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These common aches could very
well be nothing. Or something far, far worse
Most of the time, it's good that
the little Vince Lombardi sitting on our shoulder tells us to
shut up and play through the pain, otherwise we'd never get anything
done. On the other hand, there are a few instances in which we
can actually talk ourselves out of existence.
That's what happened to NBC reporter
David Bloom. While covering the war in Iraq from his specially
outfitted armored vehicle, he began to feel pain behind his knee.
He reportedly sought out medical advice by satellite phone, decided
not to follow the advice -- "Go to a doctor" -- popped
a few aspirin, and kept right on going. Three days later, Bloom
died of a pulmonary embolism caused by deep-vein thrombosis.
He was 39.
The ache that Bloom blew off
is one of seven pains that no man should ever ignore. And no,
this isn't negotiable.
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.
6. Leg Pain
with Swelling
Specifically, one of your calves is killing you. It's swollen
and tender to the touch, and may even feel warm, as if it's being
slow-roasted from the inside out.
The condition: Just sit in one
place for 6 or more hours straight and wait for the blood that
pools in your lower legs to form a clot (a.k.a. deep-vein thrombosis,
or DVT). Next thing you know, that clot will be big enough to
block a vein in your calf, producing pain and swelling. Unfortunately,
the first thing you'll probably want to do -- rub your leg --
is also the worst thing. "It can send a big clot running
up to your lung, where it can kill you," warns Dr. Stamatos.
The diagnostics: A venogram,
in which dye is injected into the vein and then x-rayed, is the
definitive way to diagnose DVT. They'll try to dissolve the clot
with drugs, or outfit vulnerable veins with filters to stop a
clot before it stops you.
7. Painful
Urination
Relieving yourself has become an exercise in expletives. Also,
you could swear (and you do) that your yellow stream has a rusty
tint.
The condition: Worst case? Bladder
cancer, according to Joseph A. Smith, M.D., chairman of the department
of urologic surgery at Vanderbilt University. The pain and the
blood in your urine are symptoms of this, the fourth most common
cancer in men. Smoking is the biggest risk factor. Catch the
disease early, and there's a 90 percent chance of fixing it.
Bladder infections share the same symptoms.
The diagnostics: It's a sick
joke, but true nonetheless: They'll diagnose by process of elimination.
Urinalysis first, to rule out bugs, followed by inserting a scope
to look inside the bladder. A tumor will be treated with surgery,
radiation, or chemotherapy.
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