What should you know about bad body aches?

Aches may affect muscles, joints, or both. Influenza and COVID-19 can present with widespread aches, tiredness, fever, cough, or sore throat. Dengue Fever and Malaria can present with body aches and fever after relevant travel or mosquito exposure; the pattern and travel history matter. Brucellosis may present with prolonged fever, sweating, and fatigue after contact with infected animals or unpasteurised products. Fibromyalgia can present with widespread pain, poor sleep, and fatigue over a longer period. Hypothyroidism may present with aches alongside cold intolerance, dry skin, or low energy.

Rest from strenuous activity, drink fluids, and use gentle movement as tolerated. Check your temperature and note when the aches began, where they are located, and whether you have cough, rash, diarrhoea, urinary symptoms, or recent travel. Use only pain or fever medicine that is suitable for you and follow the label or a clinician’s advice. Avoid strenuous exercise while feverish. Arrange a review if symptoms are unexplained, persistent, or interfering with normal activity.

Seek urgent help for difficulty breathing, confusion, fainting, a stiff neck, severe weakness, new paralysis, severe dehydration, or a rapidly spreading rash. Prompt assessment is also needed for high fever with recent travel, severe headache, bleeding, or worsening symptoms. Contact a clinician for aches that persist, recur, or occur with unexplained weight change or marked fatigue.

Ask whether your symptoms fit Influenza, COVID-19, Long COVID, Fibromyalgia, Hypothyroidism, or an infection linked to travel or exposure. Share medicines, recent exertion, temperature readings, travel, bites, and any rash or urinary change.