STOMACH ACHE
Tummy trouble is common in Mumbai where people have irregular eating hours and the temptation of street food. If you’re a woman in child-bearing years, a stomach ache could signal an ovarian cyst. A persistent stomach ache which only gets worse such that the pain then trickles down to your lower back, is cause for concern. Often the pain is accompanied by problems in bowel movements (constipation or diarrhoea). The best way to rule out the possibility is to get an ultrasound which can detect a cyst immediately. If caught early, an oral tablet can take care of the situation. However, if the cyst grows in size then a key-hole surgery may be required.

BACKACHE
Most of us suffer from backache and working all day on the computer only aggravates the problem. However, if your backache starts radiating downwards to the genitals and is no longer a dull ache but a sharp pain, then you need to see your doctor as soon as possible. Sometimes the pain may last for just a few minutes, at other times it may last for hours on end. Such piercing pain could be the result of kidney stones, which usually affects adults. It can be detected by means of an x-ray, ultrasound and urine examination.

JAW PAIN
Have you ever felt this annoying dull ache in the jaw? In most cases, it is because the temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) is overworked and the pain usually fades away with time. However, if it’s repetitive and accompanied by a clicking sound as you open and close your mouth, it could point to injury of the jaw joint. A general physician can detect the problem by means of an X-ray. Treatment lies in oral medication.

JOINT PAIN
Most adults over 50 years of age complain of pain in the joints. Commonly, this is a dull ache in the knees which increases with movement or a similar ache in the small joints of the fingers on any sort of hand movement. If the pain persists and increases, then you need to see an orthopaedic physician immediately. An X-ray and a bone density test can point to osteo-arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis which are both bone degenerative diseases. Both problems are more common in women than in men as bone density often decreases after menopause. The disease cannot be completely cured but its progression can be halted through physiotherapy and steroids. In extreme cases knee-replacement surgery may be required.

PAIN IN THE BIG TOE
Pain in the big toe point to gout. Gout results from excess uric acid crystals deposited in the joint. Over time the pain becomes excruciating and affects movement. The problem is more common in adults over the age of 30. Gout can be detected through X-ray and blood test and treatment involves oral medication.

PAIN AROUND THE TEMPLES
Often a headache is just that — a selflimiting ache in the head. However, if the pain is restricted to the temples and is a piercing pain, you need to see a doctor as it could be temporal arthritis. The condition is more likely to occur in adults over 50 and is repetitive at regular interval, at times lasting just a few minutes. During this time, the blood vessels of the scalp get dilated and the temples are sensitive to touch. Treatment involves steroids.

(Dr R K Modi is a senior consultant in internal medicine at the Wochkardt Hospital in Mulund and the L H Hiranandani Hospital in Powai)
    — AS TOLD TO KIRAN MEHTA