You know the line, “If you see something, say something?” I’m sharing this one: “If you feel something do something.”
Sudden changes in your body can happen at any time. Usually it’s your body giving you a hint something is up. But sometimes we don’t take the hint. We’re too busy or distracted. We say, “I’ll sleep on it and see if it goes away.” We try to self-diagnose a symptom and self treat with an over-the-counter drug, herbal or kitchen remedy we read about or someone close to your recommends. You want to save time or money. But you need to save your health. You could be harming your health rather than helping it.
After my recent show with Florida based optometrist, Dr. April Jasper, I decided to address the unusual number of floaters in both eyes that had recently occurred and were bothering me. I learned a sudden burst of eye floaters could be a sign of a detached retina which could cause permanent eye damage. My eye doctor urged me to see a retina specialist immediately which I did. Fortunately my retinas were both fine; my floaters were attributed to plain old aging. But if changes in my vision happen, I know what to do immediately. You can hear this show by clicking this link.
Another incident occurred this weekend to someone close that could have been even more serious. Rather than ignoring the symptoms and sleeping on it (as he wanted to do) we went to the emergency room which was wise because there was a serious problem. Fortunately tests showed it was not life threatening, but it was definitely life altering in terms of lessons learned.
There are other signs that may be an indication of a serious health condition. If you have any of them please speak up and seek help. Be very clear about what is bothering you because a physician may not see it and or feel it unless you state it. They are doctors not mind readers. Do not be afraid or embarrassed or attempt to self-diagnose to save time or money. You are not being a hypochondriac You are being proactive and potentially saving your health or your life.
Here are 30 signs (among many) to watch out for. If you have one or more of them, seek medical attention. Why take a chance?
- Numbness, tingling, weakness or lack of mobility in arms or legs
- Chest pains or tightness across the chest and/or down left arm
- Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion or memory loss
- Facial numbness, tingling, twitching, pain or drooping
- Difficulty forming words or speaking
- Blurring, spots or changes in vision or bright bursts of light in your eyes
- Bleeding that will not stop
- Choking or difficulty swallowing
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Persistent and/or acute coughing and/or congestion
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
- Persistent diarrhea, constipation or bloating
- Upper abdominal pain or pressure
- Sudden, severe pain or lingering pain anywhere in the body.
- Extreme weakness anywhere on body
- Intense or persistent skin rash, itching or burning
- Fever or extreme chills, breaking out in a cold sweat
- Loss of hearing or ringing in the ear
- Aches or stiffness in joints and muscles that will not go away or worsens
- Unusual lumps or bumps anywhere on your body
- Excessive bruising or tenderness
- Loss of appetite or inability to chew or digest food
- Loss of sensation or paralysis
- Extreme hair loss
- Scabs or cuts that will not heal or ooze pus
- Irregular moles that change shape or darken
- Your teeth loosen or start to fall out, or your gums have abnormal bleeding
- Any unusual bodily discharge
- Unusual changes in the shape or texture of your nails
Many of the above signs could also be due to overwork, stress, fatigue or getting older. But they could also be signs of an underlying medical condition and should not be overlooked. Life can change in an instant. When your body is giving you a hint, listen and take action. You’ll never regret being proactive about your health, but you will regret having ignored the signs if something bad happens.
