1) Symptoms thought to be caused by stress
After experiencing a disaster, you are under great physical and psychological stress. Items (1) through (18) are all stress-related physical symptoms. To maintain your physical and mental health, try to decrease your stress.(Please read page 13 of this handbook.)
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Symptoms thought to be caused by excessive work |
Have you worked too much after a disaster occurs? Overusing your muscles and joints that are not normally used very much will result in fatigue, which could cause you to have the symptoms mentioned in items (2) stiff shoulders, (5) tired easily and feel weary,and/or (13) low back pain.
At any rate, it is important for you to get adequate rest and keep warm.
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Symptoms that may indicate some underlying diseases to be cared for |
Any of the following symptoms could be a sign of some disease.
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If you marked items (1) Stomach ache, (4) No appetite, (11) Nausea or vomiting, and/or (18) Canker sores, you may be suffering from stomach inflammation or ulcer induced by stress. |
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If you marked items (3) Headache or heavy-headedness, (15) Dizziness, and/or (16) Hot flushes or ringing in the ears, you may have high blood pressure. Please measure your blood pressure. |
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For those who checked item (7) Diarrhea or constipation: if you suffer from constipation, you should drink adequate fluids and get proper exercise. If you suffer from diarrhea, it could be caused by bacterial infection, which requires that you visit a doctor promptly. |
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The frequency of catching a cold can be considered a barometer of the body's resistance and immune strength. If you checked (9) Often catch a cold, your body resistance or immune strength may have decreased. |
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If you have symptoms of items (4) No appetite, (5) Tired easily and feel weary, (6) Thumping heart, (8) Shortness of breath or trouble breathing, (9) Often catch a cold, or (10) Fever, you may be suffering from an infection, in particular, a respiratory infection. |
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Possible side effects of medications you are taking |
The medications you are currently taking to treat rheumatism have various side effects. If your body has weakened because of post-disaster stress and overwork, side effects that you have not had before may additionally appear. For example, symptoms such as items 1) Stomach ache, (11) Nausea or vomiting, and (18) Canker sores may indicate that you have gastrointestinal problems developed as side effects from the medications. Also, (8) Shortness of breath or trouble breathing may be a symptom of drug-induced pneumonia, and (17) Swollen hands and feet can be from kidney damage that occurred as a side effect of medication.
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Symptoms that may be related to rheumatic conditions |
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If you have (2) Stiff shoulders, (3) Headache or heavy-headedness, and/or (14) Numbness in hands/legs, your neck bones may be showing rheumatic symptoms. |
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The symptoms of items (4) No appetite, (5) Tired easily and feel weary, and/or (10) Fever may indicate that your rheumatism has worsened. |
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The possible causes of (8) Shortness of breath or trouble breathing include aggravation of a rheumatic lung disease as well as a side effect of medication. |
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Concerning (17) Swollen hands and feet, particularly swollen feet, a cause of the symptom may be a blood circulation problem or the worsening of arthritis due to hard work. It may be effective in alleviating the symptom if you put your feet in a slightly raised position by supporting them with a pillow or bedding. |
What can be found by checking the changes in your rheumatic conditions after a disaster
The checklist for the changes in your rheumatic conditions is designed to allow you to check on your own if your current rheumatic conditions have worsened or not, comparing between before and after the disaster. If you checked "Worsen," "Became difficult" or "Increased" in response to many of the five questions, it is clear that your rheumatism has been aggravated.
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