• Question: why do you only get a stitch on the right side of your body?

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      Asked by Ten3ka to Andy, Chris, Harriet, Jess, Nikki on 14 Mar 2016.
      • Photo: Harriet Reid

        Harriet Reid answered on 14 Mar 2016:

        You can get stitches on either side of your body. Check out a couple of theories for what causes them here : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/health_and_fitness/4275830.stm

      • Photo: Nikki D'Arcy

        Nikki D'Arcy answered on 14 Mar 2016:

        I think stitch is more likely to happen on your right side. They think it might be to do with the liver being on that side and increased heart rate pumping more blood in there. I don’t think there is a definitive answer yet though! Something to work on!?

      • Photo: Christopher Blanford

        Christopher Blanford answered on 14 Mar 2016:

        Ooh, good link Harriet!

        I get stitches on my left. I thought for a while my organs were in backwards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situs_inversus

        That turned out to be wrong: my heart is on my left, like most people.

        Chris

      • Photo: Jessica Groppi

        Jessica Groppi answered on 14 Mar 2016:

        Hi Ten3ka!

        Thanks to you tonight a learned a different meaning of stitch that I ignored. The perk of being a foreigner is that you learn new words everyday .

        For me stitch was just the thing one makes with thread and needle while sawing so I couldn’t understand your question at first.

        Jess.

      • Photo: andy chapman

        andy chapman answered on 15 Mar 2016:

        I get them everywhere! I heard a really weird cure that seems to have no scientific basis. When you get a stitch, clench your thumbs really tightly. I think this kind of works and probably just be distracting you from the other sensation.

        I also heard, when I was a ‘runner’ (I looked more like and injured, asthmatic elk when I used to go running) that if you get it on your left side, start landing with a bit more force on your right foot as you run. This was supposed to be related to theory that the stitch is caused by your organs jiggling about and this is supposed to help….give it a try. It just used to distract me again I think.

        i hated running….

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