Leg pain, while being a symptom itself, can lead to several other problems in the long run. Neglecting leg pain can lead to serious problems in the future. Pain in any other part of the body doesn’t restrict your movement in the way a leg pain does. The severity of the condition depends on the type and the affected areas. Pain caused due to a trauma is comparatively easier to deal with medication. The problem arises when a non-traumatic leg pain occurs. If you ignore such cases, it can lead to serious complications that are difficult to cure. Let’s look at both the types of leg pains in detail.
Pain caused due to trauma
Trauma is the most common reason for leg pains. It happens when you accidentally twist and trip or fall with a sudden weight pressurizing just one small part of the leg. Fractures or broken bones, are the most common conditions that occur. The symptom for a fracture is a pain that occurs because of the nerve endings located in the fibrous tissues get damaged and inflamed. It also happens when the muscles around the bone go into spasm and intensify the pain. Shin splint is a condition very close to fracture. If you neglect it, it can lead to bone fracture. You must avoid exercise of any form during this time.
A stretch in the muscles and tendons may lead to a sprain or strain. In most cases, this happens when a muscle or structures around the bone is stretched out and a small part of the bone is pulled off. Inflammation and swelling around the affected area are the symptoms for it. Bleeding in the tissues and joints may also lead to a severe leg pain. Blood like any other fluid cannot be compressed and so the internal bleeding causes severe leg pain.
A compartment syndrome is a medical emergency that may cause leg pain. This happens when the compartments of the leg gets swollen due to a greater pressure. Blood flow stops within the compartment causing numbness, pain, and an inability to move. Neglecting this condition may lead to permanent disability.
Pain caused due to non-traumatic conditions
Leg pain occurring without a trauma is considered to be serious. It depends on the affected area, how intense the pain is, and whether it has occurred in both the legs. Leg pain can also occur due to an illness in some other parts of the body or the entire body. Gout is one example of that.
Other serious conditions that need medication at the earliest are Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), blood clot, and low-back pain, and the like. PAD sometimes affects more than one blood vessel, and your both legs may get affected. A blood clot obstructs the vein and the blood gets trapped behind the blockage.
This may lead to redness, swelling, warmth, and severe pain in the area that is affected. A lower back pain due to muscle pain, injury, sciatica, or pain that is caused by various other changes in the back due to arthritis can lead to leg pain. Many other conditions such skin inflammation, chronic illness like diabetes, obesity, etc. can cause leg pain as well.
Make sure not to ignore leg pain symptoms, as they are often the signs of something serious.
Chronic migraine is a condition where the affected person experiences at least 15 headache days a month. It is observed that at least 8 out of these 15 days are migraine headaches with severe symptoms, and this pattern of discomfort remains consistent for 3 months. Initially, it may not be a frequently occurring episode, however, with time, the episodes may get regular with chronic headaches. If left untreated, this condition can affect a person’s life.
Causes
Several factors determine the onset of this kind of migraine. One of them includes a steady increase in the frequency of episodic headaches. Over-the-counter treatment options that are used to treat frequent headaches stop affecting over time, leading to side effects that develop into chronic headaches. Some other factors that can put an individual at a high risk of developing this condition include mood disorders like anxiety or depression, snoring, excessive caffeine intake, ongoing disturbed sleep patterns, and a history of stressful life events causing emotional or physical trauma. An unhealthy lifestyle leading to an increase in the body mass index (BMI) can also be a causal factor.
Symptoms
There is no difference between symptoms of chronic migraines and episodic migraines. However, the only thing to notice is the increased frequency of episodic headaches in a month. Some typical symptoms of this illness can be observed for timely diagnosis and treatment.
Transitioning symptoms (episodic to chronic migraines)
Diagnosis
A health professional will take a look at the affected person’s health history. If needed, the doctor may ask questions that help understand the migraine patterns. The questions include how and when the migraines begin, how long they last, are there any notable physical factors or triggers that worsen the condition, and where the location of the pain is.
The professional may also ask for a detailed history of other health conditions like anxiety, depression, lifestyle choices that may trigger these headaches, any treatment options used, and possible side effects that could be factored into the diagnosis. Based on the results, appropriate treatment methods will be advised and implemented.
Treatment options
Most of the treatment methods focus on managing the symptoms, the migraine attacks, and reducing the episodes and pain.
One of the treatment therapies includes focusing on lifestyle changes.
Some other treatment options for managing migraine attacks include:
Other techniques include:
Also, maintain a headache diary and note down the possible triggers and the number of migraine attacks in a month. If there’s a notable increase in the attacks, consult a doctor at the earliest. Knowing the triggers can help the doctor chalk out an effective treatment plan.
Preventive treatments and methods
Apart from treatment options that help manage the symptoms, there are preventive treatment methods that reduce the episodes of these headaches to a certain extent. These include using beta blockers and other therapies. One such treatment method also includes using an Allergan product named BOTOX®, which doctors recommend for those 18 years and older. The intravenous treatment method is administered around the neck or the head, where the migraine pain usually affects the person. This ten-minute procedure is not painful and can prevent headaches for three months. The procedure takes place in a doctor’s clinic under close supervision.
Chronic migraine can be painful and disrupt everyday life activities, so choosing the right treatment plan is crucial. Get all the information from a licensed health professional and seek the best possible treatment plan according to a detailed diagnosis.
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in the cells that produce melanin. The pigment melanin is responsible for giving the skin its color. Advanced melanoma can form inside one’s nose, throat, or digestive tract. Studies show that the risk of melanoma increases in people under 40, especially women. Knowing the early signs of the disease is crucial since melanoma can be treated successfully if detected early.
Stages
There are five stages of melanoma. The cancer cells of Stage 0 melanoma are restricted to the epidermis, the top layer of skin. The epidermis and dermis, the deeper layer of the skin, both contain cancer cells in Stage I melanoma. Stage II melanoma is marked by tumor thickness and ulceration, while Stage III is marked by melanoma deposits in the skin and cancer spreading to nearby lymph nodes. The advanced stage of melanoma, also called metastatic skin cancer, shows the further spread of cancer to distant areas of the body.
Causes of advanced melanoma
The exact cause of melanoma is unknown, although exposure to harsh ultraviolet (UV) radiation, tanning beds, or lamps has been shown to increase one’s risk of getting the disease. One can develop skin disease anywhere in one’s body. Those with a family history of the disease or exposure to radiation or vinyl chloride are also vulnerable to metastatic melanoma.
Signs of advanced melanoma
An early sign of melanoma is the development of an unusual mole. Normal moles are minor and uniform in size and color. But melanoma moles have irregular shapes or borders and can be larger than 6 millimeters. If a mole grows in size, color, and shape and causes itchiness, it’s best to get it checked. Advanced melanoma may lead to chronic fatigue, swollen lymph nodes or liver, loss of appetite, jaundice, skin itchiness, headaches, and even seizures. Depending on where the metastatic melanoma has spread, one may experience chest pain, breathing issues, aching bones, paralysis, sleepiness, and swelling in one’s legs or abdomen.
Melanoma treatment options
The American Cancer Society reports that the five-year survival rate for patients with melanoma that has spread to surrounding lymph nodes is 66%. Surgery is a common way to treat it. Targeted therapy is another method to eliminate the tumor and its metastases selectively. Alternatively, immunotherapy aids a person’s immune system in recognizing and shrinking cancer cells. Other treatments for metastatic skin cancer include chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Conclusion
Opdulag is a standard treatment for advanced melanoma skin cancer. The therapy, given by intravenous (IV) infusions, works with one’s immune system and is used to fight cancer that has spread or cannot be surgically removed. If one experiences any early signs of melanoma skin cancer, it’s recommended to consult a doctor immediately.