Why Do I Have Left Lower Abdominal Pain?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

Lower left abdominal pain can be caused by many things, including gut issues, issues with the ovaries, or other conditions.

Explanation

When you have pain on the lower left side of your belly, it might be due to a problem in your digestive system. For example, conditions like constipation and diverticulitis—where small pouches in the colon get inflamed—can cause pain here. Pain in this location could also stem from the ovaries. Ovarian cysts, which are small fluid-filled sacs, sometimes cause pain if they become large or twist. Urinary tract infections and kidney stones could also cause pain in this area. It's important to note details such as when the pain started, how long it lasts, and if you have other symptoms, like fever or changes in your bowel habits. Keeping a simple diary of when you feel pain and what it feels like can help your healthcare provider figure out the cause and decide if you need additional testing or treatment. If the pain gets worse or doesn't go away, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor.

(References)

Hwang JA, Kim SM, Song HJ, Lee YM, Moon KM, Moon CG, Koo HS, Song KH, Kim YS, Lee TH, Huh KC, Choi YW, Kang YW, Chung WS. Differential diagnosis of left-sided abdominal pain: primary epiploic appendagitis vs colonic diverticulitis. World J Gastroenterol. 2013 Oct 28;19(40):6842-8. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i40.6842. PMID: 24187459; PMCID: PMC3812483.
Bodmer NA, Thakrar KH. Evaluating the Patient with Left Lower Quadrant Abdominal Pain. Radiol Clin North Am. 2015 Nov;53(6):1171-88. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2015.06.005. Epub 2015 Aug 5. PMID: 26526432.
Tursi A, Elisei W, Picchio M, Giorgetti GM, Brandimarte G. Moderate to severe and prolonged left lower-abdominal pain is the best symptom characterizing symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon: a comparison with fecal calprotectin in clinical setting. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2015 Mar;49(3):218-21. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0000000000000094. PMID: 24583746.

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