Frequent pain under your left rib cage has you puzzled? Sure, it might be your body's not-so-subtle way of saying, "Hey! Enough with the kale", but we solemnly swear it's more complicated than a cruciferous rebellion.

This distress signal could be courtesy of multiple organs in your body - your pancreas, kidneys, or your gastrointestinal tract. Certain movements, even your skilled yogic bending, or that fast food you smuggled after cardio, might escalate this uneasy sensation.

Ladies and gentleman, this article brings you the who's who of potential sources of your discomfort, so you comprehend when to laugh it off and when it's time to fast-track to the ER.

Our VIP list for the emergency causes of this particular pain involve some heavy hitters of the health realm. If you're experiencing heart attacks, ruptured spleens, kidney infections, pericarditis, splenomegaly, pleurisy, pancreatitis, pulmonary embolisms, pneumonia, or shingles, then it's time to hit the panic button.

Meanwhile, on the less-alarming-but-still-bothersome causes side of the spectrum, we have kidney stones, gastritis, stomach ulcers, bruised ribs, costochondritis, GERD, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and slipping rib syndrome.

Along with these patient-unfriendly haunts, be wary of pain that feels like a re-enactment of a horror movie scene, complete with stabbing sensations or dull, lingering discomfort. You should also sit up and take notice if the pain decides to tour your back, abdomen, or shoulder, or if you sense difficulty breathing, swelling, or tenderness.

You’d book a dinner date with a cannibal rather than experiencing any of these disastrous conditions. So, the takeaway here is should things go south and you start witnessing life-threatening symptoms, ring the alarm and head straight to the ER.

After all, clutching your left rib and taking wild guesses isn't your idea of fun. Your apt treatments will differ heavily depending on the cause, ranging from physical examinations, imaging studies, blood tests, ultrasound, to endoscope procedures.

In closing, while our unruly sense of humor may suggest the motto ‘Eat Kale or Die Trying’, when it comes to serious health concerns, we say, ‘Tonight, let's have salad, tomorrow, let's not delay treatment’.