The rib cage of human body is made of 12 pairs of bones arranged in circular fashion. Ribs are nothing but curved bones that cover the vital organs like heart and lungs. These 12 pairs of bones can be grouped into 3 types namely true ribs (first 7 pairs), false ribs (8,9th pairs) and finally the floating ribs (10-12th pairs). All these together constitute to form the rib cage. The main function of rib cage is to protect the underlying organs like heart and lungs from injury.
In addition it assists the lungs in breathing. The rib cage moves up and down facilitating inhaling and exhaling action of the lungs. The rib cage also covers organs like spleen, stomach and kidneys in it. Any injury or damage caused in the underlying organs can cause pain in the ribs. The left rib cage pain occurs due to various causes ranging from indigestion to respiratory disorders. Do not hesitate to seek medical help if you have left rib cage pain with discomfort for more than 2 days. Your doctor is the right person to diagnose the problem. Treatment for left rib cage pain depends on the causative factor. In most of the cases the pain can be managed with painkillers and stretching exercises.
Pain Under Left Rib Cage Symptoms :
Pain in the left rib cage can start slowly and proceed to cause intense sharp pain. For some people pain can be sudden and sharp. Pain in the rib cage can vary from mild to severe excruciating pain. For many people dull pain can be felt in the left side of the abdomen due to indigestion. It can also cause chest pain when acid and other enzymes from the stomach are pushed up into the esophagus causing burning pain and irritation.
Pain in the left rib cage can be felt in many parts of the body depending on the cause. If you have sharp pain in the throat with burning chest pain it can be due to acid reflux. Pain may start from your back slowly progressing towards front portion of the body, if it caused by kidney stones. Sharp excruciating pain in the left rib cage can be due to angina pectoris or heart attack which is often associated with other signals like profuse sweating, increased heartbeat and the pain shifts towards left shoulder and arm.