10 Symptoms that You Should Never Ignore
Stroke, diabetes, cancer, or heart disease don't just happen out of the blue. You
aren't healthy one day and then chronically ill on the next day. Long before you're
diagnosed with a disease, your body gives you warning signs.
Some of these warning signs are so subtle that we often dismiss or ignore them
until it's too late. How can you tell that you're in danger? Here are ten warning
signs:
- You're always tired
Sure, you could be tired because you're burning the midnight oil and waking up
early. But you could also be tired because your adrenal glands are worn out, your
thyroid is not functioning properly, and your body is working too hard to protect
you from an onslaught of toxins from alcohol, processed foods, cigarettes or
environmental exposures.
More commonly, you could be fatigued because your stress responses are full
throttle at all times, and your self-repair mechanism is pushing too hard, trying to
protect you from a serious illness like cancer. Chronic fatigue is often the only sign
that your nervous system is stuck in repetitive stress response.
So don't ignore or dismiss chronic fatigue. Pay attention and visit a doctor; that
might save your life.
- You're always anxious
“It's all in my head.” It's easy to dismiss anxiety. Sure, chronic anxiety can start in
your head, but it impacts your physiology and predisposes you to serious ailments
like heart disease. Anxiety can also go the other way. It can be caused by adrenal
tumors, sex hormone imbalances, hyperthyroidism, and more.
If you're constantly anxious, it’s time that you go for a body check.
- Unintentional weight loss
Weight loss is often celebrated and even complimented. It can be a great
achievement, and it can be excellent for your appearance and health. However, if
you lose more than ten pounds without changes to your exercise routine or diet,
you need to see a doctor.
Changes to your appetite and unintentional weight loss can be a sign of many
cancers. The symptom especially signals lung, stomach, pancreatic, and esophageal
cancer. Weight loss is also a common sign of leukemia and lymphoma.
- You have a colorful and large mole
On average, everyone has from 10 to 45 moles. Moles usually appear during
childhood and adolescence, but you can still have new ones up to when you're 40.
Generally, moles are benign. But if your moles are colorful and large, that could be
a symptom of a common type of skin cancer – melanoma. It's, however difficult to
determine whether a mole is harmful on your own. But, you can use the A-B-C-D
rule when looking out for warning signs.
Here is what you need to look out for:
Asymmetry – harmless moles are round and asymmetrical.
Border – harmless moles have a regular shape.
Color – harmless moles have a similar hue across the surface.
Diameter – if a mole is larger than a pencil, you need to get it checked.
If you notice moles that are a bit off, you should seek the opinion of a
dermatologist.
- You bruise easily
Most bruises are harmless. But if you often find strange marks on your body, that
can be a sign of underlying medical conditions like blood diseases or blood-
clotting issues.
Mysterious bruising can also be a symptom of anemia. Low levels of dietary iron
cause anemia. To prevent it, you need to add iron-rich food like beef, beans,
spinach, lentils, turkey, and shellfish into your diet.
Deficiency in Vitamin C, Zinc, and Vitamin K can also cause easy bruising. This
too can be sorted out by a balanced diet. It's prudent to visit a doctor if you
experience unexplained bruising or bleeding.
- A waist bigger than hips
Overweight people typically fit into two categories: apple-shaped and pear-shaped.
On its own, being overweight can be an indicator of poor health. But if you're
apple-shaped, you're more predisposed to heart disease than pear-shaped people.
Having a waist bigger than hips (apple-shape) also puts you at a higher risk of type
2 diabetes and insulin resistance. This is because abdominal fat makes insulin less
efficient.
- Chronic Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are common. They often flare up and are nothing to worry about. But
if hemorrhoids don't respond to treatment, you need have them checked out by a
gastrointestinal specialist. About 30% of Crohn's disease patients have a form that
affects only the anal region.
In these cases, the condition appears as sores, ulcerations, or fleshy growths that
are similar to hemorrhoids. This type of Crohn disease doesn't have a good
prognosis, and it's excruciating. Crohn disease can cause bowel obstruction, painful
fissures, and even colon cancer when it's not treated.
- Impotence
There is a myriad of medications that can help treat impotence, but, it should not
be treated lightly or ignored. If you're experiencing impotence, and especially if
there is a history of heart disease in your family, you should get your heart
checked.
The penis has some of smallest arteries in the body, and so impotence is one of the
first signs of heart disease.
- Frequent memory lapses
Memory lapses happen to the best of us, but if you frequently forget items in you
to-do-list or even people's names, you could be having low levels of thyroid
hormone. Having inadequate amounts of thyroid hormone slows everything down.
Other symptoms of hypothyroid include low libido, losing the ability to taste food,
and feeling cold. People often don't link these feelings together or ignore them
altogether. So if you feel like you're in a fog, it's time to visit a doctor.
- Frequent bathroom trips
If you experience chronic thirst and if you need to visit the washroom constantly,
even in your sleep, it's vital that you get a body check. When type-2 diabetes starts
to develop, cells become more and more incapable of absorbing and utilizing blood
sugar. The sugar thus accumulates in the bloodstream and becomes toxic. The
body then tries to flush out excess sugar through urination.
High blood sugar damages your organs. So the sooner you get a diagnosis for type-
2 diabetes, the better.
Most chronic conditions can be managed when caught early and so you shouldn’t
let these symptoms fester; get checked at the earliest time possible.