Aching muscles and what to do to relieve the pain


It usually is common enough that your muscles ache after playing sports, or when you engage in any other unusual activities, like for example DIY projects. Ongoing muscle pains, however, could be frustrating for you personally and your doctor because sussing the exact underlying cause can be challenging. They can also be very unpleasant and affect your standard of living considerably. Here are a few conditions that could cause muscular aches, beginning with the more common ones:

Viral infections: Viral infections such as influenza-type illnesses commonly cause muscle aches and often occur at the same time as other symptoms like sore throat, cough and fever. Taking paracetamol usually helps to relieve these symptoms.

Medication: Muscle pains can often be a medication side effect, for example, of cholesterol-lowering medication or another drugs. See your pharmacist or doctor for any medication review if you think that your muscle aches may be related to the tablets you take.

Underactive thyroid gland: Chronic muscle aches can be a symptom of an underactive thyroid. Usually, you've additional symptoms for example tiredness, always feeling cold, fat gain, problems with passing stools, low mood and high periods in women. See your doctor for further assessment along with a blood test that will help with making the diagnosis.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: You might be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome whenever you feel tired constantly or at intervals with no obvious cause, particularly if you get very tired from exercise following a delay of about 24 hours. Additional symptoms include sleeping problems, headache, painful lymph glands that aren't swollen, feeling unwell and problems with memory or finding words. If your symptoms persist, consult your doctor.

Fibromyalgia: In a condition known as fibromyalgia, you may experience widespread tenderness and also have an increased sensitivity to pain. Other symptoms include feeling low, a sensation that your joints are swollen whilst they don't appear so, difficulties with memory or finding words, headaches and sleeping problems. Consult your doctor.

Polymyalgia rheumatica: In people over the age of 50, this problem may sometimes be responsible for muscle pain around the shoulders, hips or neck. In addition, you might feel tired constantly, suffer from morning stiffness, weight loss, low mood and a mild fever. See your doctor for confirmation from the diagnosis. Symptoms usually respond well to some course of steroid tablets.

Temporal arteritis: Temporal arteritis is definitely an inflammation of a blood vessel over your temple area, which might cause muscle pains in connection with headaches, intermittent or permanent lack of vision, or pain in your jaw whenever you chew. See your doctor for urgent assessment and treatment - which is usually with steroid tablets if the diagnosis is confirmed.

If your muscle pains are severe, are more than a few days or you notice the following symptoms at the same time, you need to seek medical help. In particular, look out for:

Muscle aches and pains aren't an ordinary part of later life. See your doctor for more assessment and help using the diagnosis if you're not sure about the cause so when simple over-the-counter remedies aren't working for you. Various other remedies are available.

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Note: This article was sent to us by: Nancy Butler at 03102011

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