Lower left abdominal pain after eating

Abdominal Pain Overview

Abdominal pain is considered to be quite common physical discomfort. Every person has experienced the pain in the abdomen many times during his/her life. Abdomen is the part of the body where many organs are located. Therefore, when abdominal pain occurs, it may be due to disorders or diseases of any of the human organs or structures that can be found in this area, such as the liver, spleen, kidneys, aorta, intestines, appendix and muscles, as well as nerves and the skin.

Although abdominal pain is a quite common condition, lower left abdominal pain is not quite common since this part of the abdomen does not contain many organs. However, when the pain in the abdomen occurs, it becomes worse after eating. It is quite normal. On the other side, the pain that occurs in the lower left abdomen after eating is a very unusual and rare condition.

Causes of Lower Left Abdominal Pain after Eating

One of the causes responsible for the occurrence of pain in the lower left side of the abdomen after eating is lactose intolerance. Lactose is an enzyme necessary for breaking down of the lactose in the body. Lactose is a milk sugar that can be found in dairy products. When one suffers from lactose intolerance, it means that the body does not produce the enzyme lactose. Therefore, after consuming dairy products, pain in the lower left abdominal area occurs.

The people who suffer from Celiac disease may also experience lower left abdominal pain after eating. Celiac disease is the condition when the body is not able to break down the protein called gluten. When one with this disease eats wheat, barley or ryes, which are the foods that contain gluten, he/she may feel pain in the lower left abdomen. Lower left abdominal pain after eating may occur due to bowel obstruction.

Furthermore, irritable bowel syndrome also causes pain in this region of the abdomen, and it is a gastrointestinal disorder where the foods travels through the digestive tract either very fast or very slow. The main symptom of this condition is constant altering of constipation and diarrhea.

Diverticulitis is also responsible for the appearance of lower left abdominal pain after eating. This condition characterized by the inflammation of the diverticula that are in the wall of the colon.

Diverticula are pouches in the lining of the intestine. They arise when the wall of the intestine bulges out through weak areas of intestinal muscle. The pouches are usually small and balloon-like, and the contents of the bowel (stool, or “poop”) might get into them. Although diverticula are often harmless, they may lead to bowel problems and cause pain. Simply put, there are three different conditions:

Diverticulosis: The lining of the intestine bulges out in a number of places, but this doesn’t cause any symptoms or problems.
Diverticular disease: The bulging pouches cause symptoms or lead to problems (complications).
Diverticulitis: The pouches are inflamed or infected.

✓ Fact confirmed: Diverticular disease and diverticulitis: Overview Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); May 17, 2018.

Other causes for lower left abdominal pain after eating may include stomach bloating and gas, as well as some serious health conditions, such as cancer.