Submitted by John Hur M.D. 02.14.2011

Only a doctor can determine the true source of a patient’s hip pain but there are ways that you, as the patient can assist with diagnosing the problem.

During your medical evaluation your doctor will ask you to describe the kind of pain you are experiencing. Hearing about these details can help your doctor determine the cause of your discomfort and the kind of treatment needed. Details such as the location of the pain, the activities that exacerbate the pain or information about previous hip-related injuries is information that should be considered during your medical evaluation.

Following are some common hip pain diagnoses and their corresponding signs and symptoms.

Arthritis: With arthritis-based hip pain, it hurts to move your joints. that includes walking, climbing stairs, and bending down to pick things up. Patients may also experience a limited range of motion, stiffness in the hip and a slight limp when walking. What is interesting about hip arthritis is that symptoms do not always progress steadily with time. often patients report good months and bad months or symptom changes with weather changes. This is important to understand because comparing the symptoms of hip arthritis on one particular day may not accurately represent the overall progression of the condition.

Snapping hip: a patient might describe this condition as a pop in the hip when they move their leg.Most patients do not consult a physician when they experience a snapping hip because it rarely causes pain or discomfort. However, when pain does occur a patient’s physician will need to determine the cause of the snapping. To do this a physician will ask a patient to describe the location of the pain, the kind of activities that bring on the snapping, and whether the patient has experienced any trauma to the hip area. the physician also may ask the patient to try to demonstrate the snapping during their medical evaluation.

Stress fracture of the femoral neck: If a patient experiences a dull ache in the groin area that gets progressively worse and does not improve with rest, it may be a stress fracture of the femoral neck. the pain also may feel similar to a pulled muscle but unlike a muscle it will not improve without medical treatment. the two most common causes of a stress fracture to this area include falling or a repetitive stress injury as a result of vigorous exercise.

Trochanteric bursitis: when the bursa, the fluid-filled sack on the side of the hip that overlies the bony portion that you can feel, becomes irritated or inflamed it causes pain in that area. in this situation a patient may experience pain when lying on the affected side, when pressing on the outside of the hip, getting up from a deep chair or getting out of a car, or while walking upstairs.

These are some of the most common hip conditions. However, everyone experiences pain in their own unique way, so it is possible that a patient’s hip pain does not perfectly fit within one of these categories. Orthopedic hip specialists are trained to administer diagnostic tests that can identify each individual’s condition. Once the pain has been diagnosed a physician can identify the proper treatment that works best for that patient’s unique situation.

I feel back pain, dizzy and I have cough.Every time I spit, it seems there's a blood in it..

A complete medical evaluation for TB includes a medical history, a physical examination, a test for TB infection, a chest radiograph, and appropriate bacteriologic or histologic examinations.
The signs and symptoms of pulmonary TB may include the following:

Cough (duration of 3 weeks)
Chest pain

Hemoptysis
Systemic signs and symptoms

Fever
Chills
Night sweats
Appetite loss
Weight loss
Easy fatigability

lots of coughing and you may even cough up a little bit of blood

Applying the word “Alzheimer’s” to someone close to you can be uncomfortable, even if the signs, or symptoms, have been adding up for some time. It’s much easier to gloss over strange behavior: “Oh, Mom’s just getting older.”Or to rationalize: “Well, we all forget things sometimes.”

Each week we’ll send you Alzheimer’s news, tips and support for you and your family. everything you want, nothing you don’t!

Only a qualified physician can conclude with high certainty that a living person has Alzheimer’s disease. But the following eight symptoms are strongly associated with the disease. if you detect these signs in someone, it would be wise to seek a medical evaluation.

Alzheimer’s Symptom: Memory lapses

1. Does the person ask repetitive questions or retell stories within minutes of the first mention?
2. Does she forget the names of recent acquaintances or younger family members, such as grandchildren?
3. Are memory lapses growing progressively worse (such as affecting information that was previously very well known)?
4. Are they happening more frequently (several times a day or within short periods of time)?
5. Is this forgetfulness unusual for the person (such as sudden memory lapses in someone who prided herself on never needing grocery lists or an address book)?

Everyone forgets some things sometimes. But the person may have Alzheimer’s disease if you notice these kinds of lapses.

Having problems with memory is the first and foremost symptom noticed. It’s a typical Alzheimer’s symptom to forget things learned recently (such as the answer to a question, an intention to do something, or a new acquaintance) but to still be able to remember things from the remote past (such as events or people from childhood, sometimes with explicit detail). in time, even long-term memories will be affected. But by then other Alzheimer’s symptoms will have appeared.

Alzheimer’s Symptom: Confusion over words

1. Does the person have difficulty finding the “right” word when she’s speaking?
2. Does she forget or substitute words for everyday things (such as “the cooking thingamajig” for pot or “hair fixer” for comb)?
3. Of course it’s normal for anyone to occasionally “blank” on a word, especially words not often used. But it’s considered a red flag for Alzheimer’s if this happens with growing frequency and if the needed words are simple or commonplace ones.

This can be a very frustrating experience for the speaker. She may stall during a conversation, fixating on finding a particular word. She may replace the right word with another word. This substitute could be similar enough that you could guess at her meaning (“hair dryer” instead of “hairdresser”), especially early on in the disease process. or it could be completely different (“bank” instead of “hairdresser”) or nonsensical (“hairydoo”).

Alzheimer’s Symptom: Marked changes in mood or personality

1. Is the person who’s usually assertive more subdued (or vice versa)? 2 has the person who’s reserved become less inhibited (or vice versa)?
2. Does she withdraw, even from family and friends, perhaps in response to problems with memory or communication?
3. Has she developed mood swings, anxiety, or frustration, especially in connection with embarrassing memory lapses or noticeable communication problems?
4. Has she developed uncharacteristic fears of new or unknown environments or situations, or developed a distrust of others, whether strangers or familiar people?
5. Do you see signs of depression (including changes in sleep, appetite, mood)?

Mood shifts are a difficult sign to link decisively to Alzheimer’s disease because age and any medical condition may spark changes in someone’s mood, personality, or behavior. in combination with other Alzheimer’s symptoms, however, changes such as those described above may contribute to a suspicion of the disease.

A person with Alzheimer’s may also become restless and/or aggressive, but usually in later stages of the disease.