Pains You Should Never Ignore
When you feel a little ache or pain in your body, you might think “Eh – it’s nothing,” and ignore it. What if it isn’t nothing? What if that little ache or pain could be a sign of something serious – like diabetes. Or a life-threatening blood clot? With that being said, here are pains you should NEVER ignore, courtesy of Web MD.
- Don’t ignore burning feet or legs. Nearly one-third of the 20-million Americans who have diabetes are undiagnosed. That’s the word from the American Diabetes Association. According to Dr. Sharon Brangman - who’s the chief of geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University in New York - in some people who don’t know they have diabetes, “peripheral neuropathy” could be one of the first signs. It’s a burning or pins-and-needles sensation in the feet or legs that can indicate nerve damage. So if this sounds like a pain you’re experiencing, get to the doctor.
- The next pain you shouldn’t ignore: Calf pain. Yes, it could just be a muscle cramp from your morning jog, but one of the lesser known dangers is deep vein thrombosis – a blood clot that can occur in the leg’s deep veins. It affects over two million North Americans a year, and it can be life-threatening. How? According to Sandra Fryhofer, spokeswoman for the American College of Physicians, the danger is that a piece of the clot could break loose and cause pulmonary embolism – a clot in the lungs – which could be FATAL. So, don’t ignore calf pain.
- Don’t ignore severe abdominal pain. Do you still have your appendix? Don’t put yourself at risk for the possibility of a rupture. If your appendix bursts, it can spill infectious materials into the abdominal cavity. This can lead to a serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity's lining - that can be fatal unless it’s treated quickly with strong antibiotics. Whether you have your appendix or not, you shouldn’t ignore abdominal pain. It could also be a sign of a gallbladder or pancreas problem, a stomach ulcer, or an intestinal blockage. So if you’ve got severe abdominal pain, get to a doctor, stat.
