How to Know When to See a Doctor for Unexplained Muscle Soreness

Everyone's muscles get sore from overuse and tiredness on occasion. When muscle soreness is unexplained, however, you need to know when to see a doctor. When muscle soreness occurs in combination with other symptoms of illness, it is time to abandon home treatment and go see your doctor.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Know the Signs of Serious Illness or Injury

1. Watch for unexplained muscle soreness in conjunction with tightness in your chest, confusion and heart palpitations. These are indicators of a possible heart attack, so you need to see your doctor right away.
2. Read all of the risk factors on your prescription and non-prescription medications to see whether muscle soreness is a possible side effect. Sudden unexplained muscle soreness may occur when two medications are not working well together and should be reported to your doctor.
3. Keep track of your unexplained muscle soreness. Unexplained muscle soreness that lasts longer than 3 days is a sign that you should visit a doctor.
4. See your doctor immediately if your muscle soreness suddenly becomes sharply painful. Sudden muscle pain, especially in the legs, can be a sign of a blood clot.
5. Look for other symptoms of a stroke. Muscle soreness (especially on only one side of the body) accompanied by blurry vision and difficulty speaking indicates a possible stroke (damaged brain cells).
6. Cook all of your meat well. Muscle soreness in combination with fever and diarrhea can be a sign of trichinosis (caused by trichinella larvae). Symptoms occur about 10 days after eating infected meat and must be evaluated by a physician.
7. Examine the sore area for redness. Redness around a sore muscle is a sign that an infection has taken hold, so you should let your doctor know.
8. Inspect your skin for bites, and have a friend or family member check areas you can't see. Muscle soreness can be caused by tick bites, and your doctor will need to check you for Lyme disease.

Learn When to Treat Soreness at Home

9. Look for other symptoms of the flu.
10. Realize sore muscles combined with a mild fever and runny nose typically indicate an influenza infection that will go away without a doctor's treatment.
11. Take a warm bath to relive muscle soreness that is mild and generalized.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have HIV, always report unexplained muscle soreness to your doctor. This can be a sign of necrosis (bone death) which needs to be treated.
• Call your doctor if you have already been diagnosed with poor circulation and you have muscle soreness.
• Cocaine use can cause muscle soreness.