Most often, we don’t worry about our health until we start to experience severe symptoms. Things like headaches, stomach aches, and fatigue have become too common that many people think they’re just normal. Well, most of the time they are. And even the healthiest individuals can suffer from occasional discomfort and pain.
However, we should always be aware of what our body is trying to tell us.
Below are 10 ways our body signals that we should be more concerned with our health:
Unexplained Weight Loss
Drastic weight loss is something to be worried about, especially if you haven’t changed anything in your diet. Most often, it indicates an underlying condition.
Health problems associated with unintentional weight loss are overactive thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, endocarditis, tuberculosis, and cancer. As you can see, all these are chronic illnesses that require immediate and proper treatment. If you’ve lost more than 10 pounds without exercise or diet changes, it’s time to check in with your doctor.
Stomach Pain
You can have stomach pain for many reasons. Indigestion, allergies, or some bacterial infection are among the most common causes of abdominal pain. These symptoms can be addressed by taking either prescription or over-the-counter medications. And more importantly, by practicing proper hygiene like washing hands regularly or sanitizing surfaces with disinfecting wipes before use.
However, in some cases, stomach pain signals something more serious, such as a heart attack. Other symptoms to watch out for are nausea and heartburn. Meanwhile, “crampy” abdominal pain that is accompanied by bloating and diarrhea may signal irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Chest Discomfort
Chest pain is a major red flag that requires immediate medical attention. It’s a common symptom of a heart attack but it could also be caused by pancreatitis, pneumonia, panic attack, and many more health problems.
If you or someone you know suffers from chest pain along with nausea, shortness of breath, pain or numbness, lightheadedness or dizziness, sudden weakness, flushing or a cold sweat, call 911 immediately.
Skin Problems
You can have a quick assessment of your overall health just by looking at your skin.
Being the largest organ in the human body, the skin can tell a lot of things about our health. For instance, a skin rash that is accompanied by fever, joint pain, or muscle pain could indicate an internal problem or an infection. Yellowing of the skin could suggest liver failure while darkening of the skin, particularly on skin folds, could be a sign of hormonal disease.
Other skin problems that signal a need to check in with your doctor are:
Wrinkles
It’s common for older adults to have these. But deep forehead wrinkles could point to atherosclerosis which is the hardening of arteries – a risk factor for heart disease.
Breakouts
Acne is a common skin problem that can happen even in healthy individuals. But how do you know that it’s more than acne? If you haven’t had acne for a long time and you suddenly experience breakouts, it’s best to consult your doctor. Sometimes, it could indicate Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or hormonal disorders.
Dryness
Dry and itchy skin could be a sign of a hormonal problem, such as an overactive thyroid. Meanwhile, people with autoimmune disease may suffer from swelling and hardening of the skin.
Weakness in the Arms and Legs
This symptom is due to loss of muscle strength, which can be caused by different health problems. Weakness, which also comes in the form of weariness, tiredness, lack of energy, or fatigue could be a sign of underlying illnesses like congenital myopathies, electrolyte imbalances, malnutrition, malignant tumors, nerve impingement.
Fluctuation in Body Temperature
The normal body temperature is 98.6°F (37°C) ± 1°. It’s common to go past this reading when you have a fever. Also, minor fluctuations are normal and can be attributed to environmental factors. However, excessive fluctuations in body temperature could signal more serious conditions, such as hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, septicemia (a type of bacterial infection), and altered insulin activity.
Sleep Issues
Common conditions associated with sleep problems are heart failure, musculoskeletal disorders, kidney disease, and thyroid disease. Insomnia is also a common symptom of mental health disorders like general anxiety, phobias and panic attacks, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia.
Moreover, certain brain and nerve disorders like dementia and Parkinson’s disease can all cause sleeplessness.
Bathroom Problems
People with type 2 diabetes have bodies that are less efficient at breaking down food into sugar. As a defense mechanism, the body will try to eliminate the sugar by flushing it out into the urine. If you experience more frequent trips to the bathroom (and feel thirsty more often), consider undergoing a blood test to know your average blood glucose level. The sooner diabetes is diagnosed, the easier it is to reverse through proper lifestyle changes.
Chapped Lips
If you can’t live without applying lip balm, it’s your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Dry, chapped lips are a common cause of vitamin deficiency. Consult your doctor for some lab tests and switch to a more balanced diet to make sure you’re getting the nutrients your body needs.
Cloudy Mind
Do you feel ‘lost’ lately? Are you unable to solve simple problems or formulate a potent thought? Cognitive and physical health are intertwined. Just as cognitive problems can result in some physical symptoms, physical illness can also affect our cognitive abilities. Obesity, for example, can significantly impact one’s ability to think and reason.
Chronic health problems usually start with minor symptoms. It’s best to consult your physician for any of your health concerns.
10 Signs for Hidden Health Issues
Are you among those people who take their health lightly? Or are there times when you have noticed your health is not being good but, you still pass the issue thinking it’s just your imagination? You might be thinking it’s not a big deal but, in the back of your mind, you are too afraid to find out about it after consulting a doctor?
If you have such thoughts then you are not alone, as per various studies, self-neglect is one of the leading causes of worse health issues. So, you need to notice the signs.
Your body does give you signs and warns you to check on your health before it becomes a life-threatening disease. Your body will first whisper to you, if you avoid it, then your body will start to yell and you have to stop and think over it.
Now, you might be thinking about how your body will whisper to you? Right? These whispers in general term what you can call are the warning signs that can be something serious. So you need to know them and help yourself and your family live a healthy life.
There are many hidden health issues about which our body give warning signs.
1. You Always Feel Tired
Feeling tired after a strenuous work routine or during childcare is natural. But, if you are having this feeling of exhaustion regularly even after taking proper rest then it could be due to any health issue. Your tiredness could be due to the improper function of your thyroid gland. Or it may be due to adrenal glands or simply your body is utilizing all its energy to protect you from the overload of work or other activities such as consuming alcohol, cigarettes, processed foods or other environmental problems that you are bombarding yourself with.
Your tiredness is also commonly due to stress. when you are always putting yourself in an alert position, you are basically over-using your body. Due to this, your body is in hyper-active mode, to protect you from any illness, infections and even cancer. This constant over-drive exhausts your body. At times, this temporary fatigue can severely affect your nervous system.
So, pay attention to your ‘Tiredness” this may help you in saving your life.
2. Your Skin Looks Pale
In winter, your skin is bound to look dull and it’s common to lose the summer glow skin. It’s nothing to worry about. It is, however concerning, if your skin suddenly starts to look pale as this is a warning sign that blood flow in your body is reduced.
A pale skin tone may also suggest that your body is producing fewer red blood cells. If this pale skin colour is accompanied by fatigue or weakness then you have anaemia. This anaemia is telling you that your blood is having problems distributing oxygen throughout the body.
For this, you need to add iron-rich foods such as dark leafy green vegetables, dried fruits and red meat in your diet.
Don’t neglect your sudden change in skin colour, get your blood checked to know about your iron level and opt the diet as per your dietitian to treat anaemia as long term side effects for anaemia get worse.
3. Your Strange Food Cravings
It’s perfectly normal to crave something sweet or junk food once in a while so don’t blame the foods. However, if you constantly and regularly have strange food cravings then this is more than a nutritional disorder, it could be the deficiency of Vitamin C, iron and magnesium. You definitely need to consult your DOCTOR!
4. You’re Getting Shorter
Strange, but it is true for people. Let’s say your height, what you measured two or a year was 5’11 but now it’s 5’10. It means you are shrinking. Now you must think why are you shrinking? This happens when due to “Osteoporosis” your bones start to degenerate. Osteoporosis is not the problem of the aged people. You may have been healthy all your life but now your body is telling you that something is wrong with your bones. If you don’t take measures for it, you might end up having a humpback or hip fracture. Make sure you are taking sufficient natural Vitamin D and Calcium.
5. You Are Gassy
Extreme gas like bloating can be a sign of serious digestion issues that your body is giving you. If it is a problem for you more than often then it means you have any food allergy or any sensitivity. It could also mean that you are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
6. You Snore A Lot
While snoring seems normal but it can actually be a sign of Sleep Disorder– Sleep Apnea. This disorder is characterized by the blockage in your airways, putting you at a high-risk factor for “Pulmonary Hypertension or High Blood Pressure” and “Heart Failure”.
7. You Always Feel Anxious
Feeling anxious or having anxiety is often linked with mental health. It is right but it can also penetrate the physiology of your body and trigger heart diseases. If you are always feeling anxious this could also be due to the imbalance in your sex hormones, adrenal tumours, hypothyroidism and other illness.
8. Cracked Lips
Cracked or dry lips is definitely a sign of dehydration. But, if your lips are cracked at the corner of your mouth then you suffer from “Cheilitis”. It is a sign that your body is deficient in Vitamin B12, which increases your risk of anaemia and other illnesses.
9. Frequent Heartburn
The uncomfortable burning sensation in your throat or in the chest is known as Heartburn. It is due to the acid produced in your stomach. Heartburn is caused by eating spicy foods, smoking or drinking alcohol. If it remains regular and frequent then it can eventually lead to inflammation in your oesophagus which can ultimately lead to ulcers and then serious bleeding if ignored. If you ignore this continuous heartburn, you are putting yourself in higher risk towards “oesophagal cancer”.
10. Frequent Breaking Out of Your Skin
Last but not least. The largest organ of your body is your skin. Your skin is also the very first thing to be likely to get affected and give warning signs for your ailing health in case of a stress response. Frequent skin issues such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, dark circles and other skin problems are telling you that your health is deteriorating.
In the End,
Your health should be your top priority. These are just 10 Signs if you observe any of these signs or any change of pattern in your health, do not shy away from consulting a doctor. Early diagnosis would help you in leading a healthy life.
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