Some of us are looking for the cause of pain in the area of its localization, quickly determine the diagnosis and begin self-medication. However, not everyone knows that in some cases, symptoms can become real deceivers. For example, it hurts in the chest, and the cause is digestive problems. About the development of what ailments these or other symptoms may indicate , MedAboutMe will tell.
Dangerous symptoms: acute chest pain
The sudden appearance of a sharp pain in the chest is one of the most common reasons why patients go to a cardiologist. And this is correct, because in some cases an attack of severe pain in the chest is the first and, until some point, the only sign of an ailment that requires immediate assistance.
People complaining of chest pain should be examined immediately. By the way, sometimes a doctor is able to make a correct diagnosis based on an anamnesis, an initial examination and the results of an electrocardiogram.
However, in addition to cardiovascular diseases – angina pectoris, pericarditis, ischemic disease, myocardial infarction – chest pain can also indicate the development of diseases:
- organs of the respiratory system – bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, pleurisy. In such cases, the pain can increase with coughing or a sharp breath. The cause of its occurrence is damage to the diaphragm or intercostal muscles;
- digestive organs – diaphragmatic abscess, gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum. In this case, gastric pain may give off to the chest area;
- spine – the development of osteochondrosis;
- nervous system – the presence of intercostal neuralgia, cardioneurosis.
Acute chest pain is a serious reason to call an ambulance immediately.
Low back pain: possible illnesses
The most common causes of low back pain are diseases and injuries of the spine or spinal muscles. Among them is osteochondrosis, in which the intervertebral discs lose strength and elasticity. In addition, sudden intense pain in the lower back sometimes indicates problems such as sciatica and herniated discs.
In addition to diseases of the spine, the cause of pain in the lower back can be the pathology of the digestive or excretory systems. Lower back pain is often disturbing during menstruation or due to the development of gynecological diseases.
Abdominal pain
The pain that occurs in the upper abdomen, sometimes becomes the result of normal overeating, and sometimes it can indicate the presence of serious problems:
- gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers;
- pancreatitis or cholecystitis;
- the presence of stones in the cavity of the gallbladder;
- the appearance of problems in the intestine.
In no case should I ignore acute abdominal pain. This condition of the patient requires immediate medical attention. Many organs that are located in the abdominal cavity are hollow. And as a result of the failure of one of them (rupture or clogging), a person’s life is in danger. If severe pain does not release within half an hour, you must definitely go to the hospital or call an ambulance.
Abdominal pain can warn of the development of diseases of the lungs or heart. To find out the exact cause, you must go to the doctor’s appointment. A gastroenterologist, surgeon or cardiologist will help to cope with the problem.
Headache: what is she talking about?
Headache is one of the most common non-specific symptoms. It can have many manifestations and indicate the development of a variety of diseases. In more cases, the cause of pain is:
- migraine, characterized by paroxysmal severe throbbing pain in the head. As a rule, an attack lasts from thirty minutes to an hour or more;
- tension pains, manifested as a slight discomfort, and intense squeezing pains. A headache of this kind can occur in the back of the head, in the area of the cranial arch, eyes or temples.
In addition, pain in the head area can prevent:
- an increase in blood pressure (which can be checked using a tonometer);
- about diseases of the blood vessels of the brain, accompanied by spasms or excessive expansion;
- osteochondrosis affecting the cervical spine. In this case, the pain is usually localized in the neck, back of the head, sometimes spreading to the temple area. People suffering from osteochondrosis of this department complain of difficulty in turning the neck, a feeling of stiffness in the spinal and cervical muscles, limitation of the range of voluntary movements;
- inflammatory process that develops in the paranasal sinuses of the nasal cavity – frontal sinusitis or sinusitis. In this case, pain appears in the eyes, cheekbones and forehead;
- various kinds of viral diseases;
- hormonal disbalance;
- the presence of various kinds of tumors;
- heavy loads on the organs of vision (prolonged sitting at the computer monitor), stress, severe fatigue. In this case, a headache occurs in the temples, as well as the forehead;
- side effects of certain drugs, and in some cases, the abolition of medications (nitroglycerin, drugs containing caffeine);
- the presence of injuries to the head or cervical spine;
- weather sensitivity.
Pain periodically affecting one side of the face may indicate the development of trigeminal neuritis – the inflammatory process of the branches of one of the cranial nerves.
And most importantly, our article is purely informative. Therefore, even knowing the possible causes of pain sensations of different intensities and localized in different parts of the body, under no circumstances should one be independently diagnosed and, moreover, self-medicated. This can only be done by a doctor. Any acute pain in which part of the body it would not have occurred is a good reason to seek medical help.