Chest Pain Under Strain Get It Checked Out
In older white males, we know chest pain may be a sign of heart attack. But we havent gotten that same sort of education with women, Baechler says. Women fear breast cancer more than heart disease, but they are more likely to have heart disease. In fact, heart disease is the No.1 killer of women in America today, causing more deaths than all types of cancer combined.
If you lift something and have chest pain that youve never had before, get it checked out. You should also see your doctor about any new chest pain when you walk upstairs or exert yourself in some way. This is particularly important if the pain goes away after a short period of rest. Women are more likely than men to have atypical symptoms of a heart attack: shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, extreme fatigue, a cold sweat, or pain in the arms, back, neck, or stomach, Baechler says. Get these, and any of the more traditional symptoms, checked out.
Unexpected Irregular Vaginal Bleeding
Irregular bleeding, especially if its accompanied by pain during sex, could signal a serious condition like cervical cancer or uterine cancer. If your menstrual period becomes unusually heavy or irregular, occurs more often than every three weeks, or you have spotting between periods, get these symptoms checked out.
Discuss any post-menopausal spotting with your doctor. Even a little bit of bleeding after menopause is abnormal, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Some of the common causes are polyps and either atrophy or thickening of the endometrium the lining of your uterus.
Changes To How Your Kidneys Work
This is a later symptom of myeloma. The large amounts of antibody protein made by the abnormal plasma cells can damage your kidneys as it passes through from the bloodstream to the urine. The antibody protein is called the Bence Jones protein. It is the small part of the antibody called the free light chain.
This leads to a number of different symptoms including:
- nausea
- loss of appetite and weight loss
- dehydration
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Worsening Shortness Of Breath Could Be A Sign Of Heart Disease
Dont ignore shortness of breath by assuming its from a lack of conditioning or recent weight gain. If you experience shortness of breath after exertion that progressively gets worse, it could be a sign of a heart disease like aortic stenosis or coronary artery disease . Check with your doctor if you have shortness of breath that suddenly gets worse.
Seek Medical Help For Heart Palpitations That Last 15 Minutes
An intermittent extra heartbeat here or there isnt something that should concern you. But if you have heart palpitations that last longer than 15 minutes especially if theyre accompanied by shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, or loss of consciousness you should be checked out, Simmons says. These symptoms could indicate a heart condition called atrial fibrillation.
In atrial fibrillation, the top chambers of the heart beat more quickly than the lower chambers. When prolonged, this can result in blood clots that can move to other parts of the body and may lead to stroke or heart failure over time.
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A Simple Test To See If You Have Orthostatic Hypotension
A simple way to check to see if your lightheadedness, fatigue, mental fogginess or headaches are from low blood pressure to the brain is to increase the blood pressure to the brain. You can do this simply by increasing the salt in your diet. Salt has a magical property called osmotic pressure that pulls fluid into the blood vessels.
More fluid in blood vessels makes it easier for your heart and blood vessels to provide the proper amount of pressure and blood flow to the brain. Proper blood flow to the brain will allow the brain to function better and should result in a decrease or disappearance of your symptoms if they are due to poor blood flow.
With all the talk by the health officials about the necessity of eating a low-salt diet, you might be concerned with increasing your salt intake. Dont worry, its not dangerous for a few weeks. Only persons with uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart failure or kidney disease should talk with their physician before adding salt to their diet.
Follow these instructions to see if your symptoms are from low blood flow to the brain:
The Top 5 Omicron Symptoms To Be Aware Of
As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, heres what you need to know about its symptoms.
18 January 2022 by Priya Joi
When the pandemic started, COVID-19 came with a long list of potential symptoms ranging from fever to an upset stomach to a loss of smell and taste. Infection with the Omicron variant seems to start with similar symptoms to that of a common cold, perhaps in part because it seems to cause infection more in the upper respiratory tract rather than lower respiratory tract .
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Definitions Of Headache And Back Pain
Definitions of low back pain varied. Due to the nature of observational studies low back pain was self-reported but the detail asked of participants, and described by studies was variable . Swain et al. , used a five point scale to report low back pain frequently in the past 6 months. Hartvigsen et al. , asked several specific questions regarding low back pain Few studies measured self-reported back pain with established questionnaires. Hestbaek et al. 2006 , measured low back pain with a Nordic questionnaire as did Sjolie et al. ,. Bener et al. , used a variety of outcome measures including the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire , a widely used health status measure for low back pain. Jones et al. , provided an illustration of a shaded area of the lower back participants where participants may have expected to experience low back pain in the past month. Angst et al. , distinguished between lumbar back pain versus cervical pain .
Persistency of low back pain was described infrequently. Chronic low back pain was defined by pain in the low part of the back and thigh pain radiating to above the knee lasting over 3months by Bejia et al. Hestbaek et al. 2006 , defined persistent low back pain being longer than 30days in the past year, Yoon et al. asked for self-reported low back pain more than 15days per month . Ashina measured low back pain by self-reported frequency in the last year .
No studies reported on the severity of headache and severity of low back pain.
When To Be Concerned About Upper Back Pain And Nausea
Back pain is a common condition and can range from dull and aching to sharp and stabbing. According to experts, around 80% of people will experience some sort of back pain at some point in their lives. On the other hand, nausea is the feeling of wanting to vomit. The two conditions are not mutually exclusive and each can happen on its own. However, there are lots of instances of back pain and nausea that can occur at the same time.
Since these conditions are very common and not necessarily alarming even if they occur at the same time, when should upper back pain and nausea be a cause for concern? You need to distinguish if you are experiencing pain related to intestinal or digestive issues, in which the pain can radiate to your back, or other factors such as pregnancy, which is also another example since a woman experiences morning sickness and back pain as common symptoms.
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See Your Doctor For Unexpected Bowel Habit Changes
Bowel movements are a measure of how things are passing through your body, which means they can be a good indicator of something thats awry. Conditions like colon cancer and anal cancer can have similar symptoms. These include bleeding or blood in the stool, and any major changes in the amount, frequency , consistency, or appearance of stools.
Bowel changes that dont go away after a couple of days or weeks should be checked out with your doctor. It’s really normal most of the time, but its just always good to get routine checkups if something is changing, Baechler says.
Muscle Injury Damage And Death
Individuals who overwork the muscles can be particularly prone to a condition called rhabdomyolysis. This is characterized by the death of muscle tissue usually as the result of very strenuous activity.
The muscles of the back are some of the most utilized muscles in the body. Simple activities like standing, sitting, walking, and other, seemingly mundane postural actions all require the engagement of the lower back muscles. Combine this with demanding activities like heavy lifting and muscle injury and subsequent damage are certainly a risk.
Individuals who are most at risk of this type of overworking the back muscles are athletes and manual laborers who are consistently pushing their muscles to their limits.
If the muscles are overworked, not only can this lead to back pain and even fevers, but the tissues can die and breakdown, resulting in a release of toxins throughout the system. These toxins and muscle break-down products then enter the bloodstream which can significantly burden the kidneys. This can lead to kidney damage and in severe cases, potentially even kidney failure,
Treatment of rhabdomylosis depends on the severity of the case. In minor cases, the condition can be addressed with rest and fluid intake to help normalize the blood chemistry. In severe cases that lead to kidney damage, however, hospitalization may be necessary.
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Can I Prevent A Sore Throat And Headache
The best way to prevent sore throat and headache is to avoid infections and illness. Tips include:
- Wash hands often: Always wash hands after going to the bathroom or changing a diaper and before eating or preparing food.
- Dont share: Dont share food, water bottles, glasses or other eating utensils.
- Use good cough hygiene: When coughing or sneezing, use a tissue. If you dont have a tissue, use the crook of your elbow. Dont cough or sneeze into your hand.
- Stay home if youre sick: Isolate yourself as much as you can until you feel better. And be around other people who are not feeling well.
- Avoid allergy triggers: Take precautions to avoid your allergy triggers. Allergies can cause coughing and sneezing.
- Practice safe sex: Use a condom or dental dam to avoid sexually transmitted infections.
- Avoid tobacco and alcohol products: Try to stay away from cigarettes and limit alcohol. These products increase your risk of developing head and neck cancers.
Pain Builds Up In Lower Back With Standing Walking
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Youre Having A Panic Attack
Chills can occur if you have a profound or intense emotional reaction to a situation, according to Taroyan. Emotions that might cause chills include fear or anxiety, she says.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, nearly 30% of all adults will experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime. A panic attack can cause a combination of physical as well as psychological symptoms, including chills, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness and chest pain. Because of the severity of the symptoms, a panic attack sometimes causes people to think theyre having a heart attack.
If youve never had a panic attack before, seek medical attention. If youve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, psychotherapy and medication can help.
What Can You Do If You Have Back Pain With Covid
Covid related back pain does get better by itself but you can help along with some gentle exercises. These are great.
Important: if you get out of breath ease up. Do fewer reps and for a shorter time.
If you want specific advice then book a video consultation with James, our physio.
During the day remember to change your posture regularly so you dont seize up in one position. As you improve you can do more exercises like walking or using resistance bands. You could also follow our home exercise videos.
If your back symptoms are worsening or not getting better after 4 weeks then make an appointment to see our chiropractors or physio and well assess you. If you have underlying joint locking or muscle spasm then these will need to be solved for the pain to go away.
Mels story is a composite of patient experiences to maintain confidentiality. Photo by mauro paillex on Unsplash
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When Can I Go Back To Work Or School
If you have a sore throat or headache, wait until you have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning to work. Your child should stay home from school or day care until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours.
If you have strep throat, you can usually return to work or school once the fever is gone and you have taken antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
Microvascular Angina: Why Women Shouldnt Ignore Chest Pain And Fatigue
A sharp twinge, a sense of heaviness weve all felt chest pain from time to time. Sometimes its indigestion or a panic attack. But other times, its more serious.
Microvascular angina is an especially worrisome source of cardiac chest pain, and its often misdiagnosed because it doesnt show up as a blockage in the larger heart arteries during testing. This fact can cause doctors to miss the underlying cause.
Its concerning because the problem can be missed. It doesnt show up on a traditional angiogram, which can lead to delayed diagnosis if physicians dismiss the chest pain as nothing, says Erin Michos, M.D., associate director of preventive cardiology at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease.
This chest pain in one of the hearts arteries is more common in women than in men, says Michos.
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Treatments For Lower Back Pain
The source of your lower back pain will help guide your treatment options. These include:
- Core strengthening to improve the ability of your abdominal muscles to support your spine
- Weight loss to decrease lower back strain
- Lower back and leg stretching to improve mobility and flexibility to alleviate areas of nerve compression and joint stiffness
- Application of ice to decrease pain and inflammation or heat to improve mobility and decrease stiffness
- Medication, hemodialysis, or kidney transplant to improve kidney function
- Medical management of underlying conditions that increase the risk of kidney disease, such as hypertension or diabetes
- Medications such as DMARDs and biologics to treat autoimmune forms of arthritis
- Antibiotics or antivirals to treat infections
- Pain medications taken orally via pill form, topically via creams or gels, or through injections into painful joints
- Surgery to relieve chronic nerve compression
Why Does Back Pain With Covid Happen
The Covid virus creates its mayhem by increasing inflammation. If this inflammation settles in a back or pelvic joint then pain will be the result.
Another cause is not directly related to the virus but is caused by the inactivity it brings. If you feel unwell, tired and achy then you are likely to be less active. This lack of activity can bring on ordinary back pain and other joint and muscle stiffness. These aches and pains are then aggravated by Covid. Some people experience shoulder and arm problems after Covid too, especially if they have been in hospital.
But thats not all. If you have a cough then it can strain your lower back. To feel the effect on your low back, stand up, place your hands on your lower back and cough gently. You should feel your low back give a little kick. Imagine this over and over again with a Covid cough and you can see why it irritates low back joints.
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Tummy Pain Or Back Pain
Tummy pain or back pain are common symptoms of pancreatic cancer. The pain may start as general discomfort or tenderness in the tummy area and spread to the back.
Some people have no pain at all, and pain can vary from person to person. For example, it may come and go at first but become more constant over time. It can be worse when lying down, and sitting forward can sometimes make it feel better. It may be worse after eating.
If you are over 60, have lost weight and have tummy or back pain, your GP should refer you for an urgent CT scan or ultrasound scan within two weeks.
What Is A Headache With A Sore Throat
Most people get headaches many times during their lives. A headache causes pain in your head or face. The pain may be throbbing, sharp or dull.
A sore throat is pain or irritation in your throat. It might feel scratchy, painful or dry. It often hurts more when you swallow.
Sometimes, you have both a headache and sore throat. Most often, an infection causes those symptoms to happen together.
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