…And the WARNINGS They May Be Sending
More often than not, you may think pain isn’t a big deal.
Sure, it’s no fun to be in pain, but it usually doesn’t mean an untimely death is around the corner.
A small headache could mean you’re simply a little dehydrated. Unusual soreness could be from that extra hard workout this morning.
For minor pains like these, some extra water, a little rest and a natural pain relief cream can have your body as good as new in no time.
But sometimes “wait and see” could be dangerous – even life threatening. So if you experience any of these seven serious pain warnings it may be cause for serious concern.
1. Pressing Chest Pain
This sensation isn’t just the weight of the world on your chest. It might be the sign of an impending cardiac emergency.
You may also experience this pressure in your shoulder, abdomen, arm, or even your jaw or throat. The pain may be continuous, or it may come and go. It may also present itself as uncomfortable pressure rather than throbbing pain.
Any type of chest pain or pressure should not be trifled with – 50% of heart attacks occur within the first 3-4 hours of the first symptoms.
2. Worst Headache of Your Life
You probably know what a migraine or really bad headache feels like. But if you’re feeling “the worst headache of your life” then you need to ask someone to drive you to the ER – fast. “Extremely acute pain can signal a ruptured blood vessel in your brain, known as an aneurysm,” explains Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Dr. Sharon Brangman agrees: “The worst headache of my life” is the classic descriptor of a brain hemorrhage, aneurysm, or brain tumor. “Go immediately to the ER,” she says.
3. Oddly Warm and Tender Calf
If your calf is red and swollen, tender, warm or painful, do not follow your immediate instinct to massage the pain away. You may have developed a deep vein thrombosis-a serious blood clot in your lower leg.
The swelling, warmth and tenderness are caused by blood building up behind the clot and pooling in your lower leg. Massaging your leg can break off a piece of the clot, which will be swept up into your lung. This could cause a potentially lethal pulmonary embolism.
Surprisingly, this condition affects up to 2 million people in the United States every year. But because so few know it exists, the situation becomes quickly life-threatening. Again: do not massage an oddly warm, tender calf!
4. Sharp Abdominal Pain
There’s a lot going on in your abdominal cavity – multiple organs trying to do their jobs as efficiently as possible… but sometimes, something goes wrong.
If you still have your appendix, look to this small organ as your pain’s culprit first.
The first symptom of an infected, swelling appendix is slight pain around your navel. But as the appendix continues to swell, the pain will grow sharper and move toward your lower right abdomen.
The worst thing you can do is let your appendix burst inside of your abdominal cavity. This causes your entire abdominal cavity to become infected, a condition called peritonitis.
Other possible explanations for sharp abdominal pain include a swollen pancreas or inflamed gallbladder. Appendicitis is the most common.
5. Sudden, Severe Back Pain
If a sudden, severe pain emerges in your lower back or between your shoulder blades, get to an ER immediately. This may be a sign that you are experiencing an abdominal aortic aneurysm, where the aorta just above your kidneys begins to widen and weaken.
This condition can quickly lead to an aortic dissection, where the wall of your aorta – the largest artery in your body – tears.
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or if you smoke, you are at a greater risk for an aortic dissection. Other less lethal possibilities of sudden, severe back pain include a kidney stone, arthritis, or a herniated disc.
6. Tingling or Burning Legs and Feet
Over 6.75 million Americans are walking around with undiagnosed diabetes. “In some people who don’t know they have diabetes, a burning or pins-and-needles sensation in the feet or legs can indicate nerve damage,” explains Dr. Brangman.
This condition itself isn’t a medical emergency, but the underlying cause might lead to one in short order. Go see your doctor as soon as possible. He or she will give you a blood sugar test to diagnose whether you have diabetes. Proper monitoring and care can help prevent further damage.
7. A Pounding Toothache.
If your tooth is throbbing with pain, it is most likely that the nerve beneath your tooth has become damaged and may be infected. This can occur if your enamel gets chipped or cracked, or you have a severe cavity.
Like diabetes, the pain itself isn’t an urgent situation, but it could become one if you don’t care for it as soon as possible. Your mouth is full of bacteria that want to attack everything in their path. Besides making your pain worse, the bacteria may spread throughout your body due to its prime location in your mouth. “You definitely don’t want that breeding colony to spread throughout your body,” explains Dr. Kimberly Harms, DDS.
Fear and First Aid
First and foremost, if you have one of these serious pains, don’t ignore it. Don’t be afraid of “wasting the doctor’s time.” Don’t worry about the cost of going to the ER. Don’t worry that you’re being paranoid. Your life may depend on it.
Nearly every one of these dangerous conditions are directly related to inflammation or other blood and circulatory issues. That’s why keeping inflammation in check and taking good care of your circulatory system is vitally important.
One of the best ways to help your body fight painful inflammation and clear away artery-clogging fibrin is by ensuring you have enough proteolytic systemic enzymes in your system. But by your late 20’s, the amount of these enzymes once present in abundance drop dramatically. Supplementing with these natural enzymes is safe, effective and might save your life.
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