Five Aches and Pains You Should Take Seriously
If you’re like me, a day doesn’t go by when you aren’t rubbing out your shoulders, cracking your neck or massaging your carpel tunnel. As you get older it is normal to have these types of aches and pains. Usually they go away in time and you are able to go about your day. However, sometimes pain is your body telling you that something is really wrong. If you are feeling something out of the ordinary it is important to go to your doctor and inform them of the symptoms you are having. Here is a list of five signs your body might be telling you to go to the emergency room.
- If you are experiencing pain in your leg or your calf you could have deep vein thrombosis. People who travel long hours on airplanes or who are on bed rest could be targets of this syndrome. DVT is basically a blood clot that forms in the vein of your leg that has the potential to travel to your heart, causing a pulmonary embolism. If you fit this description and are experiencing leg pain, get it checked out right away.
- I mentioned before how back and neck pains are seemingly a daily plague. However, there is another type of back pain that could be dangerous. If you experience extreme pain in your upper back you might be suffering from an aortic tear. This can cause your arteries to close up, making it possible for stroke or kidney failure to occur. Pay particular attention to this pain if you have high blood pressure.
- An upset stomach is never usually something that is cause for great alarm, but stabbing abdominal pain is another story, especially if you are a woman. If you are in so much pain that you are doubling over, you might be experiencing a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. This can create abdominal bleeding and needs to be looked at right away.
- A toothache isn’t always just a cavity. It could be an infection called Ludwig’s angina that can spread into your neck. If you feel like you have tooth pain and your neck is beginning to swell you could be falling victim to his infection. It is usually caused by a tooth abscess that has gone untreated. See your dentist regularly to avoid this issue all together.
- Every time I get a headache I have a small pang of worry that I am having a stroke, but that is just the hypochondriac in me. If you really were experiencing a stroke your headache would be so intense that you wouldn’t be able to function and might even pass out. These headaches come on all at once and the pain reaches maximum strength within seconds. There is no mistaking it.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of davitydave