Conditions

Six Health Signs Men Should Never Ignore

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: May 04, 2013 12:03 PM EDT

Determining whether or not a symptom can be dangerous or life threatening is often hard. Most people tend to ignore small signs and assume that these symptoms are only temporary. According to experts, some symptoms are often confused for pain and soreness that arise from exercise or heavy lifting. Whether or not symptoms resulted from working out, T.E. Holt, M.D. recommends that all men pay close attention to six symptoms that could indicate a more serious condition. Holt is a physician in North Carolina.

Severe Back Pain

Severe back pain can result from a wide range of activities, which is why men often ignore this symptom. But, it is important to remember that if the pain is unbearable and untreatable via the common remedies of heat, rest, and over the counter painkillers, something else might be amidst. Severe back pain, especially if it arises randomly, could be a sign of an aneurysm.  Abdominal aneurysms can lead to the weakening of the aorta located above the kidneys and will cause death if the aorta bursts. A less severe condition could be kidney stones, which would need to be passed painfully.

Sudden Groin Pain

Sudden groin pain feels as if someone just kicked the area below the belt. Although the pain might not be excruciating, if it is accompanied with swelling, it could be a sign of testicular torsion. Testicular torsion occurs when the testicles are not attached to the body correctly due to missing anchors. If this condition is caught early, the testicles will most likely survive. But, if the condition is left untreated for over 12 to 24 hours, the testicles most likely will not make it.

Piercing Stomach Pain

This symptom usually feels like a sharp object has just pierced through the gut. This painful symptom could be a sign of appendicitis, pancreatitis, or inflamed gallbladder. If this symptom is left ignored, a dangerous infection could occur.

Chest Pain

Chest pain that randomly occurs and then leaves almost as randomly could be a sign that the body just experienced a heart attack. The quickness of this symptom often leaves people to believe that nothing serious has happened, when in fact, something did. Although this type of chest pain could indicate indigestion as well, if it was not indigestion, it could be a serious problem. Nearly fifty percent of people who died from heart attacks died three to four hours of the first noticeable symptom.

Leg Pain Accompanied with Swelling

Although leg pain might feel like soreness from exercise, when it occurs with swelling and tenderness, it could be a sign of something more serious. If the calves feel as if they are too warm, on top of swelling and tenderness, it could be deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT happens when blood concentrates in the lower legs and creates a clot. The clot can enlarge to the point where it blocks blood circulation, and constant rubbing in that area can lead to a clot in your lungs, resulting in death.

Painful Urination 

Urination should never be painful, so once urinating hurts and is accompanied with tinted urine, it is definitely time to see the doctor. The worst-case scenario is bladder cancer, which can be treated effectively when it is diagnosed early. Other possible causes could be infections, which can also be dangerous if left untreated.

It is important to remember that ignoring symptoms will get you nowhere. Go see your doctor and protect your body from any possible conditions. 

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