Are You Experiencing Left Side Body Pain From Head To Toe?

What Is Pain?

Pain is an unpleasant sensation or a sense of discomfort experienced by a person. Pain is essentially subjective. Pain is the most common symptom for which people seek medical attention.

Quite often, the only description of pain with clinical examination can guide a physician towards a diagnosis. Although pain cannot be seen, its intensity and severity can be assessed by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

What Are The Types Of Pain?

1. Nociceptive Pain

It occurs when sensory nerves in a particular part or organ are stimulated. Pain occurs in response to touch, temperature, or from chemicals or irritants. This type of pain is often referred to like other parts of the body as well.

2. Neuropathic Pain

This type of pain occurs when any disease affects the nervous system. For example, diabetic neuropathy. This type of pain is described as burning, tingling, or a needle prick like sensation.

3. Allodynia

This is an exaggerated response to a normally painless stimulus.

4. Phantom Pain

Pain experienced in parts of the body that do not exist anymore, such as, an amputated foot.

5. Psychogenic Pain

This is when a person, who is suffering from a mental disorder such as stress, anxiety or depression, complains of pain in some part of the body. On examination and investigation, there is no abnormality found.

Causes Of Pain In Left Side Of Body From Head To Toe

Pain in Left Side of Head and Face

The following are some causes of pain in left side of head and face;

• Skipping meals
• Inadequate sleep
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Infections and
• Certain foods have a tendency to trigger a headache.

The following are some other causes of left side body pain from shoulder to toe;

1. Tension Headache

Tension headaches occur in the presence of stress. Pressure or a band-like sensation in the region of the forehead and behind the eyes.

2. Migraine

A migraine headache can be triggered by the sun and anything under the sun. And the headache is associated with nausea, vomiting, and photophobia.

3. Cluster Headache

Cluster headache is localized to one eye. The patient complains of pain for a short duration. Pain occurs every day at the same time for several weeks.

While investigating these headaches, it is essential to rule out the possibility of venous sinus thrombosis. This is the reason; an MRI of the brain is often advised in order to diagnose these as primary headaches.

Most of these primary headaches can be acute or chronic and usually subside from adequate rest. Preventing triggering factors is essential in the management of these headaches.

4. Sinusitis

Sinusitis usually occurs on both sides. Unilateral affections are rare. Patients complain of heaviness and tenderness when slight pressure is applied to the forehead or over the cheeks. It is usually associated with fever. Treatment includes steam inhalation and a course of antibiotics.

5. Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is usually acute and one-sided, either right or left. Pain is a shock-like, excruciating sensation along the path of the trigeminal nerve which travels over the face. Pain is worse from talking, eating, or a draft of air.

Left side body pain from head to toe Treatment aims at pain management to relieve spasms, Botox and glycerol injections, and balloon and microvascular decompression surgery.

6. Blunt Trauma

Blunt trauma complaints include a sensation of soreness over the injured area. Contusion and swelling may be present.

7. High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure causes flushing of the face with uneasiness and a heavy sensation in the head. A headache due to high blood pressure is mostly felt all over the head. Anti-hypertensive medications immediately relieve complaints by reducing blood pressure.

Left-Sided Neck Pain

1. Neck Muscle Spasm

This occurs from over lifting or overstraining which may feel like soreness which subsides within 2-3 days of proper rest.

2. Cervical Spondylosis

This is an age-related process. It is usually chronic. Patients complain of neck pain of the respective side with soreness. Tingling and numbness of the corresponding arm may also be present. Treatment includes adequate calcium supplementation, especially in women.

3. Whiplash Injury

A whiplash strain or injury occurs from rapid, sudden movement of the neck such as in jerks or accidents. Neck muscle spasm with dizziness and tingling, numbness, and restricted movements of the neck. Treatment includes pain management and suitable physiotherapy.

4. Meningitis

In meningitis, neck stiffness is more marked than pain. The patient experienced painful and restricted movement when the neck is bent forward. This is associated with fever and the patient often has an altered sensorium. Meningitis is a serious disease and requires immediate medical care. Blood investigations often reveal the causative organism. It could be bacterial, viral, or fungal.

5. Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder

Patients having TMJ disorder complain of pain and tenderness of the joint, especially during chewing. This occurs due to improper alignment of the joint or joint degeneration.

6. Parotitis

This is a painful swelling of the parotid gland which is located behind the ear. Pain is worse from any movement and is associated with high-grade fever. It is mostly one-sided and occurs more frequently in males than in females. Treatment primarily focuses on arresting the infection and pain management.

Left-Sided Chest Pain

1. Myocardial Infarction or Heart Attack

Chest pain is a sensation of pressure. It is associated with excessive sweating. The chest pain of a “heart attack” corresponds to the changes in an Electrocardiogram (ECG). The pain extends to the jaw, left shoulder, and rarely to the back. It is a life-threatening medical condition for which intensive care is required.

2. Pulmonary Embolism

Chest pain is associated with breathlessness and cough with blood in expectoration. Pulmonary embolism is a serious disorder and requires prompt management.

3. Pleurisy

Chest pain due to this is a sharp pain that increases while breathing in. ECG rules out the possibility of a heart attack, and a chest x-ray supports the diagnosis.

4. Costochondritis

Inflammation of the joint between ribs and sternum (collarbone). The pain is worse from palpation or pressure. Fever may be present. A history of injury or trauma and a normal ECG confirms the diagnosis. Anti-inflammatory drugs help in management.

5. Oesophageal Spasm

This occurs from swallowing and from a certain food. This pain is not associated with sweating or from an activity.

Left-Sided Abdominal Pain

1. Peptic Ulcer

Severe epigastric region pain worse from spicy food and fasting, relieved from cold milk. Associated with nausea and vomiting occasionally. Alternative medical services provide good relief from symptoms. Perforation of ulcer is a serious complication.

[Also Read: Benefits of doing fasting]

2. Renal/ Ureteric Calculi

Sharp pain from the kidney region to the groin. In the case of ureteric calculus, pain shifts when the stone tries to pass. Pain is worse from movement. Ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis and X-ray of Kidney, Ureter, and Bladder confirms the diagnosis.

3. Pyelonephritis

This is inflammation and pus formation in the kidney. Pain is present in the region of the affected kidney. There is high-grade fever with chills and the presence of abundant pus cells in urine. Treatment includes antibiotics, whereas, severe cases may require surgery.

4. Constipation

Consipation may be acute or chronic. The passing of motions relieves abdominal pain. Treatment includes laxatives.

5. Colitis

This is inflammation of the lining of the large intestine. Pain is in flanks, colicky in nature and is worse before passing motions. Colitis is acute or chronic and treatment depends upon triggering factors.

6. Inguinal Hernia

A hernia is a protrusion from the abdominal cavity. Patients complain of pain and discomfort in the region of the groin. Clinical examination and an ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis. Treatment includes surgical repair.

7. Ovarian Cyst

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac within the ovary. It may be acute or chronic and may cause a bloating sensation with dull lower abdominal pain.

8. Torsion Of Testes

Torsion means twisting of the spermatic cord. It is a severe, excruciating lower abdominal pain. Torsion causes blockage of blood supply to the testes which may result in permanent damage. It is a surgical emergency.

9. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

This includes inflammation of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. The spread of infection occurs through the vagina and cervix. There is a pain in the lower abdomen with unusual vaginal discharge and fever. PID may be acute or chronic and needs to be treated timely in order to prevent complications.

10. Dysmenorrhea

Pain is colicky, lower abdominal pain during menses, and is associated with nausea and vomiting. The pain usually subsides when menses stop and do not require any medications unless the complaints are severe.

Diffuse Left-Sided Pain

1. Fibromyalgia

This is a widespread musculoskeletal pain associated with a feeling of discomfort, poor sleep, and tiredness. Adequate rest and measures to reduce stress and anxiety help in management.

2. Emotional Stress

Ideal management is counseling and exercises to reduce stress.

3. Osteoarthritis

Pain and soreness of mostly large joints of the body. There is the stiffness of joints with pain on movement. This is generally seen in old age, obese individuals, post-trauma or accidents, or people having bone deformities. Treatment aims at pain management. In advanced cases, surgery may be required for the troublesome joint.

4. Rheumatoid Arthritis

This type of arthritis is of autoimmune type and typically affects smaller joints of the body. While osteoarthritis does not affect the joint structure, rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling, and inflammation of joints with stiffness. Deformities of affected joints occur as the disease advances.

5. Trauma or Injury

Trauma or injury can be due to any cause that results in a general sensation of pain and discomfort. Treatment includes pain management and surgery in cases of fractures.

6. Lymphadenopathy

It is a swelling of lymph nodes in any part of the body. Our lymph glands do the work of removing microbes from the blood, and in that process, they often get infected and swollen. Lymph nodes are normally swollen in the presence of any infection.

For example, lymph nodes of the neck will be swollen when one has tonsillitis or flu. Treatment is aimed at the management of infection. Swelling subsides when the infection is gone. However, in cases of malignancies, lymph nodes are the first sites of spread and have to be evaluated accordingly.