The top 10 signs you should never ignore.
As many of you know, I have an autoimmune disease called ulcerative colitis. This forces me to manage my health very closely. If I don’t, it starts attacking the wrong things. Like my body. So today I’m going to go over some of the early warning signs you should never ignore with any illness whether it’s chronic or not!
Here are the top 10 signs you should never ignore:
1) Abdominal Pain
Usually there is pain localized in your abdomen area but sometimes this can be generalized if the problem spreads throughout the whole abdomen. Sometimes sharp, sometime dull this pain can be a result of anything from constipation or diarrhea, bowel obstructions or food poisoning just to name a few causes for abdominal pain. Get yourself checked out by your doctor ASAP if this is occurring.
2) Blood in stools or on toilet paper
If you have bright red blood with your stool, it might be a sign of lower gastrointestinal tract inflammation. If you see dark black-looking blood it could also mean bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract and may suggest stomach ulcers so either way, don’t ignore these signs as they can lead to more severe issues depending on the origin of bleeding. You will need to go to your doctor or hospital for this one!
3) Fever & chills
Usually accompanied by pain as well as nausea, vomiting and general malaise (feeling terrible). In most cases there is an infection going on somewhere that needs treatment ASAP. See a doctor only if fever and chills last more than a few days as this could be a sign of something serious.
4) Unintentional Weight Loss
Anybody who has gone through any kind of medical treatment knows that you’ll lose weight from not eating or drinking as much at first because your body is going through an adjustment phase. If however, the weight loss is not due to lack of appetite and continues for over a week it could be a sign of malnutrition, parasite infection or even diabetes so see a doctor ASAP if this occurs.
5) Fatigue & Weakness
Ok I think we all know what these two signs mean but sometimes they can be ignored too easily! If they are severe enough to interfere with daily life, don’t ignore them. There is most likely something wrong with your body. The cause may be anything from anemia to cancer so doesn’t ignore these signs if they are causing you issues!
6) Rash
Many rashes come and go without treatment but some can indicate a serious condition like liver disease. A good example of this is the rash called ‘anaerobic granulomatous dermatitis’ that comes soon after taking antibiotics for an infection. This is actually caused by the antibiotics killing off the beneficial bacteria in your colon, allowing undesirable ones like clostridia, proteus or pseudomonas to grow resulting in this horrible looking skin problem which will not clear up on its own until you change antibiotic treatment. Even then it takes months to clear completely! This is an extreme example of course but the moral is that if it’s new or changing, see your doctor.
7) Oozing from skin sores
If you notice a yellowish puss-like liquid oozing from any sores on your body, go to a doctor as this may indicate boils which are usually caused by bacterial infections. Also known as furuncles and carbuncles depending where they occur on the body, these things can become quite severe so don’t ignore them thinking they will eventually dry up and disappear without treatment because that could lead to serious complications. Uhm. I know about these things first hand… 🙁
8) Itchy Skin
As well as mosquitoes love me, mosquitoes love my child too BUT don’t scratch! If it’s not mosquito season and you find yourself scratching all the time then. It could indicate anything from allergies to parasitic infections (e.g. scabies) or even psoriasis, fungal infection or lupus so get yourself checked out by your doctor if this occurs because an early diagnosis can be essential in treating it quickly.
9) Feeling cold all the time
If you constantly feel cold, don’t ignore it. Hypothyroidism is a condition where your thyroid gland fails to produce enough thyroxine (thyroid hormone). This interferes with metabolism which slows down leaving you feeling miserable… BUT hypothyroidism is quite simple to treat so bear that in mind when dealing with these kinds of symptoms.
10) Sudden weight Gain
This one is quite easy to spot but I have seen people ignore it any many end up in hospital with Type 2 diabetes!! This is a major killer so if you start gaining weight overnight, go get you checked out! Drinking too much alcohol can cause this of course but equally, not having enough exercise and eating junk food all the time also contributes. If you are ignoring these signs because you’re lazy, think about what’s more important… being alive or dying young?
Conclusion:
If you notice any of these signs in yourself or a loved one, get to the doctor ASAP. Don’t wait for it to get worse because that could lead to serious complications down the line. An early diagnosis can be essential in dealing with some conditions so don’t ignore them!