1. Sudden Groin Pain
Not as severe as a shot to the crotch, but pretty close. Sometimes accompanied by
swelling.
The condition: Odds are it's something called testicular torsion. Normally, a man's
testicles are attached to his body
in two ways: by the spermatic
cords, which run into the
abdomen, and by fleshy anchors
near the scrotum. But sometimes,
in a relatively common congenital
defect, these anchors are
missing. This allows one of the
spermatic cords to get twisted,
which cuts off the flow of blood
to the testicle. "If you catch it in 4
to 6 hours, you can usually save
the testicle," says Jon Pryor, M.D.,
a urologist with the University of
Minnesota. "But after 12 to 24
hours, you'll probably lose it."
Another possible cause of the
pain in your pants: an infection
of the epididymis, your sperm-
storage facility.
The diagnostics: A physical
examination, possibly followed
by an ultrasound. Antibiotics can
stifle an infection. And if your
testicles are doing the twist? A
surgeon will straighten the cord,
then construct artificial anchors
with a few stitches near the
scrotum.
2. Severe Back Pain
Similar to the kind of agony
you'd expect if you'd just tried to
clean-and-jerk an armoire. The
usual remedies -- heat, rest, OTC
painkillers -- offer no relief.
The condition: "If it's not related
to exercise, sudden severe back
pain can be the sign of an
aneurysm," says Sigfried Kra, M.D.,
an associate professor at the Yale
school of medicine. Particularly
troubling is the abdominal
aneurysm, a dangerous
weakening of the aorta just
above the kidneys. But don't
worry; eventually, the pain
subsides -- right after your
body's main artery bursts. A less
threatening possibility: You have
a kidney stone. More pain, but
you'll only wish you were dead.
The diagnostics: A CT scan using
intravenous radiopaque dye
does the best job of revealing the
size and shape of an aneurysm.
Once its dimensions are
determined, it'll be treated with
blood-pressure medication or
surgery to implant a synthetic
graft.
3. Persistent Foot or Shin Pain
A nagging pain in the top of your
foot or the front of your shin
that's worse when you exercise,
but present even at rest. It's
impervious to ibuprofen and
acetaminophen.
The condition: It's probably a
stress fracture. Bones, like all the
other tissues in your body, are
continually regenerating
themselves. "But if you're
training so hard that the bone
doesn't get a chance to heal
itself, a stress fracture can
develop," explains Andrew
Feldman, M.D., the team physician
for the New York Rangers.
Eventually, the bone can be
permanently weakened.
The diagnostics: Radioactive dye
reveals the fracture in the x-ray,
and you'll be told to stop all
running until the crack heals.
Worst case, you'll be in a cast for
a few weeks.
4. Sharp Pain in the Abdomen
All the metaphors apply -- knife in
the gut, bullet in the belly, skewer
in the stomach -- except this
attack is from within.
The condition: Take your pick.
Since the area between your ribs
and your hips is jam-packed with
organs, the pain can be a
symptom of either appendicitis,
pancreatitis, or an inflamed
gallbladder. In all three cases, the
cause is the same: Something
has blocked up the organ in
question, resulting in a
potentially fatal infection.
Exploding organs can kill a guy.
See a doctor before this happens.
The diagnostics: If the pain is in
your lower-right abdomen and
your white-blood-cell count is up,
says Dr. Kra, it's probably
appendicitis (out comes the
appendix). Pain in your upper
abdomen with high white blood
cells usually spells an inflamed
gallbladder (goodbye,
gallbladder). And if it hurts below
your breastbone and certain
enzymes in the blood are
elevated, then pancreatitis is
probably the culprit. (The
pancreas stays, but a gallstone
may be blocking things up. If so,
the stone and the gallbladder
may have to come out.)
5. Transient Chest Pain
Not a type of pain that strikes
only homeless people, but a
heavy ache that comes on
suddenly and then goes away
just as quickly. Otherwise, you
feel fine.
The condition: It could be
indigestion. Or it could be a heart
attack. "Even if it's very short in
duration, it can be a sign of
something serious," says John
Stamatos, M.D., medical director
of North Shore Pain Services in
Long Island and author of
Painbuster. Here's how serious: A
blood clot may have lodged in a
narrowed section of a coronary
artery, completely cutting off the
flow of blood to one section of
your heart. How much wait-and-
see time do you have? Really,
none. Fifty percent of deaths
from heart attacks occur within 3
to 4 hours of the first symptoms.
You're literally living on
borrowed time.
The diagnostics: A blood test
checks for markers of damaged
heart tissue. Treatment:
angioplasty or bypass.
Follow me for more tips at-
www.twitter.com/vishu_bhanot
Thanks
No comments:
Post a Comment