What Causes Lower-Left Abdominal Pain After Eating?

Lower-left abdominal pain after eating can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'troubling' to 'needs attention'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose lower-left abdominal pain after eating, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "lower-left abdominal pain after eating" as a symptom. Here are three possibilities:

Diverticular Disease
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Lactose Intolerance

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

abdominal pain relieved by BM

severe right iliac pain

bloating caused by many foods

nausea for 1-3 months

occasional mucus in stools

chronic diarrhea

meal-related bloating

severe flatulence

loss of appetite

meals worsen epigastric pain

frequent meal-related bloating

very foul-smelling flatulence

... and more than 30 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of lower-left abdominal pain after eating:

Cause	Probability	Status
Lactose Intolerance	93%	Confirm
Irritable Bowel Syndrome	14%	Unlikely
Diverticular Disease	3%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate abdominal pain caused by eating, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

LOWER-LEFT abdomen: Do you experience discomfort or pain above your left hip that only occurs after eating?

Possible responses:

→ No / I have it even when I don't eat / don't know
→ Occasional mild discomfort
→ Frequent mild and/or occasional moderate pain
→ Frequent moderate and/or occasional severe pain
→ Severe pain after most/all meals

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate mild left iliac pain after meals, moderate left iliac pain after meals, major left iliac pain after meals or severe left iliac pain after meals, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Diverticular Disease

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

The pain is generally located in the lower abdomen, although the location and type of pain can vary. Emotional stress and eating can exacerbate the pain, whereas a bowel movement often provides some relief.

Lactose Intolerance

Pain or cramps in the lower abdomen usually begin 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating or drinking milk or milk products.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™