Body Aches - 15 Possible Causes

4/29/2020 Body Aches: 15 Possible Causes
Why Does My Body Ache?

Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, DO on June 12, 2017 —
Written by Tim Jewell
Stress Dehydration Lack of sleep Cold or flu Anemia

Vitamin D deficiency Mono Pneumonia Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome Arthritis Lupus Lyme disease
Histoplasmosis Multiple sclerosis See your doctor
Is this cause for concern?

Body aches are a common symptom of many conditions. The
flu is one of the most well-known conditions that can cause
body aches. Aches can also be caused by your everyday life,
especially if you stand, walk, or exercise for long periods of
time.
You may just need rest and some treatment at home to relieve
your body aches. But some aches, especially ones that last a
long time, may mean that you have an underlying condition. In
these cases, you may need to see your doctor for a diagnosis.
They can create a long-term treatment plan to can relieve your
aches and other associated symptoms. 
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https://www.healthline.com/health/body-aches#see-your-doctor 1/24
Keep reading to learn more about what may be causing your

symptoms.
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1. Stress
When you’re stressed out, your immune system can’t control its
response to inflammation as well. As a result, your body can’t
fight off infections or sickness as well as it usually can. This can
cause your body to ache as it becomes more susceptible to
inflammation and infection throughout your body.
Watch out for other symptoms of stress and anxiety, such as:
abnormally high heart rate
increased blood pressure


hot flashes or cold sweats
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hyperventilating
abnormal physical shaking

headaches, such as tension headaches or migraines
If you think stress is causing your body aches, make small

changes to your daily lifestyle to reduce your stress as much as
possible. Try these steps:
Meditate for a few minutes per day. Focus on your

breathing and take your mind off the people or events
causing you stress.
Take a walk or leave a stressful environment to remove

yourself from triggers.
Share your feelings of stress with someone you trust to
help articulate the cause of your stress.
If you’re losing sleep over stress, try relaxation techniques

before bed or take short naps throughout the day to
refresh yourself.
Learn more: The best stress relief blogs of the year »
2. Dehydration
Water is an essential ingredient for your body’s normal and
healthy functioning. Without it, your body can’t properly
perform many of its important processes, including breathing
and digestion.
A D V E RWhen
T I S E M E Nyou
T become dehydrated and these 
processes don’t work well, you can feel physical pain as a

result.
Other symptoms of dehydration include:
dark urine
dizziness or disorientation
exhaustion
extreme thirst
If you don’t drink enough water, especially on a hot or dry day,

you can become dehydrated quickly. You should aim to drink
about eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day, plus more if
you’re physically active and sweating.
If you’re dehydrated because of a condition like diarrhea, drink

plenty of water until the episode passes. Drinking water or
beverages with extra electrolytes can help keep you hydrated
and replace the electrolytes lost to diarrhea, too.
If you can’t keep water down, see your doctor right away or
seek emergency medical help to make sure you don’t become
severely dehydrated.
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
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3. Lack of sleep
Not getting enough sleep can impact your overall health. You
need at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night, including the
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Your body’s tissues and cells
need proper sleep to stay healthy, and your brain needs it to
stay refreshed and alert. Without it, your body doesn’t have the
time to rest and replenish essential energies and processes.
This can lead to pain.
Other symptoms of sleep deprivation include:
confusion or disorientation
falling asleep during the day without realizing it
trouble understanding when reading or listening to others
trouble speaking properly
trouble remembering things
Try to establish a consistent sleep schedule every night. Your

body needs to follow a daily rhythm, or circadian rhythm, to
stay healthy.
Try techniques to relax before bed, such as:

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
drinking hot tea or other hot beverage

meditating
listening to music or a podcast
having white noise in the room, such as from a fan
4. Cold or flu
A cold and the flu are both viral infections that cause
inflammation. These infections attack your body, and your
immune system attempts to fight them off. Inflammation,
especially in your throat, chest, and lungs, can be painful. The
rest of your body might ache, too, as your body works hard to
fight the infection.
Other common symptoms of a cold or flu include:
sore throat
hoarse voice
sneezing or coughing
thick, colored mucus
headaches or earaches
Getting rest, drinking plenty of water, and gargling with warm

salt water to ease your throat pain can help your body get over
a cold or the flu quickly. Over-the-counter medications, such as
pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and ibuprofen (Advil), can help 
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relieve your symptoms and aches.
If you have cold or flu symptoms for more than a few weeks, or
if you can’t eat, drink, or breathe properly, see your doctor.
They can help treat your infection.
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5. Anemia
Anemia happens when your body doesn’t have enough
properly functioning red blood cells, so your body tissues can’t
get enough oxygen. With anemia, many parts of your body can
feel fatigued because they don’t get enough oxygen to remain
healthy or to function properly. 
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Other symptoms of anemia include:
exhaustion
abnormal heart rate

dizziness or disorientation
head or chest pain
cold feet or hands

pale skin
Anemia has many causes. If you don’t have enough iron, folate,
or vitamin B-12 in your system, taking a supplement for the
deficiency may treat your anemia.
If supplements don’t help, see your doctor for an examination

and possible diagnosis so that you can treat the underlying
condition.
6. Vitamin D deficiency
Hypocalcemia, or a low blood calcium level, can happen when
you don’t have enough vitamin D in your body. Many of your
body’s important organs, such as your kidneys and muscles,
rely on calcium to work properly. Your bones also need calcium
to stay healthy. Without enough vitamin D to help you absorb
calcium, you can feel aching in these organs and in your bones.
Other symptoms include:

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body cramps
muscle twitching or spasms

dizziness or confusion
numbness
seizures
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7. Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis is best known as mono, also called “the kissing
disease.” It’s an infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It’s
very contagious, and one of the most common symptoms is
body aches. Aches and fatigue may be caused in a generalized
fashion or from inflammation and swelling blocking your airway.

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extreme exhaustion
swollen tonsils or lymph nodes
rash
sore throat
fever
Check out: 12 natural remedies for a sore throat »
8. Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can affect your whole
respiratory system, which is responsible for your breathing,
sweating, and other important functions. If you can’t breathe
well, your body can’t get enough oxygen to keep your red
blood cells and tissues healthy. This can cause aches and pain
all over your body.
coughing
pain in your chest

exhaustion
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
shortness of breath

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hot flashes and cold sweats
fever ADVERTISEMENT
9. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition where your entire body, including
your muscles and bones, can feel exhausted, achy, and
sensitive. The cause of fibromyalgia is uncertain, but stressful
events such as physical trauma, surgery, and infections may
trigger it.
trouble sleeping
sensitivity to light or sound
stiffness, especially in the morning
trouble remembering or thinking
tingling sensations in your hands and feet

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
Learn more: Fibromyalgia diet: Which foods should you

avoid? »
10. Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition that causes you
to feel exhausted and weak, no matter how much rest or sleep
you get. It often causes insomnia. Because your body doesn’t
feel rested or replenished, CFS can also cause aches in the
muscles and joints throughout your body.
trouble sleeping
sore throat
headaches
dizziness or confusion
Check out: 12 diet hacks to reduce chronic fatigue »
11. Arthritis
Arthritis happens when your joints become inflamed. This can
be caused by:
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the cartilage around your joints breaking down, as in

osteoarthritis
infection in a joint
autoimmune conditions that wear away the lining around
your joints, such as rheumatoid arthritis or SLE
These can all cause aches in your joints and limit your
movement.
Other symptoms of arthritis include:
stiffness in your joints

swelling, warmth, or redness around the joint
not being able to move a joint all the way
Learn more: Ayurvedic treatment for arthritis »
12. Lupus
Lupus happens when your immune system attacks the tissues
around your body, including blood vessels, organs, and joints.
Because of the damage and inflammation caused by this
autoimmune condition, pain and aches in the body are
common.
exhaustion

rash ADVERTISEMENT
fever
swelling or redness around joints

seizures
sensitivity to sunlight
13. Lyme disease

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi
spreading to your body through a tick bite. Aches are a
common symptom, especially in your muscles and joints. If
Lyme disease goes untreated, it can cause neuromuscular and
joint conditions, such as arthritis and facial paralysis.
exhaustion
hot flashes and cold sweats

fever
headaches
Learn more: Lyme disease antibody test »
14. Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection caused by airborne spores
from the soil or the droppings of bats or birds. These are

common around construction projects, farmlands, or caves,
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where large amounts of spores are released into the air.

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Body aches are a common symptom of histoplasmosis. Other

symptoms include:
chills
fever
chest pain
headaches
coughing
Learn more: Histoplasma skin test »
15. Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be an autoimmune
condition. It’s a central nervous system condition in which the
tissue around your nerve cells, called myelin, breaks down
because of constant inflammation. The damage interrupts your
nervous system’s ability to transmit sensations properly. As a
result, you can feel aches, pain, tingling, or other abnormal
sensations.
weakness
exhaustion

blurryAvision
DVERTISEMENT
temporary or permanent blindness, typically in only one

eye
trouble walking or staying balanced
When to see your doctor

Seek emergency medication attention if you have any of the
following symptoms:
trouble breathing
trouble eating or drinking
passing out
seizures
extreme fatigue or exhaustion
bad cough that won’t go away after a few days
If other, milder symptoms last for more than two weeks, see
your doctor. They can examine you for a possible underlying
condition. They can then give you a treatment plan to help
reduce the aches and treat the cause.
Read this article in Spanish.
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4/29/2020 Body Aches: 15 Possible Causes

Why Does My Body Ache?

Stress Dehydration Lack of sleep Cold or flu Anemia

Is this cause for concern?

Keep reading to learn more about what may be causing your

abnormally high heart rate

increased blood pressure

abnormal physical shaking

If you think stress is causing your body aches, make small

Meditate for a few minutes per day. Focus on your

Take a walk or leave a stressful environment to remove

If you’re losing sleep over stress, try relaxation techniques

Learn more: The best stress relief blogs of the year »

processes don’t work well, you can feel physical pain as a

Other symptoms of dehydration include:

If you don’t drink enough water, especially on a hot or dry day,

If you’re dehydrated because of a condition like diarrhea, drink

Other symptoms of sleep deprivation include:

trouble understanding when reading or listening to others

trouble speaking properly

trouble remembering things

Try to establish a consistent sleep schedule every night. Your

Try techniques to relax before bed, such as:

drinking hot tea or other hot beverage

listening to music or a podcast

having white noise in the room, such as from a fan

Other common symptoms of a cold or flu include:

Getting rest, drinking plenty of water, and gargling with warm

Other symptoms of anemia include:

abnormal heart rate

cold feet or hands

If supplements don’t help, see your doctor for an examination

Other symptoms include:

muscle twitching or spasms

Other symptoms include:

Check out: 12 natural remedies for a sore throat »

Other symptoms include:

pain in your chest

Other symptoms include:

tingling sensations in your hands and feet

Learn more: Fibromyalgia diet: Which foods should you

10. Chronic fatigue syndrome

Other symptoms include:

Check out: 12 diet hacks to reduce chronic fatigue »

the cartilage around your joints breaking down, as in

Other symptoms of arthritis include:

stiffness in your joints

Learn more: Ayurvedic treatment for arthritis »

Other symptoms include:

swelling or redness around joints

13. Lyme disease

Other symptoms include:

hot flashes and cold sweats

Learn more: Lyme disease antibody test »

where large amounts of spores are released into the air.

Body aches are a common symptom of histoplasmosis. Other

Learn more: Histoplasma skin test »

15. Multiple sclerosis

Other symptoms include:

temporary or permanent blindness, typically in only one

trouble remembering or thinking

When to see your doctor

bad cough that won’t go away after a few days