Some of the most painful

Some of the most painful health conditions

people can suffer with The most common signs of a heart attack are : • Chest pain - tightness, heaviness, The NHS has revealed some of the most painful health conditions people can suffer from. The list has a number of illnesses which can be so insufferable they can prevent people from doing simple, everyday tasks. Not all of the conditions on the list are curable, but they are manageable - with the help of medicine and a little support from loved ones. Some of the list comes as no surprise, while others certainly might do. pain or a burning feeling in your chest. • Pain in arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach - for some people, the pain or tightness is severe, while other people just feel uncomfortable. • Sweating • Feeling light-headed • Becoming short of breath • Feeling nauseous or vomiting Shingles Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is an infection of a nerve and the skin around it which usually affects a particular area on one side of the body. The main symptom is a painful rash that develops into itchy blisters which contain particles of the virus. An attack usually lasts between two and four weeks, but 20 per cent of sufferers go on to develop nerve pain in the affected area of skin. This pain can be severe and last for several months or even longer. Shingles can occur at any age, but is most common in people over the age of 70. It is much less common in children. Migraine More than “just a headache” - migraine is a complex disabling neurological disorder, the Migraine Trust says. It explains: “For many people the main feature is a painful headache. Other symptoms include disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, feeling sick and vomiting. Migraine attacks can be very frightening and may result in you having to lie still for several hours. “The symptoms will vary from person to person and individuals may have different symptoms during different attacks. Your attacks may differ in length and frequency. “Migraine attacks usually last from 4 to 72 hours and most people are free from symptoms Frozen shoulder Frozen shoulder means your shoulder is painful and stiff for months, sometimes years. between attacks.“Migraine can have an enormous impact on your work, family and social lives.” The NHS says it means the joint can become so tight and stiff that it is virtually impossible to carry out simple movements, such as raising your arm. Daily activities can become an ordeal. It is not clear what causes frozen shoulder but it can happen after a shoulder or arm injury, and is more common in people with diabetes. Sciatica Sciatica is a back problem that affects the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body and runs from behind the pelvis down to your feet. Sciatica occurs if it becomes irritated or compressed in any way – this most commonly involves pressure being placed on the nerve by a slipped disc Heart attack A heart attack is life-threatening and sees the heart muscle starved of oxygen-rich blood. Most are caused when the arteries narrow and fill up with fatty materials which prevents blood from flowing properly. Smoking and living an unhealthy lifestyle are major contributory factors in heart attacks, so regular exercise and maintaining a good diet are vital. But through no fault of their own some people are more prone to having them as heart disease can be hereditary. for example – and the pain will basically follow the path of the nerve, so what you’re describing in terms of it starting in the lower back and progressing through to your leg seems to fit with this. Other symptoms can include tingling sensations, a bit like pins and needles in the leg, cramp, and shooting pain that starts in the buttock region and travels swiftly down towards the foot. The pain of sciatica can vary from mild to extremely painful – to the point where in severe cases it is impossible to put any weight on the affected leg. Sciatica can affect just about anyone, but the younger you are, the less likely it is. 29