The everyday aches and pains you’re used to could indicate a health emergency. Usually a headache is just a headache, and heartburn is nothing more than a sign that you ate too much fast-food. Except when they’re not.
Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something isn’t quite right. More often than not, you have some idea of what’s behind it. But when it comes on suddenly, lingers longer than usual, or just seems different, it calls for medical attention and the sooner, the better.
In the busy day-to-day life of a working individual, it is tempting to shrug off pain and push it to the back of your mind. People often feel that they are too busy to deal with the pain that ails them.
According to experts, all of the following pain conditions should be considered red flags.
Leg pain with swelling: Your calf is extremely tender in one location, noticeably swollen, and red or warm to the touch. You might have deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), commonly known as a blood clot. Resist the urge to massage the area or to try walking off the pain. If the clot breaks free, it can travel through your veins up to your lungs and cut off your oxygen supply. Instead, see your doctor right away.
Read Also:
Abdominal discomfort with gas or bloating: In 2007, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation released the first national consensus on early symptoms of this form of cancer: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, and difficulty eating. If you start experiencing them almost daily for more than two or three weeks, consider it a red flag.
Sharp pain in your side: if you feel as if you’re being skewered in your right side, and you’re also nauseated and running a fever, you could have appendicitis. For women, another possibility is an ovarian cyst. Typically these fluid-filled sacs are harmless and disappear on their own. But if one twists or ruptures, it can cause terrible pain.
Severe head pain: Chances are, it’s a migraine. But if it isn’t accompanied by other migraine symptoms (such as a visual aura), sudden, severe head pain can signal a brain aneurysm. A burst aneurysm can cause brain damage within minutes so you need to see a doctor immediately.
Chest pain: Studies have found that women experience a wider range of heart attack symptoms than men do. They are chest pain that doesn’t go away, varied shortness of breath, and any upper body pain that hasn’t occurred before. If you experience any of these symptoms.
