15 Critical Body Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore
As children, a little cough or runny nose would in send bells ringing in our parents’ heads. After all, how can a medically-illiterate person tell the difference between a benign cough and one brought on by bronchitis?
Hopefully, any symptoms we experience are benign and not a sign of chronic, unidentified disease. Our body is communicating to us via symptoms, letting us know that perhaps something is going on and requires attention.
In this list, we’ll go over 15 critical body signs that are easily ignored but might possibly be a cause for alarm. Do take it very seriously if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms:
Sudden disorientation
A sudden lapse in memory is common as you grow older. You may even experience it at a young age, being unable to recall what you’re doing in the fridge. It may seem funny, and it affects numerous people around the world, but it may be a sign of a severe disorder.
Sudden disorientation can be caused by concussions, dehydration, low blood glucose, or it can be a sign of future dementia or Alzheimer’s. If you suffer from frequent episodes of sudden disorientation, you need to consult with your doctor on how you can prevent the condition from worsening.
Wheezing
After climbing a flight of stairs or doing any physical activity, a bit of wheezing is nothing to stress about. But when you experience shortness of breath seemingly out of nowhere, or you find yourself incapable of doing the simplest things without panting, then you need to set up an appointment as soon as possible. Shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea, is the first warning your body will give you before an imminent stroke or heart attack. It could also be a sign that your lungs or airways are infected.
Difficulty swallowing
If it hurts when you swallow, you may be experiencing or getting over a cold or sore throat. It’s still a good idea to check in with your doctor to see whether your condition is a more serious condition and requires medication. Trouble swallowing is also one of the early symptoms of throat cancer.
Excessive, insatiable thirst
Nothing feels better than drinking a gallon of water after munching on spicy food or when leaving the gym. You lose sweat either way so you might as well correct the electrolyte imbalance going on in your body. But what if a gallon of water doesn’t quench your thirst? What if a second gallon leaves you just as thirsty as you were?
Excessive thirst typically leads to excessive urination, both of which are beginning signs of diabetes and kidney failure. Something’s going on that impairs your body’s ability to retain water.
Severe muscle cramps
Severe cramping in your legs or arms could be a sign of an electrolyte imbalance. Luckily, consuming more water daily could help you sort this problem right up. This is the culprit behind cramping in athletes who lose too much sweat without replacing water. If cramping persists after drinking more water than recommended (8 to 10 glasses a day), meet with your doctor for a checkup asap.
Extreme, unexplained sweating
Sweating is our body’s way of cooling down. It’s sad that sweating, which is completely natural, is socially unacceptable and worthy of ridicule.
If it’s steaming hot outside, you’ll most likely get your dress shirt wet by droplets of sweat escaping your forehead, neck, and armpits. However, when you sweat more than normal, there are multiple culprits to blame.
First, anxiety, or sudden, extreme nervousness, could be the cause. However, if you’re not a nervous fellow or aren’t intimidated by deadlines or large crowds, then your inexplicable sweating may be caused by hormonal imbalances or even thyroid disorder. Whatever the case, let your doctor know that your pits are producing more moisture than you’d like.
Fainting
Believe it or not, fainting may not be a cause for alarm. It can occur when your brain isn’t getting enough oxygen or if you’re overtired, but after a fainting episode your head might clear up. However, suddenly fainting at random times could indicate a wide range of different health concerns, all of which require your doctor’s attention.
Chest pain
Chest pains can be triggered by a wide range of different conditions. They can be mild from experiencing acid reflux or severe like moments before and during a heart attack. Whatever the case, it’d be best if you could alert your doctor right away. If you’re lucky, it might just be a sign that you need to change your diet and exercise more frequently.
Numb limbs
Do you know that tingly sensation you get in your hands and feet that feels like the physical manifestation of TV static? That’s normal and usually caused by improper blood circulation to your limbs. Flexing your arms and wiggling your feet should get rid of the feeling in no time.
But what if your limbs go completely numb and lose all feeling? Talk to your doctor since this is not ignorable and might be an indication that your blood vessels are behaving abnormally. In the most extreme cases, numbness signals brain or nerve impairment.
Puffy face
A little bit of puffiness around the cheeks and eyes is nothing to be alarmed about, especially if you’ve recently eaten a ton of salty snacks or partied somewhat heartily the previous night. Puffiness in the face is your body’s way of telling you that there’s more water in your body than normal.
However, if puffiness turns out full-blown swelling and persists for long periods of time, now is the time to let your doctor know. This sort of puffiness may be a sign a tumor which prevents adequate blood flow and results in a pooling of blood underneath the skin of your face.
Swollen lymph nodes
Lymph nodes can become swollen due to simple colds or other light illnesses. In most cases, swollen lymph nodes are no reason to alert the church elders. The bad thing is that many types of cancers cause swollen lymph nodes, and we easily pass them off as signs of a passing flu. Drawing a line between when to freak out and not can be difficult, but it’s always better to talk to your doctor about it.
Sudden vision changes
As we grow older, the quality of our eyesight will begin to worsen. This is a natural symptom of aging and should be dealt with by an optometrist. However, if you’re minding your own business and suddenly see flashes of brightly colored lights, inform your doctor right away. Brain and optic nerve tumors are known to cause sudden changes in vision. These conditions are not to be taken lightly. Seek professional help right away.
Extreme weakness and fatigue
Fatigue can strike at any time and at any level of severity. After a long day at work or the gym, you may feel the need to collapse on the nearest bed and sleep to your heart’s content. That’s not the type of fatigue we’re talking about.
If fatigue causes you to just give up on getting out of bed or opening your eyelids, extremely tiredness may not be the cause. Unfortunately, fatigue can be triggered by a number of different conditions, ranging from vitamin deficiency to cancer. If your fatigue seems to be spiraling out of control, let your doctor know what’s up.
Very dry skin
Dry, ashy skin is common in many people, especially during the winter where humidity drops and the cold takes away the moisture from your lips and skin. Or perhaps your soap is too harsh for your skin? Treating dry skin can be done at home with a bottle of moisturizer and a tall glass of water.
However, if after increasing your water consumption and moisturizer application you still find your skin to be dry and itchy, you might contact your healthcare specialist and get a more accurate picture of what’s going on beneath the surface. Extreme dehydration will give you dry skin as one of the symptoms, and it’s definitely nothing to joke with.
Dry or itchy eyes
Working from behind a desk or in front of a computer all day might be the cause of your dry, itchy eyes. However, if you’ve taken some much-needed time away from the screen but are still experiencing the same uncomfortable dryness, there might be something more sinister lurking.
Dry eyes could be a sign of hyperthyroidism, drinking too much alcohol, or even an autoimmune disease. The first thing you need to do is put the bottle down and wait a few days, but if the dryness persists, then this might be a cause for alarm. Inform your doctor right away.
