Many of us keep on top of our health daily – from eating right and exercising to going for regular check-ups with our doctors – while others prefer the old idiom, “What you don’t know can’t kill you”. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Taking care of your health, both physically and mentally, is crucial especially if you’d like to live a long life, and what you don’t know can, in fact, kill you, perhaps make your life much less comfortable.
Some people choose to stay in denial about their physical health because they’re scared to learn the truth about what’s going on inside their bodies. Some stay in denial because they have phobias and fears surrounding doctors, needles, and medical appointments in general. Others are in denial because they don’t want to deal with the financial burden of financing whatever physical health issues they might have.
But there are warning signs that you should always be aware of, signs that can not only have the potential to save your life, but signs that can help you avoid additional medical issues. Certain symptoms can often help you tackle an illness early on, allowing you to avoid complications of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes that if left unchecked can lead to a host of ailments and even death. (These are 10 warning signs that diabetes might be something you’re dealing with now.)
To compile this list of warning signs proving you’re in denial about your physical health, 24/7 Tempo collected insight and data from several health-specific sources.
Constant headaches
Most of us get headaches from time to time, and while this isn’t necessarily a cause for concern if they increase in frequency and intensity, it is a sign that you should make an appointment with your doctor. Massaging your scalp and spending more time resting could help ease the tension that comes along with headaches. If these things aren’t working for you, and your pain doesn’t go away with oral painkillers, your headache problems could be more serious than you think.
Relentless fatigue
Woman Eye Fatigue And Pain. Tired Working On PC
We’ve all had days where no matter how much sleep we get, we remain tired but often, fatigue can be treated naturally when you make changes in your diet. Those who consume diets full of carbs and sugar are more likely to struggle with persistent fatigue problems. Changing your diet and opting for healthier options won’t be enough of a solution if there is something more serious going on, though. It’s important to make an appointment to find the root cause of your fatigue.
Persistent coughing
Mild coughs, whether from a cold or allergies, aren’t typically something that should cause you concern but if your cough is persistent and hasn’t gone away for a noticeably long time, it’s certainly something that should be addressed by your doctor. A nagging cough accompanied by hoarseness could be cancer of the throat, cancer of the larynx, or even lung cancer. Someone who’s never dealt with sinus issues, asthma, or allergies, should pay attention to their persistent cough instead of remaining in denial about the severity.
Shaky hands
Shaky hands aren’t normal and they aren’t something that should ever be ignored. If you notice your hands are shaky when you’re trying to pick things up or write things down, it is time to schedule an appointment with a professional. Doctors can evaluate the shakiness of your hands by having you scribble down a specific sentence multiple times in a row. If your handwriting changes with each line they see you jotting down, a more serious issue could be at play.
Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is another sign of healthcare denial to keep an eye out for. If you are left breathless by routine, everyday tasks that have never affected you before, like that flight of stairs or walk to the corner store, it shouldn’t suddenly be leavving you breathless now. People dealing with shortness of breath could be facing diagnoses of heart issues, pneumonia, a blood clot in the lungs, or asthma. Instead of denying that shortness of breath is a problem in your life, sitting down with a doctor to discuss the root cause could be a life-saving appointment.
Chest pain
Chest pains may come for a variety of reasons – and not all are bad – but they are one of the more intimidating issues to think about regarding your health. No one wants to believe something could be wrong with their heart though and many times they ignore serious signs. If you are having any significant pains in your chest, contact your doctor immediately. This includes squeezing, tightness, or pressure, and if the pain starts spreading to your left arm, your back, or your jaw it is imperative to seek help. These symptoms could mean that a heart attack is about to occur.
Unhealed sores
Healthy people with no underlying health issues are capable of healing rather quickly after they’re bruised or wounded. But if a person has underlying health issues they don’t know about, they may not heal as fast and it can lead to additional problems. Any sores or wounds that can’t fully heal within a few months need to be analyzed by a medical professional. This also applies when the same sore or wound continually reopens after temporarily healing up. Sores and wounds that take a long period to heal must be investigated since they could very well be signs of diabetes, cancer, or something else.
Severe dizziness
Dizziness isn’t normal and there are a handful of causes for dizziness including a bad reaction to new medication, falling into dehydration, or experiencing vertigo. If your light-headedness is accompanied by vomiting, neck stiffness, numbness, or a high fever, it can be even more serious. During moments when everything feels balanced and clear, you might forget about your temporary bouts of dizziness. Still, it’s crucial to find out why dizziness is happening to you in the first place if it’s occurring frequently enough.
Inflamed gums
Healthy gums are typically a traditional shade of pale pink (unless you have always had darker gums), and should never be inflamed, regardless of what you’ve been eating and drinking. When you try to floss your teeth and notice blood, it’s a good sign that your gums are inflamed. This is often an early sign of gum disease, which can potentially increase your chances of developing heart disease. You should make an appointment with your dentist who can put you on an action plan to start quickly reversing the issue.
Unusual bleeding
If any areas on your body have been bleeding without any recent injuries, you should check in with your doctor. According to the Healthy, this includes coughing up blood, which is often connected to lung cancer. Other areas to be aware of are unusual vaginal bleeding, which is often connected to endometrial or cervical cancer, blood in your stool, which can be a sign of rectal cancer, and blood in your urine which can be a sign of kidney or bladder cancer. Noticing bloody nipple discharge is a sign of breast cancer. (Here are the leading causes of death in America, including cancer and more.)