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Have you been ignoring pains that you could take a toll on your life? If you are experiencing certain types of pains, you must immediately tend to these warning signs of your body. Find out more about the pains that could be detrimental, if ignored.
Pain is often described by many as a ‘necessary evil’. We have all experienced some form of pain in our lives and we mostly think of it as an annoying thing that will quickly die away. While it might be painful, we are quick to assume it will go away soon, sometimes even ignoring it completely. What happens when it doesn't go away, though?
What most people don't realize is some pain which may seem harmless at surface level, is actually your body giving you a warning sign that you need to take care of. While most pain is completely harmless and will, in fact, go away within a few days, others need to be treated right away. How exactly can you tell the difference? Keep reading to find out which pain is harmless and which pain needs immediate treatment.
What even is pain and what causes your body to feel it?
It is a mechanism by which your body tells you that you are experiencing an internal health problem that needs to be taken care of. Though most pains are not hazardous, there are some pains that you cannot afford to ignore. Pains that come suddenly, continue for longer than usual, and appear different than the routine pains, require immediate medical attention. Seven types of pains that you should not ignore are listed below.
Read more: Kidney Pain vs. Back Pain
Chest Pain
A severe discomfort or pain in the chest could signal a heart attack. If you experience chest pain that lingers unusually long with other symptoms such as shortness of breath, and any unusual upper body pain, you must visit a doctor immediately. A sharp pain in the left side of the chest is indicative of a heart attack. An unusually sharp pain in the right side of the chest could be caused by angina, asthma, pulmonary embolism, spontaneous pneumothorax, gallstones, or inflammation of the liver.
The discomfort related to heart disease can be in the throat, upper chest, left arm or shoulder, jaw, or abdomen and is usually accompanied by nausea. Typical causes of chest pain that are not immediately life-threatening are inflammation of the pericardium, mitral valve prolapse, and typical disorders of the esophagus such as acid reflux and esophageal spasms.
Severe Head Pain
A head ache is one of the most commonly ignored pains. A severe head pain might be due to a migraine. A migraine is usually accompanied by symptoms such as a visual aura, nausea, vomiting, and irritability at bright lights, odors, and noise. A sudden and acute (almost unbearable) head ache could also be a signal of a condition known as brain aneurysm.
A brain aneurysm is characterized by a bulging weak area in the artery that is responsible for supplying blood to the brain. Most brain aneurysm cases go unnoticed but in some rare cases, there might be a hemorrhage in the brain aneurysm resulting in the release of blood in the brain. This might cause a stroke. Therefore, if you have an excruciating head ache, you must not ignore it. It is strongly recommended that you seek medical attention at the earliest.
Continue reading after recommendations
- “Deep vein thrombosis”, by Paul A Kyrle, et al. Published in the March 2005 issue of The Lancet, accessed on August 16, 2012.
- “Understanding: Brain Aneurysm Basics”, by the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, accessed on August 16, 2012.
- “5 Pains You Shouldn’t Ignore”, by Dr. Wong, published on February 23, 2012 at Bel Marra Health, accessed on August 16, 2012.
- Photo courtesy of tipstimes on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/tipstimes/7256275084
- Photo courtesy of stillmemory on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/stillmemory/572651208