Lifestyle
Health: How Different Symptoms Tell You What Is Wrong With Your Body
When your body is telling you something, it’s important to listen. Unfortunately, organs don’t speak out loud and you need to learn how to interpret their language. Usually, the body uses symptoms. For instance, when your body is fighting an infection, it causes high body temperatures. A fever is a sign that your body is fighting something and you may need to seek treatment as soon as possible.
Symptoms and how your body tells you something’s wrong
Symptoms like headaches, fatigue, stomach aches, or joint issues can be passed off as normal. However, they are a great indicator of what’s going wrong with your body. It’s important to listen and seek medical attention when the symptoms overwhelm your body.
1. Itching
Isolated itches aren’t a big deal. They could be loose threads from your clothes or hair. However, when your skin becomes endlessly itchy, it could be a sign of conditions like psoriasis, eczema, kidney disease, cancer, pinched nerves, bites, or allergies. Itching also occurs during pregnancy due to hormones and skin stretching. However, when it continues into the night and doesn’t stop, you need to seek medical attention immediately. Sometimes excessive itching during pregnancy can be a sign of a liver condition called obstetric cholestasis—reduced production of bile. You feel itchy in the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. Other symptoms include oily stool and jaundice. 14 Common Types Of Bumps And Lumps That Appear On Your Skin And When You Should See A Doctor
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2. White tongue
This is when your tongue has a white residue even after you brush your teeth. It can also be accompanied by halitosis, hairy tongue, and irritation. It can happen because of poor oral hygiene. When you brush your teeth and floss appropriately, it goes away. It can also happen because of antibiotics, a diet without fruits and vegetables, mouth breathing, muscle relaxants, cancer treatment, or fungal infection in the mouth.
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3. Muscle spasms
Sometimes muscles twitch and spasm without any triggers. It can also happen anywhere on the body. It can happen because of a Vitamin B12 deficiency. If you switch from a normal diet to a strict vegan diet, it can trigger spasms. Too much caffeine and dehydration can also lead to muscle spasms.
Having too little potassium can lead to muscle spasms. Heart medication can also lead to too much water in the body which causes more frequent urination. Let your doctor know when your medication is causing spasms.
Another serious cause of muscle spasms is nerve damage. The nerves around the muscles could be damaged from injury, a medical condition, or age. The nerves are failing to communicate properly with the brain. If you have muscle spasms that don’t stop, seek medical attention.
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4. Chest pains
Another symptom you should never ignore is chest pains. Sometimes they can be caused by breathing cold air. Other times they can be a sign of respiratory infections. However, they can also be a sign that you’re developing a heart condition. Angina can manifest as a sharp pain in the chest that won’t go away. Chest pains can also be signs of anxiety. When you’re in high-stress situations, it’s important to find a way to reduce the stress and manage the symptoms.
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5. Difficulty breathing
Sometimes this can happen because of a panic attack. If you are prone to panic attacks, it’s important to know how to manage panic attack symptoms. You can breathe into a brown bag, try to focus on something else, distract yourself, or take anti-anxiety medications. However, dyspnoea can be a symptom of other conditions like respiratory infections, fluid in the lungs, pulmonary embolism, or a heart condition.
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6. Headaches
Multiple types of headaches have different causes. But some headaches are usually signs of a more serious condition. For instance, a sudden headache that comes with weakness on one side, numbness, or a seizure can be a sign of a stroke, aneurysm, or brain trauma. Sudden onset headaches accompanied by blurred vision and nausea can also be a sign of a brain tumour. Make sure to see a doctor as soon as you can.
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7. Unexplained weight loss
When you lose at least 5% of your weight suddenly, it’s understandable to panic that you may have some form of cancer. It’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible and take note of other symptoms your body is displaying. Other causes of unexplained weight loss are diabetes, an overactive thyroid, inflammatory bowel disease, stress, or a heart condition. Health: Thyroid Problems – Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
8. Recurring abdominal pain
You can feel pain in your abdominal area because of gas cramps, menstrual cramps, physical injury, appendicitis, kidney stones, or more. When the pain is sudden and doesn’t relent even after taking over-the-counter painkillers, you should see a doctor. If you’ve recently experienced a fall or impact in your belly area and the pain doesn’t dissipate, it could be a sign of internal bleeding.
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9. Fatigue
This is a symptom many adults ignore because they attribute it to a busy work or parenting schedule. They also think it’s caused by mental health issues like depression. Other times, adults assume fatigue is just because of poor sleep. However, chronic fatigue is a serious medical condition that needs medical treatment. In other instances, fatigue can be a sign of other conditions like cancer, diabetes, or malaria. These conditions usually come with other symptoms so it’s important to keep monitoring how your body is acting. 7 Ways To Overcome Mental Fatigue
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10. Fever
Adults experience fever when their bodies record an average temperature of 38℃ and above. It’s usually a sign that the body is fighting an infection and the immune system is creating an environment where microbes can’t survive. A condition that frequently causes fever is the flu. This also comes with chills, shakes, irritability, headache, appetite loss, nausea, or muscle pain. Usually, doctors provide antimicrobials and other meds that help manage symptoms.
You need to go to an emergency room if your fever is above 39.1℃. This is especially important if you’re also experiencing confusion, seizures, stiff neck, trouble breathing, severe body pains, inflammation, foul-smelling vaginal discharge or painful urine.
Should you worry about every symptom?
It’s important not to panic over every potential symptom your body gets. In the event of serious underlying conditions, you will either get prolonged or multiple symptoms. Exercise caution and discretion when you experience various signs. For instance, if you’re getting headaches, look at any habits you may have changed recently. Sometimes it’s because you changed screen settings or you need a different prescription for your glasses. Such a symptom doesn’t go away when you take a painkiller. If over-the-counter or home remedies aren’t working, see a doctor as soon as you can.
For conditions caused by stress, it’s important to find a way to relax. Take a few days off work or reduce your workload until your symptoms go away. When you return to work, find a way to create a better work-life balance so that you don’t get more stressful symptoms in the future. Health: How Stress Changes Or Affects Your Brain And Body
Check out:
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