Pain below rib cage

So, you have been suffering from a pain below your ribs that you're not sure what to make of? The first thing you should know is that pain below the rib cage shouldn’t be ignored and left untreated.

There are various reasons for which your body might be sending painful signals from the rib cage, and some of them could be dangerous health situations that need immediate attention. So, if you ever experience this type of pain, the best decision you can make is to visit your doctor as soon as you can and get checked out.

The doctor will usually be able to determine the cause of your pain quite quickly, and prescribe the right medication or recommend the proper treatment. Don’t wait to consult your doctor, because sometimes a delay in seeking medical treatment may worsen the condition and cause further damage. Also, the recovery period for physical injuries is much shorter if the damage, whatever it is, is caught in its early stages.

The pain itself might be felt on the on the center below the rib cage, but also on the left or right side below ribs.

What Can Cause Pain below Rib Cage?

Potential causes of pain below your rib cage include many things. Some causes of pain below the ribs, it's important to mention as well, are not harmful and do not call for any treatment. These benign causes would include things like overeating, gases, or heartburn. Other causes of rib pain are more serious, including physical injuries, accidents, inflammation and irritation of organs in the body or different diseases.

So, as said, if you have bad dietary habits, and often overeat, it can be the cause of the pain you are feeling below the rib cage. Heartburn (caused by acid reflux, where some of your stomach's contents move back up into the esophagus) could also lead to unbearable pain on the same spot in the body or behind the breastbone in the chest. Sometimes, your pain may be caused by some gas trapped in the colon.

Conditions that might provoke pain below the rib cage include:

• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Intestinal obstruction
• Stomach ulcers
• Kidney stones
• Appendicitis
• Diverticulitis
• Pancreatitis or some muscle spasm in the abdominal wall or in the chest.
• Enlargement or irritation of the spleen is also very often reported by patients as the painful sensation on the left side below the rib cage.

When a person suffers from appendicitis, the pain is located low in the abdomen and radiates to the right side below the rib cage. Diverticulitis (an inflammation of intestinal "pouches"), however, causes pain on the right side and patients often report fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. Kidney stones could provoke the same kind of pain, but it is usually felt at the same intensity on the back.

How to Treat Pain below Rib Cage

The treatment for your pain below the ribs should respond to the cause of the problem. Most doctors will tell that the best way to treat fairly minor injuries is to rest and avoid intense physical activity. You might be prescribed with some painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, or steroid injections, for severe pain. For more serious chronic conditions, lifestyle changes or medications may be necessary, and even surgery can be on the table.