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7 Pains You Cannot
Ignore
Experts describe the types
of pain that require prompt medical attention.
By Leanna Skarnulis
click for complete WebMD article
WebMD Feature
No. 1: Worst Headache of Your Life
Get medical attention immediately. "If you have a cold, it
could be a sinus headache," says Sandra Fryhofer, MD, MACP,
spokeswoman for the American College of Physicians. "But you
could have a brain hemorrhage or
brain tumorbrain tumor.
With any pain, unless you're sure of what caused it, get it
checked out."
No. 2: Pain or Discomfort in the Chest, Throat,
Jaw, Shoulder, Arm, or Abdomen
Chest pain could be
pneumoniapneumonia
or a
heart attackheart
attack. But be aware that heart conditions typically
appear as discomfort, not pain. "Don't wait for pain," says
cardiologist Jerome Cohen, MD. "Heart patients talk about
pressure. They'll clench their fist and put it over their
chest or say it's like an elephant sitting on their chest."
No. 3: Pain in Lower Back or Between Shoulder
Blades
"Most often it's arthritis," says Brangman, who is
professor and chief of geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical
University in Syracuse, N.Y. Other possibilities include a
heart attack or abdominal problems. "One danger is aortic
dissection, which can appear as either a nagging or sudden
pain.
No. 4: Severe Abdominal Pain
Still have your appendix? Don't flirt with the possibility
of a rupture. Gallbladder and pancreas problems, stomach
ulcersulcers,
and intestinal blockages are some other possible causes of
abdominal pain that need attention
No 5: 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
No. 6: Burning Feet or Legs
Nearly one-third of the 20 million Americans who have
diabetes are undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes
Association.
No 7: Vague, Combined, or Medically Unexplained
Pains
"Various painful, physical symptoms are common in
depressiondepression,"
says psychiatrist Thomas Wise, MD. "Patients will have vague
complaints of headaches, abdominal pain, or limb pain,
sometimes in combination."
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