Dolor abdominal en la parte superior izquierda: Síntomas y 18 causas

Common symptoms that may come with left upper abdominal pain

Left upper abdominal pain can feel dull, sharp, crampy, burning, stabbing, or like pressure under the ribs. Some people feel it only after eating. Others notice it during movement, coughing, deep breathing, or urination. The location may also spread to the back, left shoulder, chest, or side.

• Burning, gnawing, or aching pain
• Bloating, gas, or a feeling of fullness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Heartburn or a sour taste in the mouth
• Fever or chills
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Pain that radiates to the back or shoulder
• Pain with breathing, coughing, or movement
• Blood in urine, painful urination, or frequent urination
• Weight loss, poor appetite, or early fullness
• Black stools or vomiting blood

Because several organs can refer pain to the same area, no single symptom proves the diagnosis. But the overall pattern can strongly point in the right direction.

18 possible causes of pain in the upper left abdomen

1. Gastritis

Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. It often causes a burning or gnawing ache in the upper abdomen, nausea, and a “why did I eat that?” feeling after meals. Alcohol, frequent NSAID use, infections such as H. pylori, and stress on the body from illness can all play a role. Some people feel worse after eating, while others feel slightly better once food hits the stomach.

2. Peptic ulcer disease

A stomach or duodenal ulcer can cause burning upper abdominal pain that may come and go for days or weeks. It often feels worse on an empty stomach or at night, though some people notice more discomfort after eating. Ulcers can also lead to bloating, nausea, dark stools, or vomiting blood if bleeding occurs. This one should never be brushed off as “just acid.”

3. GERD or acid reflux

GERD usually brings heartburn, but it can also create pain high in the abdomen, especially after large meals or when lying down. The discomfort may rise toward the chest and come with belching, a bitter taste, or regurgitation. If the pain sits a little left of center, people may assume it is a stomach problem when it is really acid traveling where it absolutely was not invited.

4. Indigestion, trapped gas, or bloating

Sometimes the culprit is gloriously unglamorous: gas. Trapped gas in the stomach or splenic flexure of the colon can cause pressure or cramping in the upper left abdomen. It may come with bloating, burping, and relief after passing gas or having a bowel movement. It is common, often harmless, and still somehow capable of making people briefly wonder whether they are dying.

5. Constipation

Constipation can cause generalized abdominal discomfort, but it may be felt in the upper left side when stool and gas build up in the colon. Clues include fewer bowel movements, hard stools, straining, bloating, and a heavy or crampy feeling. If constipation is severe, the pain can become surprisingly intense.

6. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

IBS can cause recurrent belly pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, or both. The pain often improves after a bowel movement, but not always on your schedule. While IBS is not considered dangerous in the same way as a bowel obstruction or ulcer bleed, it can still wreck a perfectly good day and make meals feel like a gamble.

7. Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, and it is one of the more serious causes of upper abdominal pain. The pain is often deep, severe, and may radiate to the back. It can worsen after eating and often comes with nausea, vomiting, fever, or a fast heartbeat. Pancreatitis is not the condition to “sleep off and see how it goes.”

8. Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is less common than indigestion or gastritis, but it belongs on the list because it can cause persistent upper abdominal pain that radiates to the back. Other red flags include unexplained weight loss, poor appetite, jaundice, fatigue, and new digestive changes. The symptoms are often vague early on, which is exactly why persistent symptoms deserve attention.

9. Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)

The spleen sits in the upper left abdomen, so an enlarged spleen can cause pain or fullness under the left ribs. Some people also notice early satiety because the spleen presses on the stomach, making them feel full quickly. Infections, liver disease, blood disorders, and inflammatory conditions may enlarge the spleen.

10. Spleen injury or ruptured spleen

This is a true emergency, especially after trauma, a fall, a sports injury, or sometimes an illness that has already enlarged the spleen. Pain can be sudden and severe in the upper left abdomen and may radiate to the left shoulder. Dizziness, confusion, faintness, and tenderness are major warning signs because internal bleeding may be involved.

11. Kidney stones

A left-sided kidney stone can cause pain in the left upper abdomen, flank, side, or groin. The pain is often sharp, severe, and wave-like. It may come with nausea, vomiting, blood in the urine, urinary urgency, or burning during urination. Kidney stone pain has a reputation for being unforgettable, and not in a fun, scrapbook-worthy way.

12. Kidney infection

A kidney infection can cause pain in the upper side or back under the ribs, and some people describe it as upper abdominal pain. Fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, painful urination, and frequent urination are common clues. Unlike a simple bladder infection, kidney infections can make people feel acutely ill and may require urgent treatment.

13. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or colitis

Conditions such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss. Depending on which part of the bowel is inflamed, the pain may show up in the upper left abdomen. If blood in the stool, ongoing diarrhea, or nighttime symptoms are part of the picture, this diagnosis climbs higher on the list.

14. Bowel obstruction

A bowel obstruction can cause crampy pain, bloating, vomiting, inability to pass gas, constipation, and a swollen abdomen. This is a medical emergency, not a home-remedy situation. Pain may be felt anywhere in the abdomen, including the upper left side, depending on where the blockage is located.

15. Pneumonia

Yes, a lung infection can masquerade as abdominal pain. Lower lung pneumonia, especially on the left, may cause pain near the lower chest or upper abdomen along with cough, fever, shortness of breath, and pain when breathing or coughing. Bodies love to blur categories when they are upset.

16. Pleurisy

Pleurisy is inflammation of the lining around the lungs. It usually causes sharp pain that worsens with deep breathing, coughing, or sneezing. Some people feel it near the left upper abdomen or lower chest, especially if the pain tracks along the rib margin. If breathing makes the pain dramatically worse, think beyond the stomach.

17. Costochondritis

Costochondritis is inflammation where the ribs connect to the breastbone. It can create sharp or aching pain on the left side of the chest that may feel like upper abdominal pain, particularly near the rib border. The pain often worsens with movement, deep breathing, coughing, or pressing on the area.

18. Abdominal muscle strain

A pulled abdominal muscle can cause focal pain in the upper left abdomen, especially after exercise, lifting, coughing, or sudden twisting. The pain usually gets worse with movement, laughing, sneezing, or getting up from a chair. If the pain clearly started after physical strain and there are no internal red flags, a muscle issue becomes more likely.

When left upper abdominal pain may be an emergency

Some symptoms should push you toward urgent medical care right away. These include:

• Sudden, severe, or worsening pain
• Pain after a fall, sports injury, or blow to the abdomen
• Chest pressure, shortness of breath, cold sweat, or fainting
• Vomiting blood or black, tarry stools
• Fever with persistent vomiting or severe tenderness
• Inability to pass gas or stool with abdominal swelling
• Dizziness, confusion, or lightheadedness
• Jaundice or unexplained weight loss

These signs can point to pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, internal bleeding, a serious infection, a ruptured spleen, or even a heart attack presenting in an unusual way.

How doctors figure out the cause

Diagnosis starts with the story: where it hurts, how it feels, what makes it better or worse, whether it happens after eating, and what other symptoms show up with it. A physical exam may be followed by blood tests, urine testing, stool testing, imaging such as ultrasound or CT, or procedures like endoscopy if ulcers or gastritis are suspected.

For example, burning pain after meals may lead a doctor toward reflux, gastritis, or ulcers. Sharp wave-like pain with blood in the urine points more toward a kidney stone. Pain with fever and vomiting raises concern for infection or pancreatitis. And pain after trauma immediately changes the conversation to possible splenic injury.

What real-life experiences with this pain often sound like

People with left upper abdominal pain rarely describe it the same way, and that difference matters. One person says it feels like a hot, sour burn under the ribs after pizza and late-night snacks. Another says it is a deep, boring ache that shoots straight through to the back and makes eating feel like a bad decision. Someone else calls it a stabbing pain that appears when they take a deep breath, then vanishes when they sit still and breathe shallowly. That range is exactly why this symptom can be so confusing.

A common experience with gastritis, reflux, or indigestion is the “I thought it was just something I ate” phase. People often notice discomfort after coffee, alcohol, spicy food, or NSAID use. They may feel bloated, belch more than usual, and blame their lunch choices before realizing the pattern keeps returning. With ulcers, people sometimes describe a cycle: pain on an empty stomach, temporary relief after eating, then a repeat performance later in the day or at night.

Kidney stone pain usually gets a very different review. Patients often describe it as intense, shifting, impossible-to-ignore pain that makes it hard to sit still. It can start in the side or back and seem to wrap forward into the upper abdomen. Nausea tends to tag along like an uninvited plus-one. Kidney infection stories often include fever, exhaustion, and urinary symptoms that make the person feel sick all over, not just sore in one spot.

People with spleen-related pain often mention pressure or fullness under the left ribs. Some say they feel full after eating only a small amount, while others notice pain in the left shoulder, which seems random until you learn the spleen can refer pain there. After trauma, the story changes fast: dizziness, tenderness, worsening pain, and a general sense that something is seriously wrong.

Pancreatitis experiences are usually memorable in the worst way. People commonly report severe upper abdominal pain that seems to drill through to the back, plus nausea and vomiting that do not improve with simple home care. They often describe the pain as too intense to ignore and too constant to write off as gas.

Then there are the sneaky non-digestive causes. With costochondritis or muscle strain, people often notice the pain when twisting, reaching, coughing, laughing, or getting out of bed. They can sometimes pinpoint it with one finger. Pneumonia and pleurisy may feel more like chest or rib pain, but some people are convinced the pain is “in the stomach” until the cough, fever, or shortness of breath tells the fuller story.

The biggest lesson from real-world experiences is simple: persistent, severe, or unusual pain deserves respect. If the pain is mild and clearly linked to something like overeating, gas, or a recent workout, monitoring it may be reasonable. But if it keeps coming back, escalates, or shows up with warning signs like fever, black stools, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness, or weight loss, it is time to stop guessing and get checked.

Conclusion

Left upper abdominal pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Sometimes the cause is minor and frustrating, like gas, constipation, or reflux. Sometimes it signals a condition that needs prompt treatment, such as pancreatitis, a kidney infection, bowel obstruction, or a spleen injury. The smartest move is to pay attention to the pain pattern, watch for associated symptoms, and take red flags seriously. Your upper left abdomen may be compact, but it houses enough important structures to deserve a little caution and a lot less guesswork.

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