It isn’t unusual to develop body aches. All of us, at some point or other, have experienced body aches (body pain) in our lives. Most of the time, body aches aren’t serious and are a result of overuse of muscles or regular illnesses like colds and flu. However, sometimes, an aching body can be due to other serious causes as well. In this blog post, let us discuss the many causes of body aches and how one can treat them.
What Do You Mean by Body Ache?
Body ache meaning is having dull pain or soreness in many or all parts of your body. It happens when your muscles and joints are sore for some reason. Body aches can vary in severity. Most people who develop a body ache due to common reasons such as a cold or flu experience mild body aches that get better in a few days.
Different Causes of Body Ache
Cold or Flu
Cold and flu are common infections affecting a lot of people every year. Both can cause a body ache along with other symptoms. Body aches due to a cold are usually milder than those caused by flu. You typically develop body pain and fever when you have the flu. Colds are more about stuffy nose, sore throat, sneezing, and mild body aches.
Low Vitamin D Levels
Having a low vitamin D level in your body can also be a reason behind the frequent body pain you’re having. Vitamin D is essential to keep your muscles and bones strong and healthy. Low levels of this vitamin may lead to muscle and bone pain in the body.
Anaemia
In this condition, your body does not have enough healthy red blood cells with optimal amounts of haemoglobin. Due to this, your body tissues do not get sufficient oxygen and nutrients required for proper functioning. Consequently, you experience symptoms like body aches and pains, weakness, tiredness, rapid heart rate, and shortness of breath.
Poor Sleep
Not getting proper sleep is another reason why some people experience body aches. During sleep, the body works its best to heal and recover. Having poor sleep disturbs this healing process and lengthens the time of recovery. It also increases a person’s pain sensitivity and causes inflammation, leading to muscle aches and pains.
Stress
People who are stressed often experience body pain more than others. Stress affects our bodies in multiple ways. It increases muscle tension, making areas such as the neck, back, and shoulder painful. Tensed muscles receive less blood circulation, resulting in lactic acid buildup and pain. Furthermore, stress also makes you more sensitive to pain, so you can feel it more during stressful times.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that is characterised by muscle pain in the body along with other symptoms like fever, weakness, dry cough, chest pain, etc. People who develop pneumonia experience pain while their body fights to recover the infection.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an autoimmune condition that affects a person’s joints. People with arthritis develop pain and inflammation in joints, muscles, and different areas of their body. Although there is no cure for arthritis, the pain is managed through medications and therapy.
Lyme Disease
The next reason that may lead to body aches is Lyme disease. It is caused by bacteria and spreads via ticks. Besides a body ache, people with Lyme disease may also exhibit symptoms like chills, fever, headache, and a rash that can grow up to 12 inches wide. Timely treatment is essential as the infection can spread to the joints and even to critical organs like the heart.
Arteriosclerosis
This is a medical condition wherein there is thickness, stiffness, or blockage in blood vessels carrying blood to other parts of the body. This can cause poor blood flow in various body parts, resulting in a poor supply of oxygen and nutrients, ultimately leading to aches and pains in the body.
Hypothyroidism
One of the typical signs of hypothyroidism is body ache. Your muscles and joints ache frequently when your thyroid gland fails to produce the required amounts of thyroid hormones. Doctors suggest hormone replacement therapy for people with hypothyroidism so their body receives adequate amounts of essential hormones.
Medications
Some medications may be the reason why some people develop muscle pains and body aches. Drugs used to treat high cholesterol, such as statins, are one of them and are known to cause pain in people who take them.
Lupus
In this condition, your body’s immune system attacks its own tissues. This can lead to inflammation in the body and result in associated pain. Individuals with lupus also experience headaches, skin rashes, anaemia, and other problems.
Fibromyalgia
Another chronic condition that results in body pain and exhaustion is fibromyalgia. It affects your joints and muscles along with other symptoms. It is believed that in this condition the brains mistakenly turn mild pain signals into severe ones.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Body pain is an associated symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome. People with this condition feel pain that does not seem to have any specific cause. The pain is also not a result of any injury. They may also have headaches, joint pain, and fatigue that does not improve with rest.
What You Can Do to Relieve Body Ache?
Treatment of body ache depends on what has caused it. If your body ache is due to injury or overuse of muscles, you can benefit from rest and taking OTC body ache medicines containing paracetamol or ibuprofen. Paracetamol can also serve as a medicine for fever and body pain.
But if your pain is due to an underlying condition, you should see your doctor for proper evaluation and treatment.
Other things that can help with body aches are:
1. Engaging in mild exercises like walking or yoga.
2. Taking 7-8 hours of sleep every night to help your body heal and repair itself.
3. Seeing a physical therapist to learn exercises that can help reduce your body ache.
4. Going out in the sunshine every day to maintain your vitamin D levels.
5. Performing stress-relieving activities like meditation and deep breathing to relax sore muscles.
Final Word
Body aches are a common occurrence. Many people develop a body ache that resolves on its own or with pain relief medicine. However, if your pain is severe, does not go away in a few days, or you have other symptoms as well, see your doctor so they can identify the actual cause and suggest treatment accordingly.
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Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/ss/slideshow-body-aches
https://www.healthline.com/health/body-aches#summary
