Upper Back Pain

Back pain can signal many things - poor posture, bad choices in footwear, the lingering reminder of spending a long day on your feet. However, unlike the dull, throbbing pack pain that is associated with those activities, a sharp, searing pain in the upper back can be the symptom of something far more sinister and deadly: an aortic dissection.

According to Mayo Clinic, “An aortic dissection is a serious condition in which the inner layer of the aorta, the large blood vessel branching off the heart, tears. Blood surges through the tear, causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to separate (dissect). If the blood-filled channel ruptures through the outside aortic wall, aortic dissection is often fatal.” This condition is often accompanied by a crippling pain in the upper back, and most commonly affects those who have high blood pressure or disorders like Marfan’s syndrome. This condition can lead to stroke, paralysis, kidney failure, or death.

Severe Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain can be linked to a number of causes, from irritable bowel syndrome and food poisoning to constipation and, more seriously, appendicitis. In women, however, a sudden, sharp abdominal pain can also be the sign of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. This can be especially true is that abdominal pain is accompanied by symptoms such as shoulder pain, strong pressure in the rectum, and a feeling of lightheadedness or fainting.

Women who are over 35, those who have become pregnant while using an IUD, along with those who have scarring from infections, surgery, or a ruptured appendix, can all be at a greater risk of ectopic pregnancies. Although some who suffer ectopic pregnancies, the cause is unknown. If you are sexually active and of childbearing age, even if you have an IUD or have had a tubal ligation, you may still be at risk for having developed an ectopic pregnancy, and you should take this symptom seriously, because untreated, it can be fatal.