Nobody likes going to the doctor and most of us are guilty of ignoring symptoms from time to time. How many of us regularly think about our pulmonary function, A1C levels, hemoglobin, or heart rate? If you have a cough for a few days or a slight pain that goes away after a few hours, it’s probably nothing serious and you don’t need to see a doctor. But as you get older, you have to be a lot more careful about your health and there are some symptoms that could indicate a more serious health problem. You don’t want to take any chances and in most cases, it’s better to be safe than sorry and just go to see the doctor. These are the symptoms that you should never ignore.
Unexplained Weight Loss or Gain
If you have changed your diet and started exercising more often because you want to be healthier, losing weight is a cause for celebration. But what if you start dropping a lot of weight even though you haven’t made any lifestyle changes? You might just think that you’re lucky and you don’t need to worry about staying in shape but that’s rarely the case. People don’t just lose weight for no reason unless there is something wrong. Small fluctuations aren’t too much to worry about but if you notice a big drop in your weight, you should get down to a doctor straight away. It could be a sign that you have a gastrointestinal disorder, diabetes, cancer, or even depression.
Unexpected weight gain can also be a symptom of a bigger issue. I’m not talking about the middle-age spread, I am talking about rapid weight gain or the inability to lose weight even with diet and exercise. This could be a symptom of hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, Cushing’s syndrome. If your weight gain is located in one spot like your abdomen or if you are having edema, this could be a warning sign of heart failure, kidney disease, or ovarian cancer.
Shortness Of Breath
Shortness of breath is a very serious one, so if you find that you suddenly have trouble breathing, don’t just ignore it. It could be a sign that you have developed asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia. It can also indicate a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot trapped in the lungs). It’s important that you go to a specialist like a Pulmonologist at NOVA Pulmonary to get yourself checked over. In some cases, shortness of breath can be caused by stress and anxiety but it’s not worth the risk, so make sure that you see a doctor as soon as possible.
Severe Pain
When you start to get older, you’re going to experience some general aches and pains from time to time. It’s just something that you have to deal with and you will get used to it eventually. But there is a difference between a slight ache and severe pain. If you are experiencing a lot of pain in a certain area, don’t just put it down to the normal aches and pains associated with getting older because it could be something far more serious. A lot of people just ignore the pain and assume that it will go away like any other aches and pains that they have. But if the pain is particularly bad and it doesn’t go away after a day, you need to see a doctor immediately, if you’re a woman that jaw pain may actually be a heart attack.
You should never take risks when it comes to your health, especially as you get older. If you experience any of these symptoms, play it safe and see a doctor.
