Side disease: symptoms, causes and treatment

There are a large number of diseases in the world, many of which have accompanied us throughout history. Something so seemingly simple and easy to treat today like the flu or an infection once meant a death sentence for those who suffered from it.

Thanks to the many scientific and technical advances, it has been possible to better understand and treat different conditions. But not only the explanation of the problems, their causes and treatments have evolved: largely due to the improvement of the understanding of the disorders and the different investigations and conceptions of pathology existing in different parts of the world have also been emerging and disappearing different ways of referring to they.

We have an example in what in his time was called disease of the flank, which today could encompass and/or correspond to different diseases.

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Side disease: what was he referring to?

Side disease, side pain or lateralis pain is an old way of naming a disorder observed since ancient times characterized by the presence of

a high level of pain in the abdominal area, being usual that this worsens with movement or effort and that it is accompanied by fever, gastrointestinal disorders, defecation problems, respiratory rhythm disturbances and arrhythmias.

This disease has generated a large number of deaths throughout history, until the discovery of its causes and the invention of effective treatments for its solution. Nowadays it is usually identified with a specific pathology, although within the denomination different affectations could come together (since there are a large number of possible causes that generate abdominal pain and the general symptoms to which the concept refers). Although the name flank disease is often rare today, you can still find people using the term.

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What conditions can it correspond to? Possible causes

The truth is that the term flank disease, today, may seem somewhat generic given that it does not offer real information of its causes, but simply a more or less extensive area of ​​the body where the problem is located. In this sense, the disease of the flank can correspond to or include within itself different conditions, among which the following stand out.

1. Appendicitis

It is probably the medical diagnosis with which the disease or side disease would correspond the most. This disease, today quite well known and whose existence requires the removal of the appendix without generally major complications, was the cause of a large number of deaths during antiquity and the Middle Ages.

This disease implies the existence of a dilation and inflammation of the appendix caused by an obstruction (which may or may not be the product of a infection, being the most frequent) that prevents proper drainage of intestinal mucus and that in the long run can cause compression and rupture of this. The clearest and most obvious symptom is localized pain in the side (specifically in the so-called McBurney point, in the right lower abdomen), which can present with symptoms such as vomiting and nausea, fever and hyperthermia, and tremors.

If not treated, necrosis and infection of this and surrounding tissue may occur (including peritoneum) or it is even possible that the appendix ruptures, generating significant bleeding. These are probably the causes that caused most of the deaths associated with flank disease.

2. Acute cholecystitis

Inflammation of the gallbladder, generated mainly by the presence of stones in said organ. Inflammation can lead to necrosis, suppuration and gangrene. It also generates pain in the side, in addition to being able to trigger other problems and complications. It can complicate peritonitis or pancreatitis, and is also life-threatening..

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3. Peritonitis

Inflammation of the peritoneum, usually due to a bacterial (septic) infection or the accumulation of fluids and body fluids such as pus (aseptic peritonitis). Symptoms resemble those of flank disease: abdominal pain, fever, breathing problems, bloating, vomiting, and diarrhea or constipation. If left untreated, it can cause death.

4. Nephrolithiasis

This disease generated by the presence of kidney stones is another of those that could be considered as a disease of the flank. The excessive accumulation of these elements generates pain, and in the long run it can even generate those known as nephritic colic. However, it is less likely that the flank disease refers to this due to its greater similarity with the previous ones.

What would medical treatment look like today?

Unlike in the Middle Ages, when flank disease killed a large number of people, At present, there are more means to allow the diseases grouped in this disused category to be overcome. Of course, it is not that the problem is innocuous: it is a problem that continues to be fatal if left untreated.

Regarding the procedure to employ, the first step is obviously to diagnose the problem itself in a much more specific way. In this sense, it is possible to do an examination through touch to note the presence of inflammation, but also techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and contrast-enhanced x-rays may be used. The use of blood and stool tests can reflect highly relevant information. Likewise, the use of techniques such as colonoscopy can also allow a more complete view of the state of the digestive tract.

Once the failing organ and the problem presented have been detected, the treatment will vary according to its causes. Surgery can be used to remove damaged or affected parts, as in the case of appendicitis. If there is an infection, the administration of antibiotics will also be necessary.