The most important thing is to take care of our health. When something isn’t quite right, our bodies often give us signs. This is our main alarm system.
So, knowing how to spot these signs can mean the difference between staying healthy and getting a diagnosis that could be dangerous. Here are 15 signs your body is telling you to pay attention to:
1. Persistent Fatigue
Feeling tired once in a while is normal, but feeling tired all the time and not getting better when you rest could be a sign of anaemia, diabetes, heart disease, or chronic fatigue syndrome.
2. Loss of Weight for No Reason
Weight loss that isn’t planned or expected can be a sign of a number of health problems and shouldn’t be ignored. Here are some possible causes in more detail:
First, diabetes, especially Type 1, can make you lose weight. If your body can’t use the glucose in the food you eat properly, it may start to burn fat and muscle for energy instead. This makes you lose weight.
Also, you may have to go to the bathroom more often, have more thirst, and still feel hungry even after eating.
Unexpected weight loss can also be caused by thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism. Your metabolism is controlled by a small gland at the base of your neck called the thyroid.
Hyperthyroidism happens when the thyroid gland works too hard and makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. This speeds up your metabolism and makes you lose weight quickly or without trying.
There could also be signs like a faster heartbeat, nervousness, tremors, sweating, or changes in how often you have your periods.
3. Persistent Fever
A cold or the flu can cause you to have a low-grade fever. But a fever that doesn’t go away could be a sign of a secret infection, tuberculosis, or even some kind of cancer.
4. Shortness of Breath
If you find yourself gasping for air often during normal daily tasks, you should pay close attention because this could be a sign of a serious health problem.
Heart disease is one of these health problems that could happen. The heart is in charge of sending oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. If it isn’t working right because of something like coronary artery disease or heart failure, you might feel short of breath when doing easy things like walking or climbing stairs.
This happens because your heart is having trouble getting enough air to the cells of your body. A lung disease like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma could also be a cause.
These diseases mostly affect your respiratory system, making it harder for your lungs to get enough air and get rid of carbon dioxide. So, you might find it hard to breathe when doing things that wouldn’t normally tire you out.
5. Chest Pain
Never dismiss chest pain of any kind. It could mean that you have heart disease or, worst case, that you are having a heart attack. Other possible causes include trouble with the stomach or lungs.
6. Changes in Digestive Functions
Constipation, diarrhoea, or changes in stool colour or consistency that last for a long time may be early warning signs of major health problems like colon cancer or digestive disorders.
It’s important to pay attention to your body and notice these changes, which may seem small but can be signs of serious health problems.
When constipation lasts for a long time and doesn’t get better with the normal treatments, it can be very worrying. It could be caused by a blockage in the bowel caused by a tumour, which is a common sign of colon cancer.
When the tumour gets in the way of the stool, it can make it hard to go to the bathroom, which can lead to chronic constipation. On the other hand, changes in the gut wall that lead to diarrhoea can be caused by the growth of cancerous cells.
If you have diarrhoea all the time, especially if there is blood or you lose a lot of weight, it could be a sign of colorectal cancer or other digestive illnesses like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
7. Unexpected Bleeding
Bleeding that doesn’t make sense can be dangerous. If you cough up blood, it could be a sign of lung cancer. If you have red stools, it could be a sign of colon cancer. When it comes to women, heavy or irregular cycles could be a sign of an imbalance in hormones or a gynaecological problem.
8. A lot of pain in the belly
Abdominal pain that is severe or lasts for a long time could be caused by many things, like gallstones, stomach sores, kidney stones, or appendicitis. In these situations, it’s very important to get medical help right away.
9. Changes in Skin
If your skin changes in any way, like if you get new moles or your old ones change, or if you get cuts that don’t heal, you should see a doctor. These could be signs of skin cancer.
10. Cough that won’t stop
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung cancer may be signs of a cough that lasts for more than a few weeks, especially if it produces blood or changes in sound.
11. Having trouble swallowing
If you have trouble eating, it could be because your throat is blocked. This could be caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a stroke, or oesophageal cancer.
12. Frequent Urination
Diabetes may be present if a person has a lot of thirst and has to go to the bathroom often. It could also mean that a man has an infection in his urinary system or that his prostate is getting bigger.
13. Severe Headaches
People often get headaches, but they don’t go away. Severe headaches could be a sign of something dangerous, like a brain tumour, an aneurysm, or meningitis.
14. Changes in Vision
Changes in vision that happen all of a sudden could be signs of major eye problems like glaucoma or retinal detachment. They can also be a sign of a stroke or diabetes that isn’t being taken care of.
15. Loss of memory or getting lost
Some forgetfulness is normal, but a lot of forgetfulness or confusion could be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. It could also mean that you have a brain tumour or a mental illness.
You should never ignore these signs, and seeing a doctor right away is the best way to figure out what’s wrong and treat it effectively. It’s always better to take care of your health and be safe.
Remember that your body knows when something is wrong, and these signs could be its way of telling you that it’s time to get help.