Regardless of gender, all people experience discomfort from time to time for various reasons. Pain in the left hypochondrium in men can be caused by minor abnormalities associated, for example, with the digestive tract or genitourinary system. They can be provoked by bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse), unbalanced nutrition, physical inactivity, and hypothermia. If a man has pain in the left abdomen or side that becomes regular, intense and prolonged, they cannot be ignored. Perhaps we are talking about the development of a serious illness, and medical help cannot be avoided.
Left-sided pain in men, both in the upper abdomen and in the lower abdomen, near the waist, can have many different causes. Drawing or aching, strong cutting or weak cramping pain on the left side, sharp dull or burning pain on the left side can be symptoms of a number of diseases. It is very difficult to determine an accurate diagnosis based solely on the type and type of pain in the left side under the ribs; doctors often need to perform not only an ultrasound (ultrasound diagnosis of organs), but also additional tests (blood counts, other diagnostic procedures). Only diseases of the reproductive organs in men have their own characteristics, when the type and type of pain in the lower abdomen can make a preliminary diagnosis quite accurately.
Causes of pain in the left hypochondrium
There are two groups of factors that provoke pain in the left side:
External causes that have a detrimental effect on the body for quite a long time, causing pain and discomfort. These include:
- frequent smoking;
- poor nutrition and abuse of fatty foods, which is harmful to the pancreas and liver;
- working in a hazardous enterprise where there is direct contact with toxic substances;
- a sedentary lifestyle, as a result of which obesity develops and the load on the entire body increases.
Pathological diseases that cause acute shooting pain in the left side have the following causes:
- pancreatitis;
- gastritis;
- peptic ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract;
- inflammatory processes in the kidneys;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- cholecystitis;
- acute appendicitis;
- oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- hernias of various etiologies.
During the initial examination of the patient, the doctor performs palpation, assessing the location of the pain, as well as the body’s reaction to a certain pressure force. Since the general causes of pain in the side are found more often in reference literature, we will not dwell on them, having examined in more detail purely male diseases that provoke pain in the left side.
Intestinal diseases
Pathology of the small intestine leads to visceral or referred pain in the left side. A tumor of the left colon in the later stages of the disease causes aching pain that intensifies 2-3 hours after eating. The pain syndrome occurs against a background of weakness, weight loss, and aversion to food. Enteritis is characterized by periodic dull pain in the left side, which is accompanied by constipation and diarrhea, a feeling of transfusion in the abdomen, and increased gas formation. With ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, blood appears in the stool.
The main diseases of men that provoke pain
Among the “purely male” diseases that can provoke pain and discomfort in the left side, there are 10 most common ones. Let's look at them in more detail.
Acute prostatitis
This disease is characterized by the presence of an inflammatory process of the prostate gland, caused by an infectious lesion, which results in the formation of pustular lesions that provoke pain. There are several types of prostatitis, differing from each other in the nature of infection and location.
The patient may experience symptoms such as:
- dysfunction of urination: it is difficult or completely absent due to extensive inflammation and swelling of the prostate;
- pain in the perineum during bowel movements;
- increased body temperature;
- symptoms of intoxication;
- shooting, cutting pain in the lower abdomen, which radiates to the left hypochondrium;
- sexual dysfunctions, lack of erection.
The following categories of men are at risk for acute prostatitis:
- leading a predominantly sedentary, sedentary lifestyle;
- having chronic diseases of the genitourinary system of an infectious nature;
- do not have a regular sexual partner;
- with hormonal dysfunctions due to the development of obesity or diabetes.
Prostatitis in the early stages can manifest itself in the form of minor pain in the lower abdomen, which many men tend to endure and wait until it “goes away on its own.” But in some cases, when the inflammatory process of the prostate has reached its climax, the pain becomes unbearable, after which the strong half of humanity goes to the doctor for help.
Chronic prostatitis
The disease develops against the background of progressive prostatitis, which remains for a long time without proper treatment. The inflammatory process becomes chronic, periodically exacerbating. With chronic prostatitis, pain can occur suddenly, due to previous factors: hypothermia, respiratory diseases, rare sexual activity. There is an aching, pulling pain in the lower abdomen, as well as in the perineum. The pain during defecation intensifies and can also radiate to the left hypochondrium. Most often it is the left side that hurts.
The danger of the chronic stage of this disease is that the inflammatory process can spread to all organs of the genitourinary system, causing widespread pain. Therapy in this case is intensive, aimed at destroying pathogenic microflora of the urinary tract.
Inflammation of the testicles
The inflammatory process in the testicles, called orchitis, is a consequence of the presence of extensive infection of the genitourinary system. Most often, orchitis develops against the background of other infections: mumps, gonorrhea, typhus, influenza, the causes of which are varied (from infection to weakened immunity).
Other causes of heaviness in the left side
Sometimes the discomfort in question occurs as a secondary symptom in diseases of the heart and blood vessels (cardiopathy, heart attack), respiratory diseases (pneumonia), problems with the spine (neuralgia, osteochondrosis), inflammation of the reproductive system (in women), overexertion and previous operations.
Sharp pain in the left side, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, may indicate the development of pancreatitis
A one-time feeling of heaviness (in front) often occurs after heavy consumption of food or eating fatty foods, as well as as a result of drinking alcohol or systematic poor nutrition.
During pregnancy, due to the growing fetus stretching the uterus, a symptom of heaviness and internal pressure of the organs often occurs. A stretched organ can compress the bile ducts or the bladder itself (a common phenomenon), and compress other organs. As a result, dyspeptic disorders occur in the form of bitter belching and gases.
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Heaviness in the left side occurs with:
- kidney pathologies;
- splenite;
- intestinal pathologies;
- liver inflammation;
- diseases of the stomach and pancreas (ulcers, gastritis, pancreatitis);
- damage (external and intra-abdominal, mechanical and thermal);
- hernias.
Painful sensations in the left side often occur in pregnant women due to the increasing size of the fetus.
Problems with the genitourinary system and spine are characterized by the location of heaviness in the back; if the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and pelvic organs in women is disrupted, it is in the front.
Heaviness due to problems with the respiratory system is accompanied by tingling on the left, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting.
With ectopic pregnancy, ovulation or inflammation of the ovary in women, heaviness may also be present. Usually located on the lower left. When the egg is released, swelling and pain occur (the intensity varies from person to person). With inflammation of the ovary - weakness, hyperthermia, pain. In case of an abnormal pregnancy, unbearable pain in the later weeks (rupture of the tube).
With cystitis, a similar feeling of heaviness appears. Accompanied by frequent urination and discomfort in the intimate area. In men, discomfort on the left side may occur due to prostatitis. In some cases, heaviness on the left is a sign of intoxication, as a result of which the spleen is enlarged, which causes discomfort.
The video explains the various causes of pain in the left side:
Diagnostics
You cannot endure pain, therefore, at the first signs and suspicions of illness, you should immediately contact a urologist who will assess the state of men's health and also find the causes of illnesses using several research methods:
- palpation and external examination;
- Ultrasound of the prostate;
- smear for culture from the urethra;
- ejaculate examination;
- cystoscopy.
Early diagnosis of pain in the hypochondrium and genitourinary system will help to avoid chronic diseases and also speed up the chances of a full recovery.
Treatment
In most cases, if the disease is diagnosed in the acute stage, conservative treatment methods can be used: drug therapy and physical therapy. In chronic cases, the likelihood of surgical intervention is high. Traditional medicine recipes that help eliminate the inflammatory process are appropriate only as an adjuvant (but not the main one) in complex therapy. The high probability of developing adverse reactions indicates the need for prior consultation with a specialist.
Possible reasons
The reasons that provoke heaviness in the left side are different. As a rule, unpleasant sensations are localized in the location of the diseased organ. If pain occurs on the left side under the ribs, there is a possibility of diseases of the liver, stomach, and intestines. Heaviness on the lower right side indicates diseases of the kidneys, ovaries, and bladder.
Let's look at the most common reasons that cause heaviness and pain in the left side:
- Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach, the symptoms of which appear immediately after eating. In general, the causes of gastritis are associated with poor nutrition, overeating or undereating. In addition, gastritis occurs due to alcohol and tobacco abuse, as well as as a result of the use of certain medications. There are two main forms of gastritis: acute and chronic.
- Ulcer. Signs of the disease appear immediately after eating. Moreover, the disease appears not so much from poor nutrition as from stress and weakened immunity due to chronic pathological processes in the body. Small ulcers form on the mucous membrane of the stomach or duodenum, which increase in size over time. If treatment is not started in time, they can grow so large that internal bleeding occurs. With a stomach ulcer, the pain is localized in the center of the solar plexus under the ribs. In the case of a duodenal ulcer, the pain reaction occurs directly under the ribs.
- Mononucleosis is one of the types of tonsillitis, the causative agent of which is transmitted through blood or saliva. As a result of the pathology, the spleen increases in size, after which pain occurs in the left side. If the spleen enlarges too much, it will rupture. Symptoms of this will be: very severe pain inside the abdomen, blue navel. In this case, the patient needs emergency surgical care.
- Diaphragm hernia. The pathology is typical for older people. The diaphragm is muscle tissue located between the peritoneum and sternum. It has an opening through which the esophagus and stomach are connected. An enlargement of this hole is called a hernia. The patient’s abdomen visually enlarges and seems inflated.
- Often, heaviness in the left side under the ribs in front is observed in pregnant women. This is often due to the attachment of the fetus to the left side of the uterus, although sometimes the symptoms are caused by pathogenic processes (miscarriage, frozen pregnancy). If signs of the disease occur mainly after eating, they are most likely caused by indigestion, which is typical for pregnant women.
- Prostate. This is a purely male disease, which is characterized by a decrease in a man’s sexual activity, as well as severe pain in the groin and lower abdomen. If treatment for the disease is not started, the patient will experience chronic infertility.
- Endometriosis is a disease of the uterus in women that disrupts the menstrual cycle. Moreover, menstruation is very painful.
Acute pain is usually caused by pancreatitis. Moreover, unpleasant symptoms appear in both the left and right sides. The pain is very pronounced and radiates to the back. In addition, the temperature rises, the patient feels nauseous and dizzy. Often, patients with pancreatitis experience heaviness in the left side after eating. The patient is advised to include fats and carbohydrates in his diet.
