Why You Should Take Odd Health Issues Seriously

By Your Health Magazine

Your body is a collection of trillions of intelligent cells that are programmed to function in specific ways to make up all of your body parts, including your internal organs, bones, skin, and even blood. Under healthy circumstances, the human body will remain in homeostasis unless something creates a disturbance.

When you start to experience strange symptoms, that can be the first indication that something more significant is happening. If you’ve been paying attention to your body lately and have been noticing some odd health symptoms, here’s why you should take it seriously.

1. Minor symptoms often are only the beginning of bigger problems

Almost every medical issue starts out small and grows larger with time. For example, even a simple ingrown toenail starts out as a slight discomfort that continues to get more painful as the nail grows further into your skin. In the beginning, when the issue isn’t causing you much pain, it’s easy to dismiss it as no big deal. However, many times, something small can be the first indication of a more serious issue.

For example, if you start developing a cough out of nowhere, it could just be a run-of-the-mill cough. It could be allergies, hay fever, environmental pollution, or the beginning of a cold. However, a persistent cough can also be a sign of pleural mesothelioma – a rare and aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

In addition to a persistent cough, other common mesothelioma symptoms include:

Chest pain
Night sweats
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Trouble swallowing
Hoarseness
Fluid build-up in the pleural space
Lower back pain

Most of these symptoms on their own, when they first show up, may not seem like a big deal. However, if they don’t get better and tend to get worse, don’t ignore them. If your regular doctor tells you nothing is wrong, seek a second opinion from a mesothelioma specialist. Regular doctors don’t have the training or experience to determine whether or not something is mesothelioma. The only way to know for sure is to consult a specialist.

2. New symptoms might be connected to other issues

Sometimes developing a new symptom out of nowhere can be related to other issues you have yet to experience. For example, sometimes people develop allergies overnight to one particular food, and that makes them sensitive to other foods with similar proteins. The problem is, if this happens to you, you might not know that your new allergy is indicative of additional allergies and sensitivities, which means you may end up eating those other foods and being surprised that you can’t tolerate them, either.

When you experience a small issue, like a new food sensitivity, pay attention. Without self-diagnosing, do a little research to see if there might be something to it, and then schedule an appointment with the appropriate healthcare practitioner to ask them questions. It may not be anything technically diagnosable, but the point is to be proactive and learn more about what’s going on with your body.

3. Brushing off simple things can postpone treatment

If you keep brushing off small issues, like irregular bowel movements, new headaches, sleep disruptions, skin changes, or random fatigue, you’ll only postpone treatment.

4. You don’t have to suffer even with small issues

Let’s say you have a small health concern that isn’t actually a sign of something bigger. That doesn’t mean you have to suffer with it. Small health concerns are absolutely valid to address. For example, maybe you have a few moles on your face that are perfectly healthy, but you can’t stop picking at them. You might want to get them removed to prevent future problems.

Maybe you have a spot on your foot that continues to develop a large callus, and no matter how many times you sand it off, it just comes back. It’s not an emergency, but it can be an inconvenience if you want a smooth foot. You have every right to look into ways to eliminate a callus for good.

Your experiences are valid. Even if they aren’t life-threatening, you still have every right to find solutions and remedies.

Listen to your body

While new or unusual symptoms aren’t always a sign of a serious condition, learning to recognize your body’s signals is an integral part of maintaining good health. You know your body best. If something changes and you’re concerned, trust your instincts and get checked out.