What is breast pain?

Breast pains are severe, sharp, stabbing, shooting or throbbing pains of the breast either felt on the outside of the breast (superficial) or deeper within the breast tissue. Pain may be a result of breast inflammation and can be accompanied by breast swelling, warmth/heat and/or redness of the skin.

Breast pain (medical term ~ mastalgia) is an indication of pathology of the breast itself or underlying organs within the thoracic cavity (thorax or chest). Less commonly, breast pain may indicate pathology at other areas with referred pain to the breast.

continue reading Causes of Breast Pains – Diagnosis of Breast Pain Symptoms

Treatment of Leg & Foot Cramps

Treatment should be directed at the possible causes of leg cramps at night if it is suspected that the condition is occurring as a symptom of one of the causes or risk factors. However, nocturnal leg cramps as a parasomnia disorder is not treatable and the exact cause is unknown therefore the focus should be on management of the condition.

Some important points should be noted in the treatment of secondary causes of night leg cramps.

continue reading Treatment & Management of Leg Cramps at Night

The exact cause of nocturnal leg cramps is unknown (idiopathic). However certain individuals with chronic conditions may be at risk of leg cramps at night. Nocturnal leg cramps are more common in older persons, especially women, and primarily affects the calf muscles and small muscles of the feet.

Leg cramps may occur as a symptom, side effect or complication to a multitude of secondary causes.

continue reading Risk Factors & Causes of Severe Leg Cramps at Night

Nocturnal leg cramps are the painful cramping of muscles, usually the calf muscles, which commonly occurs during sleep. In some cases, night leg cramps may occur while the sufferer is in bed and between the sleep-wake stage. Nocturnal leg cramps are considered to be one of the parasomnia disorders that affect a person’s body functions when asleep.

continue reading What is Nocturnal Leg Cramping? Leg Cramps at Night

ACUTE Left Lower (LLQ) Abdominal Pain

Causes of acute (sudden, newly appearing) lower left quadrant (LLQ) abdominal pain lasting from few seconds to several weeks include:

1. Constipation

Constipation may appear as constant or cramping pain, often in LLQ. Dry food (cookies) or low-fibre food (meat, cakes etc.), skipped meal, not drinking enough, pain anywhere in the body or lying in bed (like in hospital) for some days are main causes of constipation in a person with otherwise healthy gut.

continue reading Acute & Chronic Left Lower (LLQ) Abdominal Pain – Diagnosis

ACUTE Right Lower (RLQ) Abdominal (Stomach) Pain

Acute (sudden, newly appearing) right lower abdominal (RLQ= Right Lower Quadrant) pain, lasting from few seconds to few weeks, may arise from:

1. Appendicitis

Typical symptoms and signs of appendicitis:

• Sudden moderate to severe pain starting around the navel, moving toward the right hip, getting worse in the following hours and with moving around
• Nausea or vomiting
• Low-grade fever (not always)
• Rebound tenderness: pressuring and relieving pressure on any part of the abdomen triggers pain in RLQ.
• Guarding – reflex tension of abdominal wall in RLQ when pressuring on a painful spot

continue reading Acute and Chronic Right Lower (RLQ) Abdominal Pain – Diagnosis

ACUTE Left Upper Abdominal Pain

Causes of acute (sudden, newly appearing) left upper abdominal (left upper quadrant or LUQ) pain, lasting from few seconds to few weeks may arise from:

1. Acute Gastritis

Gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach due to food poisoning or stomach flu (in small children) may cause left or right sided but usually upper middle or diffuse abdominal pain with fever, nausea, bloating, vomiting and diarrhea.

continue reading Acute and Chronic Left Upper (LUQ) Abdominal Pain – Diagnosis

A cause of right upper abdominal or stomach (right upper quadrant or RUQ) pain may be suspected from its duration, relation to meals, taken medicines, breathing and other body movements, and from accompanying symptoms.

In this article disorders that cause pain only or mainly in upper right abdomen are described. 

continue reading Acute and Chronic Right Upper (RUQ) Abdominal Pain – Diagnosis

Definition of Breast Swelling

Breast swelling is an enlargement of the breast or both breasts compared to the regular breast size and may be accompanied by other symptoms like tenderness (soreness), pain, lump(s), changes of the areola or nipple and any secretion from the nipple. Swollen breasts may be a normal physiological process as seen in puberty or pregnancy or may be a sign of a medical disorder.

Tender or Sore Breast

Breast tenderness or soreness is a mild to moderate discomfort of the breast, sensitive to touch or pressure and often accompanied with redness. Tenderness and soreness should be differentiated from breast pain although this may be subjective and dependent on an individual’s pain tolerance levels.

Breast Pain

Breast pain should be differentiated from soreness or tenderness of the breast. Pain usually  indicates serious pathology that needs to be investigated and treated. Breast pain may be referred to other areas on the body like the axillae (armpits), abdomen, neck and back.

continue reading Breast Swelling – Tender, Sore & Painful Swollen Breasts

Severe abdominal (stomach) pain is a debilitating pain preventing someone to continue with his/her daily activities. Abdominal cramps (spasms) are painful contractions of the hollow abdominal organs or muscles in abdominal wall lasting from few seconds to several hours. The cause of the pain or cramp can be usually suspected from its location and accompanying symptoms. Severe abdominal pain often requires urgent hospitalization, but not always.

continue reading Acute Severe Abdominal (Stomach) Pain