In the modern world, few people pay due attention to their health. And this is actually very sad. Any pain, regardless of its location, indicates the presence of any malfunctions in the body. Therefore, this alarming symptom should not be ignored. This is especially true when it appears on the left side of the body. This can be associated with ordinary muscle spasm, as well as with various serious diseases. If you do not start treatment on time, then this is fraught with the development of life-threatening complications, which can lead to a very deplorable outcome.
Timely medical diagnosis provides an opportunity to start treatment at the early stages of the development of a pathology, to prevent its overflow into a chronic form and to reduce other associated risks. Let's look at why, when coughing, it pricks in the left side, what problems it may be associated with, and also what the delay in visiting a hospital can turn out to be.
A little physiology
Our body is a truly unique creation of nature, which has a very complex structure. To better understand why pain occurs, you need to have an idea of what the person is left under the ribs. If you look at the biology textbook, you can read that a huge number of internal organs are concentrated in this part:
- intestinal dolichosigma;
- bud;
- adrenal;
- heart;
- stomach;
- spleen;
- lung;
- ureter;
- diaphragm.
If there are certain problems with any of them, then the first thing is pain. Having the idea that the person is located on the left under the ribs, you can first make an indicative diagnosis. Faced with the syndrome, you should consult a doctor for an examination. As practice shows, pain never manifests itself, but is evidence of the presence of a disease.
Main reasons
Let's dwell on this in more detail. If the left side hurts when coughing, then this is a serious cause for concern. Reasons can have a very different nature, but conditionally they are all divided into two groups:
- Pulmonary. As a rule, pain indicates the presence of complications resulting from the severe course of acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, pneumonia and many other respiratory diseases.
- Extrapulmonary. The pain can be associated with thoracalgia, myositis, herpes zoster, dystrophic disorders in the articular cartilage, injuries and cancer.
In addition, acute pain in the left side during coughing is one of the first signs of myocardial infarction and other serious cardiac pathologies. Among other symptoms, numbness of the arm and shoulder blade is often observed. If previously a person underwent surgery, then exacerbations and various complications of a cold can develop. Next, each of the groups of diseases will be examined in detail.
Possible consequences
This aspect should be given special significance. If the left side under the ribs hurts when coughing, then it is better not to self-medicate, but to immediately go to the hospital. This is due to the fact that most of the diseases known today are easily treatable in the early stages. But in neglected form, they can lead to many serious health problems. The most dangerous thing is that some dangerous pathologies have similar symptoms. For example, pain can be a harbinger of myocardial infarction, cancer, pyelonephritis, or shingles.
Even a slight delay can lead to decompensation or even cost a person life. In the advanced form, even not very serious pathologies often lead to cardiovascular and respiratory failure, as well as to liver or kidney dysfunction. In this case, as medical statistics show, patients cannot be saved and everything ends in death.
Diseases of the digestive tract and kidneys
So what do you need to know about this? This vast group is represented by a huge number of pathologies in which the left side hurts when coughing. The most commonly diagnosed are the following:
- Rupture of the spleen. The cause of this problem is mechanical damage to the abdominal region of the left side of the body. As a result of severe damage, the injured organ begins to bleed heavily, and a large amount of blood enters the peritoneum. The victim has not only severe pain, but also high fever and shortness of breath. In the absence of proper medical care, the temperature gradually increases, chills develop, and a hematoma appears in the left side of the abdomen.
- Subphrenic abscess. The internal organs of the chest and peritoneum are separated from each other by a diaphragm, which moves when breathing. If a hernia forms on it, then the stomach moves up, as a result of which a person coughs pain in the left side, in particular in the area of the ribs. Among the frequently observed symptoms can be identified profuse regurgitation after eating, as food from the stomach involuntarily enters the esophagus. It is also difficult for the patient to breathe fully.
- Appendicitis. Despite the fact that the appendix is located on the right side, in the acute form of the inflammatory process, pain can also give off to the left. In this case, the intensity and severity of symptoms increase with inspiration. They can spread throughout the abdominal region and around the ribs. The patient has an elevated temperature, which can reach 39 degrees and above, and chills. If surgery is not done on time, the appendix may burst, which can be fatal.
- Acute pyelonephritis. If the left side hurts when coughing under the ribs or between them, and also radiating to the abdominal region, then this may indicate the presence of inflammatory kidney damage. Among the main clinical manifestations, urination disorder, fever, more frequent urination and renal colic, which become more pronounced with exhalation and cough, can be distinguished. In a neglected form, the syndrome can be so strong that the patient develops a pain shock and he loses consciousness. Painkillers and medications help solve the problem.
- Pancreatitis If the left side hurts when coughing, then it is better not to delay too much going to the hospital. A similar symptom is often observed with pancreatitis. This is a dangerous disease that can lead to many complications and various diseases affecting the entire gastrointestinal tract. Due to the insufficient production of certain enzymes, nutrients are not completely digested and absorbed in the body, which creates a large load on the pancreas. It increases in volume and begins to put pressure on other organs. This is reflected by pain under the ribs or in the abdominal cavity.
In the presence of pronounced symptoms, do not hesitate to wait a second. It is necessary to immediately call an emergency ambulance, since diseases that occur especially in acute form are very dangerous.
Cardiological diseases
What you need to know about them? The diaphragm is very closely connected with the work of the heart. With deep breaths, it can create pressure on the internal organ, as a result of which there is pain on the left in the chest when coughing.
Among the most common diseases that provoke this symptom, we can distinguish:
- Cardiomyopathy An extensive group of pathologies of various etiologies associated with myocardial damage. As a result of full or partial structural modification, the internal organ ceases to cope with its duties. Against this background, a stitching pain in the chest, left side and peritoneum can pierce a person during inspiration. The disease is dangerous in that it can cause a heart attack, in most cases ending in death.
- Coronary artery disease. It is characterized by damage to the blood vessels of the heart, which leads to malnutrition of the heart. Very often, patients give a dry cough to the left side. Discomfort is aggravated by any movement.
The most dangerous in the case of diseases of the heart and circulatory system is that they can occur secretly for a long period of time. The first symptoms become noticeable already at later stages, in which they are more difficult to treat.
Pathology of the bronchopulmonary system
For any respiratory illness, patients have difficulty breathing. However, some people complain that after a strong cough the left side hurts. Similar symptoms may be characteristic of the following diseases:
- Exudative pleurisy. With it, an inflammatory lesion of the pleura occurs, accompanied by destructive disorders. Patients, as a rule, have a strong suffocating cough, a significant increase in body temperature, and pain, which intensifies during movement.
- Left-sided pneumonia. A disease of infectious etiology that affects the soft tissues and membrane of the respiratory system. It is accompanied by fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, sweating and pain during breathing. On the left side, it is diagnosed much less often, but more difficult to treat.
Pain in lung disease is associated with an increase in their volume during air intake. It is a very common occurrence characteristic of respiratory diseases, which complicates their diagnosis.
Injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system
According to statistics, these problems are most common if the left side hurts when coughing. This group is numerous, but the following diseases are most often diagnosed:
- Bruises and injuries of the chest, accompanied by damage to the soft tissues. If the victim was stitched on the left side, then throughout the rehabilitation period he may experience aching pulling pain, the intensity of which increases with inhalation. This is due to partial damage or rupture of nerve endings.
- Fracture of the ribs. The severity of clinical manifestations varies depending on the severity of the injury. If just a pricking occurred, then for some time the symptoms may be completely absent. Over time, when you inhale, the patient begins to experience a little pain. But if the victim was not provided with qualified medical care, then the probability of improper bone fusion and pinching of the nerve endings is high, as a result of which the left side is back pain when coughing.
- Intercostal neuralgia. The main reason for the development is compression of the nerve column by the vertebrae. It becomes difficult for a person to breathe and move, and he also experiences acute pain piercing the entire body.
- Thoracic osteochondrosis. This name refers to degenerative degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. They can be localized in any department, but most often it affects the chest. Very often accompanied by vertebral hernia, aggravating the patient's condition and complicating therapy. The pain syndrome does not appear immediately, but gradually increases as the disease develops.
- Titz syndrome is an inflammatory lesion of cartilage in the area of connection of the ribs with the chest. If, when coughing, it pricks in the left side, and the pain builds up when you inhale and weakens a little when you exhale or make sudden movements, then there is every reason to believe that this pathology is present. According to doctors, Titz syndrome is diagnosed in very rare cases. As a rule, it is a complication of previous surgical operations or injuries.
For any injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, it is recommended to refrain from self-medication. If complex therapy is not started on time, then there is a high risk of developing various complications, some of which are irreversible. Therefore, if you notice the first clinical manifestations, then you must immediately contact the hospital.
Diagnostics
What is it and what is its feature? If the left side of the lower abdomen or in any other department hurts when coughing, then this indicates the presence of any diseases, the origin of which may be different. But, in order to choose the right treatment program, you must first make an accurate diagnosis. To undergo an examination, you should consult a therapist, but since there may be many causes of pain during coughing, additional consultation with specialists such as a surgeon, oncologist, cardiologist, urologist, TB specialist and pulmonologist may be required.
Also, to make an accurate diagnosis, you will have to undergo a number of laboratory tests. Most often, the following are prescribed:
- sputum examination;
- general analysis of blood and urine;
- liver tests;
- ultrasonography;
- electrocardiogram;
- radiography;
- MRI
- fibrogastroscopy.
Based on the results obtained and the diagnosis made for the patient, the most optimal therapy program is compiled, combining high efficiency and minimal harm to the body.
The main methods of therapy
Let's dwell on this in more detail. To date, there is no universal drug that would help get rid of the problem if it coughs in the left side of the bottom or in other parts of the upper body. Treatment is selected for each patient separately, taking into account its clinical picture and the presence of concomitant diseases. As a rule, two methods of therapy are prescribed:
- Conservative treatment - involves taking medications in accordance with the dosage calculated by the doctor. This option is the most optimal, since it allows you to cure the patient without resorting to surgery. It is most effective for injuries and bruises, as well as pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.
- Surgery - is prescribed in the most extreme cases, when the health and life of the patient poses a great threat. Among these most common diseases, appendicitis, gallbladder inflammation, and heart failure can be identified.
The final decision on the method of therapy used is made by the attending physician. Preference is given to the most effective and safe. If the examination did not reveal any dangerous diseases, then the patient is not hospitalized. He is sent for home treatment based on the use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs in combination with ointments and folk remedies. In order to subsequently prevent relapse, it is recommended that at least occasionally undergo a preventive examination. It will allow you to timely identify and cure almost any disease.
Conclusion
There are a huge number of diseases of various etiologies with different symptoms. But most of them are very often accompanied by pain. Therefore, if you began to experience it, then you need to immediately go to the hospital. Trust your body and never ignore the signals it sends you. This will allow you to timely respond to emerging problems and quickly get rid of them.