What should you know about really bad body aches?

Muscle aches, also called myalgia, may feel deep, tender, tight or weak and can affect one area or the whole body. Influenza and COVID-19 can cause aches alongside fever, chills, fatigue, sore throat or cough. Dengue fever and malaria may be relevant after travel or mosquito exposure, particularly when fever is prominent. Brucellosis can follow contact with infected animals or unpasteurised products. Fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism and Long COVID can cause symptoms that persist or recur, but aches alone cannot identify the cause.

Rest from strenuous activity, drink fluids if you can and use gentle movement as tolerated. Check your temperature and note when the aches began, where they are located, and whether fever, rash, weakness, cough, diarrhoea or urinary symptoms appeared. Ask a pharmacist or clinician before taking pain medicine if you are pregnant, have liver or kidney disease, take blood thinners or have other regular medicines. Avoid intense exercise while acutely unwell.

Seek urgent help for difficulty breathing, confusion, fainting, severe weakness, a stiff neck, a new widespread rash, chest pain, very dark urine or inability to keep fluids down. Prompt assessment is needed for high or persistent fever, severe headache, recent travel to a malaria area, mosquito exposure with fever, or rapidly worsening aches. Arrange a consultation when symptoms last beyond an expected short illness, repeatedly return or interfere with daily activities.

Could an infection, medicine, thyroid problem or pain condition explain this pattern? Do my travel, animal or mosquito exposures change which tests I need? Which symptoms should make me seek urgent help?