Occasionally, you may get slight pains in your head, arms or waist for an instant and tell yourself it is nothing serious. But have you ever thought that these little pains could be warning signs that something is wrong with your body? Here we find Leanna Skarnulis's new health cure research and has some some suggestions for readers.
*Headache
If you have a serious headache, get medical attention immediately. "If you have a cold, it could be a sinus headache," Sandra Fryhofer, spokeswoman for the American College of Physicians said. "But you could have a brain hemorrhage or even a brain tumor." With any pain, unless you're sure of what caused it, get it checked out.
*Chest, throat, jaw, shoulder, arm or abdominal pains
Chest pain could be the sign of a heart attack. Be aware that heart conditions typically appear as discomfort, not pain. "Don't wait for pain," cardiologist Jerome Cohen, says. "Heart patients talk about pressure. They'll clench their fist and put it over their chest or say it's like an ant sitting on their chest.”The discomfort associated with heart disease could also be in the upper chest, throat, jaw, left shoulder, arm or abdomen, and might be accompanied by nausea.
"I'm not too concerned about 18-year-old, but if a person has unexplained, persistent discomfort and knows they're high risk, they shouldn't wait," Cohen said. "Too many of people delay because they misinterpret it as heartburn or GI (gastro-intestinal) distress. Call the doctor or get to an emergency room or physician's office. If it turns out to be something else, that's grea but don't take chances."He told the health Web site WebMD that intermittent discomfort should be taken seriously as well. “There might be a pattern, such as discomfort related to excitement, emotional upset or exertion. For example, if you experience it when you're gardening, but it goes away when you sit down, that's angina. It's usually worse in cold or hot weather. "A woman's discomfort signs can be more subtle," Cohen, who is director of preventive cardiology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, said.
This disease can masquerade as GI symptoms, such as bloating, GI distress or discomfort in the abdomen. It's also associated with feeling tired. Risk for heart disease increases dramatically after menopause. It kills mor women than men, even though men are at higher risk at any age. Women and their physicians need to be on their toes.”
*Lower back or between the shoulder blades pain
"Most often it is arthritis," Brangman, a professor and chief of geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, said. Other possibilities include a heart attack or abdominal problems. "One danger is aortic dissection, which can appear as either nagging or sudden pain. People who are at risk have conditions that can change the integrity of the vessel wall. These would include high blood pressure, a history of circulation problems, smoking, and diabetes"
*Abdominal pain
Still have your appendix? Don't flirt with the possibility of a rupture. Gall bladder and pancreas problems, stomach ulcers and intestinal blockages are some other possible causes of abdominal pain that needs attention.
*Calf pain
One of the lesser known dangers is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that can occur in the leg's deep veins. It affects 2 million Americans a year, and it can be life-threatenin. "The danger is that a piece of the clot could break loose and cause pulmonary embolism (a clot in the lungs), which could be fatal, Sandra Fryhofer, said. Cancer, obesity, immobility due to prolonged bed rest or long-istance travel, pregnancy and advanced age are among the risk factors.
"Sometimes there's just swelling without pain," Brangman said. "If you have swelling and pain in your calf muscles, see a doctor immediately".