Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Joint Pain And Fatigue Causes

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Fatigue Cause No : Anemia

Recovery from Low Thyroid, Severe Joint Pain, Fatigue & Stubborn Weight

Anemia is one of the leading causes of fatigue in women. Menstrual blood loss can cause an iron deficiency, putting women at risk. Red blood cells are needed because they carry oxygen to your tissues and organs.

Fix: For anemia caused by an iron deficiency, taking iron supplements and eating iron-rich foods, such as lean meat, liver, shellfish, beans, and enriched cereal, can help.

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The Pain Moves Around Your Body And Causes Fatigue

If your joint pain changes locations in your body and causes fatigue, it could indicate fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia results in chronic and acute flare-ups of pain, and you might also experience brain fog and memory issues. This condition affects 2-4% of the population in the United States and more commonly affects women.

Youll experience tenderness throughout your body and musculoskeletal pain. There isnt a diagnostic test for fibromyalgia, so telling your doctor your signs is essential.

What The Doctor Does

Doctors first ask questions about the person’s symptoms and medical history. Then they do a physical examination. What doctors find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause for joint pain and guides the tests that may need to be done .

Doctors ask about pain severity, onset , how symptoms vary over time, and what increases or decreases pain . They ask about joint stiffness and swelling, previously diagnosed joint disorders, and risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and Lyme disease.

Doctors then do a complete physical examination. They check all joints for swelling, redness, warmth, tenderness, and noises that are made when the joints are moved . The joints are moved through their full range of motion, first by the person without assistance and then by the doctor . This examination helps determine which structure is causing the pain and if inflammation is present. They also check the eyes, mouth, nose, and genital area for sores or other signs of inflammation. The skin is examined for rashes. Lymph nodes are felt and the lungs and heart examined. Doctors usually test function of the nervous system so that they can detect disorders of the muscles or nerves.

The following tests are the most important overall:

  • Tests of joint fluid

  • Blood tests for autoantibodies

  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein

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Cause Of Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica produces inflammation and swelling in the larger joints of the body, such as the shoulders and hips, and in the tissues around these joints. The inflammation is due to the immune system attacking the membranes lining the joint , but the reason for this is unknown. Genetics and environmental factors are believed to play a role.

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Treatment Of Joint Pain

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It is of huge importance to consult your doctor when experience joint pain. Your health care provider will perform a physical exam and order necessary tests to diagnose the exact cause of joint pain and recommend adequate treatment. In most cases, the treatment includes:

  • Medications . Have a look at Curafen Review which could help you monumentally to reduce the pain in the joints.
  • Surgery
  • Lifestyle adjustments
  • Physical therapy

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Helping People Around You Understand Fatigue

Fatigue is a major symptom of many conditions, such as arthritis often its as much of a problem as pain and inflammation. But its an invisible symptom and a lot of people avoid talking about it because they think their family, friends and colleagues wont understand.

It can be stressful if you think people around you dont understand how youre feeling. Even when you explain, some people may struggle to realise how fatigue affects you and that it stops you doing certain activities. This can be frustrating and tiring and can put a big strain on your relationships. Getting help, support and understanding from the people around you can make a huge difference.

Good communication and explaining clearly and calmly how fatigue affects you is important to help others understand.

Its ok to say that you need help with tasks around the home.

Learning to say you cant do something or go somewhere because of the way it will affect you can help. It may also reassure people that sometimes you just dont feel up to socialising and its no reflection on their company.

If people ask for your help with something, remember its ok to say no. Its ok to put yourself first.

If you find it difficult to talk about your fatigue, you could ask people to read this information.

What Are The Most Common Causes Of Joint Pain And Nausea

During pregnancy, a woman usually gains weight, and it is typically distributed in a different way than her body is used to. Her feet and ankles may experience more pressure than before the pregnancy, resulting in joint pain. Nausea is a common symptom for pregnant women and usually does not last past the first trimester, although some women experience nausea throughout the entire pregnancy. Joint pain and nausea may not occur at the same time during pregnancy.

Influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection that has many different symptoms. Sometimes a person may experience nausea and vomiting when she has the flu, or she may have other symptoms like fatigue and a sore throat. Joint pain and overall muscle weakness are often a common complaint of people who have influenza. Children, the elderly, and women who are pregnant are more likely to suffer from the flu. Those who work with the elderly or take care of children also have a higher likelihood of contracting a flu virus.

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Possible Factors Involved In Fatigue

The factors below are associated with RA fatigue, meaning each factor may cause fatiguedirectly or indirectlyor is simply correlated with it.

Disease activity Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints. The immune system cells can release substances called cytokines, proteins that act as messengers throughout the body. Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity can spur a release of cytokines that lead to inflammation that leads to joint pain and possibly fatigue.

Anemia Between 20% and 60% of people with rheumatoid arthritis have abnormally low levels of red blood cells, a condition called anemia. People with anemia may experience fatigue along with other symptoms, including but not limited to pale skin, dizziness, or irregular heartbeat.

Some people with RA experience anemia as a result of chronic inflammation. Others may experience iron deficiency anemia because of chronic use of NSAID medications for treatment of arthritis pain.4

Not everyone agrees with the idea that anemia is the cause of RA chronic fatigue. At least one study found that patients fatigue correlated with RA disease activity rather than anemia.5

Final Thoughts On Signs Painful Joints Might Mean Something Worse

Thyroid Patient Finds Relief for Fatigue and Severe Joint Pain while Losing Weight

Painful joints can be debilitating, but thats not the only reason to worry about it. Joint pain is a sign of many conditions, so its essential to learn more about it and talk to your healthcare provider. Some problems are long-lasting while others are temporary, but either way, you must find pain relief.

Once youve received a diagnosis, youll know what you are dealing with. Then, you can determine a treatment plan or a way to relieve symptoms. Make sure to pay attention to the signs of painful joints so that you can get the help you need.

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Q: Why Is Pots Often Misdiagnosed

A: Many of the symptoms described above seem very cardiac-driven. However, at the hospital or ER, the doctors will find that the POTS patients heart is fine. Its actually the adrenaline thats producing a lot of these symptoms to compensate for a neurologic problem.

Often, patients have so many symptoms and are consulting so many different specialists that theres no cohesive assessment or treatment. In addition, POTS symptoms are often misdiagnosed as adrenal fatigue a term used to describe a group of symptoms when nothing else can be used to explain it.

Awareness of POTS in todays medical culture is limited. Recently, however, theres been a growing awareness of POTS thats evolving across the board. As the general population is learning more about it, the medical community is being educated as well.

Q: How Is Pots Treated

A: Treatment plans for POTS may include the following:

  • Medications.
  • Multidisciplinary patient education, including shared medical appointments.
  • Self-help tools for patients to use to improve their body through diet and exercise .

The good news is that several wellness tools have proven much more effective in managing POTS than expensive supplements.

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Q: What Are The Symptoms Of Pots

A: The most common symptom of POTS is chronic fatigue. Other symptoms include body aches and exhaustion. About a third of patients faint. Other patients are plagued by adrenaline symptoms such as chest pain, racing heart rate , sweating and difficulty breathing. POTS feels like having the flu, but having to drink coffee to get through the day.

Disease Activity And Fatigue

High Blood Pressure Joint Pain Fatigue

Fatigue and arthritis go hand in hand for many people with arthritis. The main culprits are the inflammatory disease process and the accompanying chronic pain.

  • Inflammation. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks your body and inflammation is the result. The body undergoes stress as it tries to cope with the release of inflammatory cytokines in the blood. That can cause fatigue, especially when disease activity is high or low-grade inflammation remains for a long time.
  • Chronic Pain. The pain-fatigue connection can be a vicious circle. Dealing with arthritis pain for months at a time over many years can wear you down. It can affect your sleep habits, which adds to your exhaustion. Being fatigued, in turn, can worsen pain and make it more difficult to manage.

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Causes Of Pain In Many Joints

In most cases, the cause of pain originating inside multiple joints is arthritis. Disorders that cause arthritis may differ from each other in certain tendencies, such as the following:

  • How many and which joints they usually involve

  • Whether the central part of the skeleton, such as the spine or pelvis, is typically involved

  • Whether arthritis is sudden or longstanding

Acute arthritis affecting multiple joints is most often due to

Chronic arthritis affecting multiple joints is most often due to

Some chronic inflammatory disorders can affect the spine as well as the limb joints . Some affect certain parts of the spine more frequently. For example, ankylosing spondylitis more commonly affects the lower part of the spine, whereas rheumatoid arthritis more typically affects the upper part of the spine in the neck.

The most common disorders outside the joints that cause pain around the joints are

Bursitis and tendinitis often result from injury, usually affecting only one joint. However, certain disorders cause bursitis or tendinitis in many joints.

Pain And Tender Points

Almost all people with fibromyalgia ache all over. It can feel similar to osteoarthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis, but it’s over your entire body. This is usually what makes you go see your doctor.

The pain can be deep, sharp, dull, throbbing, or aching. You feel it in your muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the joints. For some people, the pain comes and goes. It could travel throughout your body.

You may also have tender points — specific spots around your joints that hurt when you press them with a finger. If you press a tender point on a person without fibromyalgia, they’ll just feel pressure. But that same pressure would be very painful for someone with fibro.

These tender points are in predictable places on the body. They’re often under the surface of the skin, not in areas of deep pain. It’s the tissue around the muscles and joints that hurts rather than the joints themselves.

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Muscle Damage Through Injury

There are many ways in which your muscles can be directly damaged. The most obvious is injury or trauma such as sporting injuries, pulls and sprains. In any muscle injury, bleeding from damaged muscle fibres occurs inside the muscle, followed by swelling and inflammation. This makes the muscle less strong and also painful to use. Localised pain is the primary symptom but weakness also results.

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Fatigue And Joint Pain

Adrenal Fatigue causes Joint Pain of Unknown Origin

There are a few different medical conditions that are strongly associated with:

  • Fatigue
  • Joint Pain

While the symptoms above can be considered a guide to help associate symptoms common among the conditions below, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms. Below are the top condition matches for your symptom combination from MedicineNet:

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What To Watch For And Why Painful Joints Could Be Important

The signs that accompany painful joints can tell you quite a bit about the cause. Youll want to pay attention to the location of the pain, such as the shoulder, ankle, or knee. Think about whether you experience limping, joint locking, or decreased range of motion.

Additionally, you might experience the following issues near your joints:

  • Redness
  • Weakness

Increase Your Physical Activity

Adding some gentle exercises to your day can increase the amount of energy you have.

Staying active increases your fitness levels and strengthens your muscles. Weak muscles use more energy, so doing too little can be as damaging as doing too much.

Exercise also increases your circulation and improves the health of vital organs, such as your heart and lungs, which can also give you more energy.

Its important to give yourself time to recover after exercise by taking a break before you move onto your next activity.

When you start exercising

Introducing more physical activity to your day may be tiring at first. Dont overdo it, start your activity slowly, perhaps just add a 510 minute walk or some gentle stretching exercises to begin with.

If youre in pain you can take painkillers before you exercise.

Gradually build up the amount of activity you do. For example, when youre ready, walk for 5 more minutes or add some strengthening exercises to your routine.

Generally, the best way to build up your fitness levels is to do a little exercise as often as you can. Stick with it because as you get fitter youll start to feel better, stronger and more energetic.

You could try using a step counter such as a fitness tracker, a pedometer, or a mobile phone app. When youre ready and depending on how youre feeling, you could try to beat your previous records.

You should aim to exercise every day. But be aware some days will be easier than others.

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How Is A Pots Diagnosis Made

Problems with the autonomic nervous system can be difficult to diagnose. The standard test for POTS is the tilt table test. During the test, you are secured to a table that tilts from being horizontal to almost a 90-degree angle. The test measures your hearts response to switching from laying down to standing up. Some people with POTS faint during this test, even if they rarely faint standing up.

Although the test seems straightforward, many things can interfere with it. Its important that a POTS specialist oversees it. Its best to work with a doctor who has diagnosed and treated patients with POTS. This could be a cardiologist, a neuromuscular specialist or another doctor.

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Complementary And Alternative Medicine

Headache Fever Joint Pain Fatigue

Several mind-body therapies have been used, often in conjunction with medication and physical therapy, to alleviate joint pain. Some of these include:

In addition, while there was some hype about taking the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin for repairing the damaged cartilage of osteoarthritis, current scientific evidence is unfortunately not so supportive of this. That said, for some people, there may be a small pain-alleviating benefit to taking these supplements.

In the end, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider about whether these are right and safe for you.

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Understanding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And How It Affects The Joints

Everyone feels a little tired or exhausted from time to time, but this feeling is nothing compared to chronic fatigue syndrome. This condition is marked by severe fatigue that lasts for six months or more and isnt a side effect of another medical condition.

It most commonly affects women in their 40s and 50s, but teenagers can also develop chronic fatigue syndrome much earlier in life.

Since chronic fatigue syndrome is closely tied to joint pain, here is some information about what this condition is, what causes it, its symptoms, and how it is diagnosed and treated. Chronic fatigue syndrome is one of the most misunderstood medical conditions, but it is estimated that it affects up to 2.5 million people in the U.S. alone.1

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