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  • Lower Right Back Pain

    Several individuals visit the physician with complaints of lower right back pain. First, it is essential that you understand the structure of this part of the body and then you go into details about the problem and the right medication for the condition.

    The spinal column of your vertebrae at the back is finely connected to ligaments, tendons, large muscles and nerves. This makes it unbelievably strong and flexible. Yet, things may go wrong at times, thereby, causing unbearable lower right back pain.

    What Can Go Wrong With Your Lower Right Back?

    • The bones can get fractured

    • Muscles can become strained

    • Too much strain can tighten the structure at the back

    • Your joints can be injured

    • Ligaments can get dissipated

    • There is possibility for the discs to be herniated

    • Nerves too can get irritated

    The lower right portion of the back can get easily injured. Actually, the lower back moves more than the upper part and thus a continuous movement can cause wearing and tearing of this part of the physiological system.

    Other Essential Causes Of The Pain

    Extensor muscles, flexor muscles and oblique muscles – yes, twisting or pulling of any one of these muscles can indeed give way to lower right back pain. The soft tissues at the lower right back can get strained due to inappropriate posture or due to lifting of heavy objects.

    Apart from simple muscle strain, lower right back pain can also be caused by damaged or injured bones, joints and ligaments. Stress too can cause immense pain in the muscles. Too much of stress and negligence of the condition can indeed give way to severe lower right back pain. Undue stress causes tightening of the muscles at the back; as a result, this part of the body lacks the energy to provide proper support to the spine.

    Symptoms Of Lower Right Back Pain

    It is impossible to treat any form of pain without having a proper understanding of the symptoms of the condition. First, it is important for you to know whether the pain remains concentrated in one particular area or whether it affects the adjoining areas in the back curbing your ability to sit and walk straight.

    When you have chronic lower right back pain, you may experience a deep, aching, dull or burning sensation. In this case, the pain usually travels down the leg and makes you feel utterly uncomfortable. On the other hand, if the pain is caused due to an injury, you experience a sharp, deep pain in the lower right back.

    How To Get Rid Of Lower Right Back Pain?

    Exercise, yes, simple gentle exercise can greatly help in reducing pain in the lower right back. Exercises strengthen the core muscles thus saving you from such an unbearable painful condition.

    However, do not just start with the exercise right away for the lower right back pain may also be caused due to stones in the kidney and other non-muscular problems. In such cases, exercise is not the right solution for the pain.

    At times, anti-inflammatory medicines are prescribed for eliminating pain at the back, but this should be taken only under the strict supervision of an experienced medical professional.

  • Lower Left Back Pain

    Lower left back pain is common in most people and it may be caused due to several reasons. Are you using your back muscles inappropriately? If so, then you are sure to have a lower left back pain. Working for hours before a computer in one particular posture can cause stress in the lower part on the left side of the back. When the work is completed, you can feel the pain and it becomes quite difficult for you to return to your normal posture once again.

    A lower left back pain is just a part of a large painful condition and this can affect you in several ways. A hectic life style is a common cause for such a pain. It makes your back ache badly and gradually causes stiffness in that part of the body. After this, you may be required to say “Oh! It’s so hard and painful to sit up straight”.

    How Does The Pain Occur?

    The weight of your upper body is usually supported by the lower back portion. While you walk, run or jog, the shock you feel in the upper part of your body is fantastically absorbed by the lower back portion.

    You usually suffer from a lower left back pain after you develop an injury on the left leg, hip or back. When you move or work, a constant pressure is created over your muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves, discs and bones. Moreover, continuous turning, twisting and bending make your lower back feel the pressure.

    As a remedy to this painful condition, your physician may ask you to do some regular strengthening exercises. If you do so, then you have obvious chances of getting rid of excruciating lower left back pain.

    Other Reasons For The Pain To Occur

    A pain in the lower left back can also be caused due to infection in the left kidney. The role of sciatica is no less significant in causing this kind of a pain. When you have a pain in the left side of the lower back portion, you should visit a physician immediately.

    Some Common Causes Of Lower Left Back Pain

    • Overuse of the muscles

    • Frequent lifting of heavy objects

    • Over exercising of the body

    • Constant wear and tear making the discs of cartilage between the vertebrae too thin and weak

    • A condition of over-weight

    • Poor working or sitting posture

    How To Get Rid Of Lower Left Back Pain?

    Rest is the best possible medicine for a condition of lower left back pain. When you take rest, your strained area is spared the extra amount of weight bearing as well as wear and tear. As for other treatments, you can apply ice packs followed by heat pads to lower strain and reduce tension (which usually takes place due to tightening of muscles). You can adopt physical therapy as a means to treat a condition of lower left back pain. When the pain becomes severe and situation seems to go out of control, surgery is the last treatment option for you to choose. Conditions will become better if you stop smoking and instead choose a healthy lifestyle.

  • Skin Acne Products

    The evolution of skin acne products in the market has proved to be beneficial for all the people who suffer from acne. When choosing the products to be applied on the skin, a person suffering from acne or having a skin prone to acne needs to be very careful.

    The Need For Good Quality Acne Treatment Products

    If you want a glowing skin, skin acne products that are safe and great for your skin must be applied onto your face. It is vital to select a skin care product that will not lead to drying your skin out or damages your skin.

    For dealing with any problem, you need to get to the root of it; only then, will you be able to find a solution. The same applies for acne too; you require detecting the underlying causes of acne attacks in order to treat the skin condition properly. For treating the acne prone skin, use skin acne products that are really good.

    Many acne treatment products available in the market contain benzyl peroxide or sulfur. Be careful when you are using such skin care products as they rob the skin of its essential oils (being secreted by your sebaceous glands). This excessive drying worsens the condition of your skin by bringing in fine lines and wrinkles quite fast.

    If you yearn for acne free skin, opt for mild skin acne products. Mild skin care products will be gentle on your skin; they seem to understand your skin condition better and hence they treat acne without harming the healthful look of the skin in any way.

    The Effectiveness Of The Acne Skin Care Products

    No matter how badly you need a flawless skin, skin acne products that will bring about a change in your condition overnight can only be a dream. The skin care products take their own time to bring in noticeable differences and you need to have that patience in you.

    When you are opting for an acne skin care product, make sure you check on the allergic reactions that may be caused. Consult a reputed dermatologist and get your skin examined before you start using any acne skin care product.

    Med-Help is for informational purposes and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment recommendations.

  • Low Blood Pressure

    Low blood pressure or hypotension can lead to severe physiological disorders. However, before going into details about low blood pressure, it is essential for you to know what controls and regulates the level of blood pressure.

    In every human body there is an autonomic nervous system, which employs a vast network of hormones, receptors, and nerves, so as to create a balance in the effects of sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system. Sympathetic nervous system is responsible for increasing your level of blood pressure where as the parasympathetic nervous system lowers your level of blood pressure.

    Mechanisms of low blood pressure

    A low level of blood pressure is caused by three principal mechanisms:

    Decreased cardiac output

    Specific heart failure types are responsible for decreased cardiac output. However, this particular cause of hypotension can result in cardeogenic shock or a sock caused due to lack of blood circulation.

    Insufficient constriction of the arterioles

    This is also referred to as vasodilation, which can be caused due to several reasons. One of the most common reasons is the reduction in the output of sympathetic nervous system. An injury in the brain or abnormality in the autonomic nervous system can also exacerbate low blood pressure. Medical conditions such as sepsis (severe untreated infection) and acidosis (an augmentation in blood acidity) can also result in excessive vasodilation.

    Reduced blood volume or hypovolemia

    There are several factors responsible for causing reduced blood volume or hypovolemia, which includes:

    Hemorrhage or excessive loss of blood
    Improper intake of enough fluids like water or juice
    Constant suffering from diarrhea and vomiting
    An inordinate use of diuretics – the body produces an excess amount of urine which ultimately reduces body fluids

    Types of low blood pressure

    Orthostatic hypotension or postural hypotension – Occurs due to rapid change in the position of the body. Say if you suddenly stand from a seated position there is a decrement in the level of your blood pressure.

    Neurocardiogenic syncope – This is a kind of low blood pressure condition, which usually results in fainting. This might suddenly occur when you are standing in one position for long time.

    Postprandial hypotension –This is a rare case of low blood pressure. This particular type of hypotension attacks you 30 minutes to one hour after having food. This incident of hypotension particularly takes place after eating as it is associated with digestion and the need for increased flow of blood in intestine.

    Symptoms of hypotension

    It causes malfunctioning of the brain
    You feel dizzy and light headed when you stand
    In extreme cases you may even faint
    There is shortness of breath and chest pain due to inadequate supply of blood to the muscles of the heart
    Due to sudden decrease in the level of blood your skin, feet and hands may turn cold and blue

    Treatment of hypotension

    Treatment of the low blood pressure or hypotension depends on how well and appropriately the doctor identifies the cause of the ailment. Such condition caused by mild dehydration along with nausea and vomiting is usually treated with fluids and minerals. If there is loss of blood it can well be treated with intravenous fluids and blood transfusions.

    Septicemia, a significant characteristic of hypotension is treated with intravenous fluids, antibiotics and other medicines. Bradycardia, a kind of sick sinus syndrome or heart blockage occurs due to a certain medication of hypotension. In such cases the doctor reduces, changes or stops the medicine to avoid further deterioration of the condition.

    Like hypertension or high blood pressure, hypotension or low blood pressure too can have fatal consequences. There exist no alternative for precautionary measures in order to avert health threats resulting from low blood pressure.

  • Polycystic Kidney Disease

    Polycystic Kidney Disease:  Characterized by multiple, bilateral, grape-like clusters of fluid filled cysts that grossly enlarge the kidneys, compressing and eventually replacing functioning renal tissue.  This disorder is inherited.  It appears in two distinct forms.  The infantile form causes stillbirth or early neonatal death.  Infants with this disease may survive for 2 years and then develop fatal renal, congestive heart, or respiratory failure.  Onset of the adult form is insidious but commonly becomes obvious between ages 30 and 50.  Rarely, polycystic kidney disease doesn’t cause symptoms during an individual’s life-time, and may only be found during autopsy.  Renal deterioration in the adult form of this disorder is slower than in the infantile form, but often leads to renal failure.

    Cause:  The infantile form appears to be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.  The adult form appears to be autosomal dominant trait.

    Symptoms:

    Infantile:
    Pronounced epicanthal folds (a vertical fold of skin on either side of the nose)
    Pointed nose
    Small chin
    Floppy, low set ears
    Huge bilateral masses on the flanks.
    Enlarged kidney

    Adult :
    Hypertension
    Polyuria
    Signs and symptoms of urinary tract infection
    Lumbar pain
    Widening girth, and swollen or tender abdomen
    Hematuria
    Life threatening retroperitoneal bleeding
    Proteinuria
    Colicky abdominal pain
    Enlarged kidney

    Diagnostic test:

    Retrograde pyelography reveals enlarged kidneys, with elongation of the pelvis, flattening of the calyces, and indentations caused by cysts.

    IVP: neonate shows poor excretion of contrast medium

    CT scan and ultrasound show kidney enlargement and the presence of cysts

    Urinalysis and creatinine clearance tests indicate abnormalities.

    Treatment:

    Goal:  to preserve the renal parenchyma and avoid infection.

    No known cure.  Careful management of associated urinary  tract infections and secondary hypertension may prolong life.

    Antibiotic therapy
    Dialysis or kidney transplantation.

  • Leg Muscle Pain

    Leg muscle pain owes its occurrence to the relative weakness in the front leg muscles and the tight calf muscles. In a condition like this, your tight calves pull up on your heel and this in turn pulls the front of your foot down. This is followed by straining of the muscles, especially those that are in the front of your legs and are not strong enough to withstand the pull. This results in acute pain.

    Who Are Prone To Leg Muscle Pain?

    We have often seen athletes and sportspersons go ‘ouch’ with an intense leg muscle pain. Running is an exercise that works out the calf muscles more than the muscles in front. There should be nothing much to fear about the leg muscle pain, as it can be got rid of with some good amount of stretching and very little rest.

    All About Leg Muscle Pain

    The leg muscle pain can be very debilitating and it can affect your life adversely, limiting your activities and making you depressed. Usually, muscle pains engage more than one muscle and involve the soft tissues that surround the muscles. The connective tissues that could be affected include ligaments, fascia and tendons.

    Muscle pain can also be caused because of muscle injury from a physically demanding work.

    The Common Causes

    There are a number of reasons regarding how you can develop leg muscle pain, like excessive exercise, arthritis, infection, muscle metabolism disorders, muscle cramp, muscle strain, muscle injury, tension or stress, trauma or injury, circulatory disorders, certain medicines, using a muscle too much and unaccustomed exertion.

    The Symptoms

    Pain in the central part of the leg or the calf muscle is quite common among the players; cricketers and tennis players are no strangers to this kind of pain. Often it may happen that you are running and face a sudden cramp.

    Elderly people find their calves stiffen during the cold season. The muscle in this part of the leg becomes as stiff as a stone. The affected part can be well made out with its round-shaped appearance.

    Preventing The Leg Pain

    To move on in life, we all have to stand, walk and run; such is the truth of life. That is the reason that we must take ample care of our legs. According to Ayurveda, daily massaging helps a lot and takes care of leg muscle pain.

    If you are prone to cramps and leg muscle pain, then you should protect your legs from the air-conditioned rooms as well as the cold temperatures, as in winters. Women can do away with short skirts and other wears that exposes their legs in the cold climes.

    You can swim to keep your legs in shape and avoid the pain; but stay away from the waters if you find it too cold. Lukewarm water is really good for your legs.

    Do not wear high heels, as you may slip in such a condition.

    It is advisable to massage your legs daily before going to bed. It is not mandatory to massage the leg with oil always; you can also get the massage done with stroking your thighs, gripping up the calf muscle and by churning your foot.

  • Left Side Upper Back Pain

    Today’s fast lifestyle and a continuous faulty sitting posture have contributed much in causing left side upper back pain. In most cases, left side upper back pain involves several muscles and ligaments attached to the vertebrae (the bones that make the spinal chord of the body).

    Causes of the pain include disc disease, arthritis, or compression fractures. However, aortic dissection, a potentially complex problem and pleurisy or cardiac injury may also serve as a significant cause of left side upper back pain. When you fail to take proper care of the body and/or tend to overstretch and overuse your muscles (and hence ligaments) you may experience pain, strain and develop inflammation. Thus, it is extremely important for you to stay careful, not to over-exert yourself, to follow a proper standing and sitting posture both at home and at work.

    Nature Of The Pain

    An aching pain in a particular localized area is the first sign of upper left side back pain. This sort of pain has all possible chances of getting intense and annoying. Muscle spasms, at times, accompany such pain due to over-strenuous and overburdening activities. The severity of the pain reaches to such an extent that you can even feel it while talking or taking deep breath. At times the left side upper back pain seems so agonizing that you cannot even move your neck or shoulders thus causing utter pain and discomfort.

    Diagnosis of a Condition of Left Side Upper Back Pain

    The diagnosis of the pain is much influenced by the place of occurrence. Acute shoulder discomfiture can indeed give form to an upper left side back pain. Thus, an individual with complaints of unbearable shoulder pain should at once visit a physician who may suggest several tests like movement of the arm through each and every range of motion (ROM) along with neurological inspection to check any sort of nerve involvement. X-rays and MRI scans also help in the diagnosis.

    Treatment of the Pain

    If you really want to go without a condition of left side upper back pain, you need to stretch and warm up your muscles and ligaments before you prepare yourself for a strenuous workout session. Such an adverse physiological condition can also be treated with the use of easy conventional treatment procedures.

    Other than these treatment options, left side upper back pain can also be treated by anti-inflammatory medications if the pain is caused due to strained muscles, over exercising or hectic activities. The last resort, which can perfectly heal an acute condition of upper left side back pain, is surgery.

  • Left Leg Pain

    Left leg pain can have different causes, but the prime reason center round tight calf muscles and a weakening sensation especially in the front leg muscles. Cases of left leg pain are quite usual with athletes and sportspersons because vigorous running and physical activities tend to tire out the calf muscles of the leg, especially the left leg. However, there is nothing to worry as the painful condition of your left leg can improve a lot with perfect stretching and strengthening exercises.

    Some Common Causes Of Left Leg Pain

    • A sudden injury or trauma

    • Intake of certain medicines

    • Extreme stress and tension

    • Muscle strain and muscle injury

    • High blood sugar

    • Overuse of the muscles

    • Problems in blood circulation

    • Arthritis and other inflammatory diseases

    • Several infections

    • Sudden unwarranted exertion

    • Cramps in the muscles

    • Certain disorders in the rate of muscle metabolism

    • Improper posture

    • Sitting before the computers for long hours

    Effects Of Pain In The Left Leg

    The primary cause of left leg pain lies in the overuse of the muscles, everyday stress and tension; several muscle injuries caused due to careless exercising and or excessive physiological strain are also held responsible for left leg pain.

    A pain in your leg muscles poses a serious problem for day-to-day activities. It makes you feel disabled and restricts your activities to a large extent. The pain occurs suddenly, compelling you to bring about changes in your daily schedule, making you feel absolutely helpless and irritated.

    There is no need for you to accept a condition of left leg pain as a part of your life. Just try to get rid of the discomfort as fast as possible.

    Having a muscle pain in the left leg is quite common these days and when it occurs it involves the soft tissues and surrounding muscles as well. Apart from these, the connective tissues like ligaments, tendons and fascia are equally affected.

    How To Prevent Left Leg Pain?

    • Ayurveda recommends a daily massage of the left leg. For this, you may or may not use oil; but you have to follow specific massaging techniques like gripping up your calf muscles, proper stroking of the thighs and churning of the foot.

    • You should provide proper protection to your legs especially in the winter season when the weather is extremely cold and also in air-conditioned rooms.

    • Swimming is also a great solution for avoiding excruciating left leg pain. However, you should always avoid swimming in cold water.

    • When you are taking your bath, make sure to pour lukewarm water on your left leg. This will make your leg feel extremely comfortable and help in strengthening the muscles of your left leg.

    • Avoid wearing high heels and try to bring about a significant change in the way you jump and walk.

    Apart from these, there are several treatment options too, which when religiously followed, can indeed save you from an unbearable condition of left leg pain.

  • Left Abdominal Pain

    Left abdominal pain can be serious and can lead to many physical complications in the future. Left abdominal pain is experienced when one is afflicted by health problems like diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, hernia, kidney stones, Crohn’s disease and other similar conditions.

    Various Forms of Left Abdominal Pain And Their Remedies

    Diverticulitis – Elderly people are the usual targets of Diverticulitis. The ailment is triggered by an acute condition wherein balloon like sacs develop in the walls of the colon. These sacs are known as ‘Diverticula’. Gradually, the sacs become infected and inflamed. The common symptoms of the ailment are nausea, cramping, fever and constipation.

    The best way to treat the ailment is by consulting with a doctor. Antibiotics are usually recommended to relieve the pain. Patients are advised to take complete rest. They are also asked to follow liquid diet rigorously for several days. Try to eat high-fiber diet, such as vegetables and whole grains; these will ease the bowel movement and help in minimizing the pressure on the colon.

    Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – This is an acute condition, which disturbs the normal functioning of the large intestine and causes extreme left abdominal pain. IBS can cause a great deal of distress and discomfort. Nonetheless, most of the victims take the proper precautionary measures, such as proper diet and systematic stress management.

    The symptoms of IBS can be traced to the mobility of colon. Sometimes, the normal functioning of the colon is affected. If there is fast movement in the colon’s content, then this decreases the absorptive capacity of the colon and leads to accumulation of fluid in the stool. In such a case, the victim experiences bowel dysfunction, which can be distressing. Hence, the symptoms of IBS can be compiled as constipation, diarrhea and bloating.

    Hernia – Hernia can be described as a condition in which an internal organ of the body bulges and cause pressure on the weaker muscles. The abdomen is vulnerable to hernia attack. Hernias can be of different forms and origins. The umbilical hernia develops in or around the belly button, in the groin region, etc. Weight lifters are very much susceptible to left abdominal pain. However, those having weak muscles in the abdomen do also suffer from left abdominal pain. The only possible way to treat Hernia is through surgery.

    Kidney Stones – Stones in kidney can cause serious left abdominal pain. These stones are crystals that build up on the inner surface of the kidney. Chemicals present in the urine usually prevent stone formation; however, that is not always the case. There is no proper symptom for kidney stones; however, the patient may face extreme pain in the back or cramping in the side or lower back, or in the abdomen. Eventually, the pain spreads into the groin region.

    Crohn’s disease – This can be described as the chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine. In acute cases, ulcers develop and break the lining in the intestine. It is detrimental to the digestive system. This particular type of problem has no proper cure. The ailment is more common in case of patients with ulcerative colitis. The symptoms incorporate weight loss, rectal bleeding and fever.

    Now that you are aware of some conditions that cause serious left abdominal pain, you should take every necessary precaution to keep the suffering at bay.

  • Hip Pain Causes

    It is essential to know the many hip pain causes so that appropriate treatment can be directed to heal the severe pain. People between 0 and 15 years as well as those above 45 years of age are the common targets. The 1990 research survey has revealed that the number of hip fractures will cross the 5,000,000 mark by the year 2040.

    The various hip pain causes are being listed below:

    Trochanteric Bursitis is one of the prime hip pain causes. The pain arises from the inflammation of the bursa and slowly spreads to the outside of the hip joint.

    Arthritis can be blamed for hip pain. Arthritis is a very common problem and causes serious pain all over the back and hip. Sometimes, the hip is badly affected and right treatment is required to mend the hip problem.

    Osteonecrosis can also cause hip pain. It is a sickening condition, wherein blood flow to a particular part of the bone is stopped. As a result, the cells in that part of the bone die and it collapses. The hip joint is susceptible to Osteonecrosis.

    Snapping Hip Syndrome, at times, leads to hip pain. Hip pain or problem can arise under three circumstances – firstly, when the IT band moves over the outside of the thigh, secondly, when the deep hip flexor snaps over the hip joint (which is in the front) and thirdly, when a mild fracture or tearing is caused to the cartilage or labrum surrounding the hip socket.

    Hip Fracture is one of the serious hip pain causes. Elderly people, suffering from osteoporosis, often develop hip fractures and this can cause grave pain.

    Childhood Hip Problems can also cause hip pain. With growing years, the hips may get dislocated or may go out of shape, leading to severe pain. People with such problems are at the risk of developing early arthritis and usually face serious problems with walking.

    Much as it is important to know about the hip pain causes, it is also very essential that you know the symptoms. Unless and until you know the symptoms, you will not be aware of the impending health problem. Only then will it be possible for you to get rid of the problem.