Abdominal pain is not hard to miss and there are many things in your upper left abdominal quadrant that can be impacted causing pain in that area. Treatment for upper left abdominal pain depends upon cause, and go to a doctor if pain and other symptoms persist.
Abdominal pain takes place in the area between your chest and your pelvis, and is something that everybody has actually experienced. It can be as basic as a little stomach ache to more severe medical conditions depending on how much pain there is and how persistent it is. Your abdominal pain can be intense and short lived. Nevertheless, there are numerous cases in which abdominal pain is chronic, lasting for days, weeks or perhaps months. Ideally, if you are experiencing chronic abdominal pain you will not wait months before seeking medical help.
Pain in the upper left side of your abdomen, frequently referred to as upper left quadrant pain, is generally indicative of something incorrect with the organs and/or tissue structures located on that area of the upper body. Part of your bowel, your spleen, completion part of the pancreas, part of the stomach, the left part of your liver, the left side of your kidneys, a portion of your ureter, the left adrenal gland, part of your left lung, the lower part of your left ribs, the aorta, many muscles and skin are all located in this upper left quadrant of your abdominal area. Your heart is also located just above this area. Any issue or condition in any of these organs, bones, tissues or muscles will directly cause upper left abdominal pain.
Medical Causes of Upper Left Abdominal Pain
Left upper quadrant, or LUQ, pain can stem from numerous causes. Some causes for these pains may not be localized properly, so bear in mind that the area that hurts may not be directly in line with the internal problem that is triggering pain. Below is a list of common causes for LUQ pain.
- Thoracic Causes. Characterized by heart and/or respiratory pains.
- Abdominal Causes. An aortic rupture, spleen breakdown or irregularity, gastric ulcers, kidney disease, colon pain, pancreatic inconsistencies, and problems in the diaphragm or peritoneum, like abscesses or peptic ulcers.
- Chest and Abdominal Wall. Localized muscular and skeletal pain, often due to chronic illness will be experienced in addition to spine pain from illnesses such as shingles.
- Other Medical Causes. These include, but are not entirely restricted to, diabetic ketoacidosis, septicaemia, hypercalcaemia, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, hereditary angio-oedema, and porphyria.
Any of the above mentioned issues and causes requires medical attention and treatment. Medical professionals will want assess your symptoms and most likely run a few tests and scans for further diagnosis and to determine a course of treatment, states iytmed.com. Remember the issues noted above are NOT likely to be self treatable.
Most Common Causes of Upper Left Abdominal Pain
Considering that so much of your abdominal organs and muscles are discovered in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen there are lots of conditions and injuries that can cause abdominal pain to be experienced there. Here you will discover info on the most common causes discovered.
- Severe pancreatitis is an inflammation of your pancreas due in large part to a consumption of alcohol. Using certain medication excessively and even distressing injuries can be the offenders for severe pancreatitis too. Symptoms include abdominal pain, primarily, along with vomiting, diarrhea, fever and nausea.
- Splenomegaly. Pain in your upper left abdominal area can likewise mean that you are struggling with a bigger spleen, likewise called splenomegaly. Viral, bacterial and other parasitic infections are direct causes of splenomegaly. Leukemia and liver cirrhosis can cause an enlarged spleen as well.
- Gastroenteritis is another typical cause for upper abdominal pain and is normally the most seen. Also known as the stomach flu, this inflammation of the stomach is caused by an infection or bacterial infection. Viral germs as well as polluted food and water are typically the offenders here. Typical symptoms aside from abdominal pain include, queasiness, vomiting, dehydration, diarrhea and an anorexia nervosa.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, impacts the lower digestive tract and causes extreme bowel discomfort. It can be defined by extreme cases of diarrhea or constipation and affects people of all ages, with the most typical group being adolescent women.
- Pyelonephritis is a kidney infection due to bacteria. Abdominal pain is accompanied by fever, chills and vomiting. Do not confuse kidney infections with kidney stones as their causes are different and treatments will differ.
- Pneumonia is another common factor for abdominal pain and is caused by an infection, bacteria or fungus. Swelling will be present in the lower left part of the lungs causing pain and trouble breathing. Chest pains, fever, chills and severe coughing are likewise typical symptoms.
- Polycystic kidney disease. You can likewise experience severe abdominal pain from polycystic kidney disease where painful cysts will develop on your kidneys. This can result in serious health conditions like high blood pressure and renal kidney failure.
- Food Poisoning comes from ingesting infected food or beverages and will result in abdominal pain anywhere from 1-48 hours after consumption. Vomiting, nausea and fever prevail symptoms as well.
- Excess wind can become trapped in your large bowel or stomach and cause abdominal pain and discomfort. Swelling, bloating and cramps will occur, and passing wind will help minimize the pain.
Diagnosis and Treatments for Upper Left Abdominal Pain
Physical exams, x-rays or CT scans are the most effective methods to identify the cause of your upper left abdominal pain. Blood and urine tests may also be done for diagnosis functions. Your treatments will depend mainly on the cause for your abdominal pain. Most of the time dehydration will occur so doctors will want to control that first either through electrolytic fluids drinken orally or from a fluid drip. Antibiotics are practical in treating most of the illness noted above and diuretics are used to treat kidney problems.
