Page 22 - Seniorstoday October 2022 Issue

- Kidney stones pain in the chest. It is usually accompanied
A sharp shooting pain starting from the
back and radiating forwards could be due
to renal calculi. The pain typically occurs
when the stone moves from its position; it
could be accompanied by bleeding in urine.
-Lower abdominal
A pain in the lower abdomen could be
due to urinary infection or an intestinal
disease, like obstruction.
-Dysmenorrhea - Menstrual cramps
are pains experienced by women before,
during or after their monthly cycle.
Though they are usually tolerable, at times
the pains could be too extreme and require
medical intervention.
Chest pain
We usually associate chest pain with a
cardiac eventuality. However, there can be
other reasons for experiencing pain in the
chest region.
-Myocardial Infarct – A myocardial
infarct (heart attack) can present with
severe pain in the chest, sometimes
radiating to the left arm. The person often
complains of restlessness and excessive
perspiration.
Recurrent chest pain, called angina pain,
is also heart related, caused by inadequate
blood flow to the heart.
- Acidity – Acidity, too, can present with
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by burning sensation in the chest region
and nausea. There could be a history of
eating spicy food, or fasting for a long time.
- Pulmonary embolism – A blockage in
one of the pulmonary arteries, presents
with unexplained pain or pressure in the
chest, possibly radiating to the jaw or back.
The person may also complain of shortness
of breath.
A pneumothorax – air or gas in the chest
cavity- can also present with similar
symptoms.
Back pain
Backache is one of the most common
pains people experience. We usually
tend to either ignore them or take them in
stride. But at times, they need to be taken
seriously.
The causes could be mechanical (due
to injury, muscle strain) or radicular (a
pinched nerve, with the pain radiating
along its path)
- Upper back – extends from the nape
of neck to just below the rib cage .The
common reasons for pain in this area is
postural or injury. Sometimes, a spinal disc
herniates (slip disc), and if it presses on a
nerve, you could have severe pain.
One of the more critical reasons for upper
backache can be aortic dissection- a
condition in which there is a tear in the
aorta, causing an internal bleed.
- Lower – Also called the lumbar region,
the lower back extends from just below
the ribcage to the sacrum. Pain in this
region is common and everyone complains
about it at some point in their life. The
pain is usually exertional, postural or
due to an injury. Obesity and age related
degeneration also contributes to lower
backache.
Though not common, the pain could also