Pain in the left side of the body must or should never be undermined primarily because abnormality could have taken place in the organs located therein and if it goes undiagnosed and untreated, it could aggravate into serious illness.When abnormality occurs inside your body, pain is usually felt on the affected body area. This bodily sensation involves the brain and nerves that range from excruciating pain to numbness while it could also be associated with strange sensations like sharp, tingling or burning sensation. Medical advice should be sought out especially with severe pain to figure out the underlying culprit. Thus, it is important to have sufficient knowledge about the causes of pain in the left side of the body starting from the head, chest, abdomen, back and leg. The following paragraphs reveal them. Read on.

Chest Pain, a possible cause for pain in the left side of the body

Pain in the left side of the body is quite common among the labor force or working population. Primarily because the heart and left lung are located at the left side of the chest and when disorders and diseases strike at these organs, they cause left side chest pains. In additions, left side chest pain can also be caused by bones and muscles disorders. Here are some of the potential causes of left side chest pain.

1. Heartburn, gas and acidity – The stomach and intestine generate gas and when this moves upward, it presses the walls of the chest that result to chest wall tightening and breathing difficulties.
2. Angina – Is the pain experienced as a result of cardiac ischemia. Cardiac ischemia is a condition when the muscles of the heart are denied of oxygen-rich blood that greatly affects the pumping blood function of the heart. Angina is provoked after physical activity and normally associated with sharp-shooting left side chest pain.
3. Heart Attack – This occurs once the surface cover of fatty plaque burst out leading to the formation of thrombus or blood clot that totally obstructs the artery. Aside from left side chest pain, heart attack is associated with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulties, sweating, irregular heartbeat, dizziness and the pain extends at the back.

Abdominal Pain

Pain in the left side of the body is also felt at the abdomen. Stomach pain should never be ignored because it could be life-threatening. Some of the causes are:

1. Ectopic pregnancy – A pregnancy complication wherein the implantation of fertilized egg takes place outside the uterus.
2. Pancreatitis – Consuming excessive alcohol or eating large meal often triggers pancreatitis and is rendered as a medical crisis that needs immediate medical attention.
3. Intestinal obstruction – An urgent medical crisis that occurs when the small intestine or colon is blocked, thus, preventing the food and fluids to pass through.

Back Pain

Pain in the left side of the body also extends to the back that causes left back pain. Common cause of left side back pain is herniated disc. However, other culprit of left side back pain is sciatica, spinal stenosis and osteoporosis. Moreover, it can also be due to gastrointestinal problems including food sensitivities and bowel problems. It was also noted that pain in the left side of the body felt especially at the lower back could be due to muscle imbalance and could be treated by muscle-balance therapy.

Leg Pain

Injury is among the primary cause of pain in the left side of the body affecting the left leg. However, left side leg pain could be due to various causes such as arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, Baker’s cyst, deep vein thrombosis, Charlie horse and Parkinson’s disease.

The next time you experience pain in the left side of the body, refer to the information above and figure out the exact location of the pain so that when you visit the doctor, you are helping him/her diagnose the underlying causes.