Left side of body feels weird

Pain can be felt anywhere in the body or we can say on any side. Pain that lingers or we can say recurs on one or both sides is the body’s way of signaling an underlying problem, However sometimes left side if body feels weird and some common causes of pain on the left side of the body include infection and injury to internal organs, muscles, or nerves and many other less common things .

In few cases, the  pain resolves on its own but in , other cases may require immediate medical care.

In this article I have tried to explain  some conditions that can be cause of why left side of body feels weird or which lead to pain on the left side of the body. Also the treatment options that are available and when a person needs to contact a doctor is explained.

what you will read next :

 

What are the possible cause of Left side of body feels weird?

Enlarged or damaged spleen

Spleen is an organ which is located in the upper left side of a person’s abdomen. Spleen is a very important part of the immune system, and in general toothough some people can live without one. A person may experience pain on their left side if the spleen is injured or sometimes enlarged. Ruptured spleen is always a medical emergency and some injuries can lead it to rupture. The rupture can either occur immediately or weeks after the injury takes place .Symptoms can include following:

Additionally, injured person may feel pain at the top of left shoulder while lying  down and when they raising legs.

Enlarged spleen : An injury or some infection can cause the spleen to become enlarged sometimes. This can also be a result of another underlying health condition, like rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia, or even cirrhosis. If the symptoms occur, a person might notice following:

Treatment : A person will need to undergo surgery is spleen is damaged.

Diverticulitis

Diverticulosis is a medical condition where in small pouches are formed and then they push through the weaker spots in the colon wall. Diverticulitis happens when one or more of these pouches becomes inflamed and cause pain and this pain typically occurs in the lower left side of the abdomen and sometimes left side of body, pain is typically  sudden and severe. No doubt, it can also be mild and worsen with time in few days.

Symptoms include following:

Treatment : If the associated  symptoms are not severe and are mild, a person can rest, take antibiotics, and consume a liquid diet that will help .After  few days pass by if the symptoms ease, the person can slowly  incorporate solid foods back into their diet. However , If the symptoms are sudden and severe, the person might  need to stay in the hospital for a couple of days and receive intravenous antibiotics.

Heart attack

Heart attack occurs when an artery that’s supplying blood to the heart becomes blocked and this blockage happens due to a build-up of fat deposits in the arteries.

These  blocked arteries reduce oxygen supply to the heart, which leads to damaging the heart muscle and eventually leading to a heart attack.

Pain in one arm especially left one or sometimes  both arms may be a symptom of a heart attack, but some other important symptoms to look for include following:

Treatment : The treatment for a heart attack typically includes surgery, some medications, or combination of the two.

Sciatica

Sciatica is a painful medical condition that almost always only affects one side of the body especially left one.

But , it can affect both sides of the body no doubt which  is called bilateral sciatica, which is rare. This condition is named after the sciatic nerve, which extends from the spine to the legs and then to the feet.

One of the most common cause of sciatica is a herniated or bulging spinal disk, that exerts pressure on the sciatic nerve leading to pain. People who have sciatica define the pain as “knife-like pain” or feeling of pins and needles. Some other symptoms include following:

A specialist doctor will perform  physical examination and ask for the medical history so to make a diagnosis. An MRI test might be carried out to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment : Sciatica treatment includes resting, taking pain medications, stretching, and, in some  cases, physical therapy might be needed. With proper care and rest most people with this recover within 3 to 6 weeks.

Gas in the digestive tract

Build-up of gas in the colon particularly can lead to pain on the left side of the body, no doubt pain can also occur on the right side or on both sides as well. Under normal circumstances,  gas passes through burping or through the rectum as this is a routine process for the body.

In fact,  surprisingly most people produce about 1 to 4 pints of gas per day and pass gas about 14 to 23 times in a day.

Sometimes, gas might accumulate in the digestive tract due to swallowing of excess air while eating or drinking. It may also accumulate due to the breakdown of undigested foods by bacteria which are present in the intestine.

Foods items  which can cause excess gas include :  carbonated drinks, sugar substitutes, and few fiber supplements.

Other symptoms include following:

Treatment: Treatment mostly involves making few changes to diet and to lifestyle. A doctor may sometimes also recommend over-the-counter medications that aid in digestion and also reduce symptoms.

Sprain or strain

A person may experience a strain or sprain on the left side of their body no doubt it can also affect other parts of the body. People may use these two terms interchangeably, but strains and sprains are two different conditions that affect different parts of the body.

Symptoms of a sprain include following:

Strain is an injury of the muscle or the tendon,  strain can lead to partial stretching and, in some cases, even tearing of the muscle or tendon. To identify a strain, look for symptoms such as following:

Treatment : Orthopaedic Surgeons worldwide recommend similar treatments for sprains and strains. These are following:

A person might need to perform gentle exercises and take OTC pain medications like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen.

Kidney infection

Kidney infections can cause pain on either side especially left side or on both sides of the body.The kidneys are located just below the rib cage on either side of the spine and perform many vital tasks, including following:

But to mention these vital functions of the kidneys will be disrupted if any infection occurs. Kidney infection mostly occurs due to a bacteria and most of the kidney infections begin as a bladder infection. Symptoms of a kidney infection include following:

People with any of these symptoms should contact their doctor immediately soon. As untreated kidney infections can lead to a life threatening problem called sepsis. As of the estimate as many as 30% of people with sepsis die each year.

Treatment: A doctor will mostly prescribe antibiotics to treat kidney infections.

 

When to see a doctor for Left side of body feels weird?

Summary

As we know pain is one of the body’s signals that something is wrong there. There are many  types and causes of pain on the left side of the body in which some of them may resolve on their own with rest and the other cases may require immediate medical treatment and some need long-term care.