What Causes Left Side Aches?

There are many things that may lead to left side aches. Among the most common are stress on the muscles and conditions that affect a person’s back, such as a herniated disk. Sometimes a person may also have aches on the left side because of kidney stones or a condition called diverticulitis, which affects the digestive tract. Additionally, a person may have referred pain on his left side, which means he may have pain in this area because of a condition in another part of his body.

One of the things that may cause left side aches is muscle stress. If a person has engaged in a lot of physical activity, he may have achiness on his left side for this reason. Likewise, a person may experience achiness in this part of the body after he suffers a blow to the area or a fall. In such a case, he may experience achiness that gradually diminishes as he heals.

A condition called diverticulitis, which occurs when small pouches in a person’s digestive system get infected or become inflamed, may also cause left side aches. Usually, this aching develops on the lower left side of a patient’s abdomen. In addition to the pain, the affected person may also have a fever and experience chills, nausea, and vomiting. Stomach cramps and constipation or loose bowels may also develop as a side effect of the condition. This is a serious condition that requires swift medical attention.

An individual may also experience left side aches because of a condition or problem that affects his kidneys. For example, kidney stones, which are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form in the kidneys, cause pain in the side. In addition to pain in the side, kidney stones may cause such symptoms as pain when urinating, lower abdominal pain, discolored urine, blood in the urine, and nausea and vomiting. In some cases, it may cause fever and chills as well.

Sometimes pain on the lower left side is caused by an issue with the patient’s back. For example, if a person has a herniated disc, this can sometimes cause pain in the left side of the back. Spinal arthritis, which is marked by inflammation of the spinal joints may lead to pain in this area as well.

Interestingly, a person may also have referred pain on his left side. This may occur when an individual has a condition or injury that affects one part of the body but causes pain in an entirely separate area. Referred pain on the left side of the body may result from conditions in the chest, parts of the back or in the abdomen. For example, pancreatitis can result in referred left side pain.