Pain under the ribs: nature, causes

It is important to clearly understand that pain under the ribs can occur for various reasons, therefore it is more correct to say that this symptom can indicate any serious illness. No doctor can diagnose this symptom, even if he is a general specialist. Most likely, additional tests will be required to determine what such unpleasant manifestations in the human body are associated with.

As a rule, pain can occur for two main reasons: it can be a pathology acquired by a person as a result of improper attitude to his health, or it can be a disease of the spleen or other vital organs.

To maintain your health, you must carefully listen to it and such a symptom, in no case should not be missed, because sometimes it is he who indicates diseases that can cost a life.

The most common causes of pain

Consider the main reasons why pain under the ribs may appear:

• Often pain occurs due to a disease of the stomach or intestines. As a rule, such diseases can proceed in different ways and be of a different nature. Dull and at the same time aching pain manifests itself in an ulcer, regardless of where it is localized in the stomach or intestines. All deviations in the body associated with pain in the ribs can be noticed if there is a pancreatic disease or a sick liver.
• An enlarged spleen also refers to pathology; an infection, bacterial endocarditis, tuberculosis, or lupus erythematosus leads to this.
• This symptom can occur due to an injury in which the liver or spleen is affected.
• It cannot be ruled out that pain occurs in diseases associated with the lungs, this happens in the case of pneumonia or dry pleurisy.
• An exacerbation of urolithiasis can affect the occurrence of this unpleasant symptom.
• It cannot be ruled out that osteochondrosis often becomes the cause.
• Often, doctors can diagnose a patient with this symptom of neurocirculatory dystonia.

• You can feel pain with a heart attack. In this case, the symptom is very important, since a heart attack can be quickly diagnosed, because a number of other symptoms appear, shortness of breath, pain in the heart, sometimes even nausea is felt.

Be that as it may, pains under the ribs do not arise just like that, which means that this symptom should be paid attention to as soon as possible and consult specialists who will conduct an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment.

How to act with pain?

If it is not possible for a person who is sick to immediately call a doctor or consult a competent specialist, then initially it is worth concentrating on such things:

1. It is necessary to initially determine the exact place where the pain appeared, for example, it can occur in the right or left side, or it can be in the middle.
2. The pain can spread throughout the body, for example, it can be localized under the left or right shoulder blade.
3. The strength of the pain can vary significantly, it can be weak, moderate and strong.
4. Each pain is peculiar, it can be attacks, appear sharply and also disappear sharply, be dull or sharp, sometimes even shooting.
5. Sometimes, with various factors, the pain changes its character, this often happens when pain occurs in the sides under the ribs, and a sick person inhales air, coughs, with sudden movements or changes in the body to an uncomfortable position.
6. The patient should try to determine in which position the pain ceases. If this situation cannot be found, then it is worth using medications, for example, it can be painkillers, sometimes it is possible to quench the pain with the help of heat.
7. To help the doctor make a complete medical history, it is advisable to establish the time of the manifestation of pain, it sometimes appears in the afternoon, morning or only in the evenings.

By carefully monitoring changes in his body, a sick person will be able to greatly facilitate the task of the doctor with the identification of the underlying disease and begin immediate treatment.

What pains do chronic diseases have?

It's no secret that pain begins to arise due to chronic diseases. Even if such a disease does not threaten the patient’s life, it will not work without treatment, since it is impossible to live with such a symptom.

The main reason is considered to be chronic gastritis. Initially, the patient may note that he has pain under the left rib, and this occurs immediately after he takes a meal.

The disease begins to worsen in the spring and autumn, so maintenance therapy can easily cope with all the problems of the patient and eliminates such an unpleasant symptom.

In the case when the patient has pancreatitis, it will hurt under the ribs in the supine position. When a patient knows about his chronic diseases, then he will always have the necessary drugs at hand to relieve all unpleasant symptoms.

What pain should I urgently go to the doctor with?

In no case should you lose sight of the pain under the right rib in front, as this precedes serious liver problems. When the pain appears during breathing, then, most likely, it signals a lung abscess. In any case, when acute pain is felt, you must immediately call a doctor.

Pain that is shingles may indicate pancreatic cancer. The most unpredictable pain occurs with neurocirculatory dystonia. The fact is that the patient can not say exactly what he has and where exactly, and the nature of the pain can also be different, which does not allow the doctor to determine the possible cause, it will be possible to draw the appropriate conclusions only after diagnosis.

What does dull pain indicate?

When there is pain behind the ribs and it appears dull, the specialist can immediately suggest several variants of the disease without preliminary diagnosis:

1. The problem may be hiding in high acidity and gastritis.
2. Perhaps the patient has cancer of the stomach.

In this case, the patient must be examined by a gastroenterologist, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, then medication or surgery to remove the affected area will be prescribed.

If a stomach ulcer is diagnosed, then the pain will bother the patient at night and at a certain time of the year - in the fall and spring.

When it hurts under the ribs on the left after eating, then most likely the person has experienced gastritis, in which case nausea and vomiting may still appear. Sometimes this symptom also indicates stomach cancer, but this is only if the stage of the disease is the last, and along with these symptoms, the following are also manifested:

1. Before that, there was a sharp loss in weight.
2. The taste preferences of the patient have changed.
3. Yellowness of the face appeared.
4. Loss of performance.
5. Frequent mood changes.

In any case, if dull pain occurs, then you should immediately contact an experienced doctor who can determine the disease and prescribe immediate treatment, because even cancer is treated in the early stages.

What diseases causes aching pain under the ribs?

When it hurts under the left rib, and the peculiarity of the pain is that it is aching and at the same time dull, then most likely the doctor will be able to diagnose the following diseases:

1. The spleen may increase, and if a cough appears, the pain will only intensify.
2. There may be injuries to the costal part, in which case you will need to take an X-ray and be examined by a specialist doctor.
3. If the pain is localized on the right, but gives in the side on the left, then the reason may be hiding in the fact that a person has liver pain.
4. Sometimes the patient may feel aching pain from the side, but in fact it will be localized in the lower body, this happens if the muscles are cold, due to being in a draft and severe hypothermia.

When the back under the ribs hurts, this often indicates the following diseases:

1. If it starts to hurt on the left, then perhaps a person has heart problems. To determine what exactly bother a person, a chest x-ray will help.
2. Aching pain from the back indicates a disease of the stomach and intestines.
3. Problems with the musculoskeletal system can also cause pain under the shoulder blade extending to the ribs. This happens when a person has psychological stress, or the human body has undergone a strong emotional shock.
4. Aching pain under the ribs is caused by osteochondrosis, when the work of muscles and joints is disrupted.

Pain syndrome can occur anywhere and only a doctor can establish the exact disease.

Causes of pain under the shoulder blades extending to the ribs

The pain on the back is acute, aching, or even dull, but serious diseases can cause it:

1. Burning pain from the back signals osteochondrosis.
2. If the pain syndrome is manifested by seizures, then, most likely, the person has an ulcer.
3. Dull back pain indicates pleurisy or lung problems.
4. If the pain under the left rib in front and intensifies with each breath, then perhaps the person has oncology or there are all prerequisites for tuberculosis.

All pain can be divided by the following characteristics:

1. Tinea pain, causes a lot of trouble, it spreads to one area.
2. Burning pain can even lead to numbness in some parts of the human body.
3. The growing pain may be mild, and after a while go into acute pain.
4. Acute pain is notable for its intensity, a person cannot lie on his side, sit calmly, and in general any movements cause a lot of trouble.
5. Cutting pain most often occurs on the left and gradually moves to the center of the back.
6. Aching pain can be localized at the top of the scapula.

Do not wonder why it hurts under the ribs, and at the same time engage in self-medication, since such an attitude to your health can only worsen it.

Diagnosis and start of treatment

It is worth remembering that the faster the doctor can determine the cause of the pain, the faster the treatment will begin, so the patient should help to conduct a self-diagnosis. By carefully listing all the symptoms and describing them in detail, a person will minimize the number of possible diseases. Consider the main types of diagnosis for pain under the ribs:

• Initially, the patient goes to the therapist. The doctor carefully examines, collects a complete medical history and prescribes all the necessary tests.
• The therapist can send the patient for examination to other qualified doctors, it can be: an orthopedist, urologist, neurologist, surgeon, gastroenterologist.

• If there is a suspicion of a disease of one particular organ, then an ultrasound is prescribed. With this diagnosis, the doctor will be able to determine the condition of the abdominal organs and exclude the presence of the tumor and its nature, because it can be benign or malignant.
• When the ultrasound can not give accurate results, an MRI, X-ray or ECG is prescribed.

If the patient can describe exactly the nature of his pain, then the doctor will be able to diagnose faster, for example, wondering what might hurt under the left rib on the side. The specialist will be able to calmly say that this is connected either with heart diseases or with the spleen, which means that either a gastroenterologist or a cardiologist should prescribe treatment.

Treatment and use of drugs

In order not to bring the body to irreparable changes, which are then irreversible, you should contact a specialist in time. Only he has the right to prescribe an effective treatment.

For example, a sharp pain that occurs on the left side most often indicates heart diseases, therefore, the sooner a person comes to the doctor, the more chances he has for survival. Naturally, the doctor will not be able to prescribe the medicine only according to the description of pain, since everything depends on the treatment. As a rule, different treatment methods and techniques can be prescribed:

• A patient who has pain under his right rib due to an injury should immediately rest. It also happens that when the patient stays at rest for some time and does not strain muscles, the pain recedes.
• Medications are prescribed only if an inflammatory process is detected in the body. Naturally, in this case, drugs that relieve inflammation, for example, Movalis or Celebrex, will be prescribed.
• When unpleasant symptoms have bothered a person for a long time, then antidepressants are used, because the main reason lies in frequent stresses.
• Pain in the sides under the ribs can be relieved with muscle relaxants. To date, most often prescribed by doctors "Midokalm". A normal effect can be achieved if non-steroidal drugs, analgesics, massages and exercise therapy are used in parallel.
• In the case when the pain occurs due to problems with the joints or vertebrae of the back, manual therapy is prescribed.
• Problems associated with nerve conduction can be removed with the help of acupuncture.

• Sometimes a massage is prescribed. In this way, you can also relieve muscle cramps and improve blood circulation.

Of course, the main treatment is to remove initially all the symptoms that cause a lot of troubles to a person, but then drug therapy is prescribed to cure the disease itself.

Pulmonary diseases and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can be treated with antibiotics, but with suspicion of a heart attack or angina pectoris, the patient is urgently hospitalized, because pain under the ribs indicates the seriousness of the pathology in the first place. If conservative therapy is useless, then surgery is performed.

It is important to remember that after the symptom recedes a little, you should not stop, for this you should follow a special diet and exercise. Physiotherapy may include therapeutic massage, a special Sharko shower, swimming.

If the patient has not revealed any serious pathologies, then the course of treatment, especially when it hurts under the right rib on the side, can last only two weeks. In no case should you self-medicate and take drugs on your own, as this can adversely affect the body, the same applies to alternative methods of treatment.

Not only adults, but also small children can suffer from the pain syndrome. To prevent this, it is recommended that caring parents treat the child with great care and monitor their health. For this, orthopedists even recommend using special furniture. There are actually many reasons why it hurts under the ribs and from the back, so it is better to seek qualified help from a narrow specialist, only he can prescribe an effective treatment.

Prevention

So that rib pain does not cause much trouble to a person, care must be taken to carry out preventive measures in advance. It is advisable to exclude everything that provokes the disease, so it is worthwhile to strictly observe the instructions of doctors.

1. It is recommended every day to do gymnastics to all people, without exception, and especially to those who lead a sedentary lifestyle due to the nature of the work. Even if it hurts on the right under the ribs, the patient will still have to walk a day for at least forty minutes, because such pain is associated with a violation of the musculoskeletal system.
2. Be sure to take care of your diet. It must be balanced and fortified, this will allow all internal organs to function well.
3. Any violations of working conditions also lead to such unpleasant symptoms as pain under the rib, so a person should take care that his body is comfortable everywhere.
4. Each person must always monitor the weather and dress appropriately so as not to get cold or catch a cold anywhere. Any draft can cause not only a runny nose, but also strong "backache" in the back, which will give under the ribs.
5. Any addictions also negatively affect human health, so you should gradually quit smoking and drinking.
6. It is not advisable to lift weights, as in this way you can tear your back and this will also affect the pain under the ribs.
7. If a person begins to feel that he has pain under his right rib, then self-medication should not be used here, you should definitely go to a doctor who can accurately determine the cause and prescribe an effective treatment.

Keeping these simple rules is not at all difficult. The health of each person depends on this. People who always follow these rules almost never encounter problems and pains in the ribs, as their internal organs are completely healthy.

If there are any problems with the musculoskeletal system, then as soon as they become known about them, it is recommended that you immediately begin to wear special orthopedic shoes or use orthopedic insoles.

In any case, only a qualified doctor can not only remove an unpleasant symptom, but also permanently rid a person of serious illnesses, and in some cases even stop the development of pathologies that can cost a life.