Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sore

It's not the soreness that bothers me. It's the not knowing.

mmmbacon — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:25:40 -0800

Why are my adenoids sore? My adenoids are very sore and the area around them is tender to the touch. I don't have any cold symptoms.

I want my regular arm back

molecicco — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:30:17 -0800

What is happening with my arm? Suddenly the bicep feels really tight and is sensitive and painful to touch. I looked around on Google and here, and think it may be a pinched nerve in my neck, but I have no cold sensation, and no numbness. Just a really, really sensitive bicep (I think that's the muscle.. it is sore from the inside/back of the elbow, all the way up to the inside front of my armpit). No other muscles are sore. Just the one. No spasms.

It started last night and feels like it has gotten worse over the last 12 hours.

You are not my doctor, I know. And yes, if it is still painful by tomorrow I will go to the hospital.

Does Norton offer a human anti-virus?

Kippersoft — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:51:36 -0800

My mom has been in constant pain for the past two months (likely from a virus). I'm hoping someone may have a suggestion to help her get back to a normal life. Details to follow... Two months ago my mom (early 50s and always reasonably healthy) began coming down with a fever. It wasn't anything too serious, but it lasted about two weeks before dropping down to a relatively normal temperature. However, during this time, her entire body began to feel sore. It was a aching pain mostly in her arms, shoulders, neck, back, and sometimes spreading (although only faintly) into her legs and sides. This pain continues today and is only showing slight promises of receding -- two months in constant pain is not fun.

Some days are better than others, but many days she is mostly restricted to sitting on the couch the entire day to avoid any unnecessary movement which causes pain. It's not a strong pain, but (from what I can understand) more like a lasting ache or soreness; like you just ran two marathons and lifted weights for 8 hours straight. This lasts 24 hours a day and has made sleeping difficult as well.

She has been to a couple different doctors during these two months, but none know what the problem is. She has had a bunch of blood tests for west nile, flu, arthritis, infections, and others I can't recall, but all came back negative. However, two different doctors believe it might be a virus. This is our best lead right now.

She has also been going to the chiropractor once a week (she has had some back problems throughout her life) which has helped somewhat. The chiropractor has said it is possible that all of this is caused by her neck being out of place (which it was), but it's starting to seem like this is not the main cause.

I hate seeing her just sit around being sore and she hates not being able to get out of the house and do anything. I know you're not a doctor, but any insight or experience with anything similar would be appreciated. Does anyone know of any treatments for a virus? All the doctors have been able to suggest is taking Tylenol and waiting it out. But how long will we be waiting?

(In case it's of any use, she had a fairly routine operation to fix a twisted intestine about 6 months ago which was 100% successful. As far as we [and the doctors] know, the operation should not be a factor here, but it's worth noting.)

Canker Sores: Can a doctor help treat or limit the duration of a canker sore better than what I'm doing on my own?

palliser — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:26:32 -0800

Canker Sores: Can a doctor do anything or prescribe anything that will treat or limit the duration of a canker sore better than what I'm doing on my own? I'm in Day 4 of a cluster of 4 canker sores of the "why god why" variety, at the base of my tongue. (As distinct from a cold sore, btw, for those who have advice related to cold sores.) Eating and talking are near-impossible, and I'm doing as little as possible of either.

In response to the advice in these threads, I got some Kanka and some hydrogen peroxide last night and will be trying those.

If you have any other advice for canker sores, of the treat-the-pain or limit-the-duration or prevent-future-sores varieties, lay it on me.

My main question is, though: can a doctor do anything to help? I'm willing to see one if they have some magic up their sleeves -- prescribe a real doozy of a topical pain reliever that will actually stay on a tongue, or do something to the canker sore itself to, you know, make it melt away screaming "NOOooooooooo". Anyone have any experience with professional medical treatment of a canker sore?

Cold Sore

freddymetz — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:49:44 -0800

Medicalfilter: I kissed someone with a cold sore. Do i now have herpes? What can i do right now to prevent the virus from potentially incubating? It was in the scab stage if that matters at all.

On the whole, Preparation-H feels good.

Anonymous — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:12:23 -0800

I get a sore butt whenever I go on vacation or a long day trip. Help me prevent this pain in the ass! About 3-4x over the past year, I've ended up in excruciating pain on vacations/trips due to none other than a sore butt hole.

It typically occurs when I drive somewhere for 1+ hours and then walk a tad more than normal. Example: last weekend we went out of town (drove for about 2 hours) and I walked about 2x more than I normally do during any given day. By the end of the day, I was in tears wiping with those medicated butt wipes (which didn't help a whole lot).

Is this just chafing or is there something else going on down there?

Do I need to apply some sort of cream any time I anticipate an active day!?!

I'm going camping over the fourth and I'd really like to find a solution before then because EVERY camping trip over the past year has been absolute hell (butt-wise).

Why is my scalp sore?

cranberrymonger — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:57:40 -0800

Why do I have odd, sensitive patches on my scalp? Sometimes when I wake up, I have feelings of sensitivity in certain areas of my head. These patches are often (but not always) where my hair has been mussed or formed into cowlicks. I have short hair (1-2" long) and the feelings of soreness last for 30-60 minutes. There aren't any tangles.

Can anyone explain why this happens? Please get into as much detail as necessary.

Ouch. Wait, yeah, ouch.

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:12:48 -0800

Girlyparts/sexfilter: Why am I sore the next day? Possibly NSFW. I am a female in her late twenties who has been having sex with men for over a decade. More times than not, my area down there is sore the next day after penetrative vaginal sex, and sometimes longer. This makes sex more than a few times a week uncomfortable. While that is enough for me, sometimes I would like to be able to have morning sex after a night of, um, night-sex. Or just have it again the next night. What’s the deal?

Factors that you might think are involved that I have ruled out:

1) Disease or disorder: There is no pain during sex (so no vaginismus or the like) and I have no STI’s (I am regularly tested).
2) Frequency: In the 10 years+ since losing my virginity, I have had a regular sex life. This soreness occurs whether I have been having frequent sex or am having sex for the first time after a short dry spell.
3) Condoms: I have had sex without condoms and with all varieties of condoms (lubed or not, spermicide or not, latex or not, etc). No allergies there.
4) Lube: I have had sex without lube and with many varieties of lube.
5) Partners: I have had a fair amount of partners of varying shapes and sizes. There has been no difference in soreness between partners. Ditto with toys.
6) Grooming: I have had a full on bush, and I have been bare (not sure why this would matter, but just in case).
7) Post-sex routine: I have rinsed, I have not rinsed (with soap or without).
8) The actual sex: I have had rough sex. I have had gentle slow sex. I enjoy many different positions.
9) Orgasm: I usually orgasm. Sometimes I don’t.
10) Other chemicals: I use none. No douching, no creams, no nothing down there.
11) Medication: I have been on hormonal birth control and not.
12) Clothing: I wear boring 100% cotton underwear (not thongs) and not-tight clothing.
13) Anatomy: As far as I am aware, my goods are normal. I have never had anyone (partner or doctor) state that I am unusual in anyway.
14) Birth: Haven’t ever been pregnant.
15) Etcetera: Interestingly, my anus is rarely sore after anal sex.

So what’s going on? I have no idea. I would say that the soreness occurs about 75% of the time, and (as evidenced above) it seems to not stem from anything specific. It’s not an unbearable pain, it’s just kind of uncomfortable, and sometimes I just have sex anyway and I can ignore the dull burn and enjoy myself. Specifically, the pain is right at the entrance to my vagina, around the edges. Not inside, and not much outside. Imagine something duller than what it feels like after some rough, long, or kind of dry sex (I know what those feel like and this isn’t that bad).

Is this normal? Anyone ever had a similar problem? Anyone have any recommendations or suggestions? Are there any factors I haven’t considered?

Throw away at aliasusername@gmail.com.

Thanks for any help!

Got a sore jaw: how come?

fantasticninety — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:44:05 -0800

Tender under jaw where it meets the neck. Anyone know why? I'm a teacher and have to speak a lot each day. I've just started back up for the fall. I also wear a tie each day. I've noticed that under my jaw, where it meets my neck, just above the adam's apple it is sore. I can be even more specific, it doesn't feel sore unless I take my thumb and forefinger and press upwards on each side of my jaw just above the adam's apple. Do any of those previous reasons have possibilities? I wonder if the tie strains agains the neck, and if there's another way of tying it which alleviates this pressure.

Disclaimer, I smoke between 2–3 cigarettes a day and am a young man.

I'd go to the doctor, and probably will, but I thought I'd throw it out here before having to go through all the rigamorale.

what kind of doc shall I see about a knee injury and how does the UK med system work?

krautland — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:17:06 -0800

what kind of doc shall I see about a knee injury and how does the UK med system work? short version:

this is a two-folded question:
1. my knee is hurting and I'm wondering what kind of doc to see about it.
2. I'm new to the UK and have no idea how the whole insurance/billing stuff works here when I go and see one. all I know is the american system. I don't even know where to look for the right md here.

long version:

I started working out in earnest about three years ago. quite soon into my sessions I discovered that lounges were uncomfortable for me. every time I got up from them, my left knee made a slight popping sound. it was as if it went past a little resistance. it didn't hurt, it just sounded odd. I noticed the same phenomenon happening when I climbed stairs - with every single step I took - or while riding a bike. after a couple weeks of running I decided to see a doc in nyc. they did an MRI. the verdict was that I had just taken it a bit too far, that nothing major was wrong, that something was just a bit inflamed. (my apologies, I forgot the exact terminology.) go easy for a bit, no big deal. only now it is a big deal.

I pretty much stopped running last december because of it but it has only gotten worse since. taking a flight of stairs now hurts on the upper outside of my knee. this has become problematic since I've moved to london - the tube is littered with stairs. riding a bike is pretty much impossible. I don't think the running caused it but it might have made it worse. jumping down a flight of stairs is making me cringe. the impact produces a painful sensation on the upper left part or my left knee. imagine it like the feeling of being very sore only not in a muscle but a joint or bone. this is reproducible - it happens every single time I take a flight of stairs, ride a bike, tale a leap even.

clearly I need to see a professional about this. the question is just what kind or doc do I seek out? also: I've only just moved to the UK and am currently doing freelance work, so I am not covered by a health plan yet, although I am a EU citizen and have a new british NI number. I am not sure if I can see a doc here without being hit with a massive bill like I would be in the US, so any knowledge on that would be much appreciated as well.

anyone wanna point me into a direction here?

Kink in the neck. Pain in the neck.

Weebot — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:05:57 -0800

Neck kinks: What are they? How can I get rid of them? So, I woke up this morning unable to move my neck as far to the left as I usually can, which tells me I must have been sleeping in an awkward position all night. So now I have a kink in my neck, and it's very irritating. What's the quickest way to get rid of it? What exactly are they anyway? I can only guess that it's a knott (a term I'm unsure about as is) in my muscles, but I'm only presuming that. Any help, Hive Mind?

I want my kitty to be okay

Ms. Saint — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:26:40 -0800

My cat has some sort of sore that's discharging a clear pus, and the vet can't see us until Wednesday. What can we do? Last night, I saw something stuck in my cat's fur underneath his chin. I poked at it, and it seemed kind of like corn syrup--a bit more viscous, but similar consistency and color. His hair was sticking to it. I thought he had just gotten into something, so I got a wet paper towel and cleared it off.

It was soon obvious that a bald spot started to appear. My kitty is pretty fuzzy, so it's hard to tell if we just didn't see it before or didn't know what to look for. Anyway, he now has a bald spot roughly an inch square underneath his chin. It is red and irritated and his scratching at it isn't helping anything. I think it may be ringworm, but, again, we haven't gotten to a vet. We have no clue when it started (again, I know when we found it, and it's so obvious now, I can't imagine it had been around for long.. But who knows?). The whole area is inflamed. The hair around it is just coming out.

We're really starting to worry, though, because there is a discharge. It's a clear pus, and it's started to clump up the fur around the bald spot.

We already got one of those collars to ensure he doesn't scratch at it (the sore is positioned such that the collar doesn't rub against it). However.. We're really worried. We don't know what we can do.

Is there anything we can feel assured is safe to put on it (antibacterial stuff)? Should we immerse him in water? Clean it regularly, or try to avoid any contact with it? Do you know any online sources where I could find more information about what to do?

Basically, what can we do to help this situation as much as possible until Wednesday morning?

Throat and ears hurt, but I'm not otherwise sick. ?

penciltopper — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:50:14 -0800

Sore throat/neck. Popped ears won't unpop. Not otherwise sick. What's wrong? That spot just below the jawbone, behind the Adam's apple, where the doctor feels for swollen glands?
That is sore, but not swollen.
It feels like there's a tight ring around my esophagus, just above the adams apple. Hurts to swallow.
My ears are wierd, either popped or clogged, and pinch-nose-and-blow isn't clearing them.

I've had symptoms like this before, as parts of a really bad cold or flu, but I'm not otherwise sick at the moment. My sinuses are otherwise clear, etc.

I've always had trouble with my ears popping on planes, etc. Maybe I just have narrow Eustachian tubes.

I've also been diagnosed with hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's) this year, and am taking levothyroxine for it.

In my imagination, something is inflamed/swelling inside my neck, and that's pinching the ends of my Eustachian tubes closed.

Is that even possible? I can't seem to find a good picture of where the tubes terminate at the non-ear end.

I have a doctor's appointment, but my current HMO doctor (soon to be changed) tends to diagnose everything as allergies (don't have any) or just say "It's probably nothing; it'll go away or you'll get used to it"

Educate me, please, smart-type people!

Why do I get canker sores preceeded by a sore throat?

champthom — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:53:50 -0800

Why do I get canker sores preceded by a sore throat? Just this past week, it happened to me again - I get a sore throat, and just as I feel the sore throat go away, I feel a canker sore develop. Now instead of a sore throat, I have a nasty canker sore on the inside of my lip. This has happened quite a few times to me and it's really odd that I can tell when the sore throat goes away and start to feel a canker sore develop.

I'm just curious - why am I getting canker sores that follows a sore throat? I do get canker sores without sore throats, though I can't recall the last time I've had a sore throat that was followed by canker sores.

I usually manage to treat my canker sore all right, but I'm just curious if there's a specific reason why this phenomena happens to me.

i have a sore tendon

edtut — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 17:49:06 -0800

i often get soreness at the back of my knee, almost every day. what do i do? ill put it all down in fact form, make of it what you can:
- i get stiffness, mostly at night, at the central back of the knee where the tendons join the hamstring
- it is not painful, just uncomfortable like a mild cramp, and sometimes more severe cramp
- when it is worst, if i sit with the left leg extended and stretch over the leg i can slowly feel the tings as the tendons extend
- my left foot is bigger than my right
- my dad is elderly but gets what i interpret as the same issue
- i used to do a lot of cycling and when i stretched a lot i still got stiffness there
- i don't smoke
- if i walk a lot it comes on strong at night
- i don't drink enough water during the day

My head is empy of mangoes. Am I still gonna be a genius anyway?

Afroblanco — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:15:12 -0800

I ate a piece of mango, and now my throat is terribly sore. What happened? This has never happened to me before. Typically, I enjoy mangoes quite a bit, and eat them with impunity.

Yesterday evening, a friend of mine offered me a slice of "fresh" mango from a plastic container of mango slices that he had purchased the previous day. I say "fresh" as opposed to dry; indeed, they were a bit limp, and may well have been past their sell-by date.

In any case, while chewing on the mango slice, it tasted delicious. However, right after I swallowed it, I got this *horrible* vile aftertaste. It gave me this terrible burning sensation in the back of my throat.

My friend who gave me the mango slice mentioned that he felt a similar sensation in his throat, only not as strongly as I did. He also said that the slices made him nauseous. They hadn't made me nauseous, although I only had one slice and he had several.

Anyway, the burning sensation chilled out a little bit after the initial onset, but when I woke up this morning, my throat was still all scratchy and burny.

Any idea what happened?

I know that mango peels contain amounts of urushiol, and I am highly allergic to poison ivy. However, I have never had a problem with mangoes before. In fact, I kinda love them, typically.

Does this mean that I can't eat mangoes anymore?

Pain in the rear (of my gums)

Deathalicious — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 01:29:28 -0800

My gums hurt. A lot. What can I do? I had all my wisdom teeth removed (first operation on the upper, and last on the lower two), and the guy on the lower two did a pretty lousy job by my reckoning: there are huge pits on the far side of my lower molars and I do have some irritation from time to time (the operation was years and years ago).

Nearly two weeks ago, I noticed very faint irritation in my gums, right where it meets with my right rear molar. Since then, it's gotten worse to the point that it's really making it hard to focus. It is the first thing I feel when I wake up (it seems worse in the morning as well).

From previously I now know that Amosan might help in healing this if it's the result of some kind of injury to the gum, but I wonder if something worse is happening, like a serious infection or some sort of weird jaw thing. When I look at the affected area it appears swollen and red, not white.

The catch is I'm in Egypt, so I imagine that it will be slightly more difficult for me to get the standard kind of medicines. I've heard the dentists here are fine, and I'll go to a dentist if that's what it takes, but I'd prefer to heal it myself if possible.

Please educate me about cold sores

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 18:39:50 -0800

This thread about cold sores has prompted me to ask some long-standing questions about them. My girlfriend has had cold sores (2-3 episodes per year) since she was a toddler. I've never had cold sores. Since we've been together she's had a couple, and when she does get one we are careful not to kiss and so far that's been successful. Barring any further knowledge, this strategy of avoidance during her outbreaks will continue to be our gold standard prophylaxis.

However, the things I've read about Herpes Simplex virus 1 (HSV1) have made me wonder whether there's any point. From reputable sources, I've read that as many as 60% of the population have antibodies to the virus, but only a number of them ever show clinical disease. Also, I've read that virus is shed into saliva even during non-symptomatic phases.

I can't help but think that on a long enough timeline I'm going to get it, or that I even have it now but am lucky enough to not be symptomatic. Could either of those be correct? Is there some test I can take that could reliably tell me whether I've already been exposed? Supposing I have, does that mean that we no longer have to be so cautious during episodes? I once tried to ask my doctor these questions, but he didn't know and was kinda pissed that I would waste his time just to ask some questions. He's not the best.

I can avoid kissing her for 10 days, 3 times a year. But if it's a pointless strategy, I'd want to know. And speaking of avoiding kissing her, once the sore has backed down and started the healing process, is it safe then? Or do I have to wait until the area has completely healed?

Finally, can someone with a cold sore give themselves genital herpes (I know HSV2 is typically responsible, but genital HSV1 infection can happen)?

Thanks in advance. There's a lot I don't know, and failing my other reasonably extensive attempts to find out, I put it you you guys. And don't worry, I will take responses with the appropriate-sized grain of salt before acting. So, supporting articles, credentials, or even just where you heard it, would be much appreciated.

Screen Break Enforcement Software

ajbattrick — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 03:58:54 -0800

I need some software that advises me to take a screen break I've found some, but I don't want to pay.

ways to help fix a sore neck?

adamk — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 15:50:19 -0800

Neck Problems: Best ways for a young guy to take care of what are becoming chronic neck problems? Stretches, massages, supports, new pillows, etc? Surely some of you computer folks have had issues similar to mine. I'm 22, and have spent the majority of my days stuck behind a computer monitor since I was a little kid. I never developed any neck problems until about two years ago when I would stay up late cranking out programming assignments in college. I now work for a software company where I spend 40 hours a week at a computer, plus a few hours a day outside of work.

Things got bad a year ago. I regularly carried a lot of weight in a messenger bag. This weight put a lot of strain on one shoulder and one side of my neck. I actually developed an occasional numbness that would creep up the strained side of my neck to the side of my face. The numbness made it such that I could no longer wear contacts in my left eye, they just felt too weird.

The doctor said that these kinds of things were normal for someone in my situation, and that I had to start paying more attention to my posture. He also gave me muscle relaxants for days that the neck is really acting up. I've been a lot better about my posture at home, and set up my desk and chair at work to be better ergonomically. I've also been working with a trainer on my upper back, shoulders, etc. This seems to be helping, as things are much better than they wore 6 months ago. I might start wearing contacts again soon.

However, things still aren't perfect. Some days my neck just feels bad. I often crack things in my neck when I turn my head, much like some people crack their knuckles. It's weird, and people who I do it in front of get creeped out. So, now I'm considering what the next step is. Since I don't seem to be doing any further damage to my neck, I need to help the damage that's already been done.

Things I'm considering include going in for neck/shoulder massages, applying regular ice/heat, and sleeping with a soft neck brace.

Advice? Thanks.

sore buttocks while sitting

willingp — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 05:57:19 -0800

In virtually any chair, couch, car seat, etc., my buttocks gets sore, but only on the right side. This has been getting worse for 30 years (I am 60). My doctor was not helpful: "use a better pad". I had to give up my recumbent bike--can't easily stand or squirm to relieve the pain/numbness. Does anyone know what might be the cause and treatment of this?

Sore Throat

filmgeek — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 05:15:25 -0800

Sore throat. Uh-oh. My throat started getting sore yesterday around 3. Professionally, I need to be able to speak for the next three days (as I'm instructing a class all day long.) I already drink *tons* of water when I speak. What other things can I do?

How to heal raw skin in a delicate position

Kwantsar — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 18:53:00 -0800

A friend has some raw skin. (more inside) The skin is raw (chaffed, really) on a particular body part that changes shape and size, periodically. Unfortunately, this body part can't really be immobilized, and it moves two or three times per day, whether or not my friend wants it to. As it moves, it rips open the scab. When it returns to its normal position, the scab won't "stick" to its old spot. Any suggestions for medication or care?