If you are one of those suffering from pain in lower left abdomen it is quite natural that you could be worried about the same. Worrying may not help and the best way forward would be to find the main reasons for such pain and take diagnostic and remedial steps to get away from the pain.
However, as an informed individual it would indeed make a lot of sense if you understood the main reasons and causes for pain in lower left abdomen. It would help you to seek doctor’s help and advice the moment you have a pain that you feel is unusual and a potential source of risk. One of the most common causes for such pains is kidney stones. If the left kidney is affected with stones of various sizes, it could try and push out the stones leading to contraction and expansion of the abdominal muscles. This could cause moderate to severe pain in lower left abdomen. There could also be common situations where you could suffer from this pain due to severe gastritis and indigestion problems. Hence it is very important for you to understand the reasons for the same for which a thorough diagnosis is a must. Such diagnosis should be done only under the strict instruction and observation of the doctor, failing which identifying the root cause can become a big problem.
Another potentially risky and dangerous reason for pain in lower left abdomen could be due to colon cancer. However it would be wrong to assume that all such pains in the lower abdomen are because of this dreaded disease. Quite a few times stool inside the colon backup which may cause acute lower abdominal pain. It is very important to find out the exact source from where the pain originates which could be helpful in easy diagnosis and identification of the actual reason for pain in lower left abdomen.
Is Pain in Lower Left Abdomen Risky?
Pain in lower left abdomen is often more common than central or right abdominal pain. Usual causes of this pain may include:
- Left Ectopic Pregnancy
Question you may ask yourself to determine if you are having a left ectopic pregnancy are: Are you a woman of childbearing age? Did you miss your menses for about four to twelve weeks? Do you feel pain in lower left abdomen? Do you experience bleeding from your vagina and is the bleeding painful? Are you often feeling dizzy? If the answer to these questions is more on the affirmative, it is possible that you have an ectopic pregnancy that has burst or a miscarriage. You need to immediately call an ambulance to take you to the hospital and be attended by a doctor. You must not delay because a ruptured ectopic pregnancy is deadly.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Ask yourself these: Do you feel pain in lower left abdomen? Is it a cramping pain? Are you often constipated? Are you at young to middle age? Do you notice that certain types of foods make the pain worse? Despite several tests, have your doctor unable to determine the real cause of your pain? If your answers to this question are more of yes, then you might be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome that is causing the pain in lower left abdomen.
There are times that intolerance to lactose can also create this condition. The difference with irritable bowel syndrome is that with lactose intolerance, you tend to experience diarrhoea and bloating after you have taken foods that contain milk. However, before it can be ruled out that you are having an irritable bowel syndrome; all other possible causes should first be tested and excluded. Therefore, you must first see a doctor to make the proper examinations and diagnosis to determine if the pain in lower left abdomen is really caused by IBS.
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when the large blood vessel known as aorta that brings blood from the heart to the other parts of the body. If the aorta becomes inflated and begins to leak without warning, it can cause abdominal pain and on occasions; pain in lower left abdomen. The sufferer may suddenly collapse and become cold, pale and the blood pressure may drop tremendously. This is a high risk condition and must be attended immediately by medical people.
- Hernia
If a hernia develops on the left side, it may lead to lower left abdominal pain. Hernia is the enlargement of the gut or portion of the bowel by an abnormal opening in the wall that contains it. There are other formations found in a hernia separately from the gut.
- Endometriosis
Endometriosis is the existence of normal womb tissue at the outer side of the womb. If it is on the left ovarian tube, it can cause pain in lower left abdomen. The pain is commonly felt on that side and is worsen with the menses. Soft swelling can be felt on the affected side as well. However, this concern is not easily diagnosed.
- Rectus Sheath Haematoma
If rectus sheath haematoma develops on the left side, it is obvious that pain in lower left abdomen will be experienced. This condition occurs when a blood vessel coming from the groin that goes up to the abdomen is damaged. This will cause the blood to trail under the muscle that covers the affected side of the abdomen. Thus, it will form a mass with extreme pain.
- Bowel Cancer
Pain in lower left abdomen can also be caused by a cancer affecting the left side of the bowel. The symptoms for this ailment may include change in bowel habits, weight loss, poor appetite, occurrence of constipation, and generally feeling weak. These symptoms that may run for months are similar with other ailments such as chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, to name a few. If you feel some of these symptoms, it is wise to visit a doctor.
There are countless other causes of pain in lower left abdomen not mentioned here, but knowing some will help you determine if they are risky or not.