From an anatomical point of view, the left side of the abdomen in the female body is connected with such organs as the ureter, fallopian tube and sigmoid colon. The reason for the appearance of pain in this part of the abdomen in a woman is, as a rule, a pathological process in one of the above organs. This requires special attention to the health of the woman.
So, a woman complains that her stomach hurts on her left. What does this mean?
Doctor's actions
To understand what kind of organ in the female body caused the development of pain in the left abdomen, differential diagnostics should be carried out, in particular, the detail and nature of the pain. A woman needs to describe in detail the pain she is experiencing. This implies the intensity and type of pain, which can be pulling, stitching, cramping, cutting, etc. The relationship of pain with body position, reaction to physical activity, bowel movements and urination is also important.
When the girl’s left stomach hurts, after collecting the information, the doctor continues to collect the anamnesis and reveals the presence of other characteristic symptoms, for example, the presence of abnormal vaginal discharge, fever, diarrhea, etc. It also becomes clear whether there were similar attacks before, and what could provoke them.
Conducting a comprehensive survey
After all the necessary information is collected, the patient is assigned to conduct a full examination in order to identify the cause of the pain. It will be necessary to conduct not only laboratory studies, but also instrumental ones. Mandatory are the collection of blood and urine for analysis, as well as an ultrasound scan.
If there is a likelihood of a disease of the excretory system or gastrointestinal tract, a woman is sent for an x-ray or endoscopy of the bladder, genital organs, and digestion.
It should be noted that all of the above examination methods make it possible to identify other pathologies that lead to the fact that the stomach hurts on the left.
Causes of pain
Most often, pain in the left abdomen occurs in the following cases:
1. Inflammation in the lower intestine. Typically, this process is accompanied by constipation, bloating and diarrhea. Most often, this pathology develops against the background of existing dysbiosis, enterocolitis and other diseases of the digestive tract. In this case, adherence to a special diet helps to relieve pain and relieve inflammation. However, if the pain intensifies, and the diet does not help, you need to seek special medical help. Why does the stomach ache on the left?
2. Pathology in the genitourinary system. Inflammation of a woman’s internal organs can cause left-sided abdominal pain. The inflammatory process in the appendages and fallopian tubes provokes a sharp pain in the ovaries, radiating to the groin area. This condition is often accompanied by a rise in body temperature. A sharp pain can also be caused by an ovarian cyst, in particular in case of rupture or severe inflammation. In addition, in such a situation, there may be vomiting, fainting, and severe pain.
3. A stomach ache on the left during an ectopic pregnancy. Sensations are cramping and intense. With an ectopic pregnancy, surgical intervention is necessary, since a rupture of the fallopian tube can cause severe complications, including infertility.
4. Sometimes pain can appear for natural physiological reasons. For example, during ovulation during the period when the egg breaks the membrane. The pains in this case go away on their own.
Acute and chronic gynecological pathology
If the pain is concentrated in the lower abdomen on the left, then the suspicion primarily falls on the pathological process in the uterine appendages. The following factors can indicate a gynecological disease:
1. Failure in the menstrual cycle.
2. Pathological vaginal discharge.
3. The inflammatory process in the appendages, manifested in acute or chronic form.
4. Adverse history.
When is an ambulance required?
Immediate medical attention is required for a woman in whom pain in the left abdomen from the bottom occurs suddenly and has a high degree of intensity. An acute abdomen can be caused by inflammation of the appendages in an acute form, an ectopic pregnancy, torsion of the legs of an ovarian cyst, and hemorrhage in the ovary. The pain has a cramping, stitching or cutting character.
The pain caused by one of the above pathologies radiates to the anus and sacroiliac joint. Massive bleeding provokes a decrease in pressure in the arteries, which, in turn, leads to anemia, dizziness, weakness and increased heart rate.
If a fallopian tube rupture occurs as a result of a pathological pregnancy, the pain is of the so-called dagger character. An abscess of the ovary, as well as an accumulation of pus in the fallopian tube, leads to the appearance of sharp, throbbing pains.
If it hurts in the lower left abdomen of a woman, what else can this mean?
Acute left-sided inflammation leads, in addition to pain in the lower abdomen, also to an increase in body temperature and purulent vaginal discharge.
If the inflammation in the left appendage is chronic, then the pains are pulling and dull, localized in the lower abdomen. Quite often, such pathologies develop against a background of mucopurulent discharge from the vagina.
The presence of provoking factors, such as stress, hypothermia, weakening of the body's protective functions, physical activity, etc., can cause an exacerbation of the pathology. Appointment of adequate treatment is necessary, since otherwise irreversible complications and, as a result, infertility may occur.
Why it hurts in the lower left abdomen is interesting to many.
Neoplasms
Pain can also occur with the development of tumors in the female genital area. Formations can be benign or malignant, most often localized on the ovaries. Benign tumors show symptoms when they reach a certain size, when they begin to put pressure on neighboring organs.
Malignant tumors cause pain even at the stage of formation, especially when it comes to the fallopian tube. Soreness appears cramping and quite often causes watery discharge. At higher risk are patients older than 40 years who have already begun menopause.
Ovarian cancer, in turn, develops in the period after menopause and until a certain point does not appear. Soreness is manifested as a result of the spread of the cancer process, general exhaustion and intoxication. It also happens that ovarian cancer manifests itself already at the initial stages of development. The pains are aching and pulling, short-term.
Depending on the stage of development, pain can occur several times a week, last several hours and pass on its own. If the neoplasm falls into the pelvis, the pains become constant and vary depending on the volume of damage to tissues and organs.
When the stomach hurts on the left, the causes should be identified immediately.
Pathology of the sigmoid colon
The pathological process in the sigmoid colon can be indicated by soreness, which manifests itself after a long walk, off-road driving, before defecation, etc. The inflammatory process in the colon can cause so-called tenesmus or false urge to defecate. In the feces, impurities of blood, mucus, pus, etc. appear. The stool is fluid and frequent, while the lower abdomen hurts on the woman’s left side.
The sigmoid colon is the terminal part of the colon that connects to the rectum. It is in the sigmoid colon that stool is formed, and due to physiological bends, stagnation of the contents of the intestine can occur in it. In the area of ​​the sigmoid muscle, inflammatory and degenerative processes occur and neoplasms of a benign or malignant type are localized.
Infectious diseases - dysentery, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, as well as in the case of cancer of the sigmoid colon and circulatory disorders often lead to lower left abdominal pain. There may be other reasons.
Pain during pregnancy
Pain in the lower left abdomen during childbearing can occur for various reasons that are not always dangerous for the health of the mother and child. Physiological reasons stand out when pain occurs against the background of the attachment of a fetal egg to the uterine wall. Progesterone can also cause pain, which relaxes and softens the tissues surrounding the uterus, as well as the growing uterus itself, which compresses other organs.
Pathology
However, one should not forget about the pathological causes that can cause pain in the abdomen during gestation. These reasons include:
1. Uterine hypertonicity.
2. Spontaneous abortion at the initial stage.
3. The weakening of the internal uterine throat.
4. Cystitis.
5. Training fights.
6. Disorders in the digestive system.
If the pain is protracted, the woman urgently needs to get a specialist consultation, as this may indicate the development of a pathological process in the body. Only a doctor can accurately determine what can hurt the left abdomen in women and prescribe an adequate treatment regimen.