It’s easy to worry about your health and with many people googling their symptoms these days, it’s also easy to frighten yourself. Nobody wants to continually worry about every little niggly pain or cough but there’s no harm in being informed of the certain symptoms you shouldn’t ignore. Of course, not every lump and bump or persistent ache is a life-threatening illness but some symptoms can be indicative of something more serious going on:
- Vaginal Bleeding
This can mean any bleeding or spotting that you don’t feel is related to a regular menstrual cycle. Spotting can happen due to the menopause or as a result of being on the contraceptive pill but if you notice bleeding after sexual intercourse, this could be a sign that all is not well with your cervix. This could be down to a variety of reasons and not necessarily cervical cancer but it needs to be discussed with your GP. It could also be the sign of a sexually transmitted infection. For Home STI Kits Bexley, visit bexley sexual health site
- Fatigue
It’s normal to feel tired sometimes but constant fatigue should not be ignored. Your first port of call should be your GP to request a blood test to see if there are any underlying causes for fatigue felt all the time. You could be suffering from depression, anaemia or hyperthyroidism.
- Unexplained Weight Loss
Unless you’re actively dieting and exercising, sudden weight loss for no apparent reason could be a sign of something else. If you have lost more than 10 pounds between 6 months to a year and you’re not very overweight then it’s best to make an appointment with your doctor. There can be many reasons for sudden weight loss, not all of them life-threatening but for peace of mind, get it checked out. Reasons include an over-active thyroid, diabetes, malabsorption disorders or cancer.
- Changes in Bowel Habits
Nobody likes to talk about toileting but noticing a change in your bowel movements should not be ignored. A change is anything that is unusual for you, such as noticing blood in your stools, black tar-like stools, persistent diarrhoea or very sudden urges to go to the toilet. Such significant changes could be a symptom of a bacterial or viral infection, irritable bowel syndrome or cancer.
- Persistent Cough
A cough that has been troublesome for longer than 3 weeks should not be ignored. This is one of the most common symptoms of lung cancer. It could be something far less harmful but it needs to be checked out by a medical professional. You may be suffering from a nasal drip but it could also be a serious lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Any cough that doesn’t clear up after 3 weeks should be a cause for concern.
- Shortness of Breath
Unless you’ve just done a tough workout, are very overweight or climbing at high-altitude then issues with being short of breath should be looked at by a GP. It could be a sign of anything ranging from asthma, anxiety, a clot on the lung, bronchitis or pneumonia. If it comes on suddenly and severely, seek emergency medical help.