One of the most awful pains experienced by a person is the sharp lower left abdominal pains which are generally sharp and stabbing or pulsing. You need to learn about the causes of lower left quadrant pains and find out when you need to consult your doctor. In this article we will learn the causes and treatment of lower left quadrant pains and when to seek medical attention.
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Lower Left Quadrant Pain:
What organs are on the lower left side of your body? The area below the rib cage under the belly button has various delicate organs inside it. Some of the very important organs in this part are intestine, kidneys, ovary, fallopian tube etc. when a person suffers from sharp stabbing lower left quadrant pain; it generally is an indication of some problem in these organs. The pain in lower left side of the back are mostly related to underlying health concern and one must consult doctor if the pains are persistent and their frequency increases despite using some pain killers. Lower left abdominal pain in men are generally due to hernia, intestinal obstruction, kidney stones while pain in lower left side of abdomen in female is sometimes due to ovarian cysts, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy etc. Lower left pelvic pain is generally a serious concern and you need to get medical supervision. Lower left quadrant pain in child is generally an indication of indigestion or infection in the digestive tract. What is lower left quadrant pain a symptom of? Read the content of the article below and get knowledge about dull lower left quadrant pain and acute lower left quadrant pain.
Causes of Lower Left Quadrant Pain:
There are several reasons of lower left quadrant pain; in this article we will study the most common causes of lower left quadrant pain.
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Diverticulitis:
Sometimes the pressure from colon and intestine results in the appearance of tiny sac or pouch like structures inside the digestive tract, the pouch like structures are known as diverticula and are seen mostly in the large intestine or in colon. They normally remain inside the intestinal linings as hanging bodies and do not cause any harm. When these pouches like diverticula get inflamed or infected, they result in a condition which is known as diverticulitis and is among the main causes of lower left quadrant pain. Patients suffering from inflamed diverticula or diverticulitis have some symptoms like indigestion, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, chronic constipation which results in bleeding at rectum etc. under acute conditions, person suffers from fever as well. It is one of the main reasons of lower left quadrant pain in males and females.
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Bowel obstruction:
Bowel obstruction is caused by several factors such as hernia, swallowed stuff, compacted metabolic wastes, tumors etc. Lower left quadrant pain after eating is generally due to bowel obstruction. As a response body tends to get rid of this obstruction and a person suffers from gas and lower left quadrant pain in the form of cramps. The extreme obstruction of bowel makes it difficult for stools and even gases to pass and this creates highly painful and uncomfortable situation for the patient. Obstruction of bowel can lead to some other symptoms like inflammation of intestine, nausea, vomits, diarrhea etc. Lower left quadrant pain in men is generally due to the obstruction of intestine or bowels.
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Ovarian cysts:
Cysts can develop inside ovaries at any time. Ovarian cysts are generally in the form of small sacs which are filled with a fluid. In most of the cases these cysts are benign and only result in slight pain. On the other hand, some cysts grow in size and result in sharp pain in lower left abdomen in females, extreme pelvic pain, pain in lower left abdomen and back especially before the onset of menstruation, nausea, bloating, vomiting, increased urination etc. The Lower left quadrant pain in female is further worsen by the rupture of cyst which can cause a female to faint, if a young female is complaining sharp pain to the lower left quadrant, you need to consult immediate medical attention as this condition is life threatening.
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Endometriosis:
In some cases, the endometrial tissues grow and enlarge in size outside the uterus. The displaced tissue results in acute pain especially during menstruation. As the periods begin, the tissue increases and size and undergo a break down and the debris is passed out along with the vaginal bleeding. Pelvic pains and menstrual cramps, intermittent lower left quadrant pain, heavy bleeding during periods, painful sexual intercourse, and pain during urination along with some bleeding etc are the typical symptoms of endometriosis.
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Kidney stones:
High intake of calcium in diet and increased concentration of uric acid in blood can result in the formation of tiny stones inside the kidneys. The pain due to stones in kidney is generally too sharp and generally radiates across entire body. The symptoms of kidney stones are fever, chills, nausea, blood in urine, painful urination etc. Sometimes, the urinary tract infections can also result in lower left quadrant pain but that pain is generally not too intense.
Treatment of Lower Left Quadrant Pain
Once the diagnosis is made, the health care provider will offer some treatment options for Treatment of abdominal lower left quadrant pain. There are several options of treatment which exclusively depend on the cause of pain. Some general treatment options used are:
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Surgery:
For conditions like ovarian cysts, hernia, kidney stones, diverticulitis etc doctors usually recommend surgery if the cases are severe. Surgical intervention is also needed to treat intestinal or bowel obstruction as it can lead to life threatening consequences. Chronic lower left quadrant pains generally need surgical intervention.
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Prescription antibiotics:
Mild infections of kidneys, mild cases of diverticulitis can be treated by prescribing some antibiotics and get a regular follow up of the patient. Upper and lower left quadrant pains which are generally not too intense are mainly due to infections.
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Hydration:
For some problems like kidney stones, body needs plenty of water in order to flush the stone forming substances out. Hence you are advised to stay hydrated as much as you can. Back lower left quadrant pain is generally due to kidney stones and can be cured by staying hydrated.
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Treatment of pain:
For the treatment of pain, some pain killers, warm compresses such as heating pads and warm baths are prescribed.
When to get medical supervision:
When the pain killers and other methods of pain relieving are not beneficial and pain is intensified, you need to consult your health care provider. Your doctor will advise some diagnostic tests to make exact diagnosis and treatment option depends generally on the root cause of pain.
Bottom Line:
Lower left quadrant pain is caused due to several factors like diverticulitis, hernia, ovarian cysts, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, intestinal obstructions etc. it is advised to consult your health care provider if the pain is intense and seems radiating to different parts of the body. The treatment of dull lower left quadrant pain depends greatly on the diagnosis and in acute conditions, surgical intervention is needed.
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