches due importance to this problem. But such a symptom can be associated not only with damage to the spine, but also with quite serious problems of internal organs. If pain bothers you for a long time, it is simply necessary to consult a doctor.
Is pain in the left side from the back dangerous? No sane doctor will undertake to answer such a question accurately. And it's easy to explain. There are many diseases that cause pain in the back, some of which are truly life-threatening. Therefore, you should not self-medicate and eliminate pain with the help of “local” medications. Such actions are completely ineffective and sometimes even dangerous.
If you experience discomfort or discomfort on the left side, it is better to contact your therapist. He will be able to find out the true cause of the disease and will certainly send you to the right specialist.
Sometimes back pain occurs in the morning and bothers a person throughout the day. And sometimes it intensifies, becomes simply unbearable and prevents the patient from leading a normal lifestyle. To get rid of pain you need to determine the true cause of its occurrence.
As a rule, the left side hurts from behind for two reasons:
1. Due to problems associated with the back itself.
2. Due to the development of diseases of internal organs:
Diagnostic methods with which a doctor can find out the true cause of such back pain:
Often, diagnosis is based on the presence of certain painful sensations:
For prolonged and intense pain, the best option is to consult a doctor immediately. He will diagnose the disease and prescribe effective treatment.
For severe pain, antispasmodics are used. A great way to combat back pain is massage.
The left side is a large area with many muscles and vital organs such as the intestines, spleen, stomach, pancreas, and genitourinary system. Therefore, if there is pain under the left side, it is very important to check all the factors that may cause discomfort. Often pain is a signal that the kidney is inflamed or a person has a herniated disc. It is very important to pay attention to where exactly the pain is localized, what nature it has, where it goes and how it arises, how long it lasts.
Thus, the doctor makes a preliminary diagnosis, then confirms it with the help of laboratory tests. Pain in the left side can be a dangerous symptom that indicates a serious illness.
If discomfort occurs in the lumbar region, this may indicate that the person has problems with the musculoskeletal system; the pain is dull and aching. Most often it begins to be localized in the lumbar region, the posterior side. If a nagging pain occurs in the left side, this indicates a chronic form of the disease - spondyloarthrosis; it increases during sleep, also after a person has sat for a long time. Lumbar sharp, shooting pain in the left side indicates that the disease is acute; such symptoms are characteristic of an intervertebral hernia. This condition can occur after sudden temperature changes, hypothermia, intense massage movements; the pain can intensify when a person begins to cough, move, or breathe deeply.
If the pain under the left side extends under the ribs, this may indicate that the person has a serious disease associated with the heart, blood vessels, also a pathological process in the pulmonary system, abdominal organs, a neurological disease, or the patient has been exposed to injury. In cases of cardiac pain, the doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis - ischemic heart disease, myocarditis, cardioneurosis, pericarditis.
In cases of ischemic heart disease, chest pain appears after severe stress or exertion, and radiates to the left side, back, arm, and lower jaw. During an attack, shortness of breath appears, there are irregularities in the heart, and the pulse quickens. This is a very serious disease that leads to cardiac arrest.
If the left side hurts under the ribs, the lower extremities swell, shortness of breath appears, and it is difficult for a person to sit, this indicates chronic heart failure. Unpleasant sensations in the left side due to pulmonary pathology indicate pneumonia. In this case, chills and fever may appear, it may increase with inhalation, and severe coughing. At the same time, the person experiences severe shortness of breath, fatigue increases, and begins to sweat heavily at night, even if the physical activity is not very intense. If there is pain in the lower left side due to problems with the lungs, this indicates that the chest is partially displaced due to a pathological hole in the diaphragm. In medicine, this pathology is called a diaphragmatic hernia. Symptoms depend on the displacement of organs. If problems arise with the esophagus, then in addition to pain in the left side of the abdomen, belching, heartburn and severe shortness of breath may occur. It all depends on what food and how much a person consumed. On an empty stomach, symptoms quickly disappear. Some people feel better after vomiting.
It occurs if there were bruises in the soft tissue after a fall, crack, or broken ribs. In this case, it is necessary to take an x-ray to find out whether there is a crack or fracture.
Often, pain in the left side can occur due to neuralgia, everything happens this way: a person’s nerve fibers begin to be irritated, especially if the person is actively moving. Pain occurs with sudden movement, coughing, touching, sneezing, while the muscles begin to contract strongly, twitch, the person sweats a lot, and the skin in the sore spot may lose its sensitivity.
If the pain under the left side is girdling, while the person’s arms become numb, and is strongly felt when bending over or walking, this indicates osteochondrosis.
Most often, unpleasant sensations in this area indicate a disease in the large or small intestine, kidneys, urinary tract, genitals, pain also occurs after an injury, problems with the nervous, musculoskeletal system. With a disease of the small intestine, pain in the left side radiates to the navel. The abdomen may swell and cramp occurs. The following diseases can occur in the large intestine - hemorrhoids, dysbiosis, congestion in the pelvic organs.
Often the pain under the left side is caused by a disease of the left kidney; the symptoms will increase depending on what kind of pathology it is. In this case, you can notice a bulge in the lower back, the skin over the kidney is much redder. Urine also indicates kidney disease; it darkens, blood appears in it, the person constantly wants to go to the toilet, suffers from a burning sensation and discomfort. The patient has problems with appetite, severe headaches, swollen eyelids, high blood pressure, and pale skin.
Pain in the left side below is an alarming symptom for women, because it indicates an inflammatory process in the uterine tubes, ovaries, and also that the woman may have an ectopic pregnancy. Men may experience pain due to prostatitis, orchitis, and vesiculitis. These are all inflammatory processes, so body temperature may increase.
So, when pain appears in the lower left side, you need to take into account the fact that the stomach is an organ in which many structures and tissues are located, therefore there are many reasons for the appearance of painful sensations. In cases of acute pain, you should not wait for it to pass; you should urgently seek advice from a doctor, because it can be caused by a serious cause that is dangerous to a person’s health and even his life.
Pain in the left side often torments us at the most inopportune moment. Our internal organs can be negatively affected by many environmental factors, such as the environment and the abuse of unhealthy foods. If you are worried about pain in your left side, determine its symptoms in order to understand what may be bothering you.
In the left side of a person, three regions are distinguished: the left lateral region, the left hypochondrium and the left iliac region. In this area, a person’s digestive organs are located, and often pain in the left side is caused by diseases of the stomach, liver, pancreas, small intestine, colon or gall bladder.
Pain that occurs in this area is referred to as pain in the left side.
To establish a diagnosis, it is important to determine the specific localization of pain; for this, the anterior abdominal wall is conventionally divided into nine regions and three floors.
The first - upper, consists of the epigastric, right hypochondrium and left hypochondrium.
The second is the middle one, consisting of the umbilical region, the right and left lateral sections.
The third is the lower one, consisting of the right and left iliac regions and the pubic region.
Pain in the left side can occur due to pathologies of any of the organs located in this area. Depending on the cause of the pain, it can manifest itself in different ways - be paroxysmal or constant aching, radiate to the back or encircle. In addition, the appearance of pain in the left side can be caused by other ongoing diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, heart disease, blood disease, connective tissue disease, circulatory system disease, hernia, pathology of the respiratory system and nervous system.
Pain in the left side is divided according to the mechanism of its occurrence and characteristics:
Acute , piercing pain under the ribs is a reason to immediately call an ambulance, as it may indicate a rupture of the spleen or renal pelvis, perforation of the stomach or small intestinal loops. This may be a sign of serious internal organ damage.
Dull pain in the left hypochondrium can be caused by a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract - pancreatitis, gastritis, cholecystitis.
Aching pain indicates the presence of an inflammatory process. Caused by duonitis and colitis. If such pain is accompanied by vomiting, this may indicate a stomach ulcer. Often such pains become symptoms of heart disease - pre-infarction, ischemia, angina.
If you are wondering what is in a person’s left side due to pain, remember: only a doctor can prescribe an accurate diagnosis and correct treatment. Pay attention to the nature of the pain. Pain in the left side may indicate:
To establish a more accurate diagnosis, you should contact one of the following doctors: surgeon, gastroenterologist, gynecologist, infectious disease specialist, traumatologist.
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Pain in the left side behind, in front or in the lower abdomen is a symptom familiar to many. Throughout life, any person will inevitably encounter such a problem. Painful sensations are always a signal of trouble, and pain on the left is associated with many internal organs and should not be ignored.
Conventionally, the anterior abdominal wall is divided into 9 squares, the left 3 squares make up 3 sections: upper (left hypochondrium), middle (left lateral) and lower (left iliac region). When pain is localized in one of them, they talk about pain in the left side. And it can arise in almost any department.
In the area of the left hypochondrium there are: the left lung, heart, left part of the diaphragm, stomach, duodenum, pancreas, spleen. In addition, pain can occur here with lesions of the peripheral nervous system, with vegetative-vascular dystonia, from the ribs themselves during their injuries, and unpleasant sensations from the reproductive system are also reflected here. In the waist area in front there is: a continuation of the stomach, the tail of the pancreas, a segment of the liver, gall bladder, part of the loops of the small intestine, part of the left part of the colon, behind them are the left kidney and the left ureter. The lower section continues with the kidney, ureter, stomach, pancreas, large and small intestine, left ovary and appendages, in men - part of the prostate and appendages.
All types of pain are divided into 3 types:
According to the severity of pain, there are cutting, stabbing, pulling, aching, dull, intense, moderate, weak, long-term and short-term.
Only a doctor can determine the exact cause, but you can try to understand which organ the pain relates to yourself.
Pain in the back of the left side can be caused by spasms of muscles, blood vessels in organs, pinched nerve roots, etc.
Pain on the left under the ribs in the back from the back during myocardial infarction is a symptom that is also characteristic of angina, myocarditis, aortic aneurysm (in the form of lumbago in the back), pericarditis and especially myocardial infarction.
Nagging pain in the left side is a harbinger of a pre-infarction state, when it becomes intense, sharp, pain under the ribs on the left, irradiating to the scapula, back, left shoulder and even to the jaw; tachycardia, drop in blood pressure, shortness of breath, cold sticky sweat, fear of death, loss of consciousness appear. All this indicates the development of myocardial infarction.
The appearance of pain in the back and left side while eating is a pathology of the digestive organs. If the pain is localized lower, at the back of the lower back, one may suspect cholecystitis (the pain radiates to the right shoulder, nausea, vomiting, numbness of the extremities) and inflammation of the pancreas are possible.
Rashes and pain in the left side at the waist level can be due to herpetic lichen. Disturbances in the function of the urinary tract can also cause pain in the lower back from the back: thrombosis of the renal artery, renal colic, urolithiasis, inflammation of the kidneys, in particular pyelonephritis (dull, aching pain, accompanied by weakness, nausea, fever may rise). The appearance of urine often changes - it can be cloudy, with flakes and an unpleasant odor and color, urination becomes more frequent, and swelling appears in the morning.
Blood diseases (leukemia), adrenal tumors can cause dull, long-lasting pain in the lumbar region from the back. Pinching of the nerve roots due to radiculitis causes pain in the back when inhaling, often accompanied by numbness in the fingers and toes.
When you are bothered by pain on the left under the ribs in the back from the back, which is occurring more and more often, you need to examine the spine: do an X-ray and ultrasound, if necessary, MRI, CT. With spinal pathology, there is a risk of becoming disabled, so contacting a neurologist is mandatory.
Pain in the back on the left back and below when exhaling and when moving can be a sign of osteochondrosis, myositis. Pain in the lower back on the left rear can be due to intestinal cancer, colitis, or intestinal obstruction.
If pain in the left side of the back bothers you in the iliac region, this is a sign of gynecological problems. In women, pain in the back of the side can be a harbinger of PMS; it can be pulling and aching. In these cases, they often take No-shpa and place a heating pad on the aching area. The examination for any location of pain must be complete: X-rays, ultrasound of internal organs, MRI, CT, blood tests.
Such pain can be caused by the following pathological changes:
Pain in the left side in the lower abdomen is caused by pathology of the intestines, organs of the genitourinary system, and urolithiasis:
If, against the background of complete health, a sharp, sudden pain appears, it does not go away within half an hour, it increases, the face has turned pale, blood pressure has decreased, bleeding from the vagina has occurred, the woman has lost consciousness, then these are signs of a miscarriage, an immediate visit to the doctor is required.
The pain in the left side cannot be underestimated.
An examination by a doctor is required. Antispasmodics will relieve pain only temporarily.
The danger of the situation is that many organs of the abdominal cavity are hollow, and if they are damaged, the contents will necessarily spill into the peritoneum, and this will inevitably cause peritonitis. The latter is fraught with death - the mortality rate is 67%. If the pain does not go away within half an hour, you should definitely call an ambulance.
One of the most common reasons for visiting a neurologist is lower back pain radiating to the leg and extending to the side.
Symptoms are caused by a combination of factors, but usually appear after uneven loads on the spinal column. If back pain radiates to the leg, then this is a serious reason to diagnose the health condition and find out the causes of the pathology. Why pain occurs in the lumbosacral region, pulls the leg, ache in the lower back and shoots in the side, how to identify the causes and what to do - we will discuss in the article.
To determine the optimal course of treatment and rehabilitation, it is necessary to find out why the symptoms occur and their causes.
Pain in the lower back, radiating to the right or left leg, is a typical symptom of diseases of the lumbosacral spine. They occur against the background of tumor processes, bursitis and neuropathy of the sciatic nerve, but the main causes lie on the surface. These include:
The causes of neurological problems are varied, and to establish them you will need a comprehensive examination.
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The clinical picture is manifested by a complex of symptoms, which include:
The affected leg is cold to the touch and has dystrophic changes in the skin. Painful phenomena intensify at night and become acute - pulling of the left or right leg (depending on the side of the lesion), convulsions and involuntary twitching of the limbs occur. When the inflammatory process is advanced, any movement causes excruciating pain and reduces the quality of life for a long period.
Pain syndrome in the lumbosacral area of the spine, radiating to the side or spreading in the lower abdomen, indicates somatic diseases and disorders of the internal organs. Pain radiating to the side (left or right) requires the close attention of a specialist and immediate treatment. If the lower abdomen hurts, the syndrome may indicate inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system, pancreas, spleen or gastrointestinal tract. Pain syndrome on the right is associated with diseases of the intestines, liver, kidneys and respiratory organs.
If the pain in the lower back radiates to the leg, knee or side, the lower abdomen is tense, then a full examination is prescribed. The most common diagnostic measures are:
You may need to consult a gastroenterologist if your side (right or left) hurts or feels heaviness. Such symptoms indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract, the presence of stones in the gall bladder and ducts. If nagging back pain is combined with swelling of the extremities, dizziness and change in the color of urine, you will need to consult a nephrologist.
During an exacerbation, treatment of pain radiating to the thigh, buttock and lower leg is aimed at relieving the pain syndrome. During the acute period, it is recommended to limit physical activity and maintain bed rest; analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and injections of neurotropic B vitamins are also prescribed. Medicines reduce pain, improve blood flow, relieve swelling and support the function of nerve endings.
For stable remission and rehabilitation of the patient, a set of restorative procedures is selected:
Treatment is carried out in a course consisting of 10–12 procedures. If necessary, the complex is repeated after 2–3 weeks.
During the remission stage, it is recommended to perform a special set of exercises, including strengthening the muscles located on the thigh and its inner side. Walking, backstroke, and wearing a corset are shown. Lifting weights exceeding 3 kg, working in a bent position with support on the thigh, and twisting exercises are prohibited.
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Any disturbances in the functioning of the body sooner or later make themselves felt, and symptoms that become permanent or severe should not be ignored. For example, if the side on the left side under the ribs hurts, this may indicate the development of a serious disease.
This symptom is often a manifestation of problems not only with the heart, but also with other organs, so for successful treatment it is important to find out the exact cause of the pain.
The left side under the ribs on the side hurts for various reasons, and most often this is one of the manifestations of heart disease. For example, during a heart attack, pain appears on this side.
There are other organs on the left, for example, the pancreas, intestinal loops, spleen, the left side of the diaphragm, so there are a number of other pathologies that provoke pain in the left hypochondrium:
When figuring out why the left side hurts, the doctor pays attention to the frequency of pain and other symptoms that accompany it.
For example, with stomach diseases, pain is most often observed after eating; when the spleen ruptures, hemorrhages appear near the navel, and dark circles and bruises form under the eyes.
The cause of left-sided pain can be an inflammatory process in the female genital organs or an ectopic pregnancy. In diseases of the pancreas, the pain is accompanied by nausea and problems with bowel movements, while the side hurts especially badly after drinking carbonated drinks or spicy and fatty foods.
If pain is felt under the ribs closer to the back, then its cause may be vertebral osteochondrosis or disease of the left kidney.
Aching pain on the left
The cause of aching pain often lies in pathologies such as a stomach ulcer or gastritis. Associated manifestations are poor appetite or lack thereof, nausea and vomiting, bitter or sour belching, and less commonly, diarrhea.
Also, a dull aching pain in the left side can be caused by stomach cancer, in which the following symptoms are observed:
Aching pain in the left side occurs in diseases of the pancreas, and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and high body temperature.
Severe pain occurs with a peptic ulcer; it extends down to the lower back and is unbearable. The pain is accompanied by general weakness, constipation, headaches, vomiting, heartburn, and sometimes irritability.
During attacks of pancreatitis in a lying position, the left side under the ribs hurts especially severely, and when bending over and sitting, the pain decreases.
If sharp pain is triggered by sneezing, coughing or inhaling, then its cause may be a serious disease of the lungs or diaphragm - left-sided pneumonia, a malignant tumor or tuberculosis. In this case, the associated symptoms are:
Sharp pain can be a signal of heart disease (and it often decreases if the person freezes in a motionless position), or cracks and fractures of the rib bones.
My left side hurts from my back photo
The mechanism of manifestation of pain in the left side can be different, which helps in the primary determination of the causes that caused it. The nature of pain is divided into three types:
If an adult or a child has pain on the left side under the ribs, then after collecting an anamnesis, examination and evaluation of complaints, the doctor will prescribe certain diagnostic tests, depending on what disease he suspects first.
Herpes zoster:
Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly):
If intestinal obstruction is suspected, an ultrasound and radiographic examination of the abdominal cavity must be performed.
These are the main methods for diagnosing the cause of pain in the left side. In addition to these, additional tests may be required on an individual basis, depending on concomitant diseases and the results of the studies performed.
If the left side under the ribs hurts during pregnancy, this is not necessarily a sign of a serious illness. However, this is a reason to consult a doctor, and this should be done urgently if:
With such manifestations, there is a risk of spontaneous abortion, so medical intervention should be urgent.
Pain of a pressing, pulling nature can be caused by the growth of the uterus and its pressure on neighboring organs, for example, on the intestines, which sometimes shifts slightly to the left.
Mild pain during pregnancy is caused by decreased intestinal motility and, as a result, constipation due to the accumulation of food debris.
When your left side hurts under the ribs in front or behind, it is better not to neglect a visit to the doctor. If the pain is acute and sudden, you should immediately call an ambulance.
In other cases, first make an appointment with a therapist, who, after an examination and conversation, will refer you for further examination to specialists of a narrower profile (gastroenterologist, pulmonologist, oncologist, cardiologist, traumatologist, neurologist or others).
Do all pains in the area of the left kidney indicate the presence of kidney disease?
In what cases should you consult a doctor, and what tests will he prescribe?
How to distinguish kidney problems from other diseases that can provoke a similar symptom. This and much more is discussed further in the article.
Kidneys are a paired organ of the human body whose main function is to filter blood and produce urine.
The kidneys are located in the upper lumbar region, under the diaphragm near the last thoracic vertebra.
The shape of the kidney is similar to a bean, its convex part is directed away from the spine. Its length is about 10 cm, and its normal color is reddish-brown. It produces approximately 1 ml of urine per minute.
There are three zones in the kidney:
The outside of the kidney is protected by a layer of fibrous tissue and covered with fat. The kidney contains functional units, of which there are more than a million, called nephrons.
They consist of a glomerulus filled with capillaries and tubules.
In addition to the main ones, the kidney also has many other functions:
Most often, the main reason why the left kidney hurts is one of the following diseases:
The hallmark symptoms of kidney disease are:
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Other symptoms are often found in other diseases.
Very often, pain in the kidney does not indicate a nephrological disease, and in order to determine the provoking factor, you need to carefully study the accompanying symptoms.
Often, back pain in the area of the left kidney occurs due to the following diseases:
Also provoking reasons may be:
Pregnancy is not the easiest state for the body, all internal organs work in an intensive mode, and this problem does not bypass the kidneys.
Often, fetal movements or a growing uterus can create pressure, thereby preventing the passage of urine.
Decreased immunity reduces resistance to bacteria that can cause pyelonephritis. Hormonal changes in the body also affect.
If a woman has kidney pain during pregnancy, be it left or right, and if she has the following accompanying symptoms, she should consult a urologist as soon as possible:
In order to prevent kidney disease, it is recommended to comply with the following requirements:
If kidney disease is suspected, the following tests are performed and the following diagnostic methods are used:
What should you do if you are bothered by pain in your left kidney? It is logical to assume that everything depends on the cause that caused the pain syndrome.
To relieve pain, treatment with the following folk recipes is popular: tinctures of cornflower flowers, radish juice, horsetail baths, bear ears and corn silk.
Also, if necessary, the following treatment methods are practiced:
Even if you are pregnant and the pain may be temporary, your condition still needs increased monitoring.
Kidney pain itself is very easy to confuse with other pain, so pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. Try to lead a healthy lifestyle and prevent illness.