YOU CAN ACTUALLY “OVERDOSE” ON WATER
Hyponatremia is a life-threatening condition that causes the body’s cells to swell. It happens when you over-hydrate and your sodium levels dip dangerously low. However, this is a rare occurrence and is more likely to happen in people with underlying medi
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Dear Sun Doc
For the past five years, my work involves standing a lot. Of late, I have been experiencing a lot of pain in the legs and muscle cramps sometimes. The pain gets worse the longer I stand. Some days I even need to use pain killers. What could be causing this? Titus
Dear Titus,
Most of the time leg pain comes from continuous use or wear and tear of the muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints or bones. We use our legs every day for those of us lucky enough to have functioning legs and at some point the hardware begins to wear out. This is especially true for those who walk or stand a lot. Other causes of pain in the legs may be problems with the spine or the lower back, arthritis, inflammatory diseases, blood clot, circulation disorders, nerve disorders, infection, cancer, injury, gout, problems with calcium levels and even muscle cramps from dehydration.
It would be advisable for you to visit a doctor because you need a proper examination for the pain and weakness and some tests to establish the exact cause of the pain so that you can get treatment specific to the cause. You can manage the pain by using painkillers and massaging with analgesic ointments. Also, try and rest your legs as much as possible, raise your legs when you are sitting or lying down and apply an ice pack to the area that is most painful. Depending on the cause of the problem, physical therapy/physiotherapy may be helpful as well as regular exercise. Wear comfortable shoes and take adequate water to avoid muscle cramps caused by dehydration