Stitch

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Classification according to ICD-10
R07.3 Other chest pain
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

Stitches in the side (from Middle High German stëchen "stinging pain"), also known as side stitches , is a pain of unknown cause in the area of ​​the spleen (on the left side of the body) or liver (right side of the body), which can occur during sustained physical exertion, e.g. B. in endurance runs.

causes

For a long time, the cause was assumed to be too rapid emptying of the blood reserves from the liver and spleen . Since the pain occurs more intensely when the physical exertion takes place immediately after eating, the cause of the pain can also come from the stomach, according to another theory .

Today there are two general explanations for stitch. The increased blood flow to the spleen caused by physical strain leads to a swelling of the organ and thus to a stretching of the peritoneal covering and the ligamentum splenocolicum . This unusual stretching presumably results in the discomfort known as a "stitch in the side".

A second theory suggests that the pain is caused by the diaphragm . The diaphragm is an important muscle in the abdomen for breathing . Continuous intense physical exertion leads to deep and rapid breathing and the diaphragm is heavily stressed. The additional lack of oxygen then leads to the well-known cramp-like pain in the upper abdomen.

Countermeasures

With increasing endurance , the susceptibility to side stitches decreases because the diaphragm is better trained. In general, the strength of the exertion should be reduced as a preventive measure, e.g. B. run slower to avoid the side stitches. In the case of an acute occurrence, it often helps to briefly reduce the exertion, e. B. by taking a break from walking and only continuing to walk after the pain has subsided. By exhaling deeply with the support of the abdominal muscles, the diaphragm is also stretched and the cramp is released. Massaging the area will also help ease the pain. The cramped area is relaxed from the outside by pressing with your hand. In addition, exercise should be avoided immediately after eating.

Web links

Wiktionary: Seitenstechen  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alphabetical directory for the ICD-10-WHO version 2019, volume 3. German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI), Cologne, 2019, p. 798
  2. ↑ Jürgen Martin: The 'Ulmer Wundarznei'. Introduction - Text - Glossary on a monument to German specialist prose from the 15th century. Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg 1991 (= Würzburg medical-historical research. Volume 52), ISBN 3-88479-801-4 (also medical dissertation Würzburg 1990), p. 174.
  3. ↑ Ouch: Where does the side stitch come from? - Health. In: Spiegel Online . May 16, 2018, accessed May 16, 2018 .
  4. ↑ M. Schünke et al .: Prometheus - LernAtlas der Anatomie - Neck and Inner Organs . Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-13-139531-1 , p. 218.
  5. ↑ Stitches in the side: where does it come from? In: pharmacies look around. Retrieved April 13, 2016 .