If you experience a little bit of leg pain on the day after enduring a tough workout, you probably don’t have to be too concerned about it. Leg pains come with the territory when you’re a workout warrior.
But at some point in your life, there is a chance that you might experience serious leg pain that you shouldn’t ignore. It’s important for you to know the signs of serious leg pain so that you can have a doctor address them right away.
“Is my leg pain serious?” is a question that people sometimes find themselves asking when they have aches and pains in their legs. You should be able to tell whether or not your leg pain is serious by keeping a close eye out for the signs we just alluded to.
Check out five of the surefire signs of serious leg pain below.
1. You’re Not Able to Put Any Weight on Your Leg
When you have leg pain that is the result of a hard workout, you might feel some pain when you walk around. But you will still be able to walk normally and put weight on your leg without a problem.
But when you have a serious leg injury, this isn’t always the case. Oftentimes, those who have sustained serious leg injuries will be completely unable to put any weight at all on their injured leg.
When this happens, it’s obviously going to make it difficult for you to get around. But it’s also going to force you to put more weight than you should on your other leg, which could result in you dealing with two legs that are in pain almost all the time.
At any rate, you should take a trip to see your doctor about your leg pain when it inhibits your natural movements. They can talk to you about what causes leg pain like this and find out how to make you more mobile again in no time.
2. Your Leg Is Swollen and Warm
Is your leg pain the result of a swollen leg that feels warmer than usual to the touch? This is yet another example of a time when you’ll want to run down to your doctor’s office (figuratively, of course!) to seek medical attention.
Leg swelling isn’t all that uncommon in the grand scheme of things. It happens a lot when people stay seated for prolonged periods of time at their desk at work or on an airplane.
But there are some serious causes of leg swelling that you should be aware of. Everything from acute kidney failure and deep vein thrombosis to heart failure and pulmonary hypertension can cause your legs to swell up.
It never hurts to have swollen legs checked out to see what’s causing them. Your doctor might diagnose you with a serious health condition that you weren’t expecting to be the source of your leg pain.
3. You’ve Experienced a Deep Cut in Your Leg
This should almost go without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway. If you, at any point, have a deep cut in your leg that is causing a lot of leg pain, please don’t hesitate to go and see your doctor about it.
In some cases, a deep cut in your leg might go all the way down to a tendon or a bone and leave it exposed. You might be tempted to wrap it up tight to get it to heal. But you could risk getting an infection if you don’t have it evaluated and fixed up properly.
4. You Sustained a Leg Injury That Made a Loud Popping Sound
Did you hurt your leg while working out, playing a sport, or even just horsing around with your kids? If you did and you heard a loud popping sound when it happened, that should be a serious cause for concern.
There are several ligaments in your leg, including your anterior cruciate ligament or your ACL, that can tear and cause leg pain. Many times, you’ll hear a ligament like your ACL “pop” when it tears and make an audible sound.
At first, the leg pain associated with a torn ACL might not overwhelm you. But if you don’t do something about it, it’s not going to be long before your leg is almost useless since you won’t be able to put a lot of weight on it or keep it stable.
Speak with your doctor about the injury you sustained and let them know about the sound that you heard when it happened. They should be able to take a quick look at your leg to see what that sound may have meant.
5. Your Leg Pain Is Accompanied by a High Fever
Do you have leg pain and a high fever that has set in along with it? This is often a sign that you have an infection of some kind in your leg that will need to be checked out sooner than later.
Some people will simply pop a couple of pain medication pills to see if that does the trick with regards to their fever. And it might. But those pills aren’t going to be a long-term solution to the problem.
Anytime you have leg pain as well as a fever, it’s going to be time to go and see your doctor ASAP. They’ll figure out what’s causing your body’s temperature to spike and find a way to help you deal with it.
Stop Asking “Why Am I Having Leg Pain?” and See a Doctor Today
More often than not, leg pain isn’t going to be anything too serious. It should clear up in a few days and go away on its own.
But if you’ve spotted any of the signs listed here, you could have a serious case of leg pain on your hands. Your only option is going to be to see a doctor to find out exactly what’s wrong with your leg.
Browse through the articles on our blog for tips on working your way through other types of pain throughout your body.
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