If you feel pain in this area, here are a few things you should and should not do:

1. Try to ascertain when the pain happens. Does it happen after you exercise? Does it happen after you eat a specific kind of food item? Does it happen just before or after you’ve gone to the bathroom? Or does the pain come at odd moments, like in the middle of the night? Do you feel pain when you bend over or does the pain strike even if you are doing absolutely nothing at all? Does it come and go with or without medication?

It would also be wise to pinpoint exactly when the pain started bothering you. Did it happen recently, or was it a recurring pain that you have experienced for a long time already?

Answering these questions will help your health care provider narrow down the causes of your lower left abdominal pain.

2. Speaking of your health care provider, it is still best to consult the pro before taking any action. True enough, most people would immediately reach for a painkiller when faced with this kind of situation. However, for some gastrointestinal and cardiac disorders and diseases, taking regular doses of painkillers can complicate the matters considerably. Talk to your doctor first so that you can undergo testing to really ascertain why you have and how to eradicate completely such pains.

Abdominal pain can be caused by a variety of factors. It can be caused by an inflammation, as in the case of appendicitis, colitis and diverticulitis; stretching caused by problems such as intestinal obstruction or blockage; or by an organ being cut off from blood supply, as in the case of ischemic colitis. Other factors, such as irritable bowel syndrome, can also cause abdominal pain.

One serious medical condition that abdominal pain accompanies is an aortic aneurysm. This occurs when blood flows through a weakened area of the aorta, causing it to swell. If it swells enough, it can burst, and cause death. Folks with aortic aneurysms often complain of recurring abdominal pain, and feeling a “heartbeat” or “pulse” in their abdomens.

As mentioned before, intestinal obstruction can also cause abdominal pain. Most cases of intestinal obstruction cause abdominal pain around or above the belly button. Intestinal obstruction can have severe health consequences, such as infection or perforation of the intestine.

Another serious illness that can be related to abdominal pain is cancer. Cancer is the number two killer in the U.S. and early detection is key to fighting this illness. If you’re having abdominal pain, you should be concerned about cancer if the pain is accompanied by fever, persistent constipation, diarrhea, bloody stools, recurring nausea or vomiting, severe tenderness of the belly, vomiting blood, or jaundice.

Abdominal pain can also be an indicator that you are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, an illness that causes severe discomfort in the gastrointestinal system and that is often accompanied with severe diarrhea or constipation. While not life-threatening, IBS can be very uncomfortable and can have a variety of negative impacts on one’s quality of life.

As you can see, abdominal pain can be a red flag for serious, even life-threatening medical problems, or just a symptom of less serious, but still unpleasant problems. Not every instance of abdominal pain is a life-threatening emergency, but you should seek medical care if the pain is so severe that you cannot sit or move without being in agony or if you’re also experiencing bloody diarrhea or chest pains.

There are a variety of methods for treating any pain you may have in the abdomen. Treatments include medicines such as antispasmodics that work to relax the muscles in the stomach. Natural remedies such as peppermint oil can also achieve this effect, and can be taken in capsule form or in tea. Other treatments include using a heating pad, which can help soothe the muscles of the stomach.