Knee Pain but Diagnosed as 'Huri Disc'?

13 Diseases Identifiable by Pain in Specific Body Areas

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-kyung Lee] If you feel pain in your body without having done intense exercise, excessive labor, or maintaining a wrong posture, it may be a symptom caused by a specific disease. If you ignore the pain for a long time without recognizing the signals sent by the disease, the condition may worsen, causing severe pain. Therefore, it is important to carefully examine where the pain occurs and its cause, and to visit a hospital for precise diagnosis and tests.

1. If you have pain spreading from the chest to the left shoulder?

There are various causes of pain, but if the pain spreads from the left chest to the shoulder, it is highly likely to be an ‘ischemic heart disease’ such as angina or myocardial infarction. This disease can cause coronary arteries to be blocked due to blood circulation disorders, leading to necrosis of the heart muscle. Especially in myocardial infarction, the pain does not easily improve even with rest, so it is important to visit a hospital quickly.

2. If you have body tremors and severe pain in the shoulders and back?

If you experience body tremors and muscle and joint pain in the back and shoulders without intense exercise or excessive physical labor, it may be ‘Parkinson’s disease.’ This disease occurs as nerve cells that secrete dopamine disappear. In the early stages, muscle rigidity and body tremors occur, and if this condition lasts for more than five years, shoulder and lower back pain, spinal disc issues, and spinal stenosis may also appear.

3. If you have persistent pain piercing through the pit of your stomach?

Sudden abdominal pain is usually gastritis or indigestion. In such cases, taking digestive medicine or antacids is recommended. However, if the piercing pain in the pit of the stomach persists even after taking medicine, ‘gallstones’ should be suspected. Gallstone disease, caused by bile solidifying in the bile ducts or gallbladder, often has few warning signs or is difficult to distinguish from indigestion. In severe cases, the pain spreads from the pit of the stomach to the upper right abdomen and even to the shoulder. Bile duct gallstones can block bile flow and cause jaundice.

4. If the nape and back of the head continuously hurt?

Tension-type headaches caused by extreme stress, overwork, or tension result in increased muscle tension and stiffness in the muscles at the back of the head, causing a tightening pain known as ‘occipital neuralgia.’ This condition causes pain in the back of the head and neck. It feels like a sudden stabbing or shooting pain in the back of the head. The pain usually lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes and can be triggered by minor stimuli. If the occipital area is pressed for a long time, the pain worsens, sometimes making it impossible to lie down with a pillow. Causes of occipital neuralgia include arthritis, tumors, vascular inflammation, and gout.

5. If the temple area hurts?

If pain persists in the temple area, ‘migraine’ or ‘temporal arteritis’ should be suspected.

Migraine is characterized by headache on one side of the head, pulsating pain like a heartbeat, and accompanying nausea. It recurs repeatedly. Although the exact cause is unknown, it is presumed to result from abnormal reactions of the brain nerves and vascular system to internal or external environmental changes. Temporal arteritis is inflammation of the temporal artery passing through the temple, causing pain, fever, muscle pain, and nausea on both sides of the temples. If temple pain lasts long and worsens especially at night, temporal arteritis should be suspected.

6. If the entire head hurts as if it will burst?

If the headache occurs throughout the entire head, ‘brain hemorrhage’ or ‘brain tumor’ should be suspected. These two diseases cause swelling of the brain enclosed by the skull and increase intracranial pressure, which is accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Brain hemorrhage can cause various functional impairments over time, including facial paralysis, body paralysis, and consciousness disorders, so immediate hospital visit and treatment are necessary.

7. If speech becomes slurred and there is severe headache?

If speech becomes slurred, dizziness occurs, and severe headache accompanies, ‘stroke’ should be suspected. Among strokes, ‘subarachnoid hemorrhage’ is the most dangerous symptom, with over 50% of patients suffering sequelae. It is described as an extremely severe headache like being hit with a hammer. If symptoms such as nausea, fainting, or dizziness accompany the headache, urgent hospital visit and emergency treatment are required.

8. If it hurts every time you bend your fingers?

If a ‘click’ sound like pulling a gun trigger occurs with pain when moving fingers, ‘trigger finger syndrome’ should be suspected. Trigger finger syndrome is inflammation of the tendons used to bend the fingers, mainly occurring in the thumb, third, and fourth fingers. It is common among athletes, musicians, hairdressers, and others who frequently use their hands. It is caused by excessive and repetitive use of finger joints.

9. If fingers are swollen and feel hot?

If fingers suddenly swell, feel hot, and severe pain persists intermittently, ‘gout’ should be suspected. Gout is caused by excessive accumulation of uric acid, which fails to be excreted from the body. Normally, uric acid produced after digestion dissolves in the blood and is excreted through urine. However, if uric acid excretion is impaired, gout occurs. It is advisable to reduce intake of foods high in uric acid.

10. If joints are stiff in the morning and more than three joints among wrists, ankles, and knees are swollen?

Do you experience stiffness, tingling, mild fever, and swelling in finger joints every morning? If more than three joints among fingers, wrists, ankles, and knees are swollen for a long time, ‘rheumatoid arthritis’ should be suspected. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease causing inflammation in the synovial membrane surrounding finger joints or tendons. If finger pain persists for more than six weeks without a clear reason, you should visit a hospital for accurate examination.

11. If you feel pain throughout the knee?

If the knee and legs are swollen and painful overall, blood circulation may be poor. Especially as the weather gets colder, blood circulation is hindered, causing muscles and ligaments to contract, making knee pain more likely. When muscles contract, activity decreases, and blood circulation delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscles also declines. Eventually, muscle metabolism decreases, causing severe pain due to muscle contraction.

12. If pain persists on the inside of the knee?

If pain is felt and persists on the inside of the knee when the legs are together, there may be a problem inside the knee. It is likely related to knee bone health issues or knee arthritis. The inner knee joint wears out more easily than the outer side. Therefore, consider whether repetitive housework, excessive exercise habits, or rapid weight gain have put strain on the knees, and visit a hospital promptly.

13. If pain continues on the outside of the knee?

If the outer side of the knee, which rarely touches anything, continuously hurts and is painful, a herniated disc in the lower back should be suspected. The nerves on the outer side of the knee connect to the lumbar nerves, so if the lumbar nerves are compressed, pain may appear in the knee as well. Therefore, it is advisable to get examined for lumbar disc issues.