7 Common causes of body pain and what to do

Pain in the whole body is usually associated with difficulty sleeping, excessive tiredness and stress and, therefore, improves in 2 or 3 days, especially when you rest and avoid participating in very stressful activities.

However, this type of pain can also be a sign of problems such as flu, fibromyalgia or anemia, for example, and in such cases it can be accompanied by other signs such as fever, headache or cough.

Thus, whenever the pain in the body remains for more than 3 days or is very intense, preventing the performance of daily activities, it is important to go to the general practitioner to try to identify the correct cause and start the appropriate treatment.

1. Stress and anxiety

When you have been stressed or anxious for a long time, the immune system is weakened and, therefore, the body has more difficulty controlling small infections and inflammations caused by viruses and bacteria that are in constant contact with the body.

Although in these cases, usually, there are no very obvious symptoms of infection, such as fever, it is common to feel the body more painful, especially at the end of the day.

• What to do: It is important to try to relieve stress during the day by participating in relaxing activities such as meditation, yoga or even resting, to reduce stress levels and strengthen the immune system. Check out 7 simple steps to relieve stress and anxiety.

2. Difficulty sleeping

Sleeping less than 6 hours a night can have a very negative effect on the whole body, as the cells do not have enough time to regenerate and, therefore, the body does not have the energy necessary to function properly. When this happens, it is common to start feeling a general malaise that gets worse and produces pain throughout the body.

Other signs that may appear associated include an urge to sleep during the day, lack of memory and difficulty maintaining concentration, even when talking to another person.

• What to do: you should encourage relaxation before bed, doing meditation, drinking hot drinks or listening to relaxing music, for example. See 8 techniques to sleep faster and better.

3. Flu or cold

Pain in the whole body is a very typical flu-like symptom that usually comes first before other symptoms such as sore throat, fever and runny nose, for example. Although it is more frequent in the winter, the flu and the cold can also appear in the summer and, in these cases, the pain in the body is more intense due to the dehydration of the organism.

• What to do: it is important to rest at home, drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day and avoid sudden changes in temperature. In addition, to alleviate the symptoms you can use medicines prescribed by the doctor, such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, for example. Also check out some home remedies to end the flu.

4. Lack of vitamin D

Vitamin D is very important for the body, as it ensures the correct absorption and use of calcium in the body, which is an essential mineral for the functioning of most organs, such as the kidneys, the heart and even the muscles.

Thus, people with low levels of vitamin D may experience changes in the functioning of various organs and muscles, which ends up producing pain in various parts of the body, without an apparent cause.

• What to do: it is advisable to have a blood test to confirm the levels of vitamin D and, if they are decreased, you should increase the intake of fish, as well as sun exposure at a healthy time. Understand how to increase the amount of vitamin D.

5. Anemia

Anemia arises when red blood cells are not functioning properly and, therefore, different parts of the body do not receive the oxygen needed to function. Thus, it is common that in addition to a feeling of extreme tiredness, pain also appears throughout the body.

Other common symptoms of anemia include pallor, tingling in the feet and hands and abdominal pain, for example.

• What to do: a general practitioner should be consulted to have a blood test and to assess the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. If it is reduced, it is important to identify the type of anemia to start the appropriate treatment, however, it is common for treatment to start with the intake of iron supplements, since anemia due to lack of iron is the most common. Learn more about treating anemia.

6. Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by the presence of pain in certain specific points of the body, which gives the impression that you have pain in the whole body. These pains are usually worse in the morning and especially affect women.

• What to do: a rheumatologist should be consulted if fibromyalgia is suspected, to make the diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment, which is usually done with drugs and exercises guided by a physiotherapist. See all available treatment options.

7. Appendicitis

Although it is more rare, appendicitis can also cause pain throughout the body, accompanied by the feeling of general malaise, without the classic symptom of intense pain located on the lower right side of the abdomen. In these cases, pallor, decreased appetite, persistent low-grade fever and constipation may also appear. Check out the main symptoms of appendicitis and take our test online.

• What to do: To confirm the presence of appendicitis, lie on your back and press on the appendix site, quickly removing the pressure on the site. If the pain becomes more intense when you remove your hand, it may indicate the presence of appendicitis and, therefore, it is advisable to go to the hospital to confirm the diagnosis and start the treatment, which is usually done with surgery.

When body pain can be severe

In most cases, the pain in the whole body is not severe and improves in about 2 to 3 days, however, it can also be a sign of a more serious problem. This is more common when the pain is accompanied by other symptoms such as:

• Persistent fever for more than 3 days; Very severe pain that makes it difficult to move; Nausea or vomiting; Fainting; Night sweats; Weight loss for no apparent reason; Difficulty breathing.

If one or more of these symptoms appear, it is recommended to go to the hospital to try to identify the problem and start the appropriate treatment. If you are taking any medication, it is important to take the box or the name of the medication to inform the doctor, since in some cases, pain in the body can also be a side effect of the medication.