I recently bought a new book called "Complete Family Health Guide New Medicine" and thought I would type up some of our more common complaints and possible reasons for them.
This is not intended to scare you in any way but is to provide alternate reasons for some symptoms and illnesses - for example a headache could be a simple side effect of dehydration.
So please do have a read if you have any of these problems and consider the alternate reasons for your aches and pains.
I will add more when I get time.
Headaches
Why might I have this?
Predisposing Factors
Triggers
- Tense neck muscles
- Depression
- Food sensitivities
- Low magnesium levels
- Prolonged use of painkillers
- Noisy, stuffy environment
- Poor posture
- Trigger points and joint restrictions
- Polluted environments
- Stress
- Caffeine withdrawal
- Too much caffeine
- Low blood-sugar levels
- Dehydration
Sinusitis
Symptoms
Predisposing Factors
- Pain and tenderness in the face that may be worse when bending forward
- Nasal discharge
- Nasal congestion or blockage
- Headache and possibly toothache, if the sinuses behind the cheeks are affected.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Infection
- Allergy
- Polyps in the nose
- Deviated septum
- Food sensitivity
- Yeast infection
- High levels of histamine in the body
- Trigger points in jaw muscles
- Upper chest breathing
What are the symptoms?
IBS involves abdominal pain that is relieved by defecation. Related symptoms may include:
There may also be:
- A change in the frequency of stool
- A change in the appearance of the stool
Why might I have this?
- Fewer than three bowel movements in a week or more than three a day
- Hard or lumpy stools
- Loose (watery) stools
- Straining during a bowel movement
- Urgency (having to rush to have a bowel movement)
- A feeling that the bowel is not emptied completely
- Passage of mucus during defecation
- A feeling of fullness or bloating
Predisposing Factors
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Food sensitivities
- Imbalance of organisms in the digestive tract
- Lactose and fructose intolerance
- Sorbitol (an artificial sweetener)
- Trigger-point activity from muscles of the abdomen or back
- Smoking
High Blood Pressure
What are the symptoms?
High blood pressure does not usually cause symptoms but if your blood pressure is very high then you may have:
Why might I have this?
- Headaches
- Nosebleeds
- Dizziness
- Blurred Vision
Triggers
- Predisposing Factors
- Smoking
- A diet high in salt
- Lack of exercise
- Excess weight
- Being over 60
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Excess caffeine
- Nutrient deficiency
Stress
Palpitations
What are the symptoms?
Awareness of the heartbeat
Additional symptoms may be experienced, depending on the cause:
Why might I have this?
- Palpitations with panic attacks may be associated with nausea and increased sweating
- Palpitations associated with atrial fibrillation may be accompanied by light-headedness and shortness of breathe
- Palpitations associated with other rapid arrhythmias may be accompanied by shortness of breathe, fainting and chest pain
Predisposing Factors
Triggers
- Underlying arrhythmia
- Overactive thyroid gland
- Anaemia
- Caffeine
- Nicotine
- Alcohol
- Anxiety
- Panic Attacks
- Calcium-channel blockers
Back and Neck pain
What are the symptoms?
Why might I have this?
- Pain in the back or the neck which may be mild or severe
- The pain may come on suddenly or develop over a period of days or weeks
- Persistent numbness in one limb or a persistent weakness of certain movements may reflect pressure on a nerve root
Predisposing Factors
Triggers
- Habitual poor posture
- Stress
- Certain occupation, such as working on computers
- Pregnancy
- Joint dysfunction or muscle spasm
- Prolapsed disc
- Muscle and ligament pain
- Degenerative disease
- Sports injury
- Whiplash
- Lifting a heavy object awkwardly
Fibromyalgia
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of Fibromyalgia usually develop slowly over weeks and may include:
Why might I have this?
- Persistent connective tissue pain affecting almost any part of the body
- Fatigue, sleep disturbance and/or unrefreshing sleep
- Fibromyalgia is associated with other conditions, particularly migraine and irritable bowel syndrome – many people who have Fibromyalgia also have these
- Fibromyalgia is often associated with depression and anxiety
- Tenderness to pressure at 11 or more of 18 tender points (base of skull, neck, shoulder, shoulder blade, breastbone, elbow, hip, thigh, knee)
- Symptoms may become worse if stress levels increase
Predisposing Factors
Triggers
- Stress
- Sleep deprivation
- Another disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or hypothyroidism
- Being sensitive to paint solvents and other chemicals
- Being sensitive to cleaning products, heavy metals, silicone
- Injury, trauma or major surgery
- Infection (bacterial or viral)
Thyroid Problems
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- Weight loss, despite increased appetite
- Palpitations
- Trembling of the hands (tremor)
- Lowered tolerance to heat
- Excessive sweating
- Anxiety and insomnia
- Swelling in the neck (goitre)
- Frequent bowel movements
- Muscle weakness
- Irregular menstruation
- Protruding eyes (exophthalmos) in Graves’ disease
Why might I have this?
- Tiredness
- Poor memory
- Weight gain
- Constipation
- Deepened voice
- Swelling in the neck
- Lowered tolerance to cold
- Puffy eyes and dry, thickened skin
- Generalised thinking of the hair
- Heavy or less frequent menstrual periods
- Weakness and aching of muscles
- Joint pains
Predisposing Factors
For hyperthyroidism:
Genetic predisposition
For hypothyroidism:
Previous radioiodine treatment or surgery for hyperthyroidism
Autoimmune problems