A sharp pain in the left side of the lower abdomen is a symptom that, unfortunately, worries many. In some cases, we are talking about temporary discomfort, which is not hiding anything serious, then the pain is usually minor and episodic. However, if the problem becomes permanent and seriously worries the patient, it can signal the presence of serious chronic or acute diseases. About them and will be discussed in this article.
What organs can be affected?
Sharp pains in the left side of the lower abdomen can disturb the patient below the navel line. It is worth noting that patients with almost all gynecological, urological and gastroenterological diseases face discomfort in this area.
If you believe the medical statistics for sharp pains in the left side of the lower abdomen, most often we are talking about urological pathologies. Some patients are diagnosed with gynecological problems, diseases of the digestive tract, in rare situations it can be an orthopedic pathology.
Similar problems occur in approximately 15% of the world's inhabitants. Symptom may be associated with a large number of pathologies. Often with sharp pains in the left side of the lower abdomen, certain organs are affected, their diseases, as a rule, and cause unpleasant sensations.
The first is the spleen. This organ belongs to the human immune system, blood cells form in its tissues, and then accumulate and destroy. In this case, the spleen is also an important storehouse of blood due to the portal blood flow system. If you remove this one, the person will not die, since other organs will take over his function. In particular, the lymph nodes and the liver.
Secondly, the cause of pain in the left side of the lower abdomen may be problems with the large intestine. On the left side of our torso is the corresponding part of the transverse colon. It is she who can be so sick on the left side. The reason may be hidden in the small intestine. On the left side is one of its parts - the second section. Left-sided pain in the lower abdomen is accompanied by inflammation, intussusception and blockage.
Thirdly, it is worth paying attention to the genitourinary organs. When a stomach is cut in the lower left, it can be a consequence of inflammatory processes that occur in both women and men.
Fourth, the pelvic bones are at risk. Pain in the abdomen in the lower left provokes damage to the left hip joint, cartilage, blood vessels, lymph nodes and nerve fibers located in the pelvic girdle.
The mechanism of pain
It should be noted that pain is a complex process, its final formation has not yet been studied. It is able to move to different parts of the body, give false sensations, which often significantly complicates the diagnostic process. In some cases, it arises without any particular source.
There are several reasons for the appearance of pain:
- violation of cellular metabolism in a specific area susceptible to pathology;
- congestion and local circulatory disorders;
- functional and structural changes in internal organs;
- the development of a dystrophic or inflammatory process.
There are several stages to the formation of pain. At the first, a person begins to notice discomfort in the place where the pathological focus of the disease is located. At the next stage, the formation of the secondary focus begins, because of which the connection with the primary can even be lost. These are the so-called reflected pains. Finally, at the third stage, the pathological process is significantly exacerbated, trophic disturbance begins. In this case, the focus of the pain impulse intensifies, the patient begins to feel an increase in the intensity of pathological discomfort.
Spleen problems
In most cases, pain on the left side in the lower abdomen is associated with inflammatory processes that occur in the internal organs located in this area. Possible diseases with sharp pain in the left side of the lower abdomen may be associated with the spleen.
For example, when the spleen is twisted, the veins, arteries and nerve bundles in this organ begin to fully or partially twist. Most of the causes of this ailment are associated with the individual characteristics of the patient, which appear even at birth. These are long mesenteric ties that hold the organ within the abdominal cavity. When the patient is inverted, acute pain in the left side begins to disturb, which gives to the upper legs and groin. Often pain is accompanied by vomiting, nausea, constipation. In such a situation, as a rule, patients decide on an operation.
Violation of the outflow of blood through the portal vein and the inflammatory process lead to the expansion of the spleen. In this case, the pain is dull, can migrate to the stomach. With inflammation, the temperature rises, vomiting and nausea appear. In most cases, inflammation of the spleen is associated with the pathology of other organs.
An abscess is a purulent inflammation of the spleen, which is complicated by the development of peritonitis. This is a dangerous condition that requires immediate surgical intervention. With small abscesses, the probability of a full recovery is high, if large foci appear, serious complications are possible.
The spleen cyst is a cavity filled with mucus or fluid. It forms after an abscess. Accompanied by bouts of dull pain. It is worth fearing spleen infarction. This condition appears when the small arteries of the parenchyma and arterioles are blocked. As a result, a neurosis develops around the blood clot of the vessel. With a spleen infarction, pain appears in the left hypochondrium. Over time, moves down the abdomen. Strengthens with cough, deep breath and sudden movements. A heart attack is accompanied by a high temperature (up to 39 degrees). High probability of heavy blood loss.
Finally, pain can be a sign of leukemia. Chronic myelogenous and lymphoid leukemias affect the blood. The spleen thus significantly increases in size. In such a situation, the organ must be removed.
Small bowel disease
It is likely that pain in this part of the body is associated with problems in the small intestine.
One of the most common options is malabsorption. This disease can be both acquired and congenital in nature. The intestinal mucous membranes are unable to absorb certain food components found in some products (fruits or milk). Because of this, diarrhea begins, digestive upset, typical pain. Another concomitant symptom is flatulence. After bowel movement, the pain subsides.
Intolerance to the vegetable gluten protein, which is found in large quantities in cereals, is called celiac disease. By symptoms, this ailment strongly resembles the previous one. Bloating, rumbling, and upset stools are also characteristic. Treatment is reduced to the exclusion of products containing gluten.
Pain in the lower abdomen on the left after eating can mean a pathology such as diverticulitis. This is an inflammation of the bag-like protrusions of the intestinal walls, which are called diverticula. Symptoms occur after eating. This is nausea, fever, vomiting, bloating.
Colon
Irritable bowel syndrome is associated with the colon. The origin of this disease is still unclear. Both women and men suffer from it. In women, exacerbations coincide with a change in the hormonal background and menstruation. Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are stool disorder and flatulence. As a rule, this disease can indicate serious pathological changes in the body. These include ulcerative colitis, malignant and benign tumors, diabetes mellitus, hormonal disorders, acute intestinal infections with subsequent dysbiosis. It is possible to stabilize the patient's condition with the help of special medication and a special diet. In this case, the symptoms recede, the disease can completely disappear.
If such problems occur, it is important to know which doctor to contact. With a sharp pain in the left side of the lower abdomen, a gastroenterologist will often help. After all, the problem may be in Hirschsprung’s disease. This is a hereditary disease, which mainly affects representatives of the strong half of humanity. It occurs in the absence of innervation sites in the colon. In addition to pain in the left side, symptoms include bloating, constipation, and increased gas formation. Hirschsprung’s disease can only be cured by surgery. Parts of the colon that are devoid of nerve endings are simply removed.
The inflammatory disease of the large intestine, which is accompanied by such pain, is Crohn's disease. According to the ICD code 10, this ailment is classified as a deviation from the norm, detected in clinical and laboratory studies. At the same time, a specific section of the intestine hurts, which turned out to be susceptible to the inflammatory process. This is a complex disease that necessarily requires both surgical and conservative treatment. The whole problem is that it often disguises itself as other ailments, it is very difficult to make a correct diagnosis. According to the ICD code 10, Crohn's disease refers to regional enteritis.
Non-specific ulcerative colitis can also cause problems. This is a polyetiological inflammatory disease, accompanied by morphological changes that occur in the large intestine. It is believed that its key reason lies in failures in the functioning of the immune system and hereditary factors. The pain in this case is paroxysmal with different intensities.
Sharp discomfort may appear due to colon polyps, which are benign formations. They are accompanied by a disorder of the stool, when constipation can be replaced by diarrhea, which threatens complete dehydration of the body. On the left side, pain appears when polyps affect the descending part of the colon.
Volvulus
Separately, it should be said about the inversion of the intestines. This is a pathologically serious condition, against the background of which intestinal obstruction appears. The most common cause is an adhesion process in the abdominal cavity, which appears as a result of operations or inflammatory processes. Also, the causes are tumors in the intestines, hernias. Among the provoking factors are prolonged starvation, malnutrition and overeating.
The main symptom of intestinal torsion in adults is cramping pain. They have a growing character. The disease develops into a chronic stage after a short time. The patient does not produce gas, stool disappears, nausea, bloating, and vomiting appear. Of the vivid symptoms of intestinal torsion in adults, pallor of the skin, low blood pressure, and tachycardia should be noted.
Diagnostics
To make the correct diagnosis, a survey radiograph is prescribed. In this case, the picture clearly shows the intestinal loop, the location of the intestine itself in the wrong position. This is the most optimal way to determine bowel obstruction. To do this, conduct a contrast study.
The most common is the pathology of the sigmoid colon. There is also an inversion of the small and cecum.
Treatment
After determining the bowel obstruction succeeded, it is necessary to proceed to treatment. In this case, only surgery will help.
The most important role in a favorable outcome is played by early diagnosis. The faster it was possible to identify the ailment, the more likely it will be possible to cope with it without serious consequences.
One should be wary of complications. For example, with inversion of the intestine gangrene quickly develops. Therefore, with the first symptoms resembling this disease, the appearance of pain in the left side, you should immediately seek medical help.
During the operation, the surgeon excises part of the intestine, imposing an anastomosis. But there is a likelihood of developing fecal peritonitis. This is the main threat to life for the patient.
Prevention
In order to prevent intestinal obstruction, it is recommended to eat rationally in small portions, without going to extremes. Do not eat too much and too little.
It is important to exclude overeating and minimize the amount of foods containing coarse fiber in your diet. You can prevent a relapse of the disease by performing an operation to fix the sigmoid colon to the abdominal wall.
Genitourinary System
Due to problems with the genitourinary system, pain in the left side occurs in both women and men. In rare cases, such symptoms are provoked by Allen-Masters syndrome, a pathological expansion of the renal pelvis.
If there is a suspicion of an infectious and inflammatory disease of the genitourinary system, a thorough diagnosis and appropriate therapy are required. If you have a sharp pain in the left side of the lower abdomen, everyone should know what to do. When this symptom is accompanied by discharge from the urethra or vagina, urinary disorders, you should seek help from a gynecologist or urologist. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe effective therapy.
Most often this is endometriosis. This is a gynecological problem in which the cells of the uterine lining begin to grow beyond its borders. Sex hormones have an effect on this. The disease is accompanied by microbleeding, fibrotic changes and inflammatory reactions. In most cases, occurs between the ages of 40 and 45 years.
So far, doctors have not been able to pinpoint the cause of this ailment. The basic theory is related to retrograde menstruation. If you follow it, then during menstruation, the contents of the uterus partially appear in the abdominal cavity and fallopian tubes. This condition is called retrograde menstruation. Later it turned out that such a phenomenon is very common, it is manifested to one degree or another in 90% of women. Therefore, the development of the disease was primarily associated with hormonal and immunological factors.
Symptoms of endometriosis are pain, menorrhagia, endometrioid cysts, infertility. A sharp pain in the left side of the lower abdomen without temperature can just lead to such a problem, since this disease is not accompanied by fever.
At the first signs of this disorder, you should immediately consult a doctor. Drug treatment is based on the use of progesterones, oral contraceptives, androgens. Surgical treatment can be of three types. Women planning a pregnancy are shown surgery to relieve symptoms. A semi-conservative option is possible when the ability to bear children is lost, but the ovaries continue to function. Finally, the radical method involves the complete removal of the uterus and appendages.
If pain occurs in the lower abdomen on the left when walking, it is important to exclude the pathology of the genitourinary system. Another common option is urolithiasis. In this case, stones form in the urinary tract, due to which the metabolism in the whole body is disturbed. Factors that provoke the formation of stones are a violation of the outflow of urine due to abnormalities in the development of the urinary tract, metabolic disorders, and all kinds of infections.
The disease may not manifest itself for a long time. Often it is discovered by chance during a routine examination. Symptoms are mild. In addition to pain in the left side, this is irritation of the external opening of the urethra, discomfort in the lumbar region, burning sensation during urination, it appears after spicy, smoked, spicy food and alcohol.
In the later stages, typical symptoms such as bouts of renal colic occur. They appear due to obstruction of the urinary tract. The pains are pulling and dull. Urine may begin to turn red. When analyzing, sand and stones are found in it. Provoking factors for the appearance of renal colic are running, physical exertion, shaking, weight lifting, falling. In most cases, pain can be reduced by exposure to heat.
Against the background of urolithiasis, an inflammatory process can develop. In such cases, signs of pyelonephritis will be added to the above symptoms. , , , . , . . , .
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