Which Lifestyle Factors Contribute To Lower Back Pain
There are three major lifestyle factors that may affect your chances of developing lower back pain:
- Multiple studies have established a link between smoking and lower back pain. Smoking raises inflammation inside the body and hinders the body from healing itself.
- Obesity is also associated with several types of chronic pain, including lower back pain. In people with high body mass index , the stress on the spine increases, contributing to even more wear and tear.
- Your level of physical activity can also play a role in your lower back health. While a sedentary lifestyle could increase your risk of developing lower back pain, so can excessive or strenuous physical activity. Check with your doctor if you are unsure about your ideal level of physical activity.
What Causes Body Aches When Youre Sick
When you have the flu, a common cold, a virus or a bacterial infection, your immune system jumps into action. It reacts by releasing white blood cells to fight off the infection. The reaction causes inflammation, which can leave your muscles feeling achy.
The good news is that your achiness is a sign that your body is fighting off the illness. But the harder your body works, the more severely the body might ache.
Full-body aches are also often accompanied by other symptoms including:
- Shivering or body temperature changes
- Cold and flu-like symptoms
Symptoms In Children And Elderly People
While the typical range of symptoms for a kidney infection applies to most adults, older adults and young children may have different symptoms.
If youre over age 65, you may experience none of the typical symptoms of a kidney infection summarized above. Instead, you may only experience problems with your thinking, such as:
- Hallucinations
- Difficulty speaking
Children under 2 years old with a kidney infection may only have a high fever.
Caregivers of very old and very young individuals should know to seek help when these signs or symptoms occur.
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Is It The Flu Or An Std 11 Signs You Need To Get Tested Immediately
If youre experiencing some bodily discomfort, dont be so quick to chalk it up to the flu. There are a lot of flu-like symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases that disguise themselves as normal body ailments. If youre sexually active, and youre experiencing some unfamiliar symptoms, read this list! These symptoms may seem like a normal allergy, cold, or flu symptoms, but in reality, they could be STD symptoms in disguise. So please, for your sake, if you have any of these STD symptoms, get tested immediately!
Can Stds Be Cured
STDs can be cured if you get diagnosed and treated at the right time by the right time we mean, even more, the symptoms tend to show up. Bacteria causing STDs like Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can be cured completely with the right antibiotics. If you are tested positive for STDs your physician may assess the severity of the infection along with your symptoms and prescribe you medicines. It is important to continue your medications for the full course as some people stop mid-way seeing the symptoms disappear which is not advisable. Even if your symptoms disappear, the bacteria is still surviving in your body and needs to be terminated fully. Also, your physician may recommend avoiding having intimacy until you are completely cured and then practice sex with only your marital partner as monogamy reduces the risks of STDs.
However, some types of STDs are not curable yet. The virus causing STDs such as HIV, Herpes, and HPV is one of the highly contagious that can lead to multiple yet severe health complications if not addressed in the early stages. The virus causing STD symptoms can be suppressed with anti-retroviral drugs which helps slow down the activity of the virus and heal the symptoms. However, the invaded STD virus is still present in your anatomy and you are to live with it lifelong.
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One In Five People With Covid
Back pain had not been a common COVID-19 symptom before Omicron. Now, however, it ranks among the top 20 symptoms according to the Zoe COVID Symptom Study, in which hundreds of thousands of people log their symptoms every day across the UK. On February 10, Tim Spector, the studys principal investigator, said around one in five people with Omicron have back pain.
So far, its not entirely clear why people seem to be experiencing backache which in some cases has been debilitating and caused limited mobility so much more often when they get sick with COVID-19.
Generalised muscle pain or myalgia could be connected to backache. It could be that COVID-19 causes inflammation which, coupled with muscle pain, manifests as back pain, which is the most common musculoskeletal complaint. But myalgia has been a symptom right from the start of the pandemic and it doesnt explain why backache is becoming much more common now.
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Looking After Yourself When You Have Influenza
The best things you can do to look after yourself when you have the flu are:
- Rest you will probably feel very weak and tired until your temperature returns to normal . Rest provides comfort and allows your body to use its energy to fight the infection.
- Stay at home stay away from work, school and any places where you may have contact with others, especially while you are contagious. The period during which adults are contagious is usually around 35 days from when the first symptoms appear, and up to 7 days in younger children.
- Drink plenty of fluids extra fluids are needed to replace those lost because of the fever . If your urine is dark, you need to drink more. Try to drink a glass of fluids, such as water, every hour while you are awake.
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I Have Had Flu Like Symptoms Shoulder And Neck Pain And A Sore Throat And Headache For 6 Days Now I Went To See The Doctor At The Start With The Shoulder Pain And They Said It Was Muscular I Still Have Other Symptoms He Gave Me Co
Your symptoms do suggest that you have a viral infection and this can give rise to muscle aches or pains.
Co-codamol can help with the pain but will not help in resolving the underlying viral infection.
If this is still troubling you when you get this email, you might like to try Echinacea drops which has been shown to shorten the duration of cold and flu infections.
You should be able to find this in most high street healthfood stores or pharmacies.
Do you have questions? Please feel free to ask.
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Final Thoughts And Key Takeaways
If youre suffering from the flu right now, I urge you to check out these natural flu remedies that can help you recuperate more quickly.
The flu is no joke it can make you miserable. And adding back pain to your list of symptoms can make you feel even worse.
Heres what I want you to take away from this article:
Key takeaway #1: Although you wont find lower back pain listed on most lists of flu symptoms, its actually pretty common.
Key takeaway #2: Several factors can contribute to flu-related back pain. These include inflammatory responses, pulled muscles from coughing and complications such as pneumonia.
Key takeaway #3: People with pre-existing back pain conditions are more likely to have a recurrence if they get the flu.
Key takeaway #4: Mainstream medicines pain relievers and over-the-counter flu medications do little to alleviate back pain, and some have serious side effects.
Key takeaway #5: Topical analgesics with natural ingredients and a far-infrared heating pad are the options I recommend for back pain relief while recovering from the flu.
Bottom Line: Having Back Pain Doesnt Automatically Mean You Have Covid
Although aches and pains can be a sign of COVID-19, other conditions or injuries are more commonly associated with back pain, including sitting too much and poor posture, which you may be dealing with if youve been working from home. A sports injury, arthritis, a bulging disc in the spine, or osteoporosis could also be to blame.
If your back pain persists more than a few weeks, becomes more severe over time, or is accompanied by unexplained weight loss or numbness in the limbs, talk to your doctor to ensure a proper diagnosis.
If you have other signs of COVID-19, your doctor can guide you on getting tested and explain how to treat your symptoms at home if your illness is considered mild. Dr. Duda recommends taking acetaminophen , which will reduce pain and fever, and applying a heating pad to the back to help relieve aches and spasming. Getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated will be helpful, too.
As you recover, note that body aches from COVID-19 can linger for up to two weeks for most people, Dr. Watkins said, but rest assured the muscle pain usually isnt incapacitating.
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People At Higher Risk From Flu
Anyone can get sick with flu, even healthy people, and serious problems related to flu can happen to anyone at any age, but some people are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions , pregnant people and children younger than 5 years, but especially those younger than 2 years old.
How To Get Fast Safe And Soothing Relief From Flu
Most mainstream doctors dont usually recognize there is a connection between the flu and back pain, so they dont understand how to treat it.
While the pain will usually decrease as you heal from the influenza infection, there are things you can do to minimize your back pain while you rest and recuperate.
Here are two products that can help ease the discomfort of flu-related back pain:
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Sudden Or Excessive Fatigue
Shorter days and reduced sunlight can make you feel tired. Theres a difference between being tired and experiencing extreme fatigue.
Sudden, excessive fatigue is one of the earliest symptoms of the flu. It may appear before other symptoms. Fatigue is also a symptom of the common cold, but its usually more severe with the flu.
Extreme weakness and tiredness may interfere with your normal activities. Its important that you limit activities and allow your body to rest. Take a few days off from work or school and stay in bed. Rest can strengthen your immune system and help you fight the virus.
When Is It Time To Visit The Doctor
According to statistics, only a small fraction of individuals will seek medical attention immediately after they experience symptoms of illness. This is especially true when they believe that their symptoms arent indicative of anything serious. Most people consider lower back pain and fever low urgency symptoms, so not everyone will visit a doctor to get a diagnosis.
In many cases, while it may be okay to manage these two problems from the comfort of home, here are some scenarios when you should consider visiting your doctor:
- Persistent, increasing lower back pain that doesnt resolve with over-the-counter pain medications
- Numbness and or tingling, especially in the lower extremities.
- Radiating pain into the legs that
- Leg weakness
- Recurrent fevers that subside and return several times in a day
- Loss of bowel and bladder control
- Inability to feel yourself wipe after toileting
There are a numerous conditions that are characterized by fevers and back pain. Some are more common than others.
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Facial Pain And Eye Damage
Between 10% and 15% of the time, shingles affects the trigeminal gangliona triple-branched nerve that provides sensation to structures in the face. The medical term for head or facial pain due to shingles is “painful trigeminal neuropathy attributed to herpes zoster.”
Specifically, the trigeminal ganglion involves the eye the cheek and the mandibular branch . Of these, the ophthalmic branch is the one most commonly affected by herpes zoster.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology , 25% of the 300,000 to 500,000 cases of shingles that occur each year are herpes zoster ophthalmicus .
HZO can affect any part of the eye, from the optic nerve to the conjunctiva . Without antiviral treatment, almost half of people who have shingles near the eye will experience eye damage or even lose an eye, so it’s vital to see an ophthalmologist immediately.
Flu Symptoms: When To Bring Your Child Into The Emergency Center
We are in the midst of one of the most severe flu seasons in a decade. Texas Childrens alongside hospitals across the nation have seen a major jump in flu-related emergency center visits over the past several weeks. Its important for parents to understand when they should or shouldnt bring their child into an emergency center with flu-like symptoms. The flu can cause a variety of symptoms and effects, ranging from mild to severe. Most healthy people, including children, can recover from the flu without complications, and don’t need to go to the emergency center or seek hospitalization. Symptoms of the flu can include:
- Fever or chills
A child with these regular flu-like symptoms can usually be cared for at home with fever-reducing medication, like Tylenol or Ibuprofen, clear fluids and bed rest. If diagnosed early enough, some children might benefit from Tamiflu, a medication that requires a prescription from your pediatrician. To ensure your child has fully recovered from the flu, he/she should stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone. If your child’s flu-like symptoms return and worsen, or if your child is at high risk for developing flu-related complications , call your childs pediatrician to seek evaluation.
to schedule an appointment online.
You should seek immediate medical care in an emergency center if your child exhibits any of these core warning signs:
In adults, core warning signs signaling a need for urgent medical attention include:
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When To See Your Doctor About Full
Body aches from a viral illness typically clear up in a couple of days and improve with home remedies. But if your body aches havent gotten better after 3-5 days, check in with your primary care physician .
See a doctor sooner if your body aches:
- Appear after a tick bite
- Accompany severe redness or swelling
- Occur with a rash
If you dont have a fever or other symptoms, and you experience body aches often or for prolonged periods of time, make an appointment with your PCP. It could be a sign of a drug reaction or a more severe and chronic underlying medical condition, such as an autoimmune disease.
If you have body aches that arent improving, reach out to your primary care physician.
Apply Heat Or Take A Warm Bath
A warm bath or shower can help loosen your muscles and relieve body pain. If you have a fever, keep the water lukewarm to avoid raising your temperature.
Since fevers can cause dizziness and general weakness, it’s best to avoid showering. Children with a fever or cold symptoms should be monitored when taking a shower or bath to avoid injury. Heating pads and heated blankets may relieve some body aches. Just be careful not to use excessive heat to avoid burns. Consider setting a timer if there’s a chance you might fall asleep.
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Lower Back Pain: What Could It Be
Do you have lower back pain? You are not alone. Anyone can experience lower back pain at any time, even if you dont have a prior injury or any of the risk factors. It is not always serious and can often get better on its own. But in some cases pain is your bodys way of telling you that something isnt right.
Learn more about lower back pain and what causes it from rehabilitation physician Akhil Chhatre, M.D., who specializes in back pain in the Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The Dangers Behind Lower Back Pain And Fever
Lower back pain is the most common reason stated for work-related absences. This type of pain will often have pronounced impact on overall performance and motivation. But because an achy back caused by occupational factors can often be resolved with a little rest, we tend to brush it off as a trivial problem.
But did you know that some cases of backache might require much more than a rest day? Those that come hand in hand with other symptoms of illness can be indicative of something far worse than just a typical case of a bad back. For instance, a fever coupled with back pain can spell a worlds worth of different conditions. Some of these might be easily remedied with medication and rest. Others could lead to potentially life-threatening complications in the long run.
If youve been having bouts of lower back pain that comes hand in hand with heightened body temperature, it might be time to act. Read on through to find out just what these symptoms might mean.
Of course, as always note that the information in this article is purely informative and should never be used in place of the advice of your treating physicians.
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