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Showing posts from April, 2020

What is pain?

What is pain? Pain is a natural systemic reaction. In its basic form, it is a beneficial phenomenon. Without the ability to feel pain humans would not be prepared for situations that can cause bodily injuries. Pain helps humans to learn to avoid dangerous stimuli. Pain is an uncomfortable feeling that tells you something may be wrong in your body. The sensation of pain is formed when the nerve endings that sense pain are irritated. This is the case, for example, when there is beginning tissue damage. Active substances that irritate the nerve endings are released in this specific area, and they cause a local inflammatory reaction. The irritation is transmitted via nerves to the spinal cord and then higher up to the central nervous system, where the sensation of pain is first formed. Organs have different nerve endings, and the pain impulses travel to the central nervous system via various nerves. The nerve endings on the skin transmit pain quickly and the pain perceived in the b

Headache

Headaches are very common and there are several headache types. Headache may also be called cephalgia. An estimated 80 percent of people suffer from headaches periodically. It is by no means always a sign of an underlying illness—you can get a headache because of a flu, too much partying, overexertion or nagging problems. There are many headache causes, but it is rare that a headache should signal a life threatening illness, but seeing a doctor is advised if the headache disturbs daily life, or it changes its form. A new and sudden headache symptom should always be looked into promptly. Headache treatment can be effective and there are a lot of efficient remedies for headache, so one has no reason to grin and bear the pain. Tension Headache The most common cause for headache is muscular tension. Approximately, a third of Finnish adults suffers from it. It was thought to be caused by excessive tension in the head and neck area muscles, which cuts down on circulation and causes

Face pain

Sinus Infections Sinus infections are a common reason for facial pain. They usually follow a cold. Allergic factors that cause swelling may enable these infections. Untreated dental infections may spread to the sinuses. The most common of these infections is the maxillary sinus infection. Headache that feels also in the cheeks is the main symptom. Bending the head forward may increase the pain, in the same way like tapping the cheekbones. The diagnosis can be confirmed by an x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, by puncturing the sinus or sino-nasal endoscopy by ENT physician. Often the only treatment needed consists of antibiotics and nasal drops or allergy medications that reduce swelling in the mucous membranes. If the pain is hard or antibiotics have not cured the infection, puncturing the sinus may be necessary. Over-the-counter nasal drops that reduce swelling may be used as self-treatment. It is advisable to deliver these while lying down. When the drops are in the left nostr

Eye pain

Infections The most common reasons for pain in the eyes are various infections. Head colds are often associated with infectious symptoms of the conjunctiva. In this case, the eye feels irritated and the conjunctiva is reddish. The conjunctiva is normally a transparent top layer membrane covering the eyeball. Its infections can also be caused by allergies or bacteria. Bacterial infections usually begin with one eye and proceed to the other one. They are associated with eye discharge and redness. If a bacterial infection is not diagnosed, it will be sufficient to give the patient eye drops that shrink the mucous membranes. Local antibiotics are the treatment of choice in bacterial infections. The eyelids also can often be infected. The sign for the infection of the rim of the eyelid is redness. Changes under the eyelid are more difficult to distinguish. Usually using an antibiotic eye gel will cure the symptoms. As self-treatment, over-the-counter eye drops meant for reducing

Ear pain

External Ear Infections Earlobe infections can cause pain. The infections are perceived as local redness and burning. Treatment usually consists of antibiotics. The ear canal can infect, or an abscess may form inside it. An infection in the outer ear may be made worse by exposure to wind or swimming. An ear canal infection usually begins with itching and may eventually become painful. An examination shows infectious changes in the ear canal. Prescribed treatment includes various bacteria-killing drops and ointments. Sometimes it may be required to clean the ear canal by irrigation, which speeds up healing. Over-the-counter eardrops, that inhibit bacteria growth, can be used as a self-treatment in cases of mild irritation. Heat in the form of a hot water bottle or a heating pad can be used to relieve pain. It is advisable to use earplugs in windy conditions or while swimming. The ear canals can be dried out with a hair dryer using low heat setting. Swimming in polluted wate

Jaw pain

Jaw Joint Problems The jaw joint is the most used joint in the human body. It opens and closes over 2,000 times per day in connection with talking, eating, drinking, and snoring. Problems with jaw joints are more common in women than in men, and some have meanly drawn the conclusion that it is due to the livelier conversational tradition of women; however, this is probably not the reason. When the mouth opens, the head of the lower jaw turns in the joint cavity of the jaw joint and then slides forward. The joint has a disk that helps in performing these motions. The disk is easily injured for instance by vigorous biting or direct trauma. Functional Disorders The reason behind a functional disorder of the jaw joint may be malocclusion. If the teeth do not contact symmetrically during biting, uneven stress may develop in the jaw joint, and this may cause symptoms over time. One possible explanation for problems of the jaw joint may be nighttime grinding of the teeth. The per

Mouth pain

Herpes Simplex Herpes Simplex Type 1-virus causes infections in the mouth area. The beginning symptoms are itching and burning of the lip. Small blisters then develop, and covered with scabs after about a week. There is often an accompanying bacterial infection, which can prolong the duration of the episode. Treatment consists of local medications that treats the herpes virus symptoms. They work better if started at an early stage of the symptoms. If there is an accompanying bacterial infection, antibiotic ointments are required. Mucous Membrane Problems Different types of changes such as color changes, blisters, and ulcers can occur due to infections and poor hygiene. Sometimes the mucous membrane in the mouth can be injured by food that is too hot. This usually will get better in a few days. Viral infections can be detected in the mucous membranes in the mouth, and these are usually caused by the herpes virus. The first infection caused by the herpes virus, usually hap

Front neck pain

Neck Muscles Problems The lower mouth and upper neck muscles may become painful due to bite problems and increased muscle tension. Examinations in these cases usually show sore muscles. Treatment consists of relaxing the muscles via medication or physical therapy. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain medication or ointments can be used for short periods of time. Cold compresses or alternatively a hot water bottle or a heating pad may be tried to relieve the muscle pain. The sore muscles may be massaged gently and the head can be stretched towards the back and to the sides. Infections in the nearby regions such as pharyngitis may cause an expansion of the lymph nodes in the neck. This may be noticed later when the area is being manipulated for other reasons. They usually do not require any treatment. If they grow or the pain is bothersome, it would be preferable to have a doctor look at them. Respiratory Infections Some neck pain and inconvenience are felt in connecti

Neck pain

Neck pain Neck problems are a modern epidemic, especially with office workers. When talking to people who work at computers, it is rare to find someone who has never had neck problems or some kind of neck pain symptoms. The busier and the more stressful the jobs, the more problems there seem to be. Neck pain causes are not always clear and neck pain diagnosis is not always easy. The neck muscles were made for work where they contract and then relax. This happens for instance when chopping wood. It is remarkable how well the neck supports this type of activity after prolonged practice. However, while working at a computer the neck muscles only have to support, in addition to the head and arms, maybe the weight of a sheet of paper. Despite this, neck muscle pain problems crop up. This is caused by prolonged tension of the neck muscles, which they do not handle well. Tension Neck The most common cause for neck pains is the so-called tension neck syndrome. Its symptoms are