Have you ever taken a big breath and felt a searing pain under your left rib? At the moment, you may have believed it to be a heart attack and the end of your life.
Particularly if you have a heart issue, pain behind the left rib can be rather worrisome. However, rather of leaping to conclusions, you should consider alternative causes of the soreness under your left rib.
Do not be worried if you get a stabbing pain under your left rib! It could be caused by a number of different circumstances.
Here are several causes of left-sided rib cage pain.
Breathing Hurts My Ribs – What Could Be the Causes?
Several organs are guarded by your left ribs. Included are your heart, stomach, left lung, pancreas, spleen, and left kidney.
Any infection, inflammation, or injury to these organs can cause discomfort radiating beneath and around the left side of the rib cage.
Now, let’s examine the various reasons of pain under the left rib cage in greater detail.
Fractured or Contused Ribs
A fractured rib causes chest pain that worsens with inhaling or moving. The most frequent cause of bruised or broken ribs is a strong blow or chest injury.
When ribs are broken, the agony is typically intense. It sometimes be challenging to take a complete breath in. In addition to producing discomfort, shattered ribs can have serious repercussions including:
1- A collapsed lung
Injuries to your blood arteries or organs, such your spleen, can be fatal.
Flail chest is a medical emergency that results from several rib fractures.
2- Case of costochondritis
Costochondritis is an inflammatory disorder that affects the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone. Symptoms include a severe, stabbing pain on the left side of the rib cage. The pain is intensified by coughing, sneezing, and physical activity.
Not often is the aetiology of this condition evident. It can occur for various reasons, including:
- A contagion
- An injury
- Numerous coughing
If you believe that this condition is producing pain under your left rib, you should avoid sports and activities that place additional stress on the breastbone.
3- Pericarditis
The pericardium is a sac containing fluid that surrounds the heart. This sac’s inflammation is referred to as pericarditis. This may cause a subtle ache or a sharp discomfort, which is typically worse when lying down. Pericarditis symptoms might include a high fever.
4- Issues With The Gut
Pain under the left rib cage and in the upper abdomen may also be indicative of problems of the stomach and intestines. These include:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease are both digestive illnesses. Both IBS and IBD cause chronic abdominal pain that extends from the chest to the hips.
They can also cause soreness beneath the left ribcage. The following are some of the digestive symptoms produced by IBS and IBD:
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Gas
Learn how to eliminate stomach gas naturally.
Gastritis
Gastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach, which is positioned near the left side of the rib cage. Symptoms are not always present, but the following are some of the most common:
- ache in the upper abdomen
- Nausea and vomiting
- The sensation of being full after having only a small amount of food.
Learn about stomachache cures that are helpful.
5- Pancreatic Inflammation
The pancreas is not an organ but a gland. It is situated on the left side of the abdomen, close to the small intestine. It generates digesting enzymes and hormones like insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin.
Pancreatitis is an inflammatory pancreatic condition. This inflammation is one of the causes of pain that might migrate to the back under the left rib cage.
Additionally, pancreatitis can induce the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Jaundice
- Weight reduction
- Nausea
- Vomiting
There are a variety of causes for pancreatic inflammation, including:
- Gallstones
- excessive alcohol consumption
- Injury
- Medications such as corticosteroids, losartan
6- Disorders of the Spleen
Your spleen is also located on the left side of your body near your ribs. This organ is essential for the immune system. It generates disease-fighting white blood cells and processes other blood components.
Under your left rib cage, you may be experiencing discomfort due to a damaged or enlarged spleen. Symptoms of splenomegaly, often known as an enlarged spleen, include:
- Bloating
- Feeling satiated after consuming a small amount of food
- ache or distress
The rupture of the spleen can also cause pain when breathing. The spleen can rupture at any time, typically due to trauma. This is a medical emergency, and you should get assistance immediately.
When a person’s spleen ruptures, the area around it may be tender to the touch. Besides pain, further signs and symptoms include:
- Reduced blood pressure
- Dizziness
- Nausea
7- Kidney Stones
Calcium and salt deposits in the kidneys harden and form stone-like masses, resulting in kidney stones. This can produce a blockage in the flow of urine, resulting in significant back pain spreading to the affected side’s front and upper ribs.
If your left kidney has stones, you may have discomfort on the left side of your rib cage.
- Other symptoms may emerge, including:
- Urination causes burning sensations
- sickness and vomiting
- a fever exceeding 38 degrees Celsius
- Blood detected in the urine
When is Left Rib Pain an Urgent Situation?
When does pain behind the left rib cage indicate a heart attack? Chest pain can occasionally be indicative of a medical emergency, such as a heart attack.
- Among the symptoms of a heart attack are:
- Pain or heaviness in the chest, typically in the centre or on the left side.
- Ache in the neck, jaw, shoulders, arms, back, or above the navel.
- sickness and vomiting
- Lightheadedness and vertigo
- Absence of breath
- irregular or rapid heart rate
Immediately contact your local emergency services if you suspect you are having any of the above symptoms.
Takeaway!
Due to the vast number of organs on the upper left side of your body, it is fairly uncommon to suffer pain under the left rib cage. It could be caused by an easily treatable disorder.
To determine the underlying reasons of pain under the left rib cage, you can consult the best local medical specialists. To schedule an appointment,
