Upper Left Quadrant Pain

Pain in the upper, left side of the abdomen, also known as upper left quadrant pain, is a symptom that something is wrong with the organs and structures that are located there. It consists of the spleen, a part of the bowel, end part of pancreas, left side of kidneys, part of stomach, lower ribs, left part of liver, part of ureter, left adrenal gland, part of left lung, aorta, muscles and skin. The heart is located just above the upper left quadrant too. Thus, upper left quadrant discomfort, can be caused due to any discrepancy or condition, experienced in any of these structures. Mentioned below are some of the causes.

Causes

Below are listed a few causes of upper left quadrant pain in the abdomen.

Splenomegaly
Pain in the upper left quadrant could be due to the enlargement of the spleen, a condition known as splenomegaly. The size of the spleen is usually the same as that of a fist, but due to certain infections or a liver disease or cancer, it increases in size, thereby producing symptoms such as anemia, fatigue, easy bleeding, full stomach, besides pain in the upper left quadrant.

Viral Gastroenteritis
Another left, upper quadrant pain cause is a stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis. This condition occurs due to the consumption of contaminated food and water. It may also occur due to coming in contact with a person already suffering from this condition. Viral gastroenteritis is an infection of the intestine and produces symptoms such as upper left quadrant pain, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea or vomiting, and in some cases, even fever.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of the large intestine or colon. It does not cause any damage to the colon but can produce symptoms such as abdominal cramps, pain in the upper left quadrant, bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhea.

Acute Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis resulting from gallstones or alcohol abuse can cause this too, accompanied by other acute symptoms, such as abdominal swelling, fever, chills, nausea, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, fatigue, irritability and headaches. Long term pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis can lead to serious conditions such as diabetes, jaundice and liver diseases.

Polycystic Kidney Disease
Polycystic kidney disease is a condition in which a number of cysts develop in the kidneys. This condition may lead to serious conditions such as high blood pressure and renal kidney failure. Besides upper left quadrant pain, the symptoms of polycystic kidney disease include, enlarged abdomen, blood in urine, increase in urination, headaches, kidney stones and kidney infections.

Aortic Aneurysm
Aorta is the body's largest artery which supplies blood from the heart to the chest, abdomen and finally the legs. Aortic aneurysm is the abnormal bulging out of the wall of the aorta. When aortic aneurysm occurs in the wall, near the abdomen, it causes immense pain in the upper left quadrant. Other aortic aneurysm symptoms include, a severe pain in the back and chest, chills, numbness and sometimes even a heart stroke.

Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by a virus, bacteria or a fungus. Pneumonia may cause swelling in the lower, left part of the lungs resulting in upper, left quadrant pain. Other symptoms of pneumonia include high fever, cough with yellow or brown sputum, chills and sometimes chest pain.

Other conditions such as shingles in the skin above the upper left abdomen, infection in the left ribs known as Tietze syndrome, may cause abdominal pain in the upper left side too. Treatment for this condition will depend upon the cause of the pain, thus, proper diagnosis by a doctor is recommended.