Burning sensation, heaviness, constipation or poor digestion… It is sometimes difficult to precisely localize stomach pain. These stomach aches can include the upper part of the abdomen, the lower abdomen, radiate to the back, cause cramps or even spasms. In some cases, however, this pain is located at the bottom left, precisely: we then speak of pelvic pain (i.e. in the pelvis region), and women are generally the most affected, although men can also be. But what does this pain represent?
Stomach pain: why do I have pain in the lower left?
“This is where the muscular part of the colon is located, which reacts more intensely than the right side, which is more distensible. answers Dr Philippe Godeberge, gastroenterologist in Paris. It is for this reason that in irritable bowel syndrome, or functional colonopathy, the main cause of chronic intestinal pain, the pain is often localized on the left side, particularly in “constipated” forms. of this syndrome.
What can cause abdominal pain?
If, as Dr. Godeberge points out, a stomach ache located in the lower left can point to a cause, “localization alone is not enough to make a diagnosis. The causes of lower left abdominal pain in men or women are the same as those for any abdominal pain.
There are several causes that can cause this type of stomach pain:
Lower abdomen pain on left side : how to recognize pelvic pain in women?
In addition to the causes that we have just mentioned, and which are essentially digestive, gynecological pathologies can be the cause of pain in the lower abdomen or even in the left lower abdomen only in women, in particular endometriosis or conditions of the cervix. Furthermore, there are specific causes for lower abdominal pain during pregnancy.
Stomach pain on the left: burning, heaviness, hard stomach… What can be the associated symptoms?
Stomach pain can be isolated or, on the contrary, be associated with other symptoms. The presence of other signs makes it possible to better direct ourselves towards this or that diagnosis.
We can notably cite:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- fever
- Heaviness in the lower abdomen
Stomach aches: what are the possible causes depending on the location?
As we have seen, the location of the pain does not allow a diagnosis to be made, even if certain locations are characteristic of certain pathologies.
Right flank pain
Here again the causes can be multiple but pain in the right flank can indicate the presence of stones in the gallbladder, in the kidney or even a urinary problem or an intestinal obstruction.
When the pain is located in the lower right abdomen and radiates to the right flank, appendicitis can be suspected. But contrary to what is most often believed, the pain linked to an appendicitis attack is not necessarily clearly located on the right.
Epigastric pain
We speak of epigastric pain when the pain is located in the upper part of the abdomen, at the level of the epigastrium. This pain is generally caused by a pathology of the stomach (acid reflux, gastritis, ulcer) or of the esophagus (hernia, esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux, etc.)
When ifworry in case of stomach aches?
You must therefore consult a doctor to find the origin of this pain. The consultation becomes an emergency when the pain is associated with signs of seriousness: fever, vomiting, diarrhea or presence of blood in the stools.
Diverticula to blame?
Finally, pay attention to a confusion often made: pain in the lower abdomen and the presence of diverticula of the colon observed during an examination. These small hernias, located on the exterior surface of the colon, are anatomical anomalies linked to age which develop in the majority of cases on the part of the colon which descends towards the rectum, therefore on the left side.
“Patients often think they are in pain because they have diverticula. This is wrong: they are in pain because they are under stress, bereaved, or have eaten anything, but the diverticula have nothing to do with this pain.”
Indeed, the presence of diverticula, called diverticulosis, does not cause pain and this anomaly is often discovered by chance during a routine examination.
Diverticulosis, on the other hand, can lead to a local inflammatory and infectious disease, called diverticulitis, with acute pain and fever, which may require medical and surgical treatment.
Stomach pain: what to do when we have wrong At side LEFT ?
The first thing to do is of course to determine the origin of this pain by consulting the general practitioner. He can then refer his patient to a gastroenterologist if he considers it necessary. The treatment will of course be that of the cause. While waiting for the diagnosis to be made and treatment to be initiated, it is obviously possible to relieve the pain with an analgesic and/or an antispasmodic such as Spasfon.
Thanks to Doctor Philippe Godeberge, gastroenterologist in Paris and President Emeritus of the French National Society of Gastro-Enterology (SNFGE).
Read also :
⋙ Lower abdomen pain: the different possible causes
⋙ 3 flat stomach potions to prepare yourself
⋙ Stomach ache: 20 natural remedies
⋙ Pain on the left side: should we fear a heart risk?