Are you snoring a lot, suddenly? Or maybe taking too many bathroom breaks? Don’t dismiss these things. In some cases, the internal problems in our body are often manifested in deceptively harmless ways.
Our body is in a constant state of self-preservation and so when it runs into a problem, it sends out distress signals. Catching these signals in time is key to preventing further damage to our body.
Here are 10 warning signs your body gives out which you will be able to interpret and pay heed to the next time.
1. Bad Breath
Do people avoid being close to you while you speak? Does the room empty when you yawn? Does your date always make an excuse to leave early before you can kiss him/her goodnight? If you persistently suffer from bad breath, popping a mint every few hours isn’t going to solve much. Bad breath could well be a symptom of severe dehydration. When you’re dehydrated, your mouth doesn’t produce enough saliva and bacteria flourishes, which in turn produces bad breath.
2. Damaged Enamel
If you find your molars are getting damaged and you wake up with a strange taste in your mouth, you might want to visit a gastroenterologist rather than a dentist. Damage to your back teeth are cause by acid reflux in your sleep. You might not experience any other symptoms of reflux, which will lead you to dismiss this as a serious problem. However, if you leave it untreated, it could cause further damage to your teeth and even increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
3. Snoring
Snoring can make you a terrible bedfellow, but the negative impact goes beyond that. Studies have found that longtime snorers are at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease and stroke. If you’re a snorer, you might have restricted oxygen flow to your heart and brain. Snoring might also damage your carotid arteries and hamper their ability to supply blood to your brain. Get treatment for your snoring, and you’ll find that your body and your partner are both thankful.
4. Frequent Visits To The Bathroom
If you find yourself caught in an endless cycle of going to the bathroom and feeling thirsty, you should get yourself checked out for Type-2 diabetes. In this type of diabetes, your body is unable to break down sugar to use as energy and so your blood sugar levels rise drastically. To cope with the increase in blood sugar, your body tries to flush it out in the form of urine. Because you’re repeatedly going to the restroom, you also try to re-hydrate by drinking a lot more water. If you leave this unchecked, your body will keep crying out for insulin and you’ll feel progressively worse.
5. Changes In Bowel Movements
We understand if you’re not inclined to peer into the toilet bowl for a while before you flush, but changes in your stools could indicate a deeper health issue. If you notice any difference in the appearance of your stools or in the frequency of your bowel movements over a period of time, consult a physician. Bowel changes are commonly associated with the development of celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome and colon cancer, among others.
6. Salty Food Cravings
Craving fries all the time might mean more than just a junk food addiction. When our body is deficient in calcium, it could try to warn us by making us crave salty foods. The sodium in salt tricks our body into thinking that we have replenished our calcium levels, until it runs out and we’re back to craving onion rings again. Calcium deficiency is especially dangerous for women, who suffer higher incidences of osteoporosis. To prevent this, start increasing your calcium intake and consult a doctor.
7. Sweet Food Cravings
On the other end of the spectrum are people who constantly crave something sweet. This is much more serious than just having a sweet tooth. If you find yourself constantly tired but also dreaming of a sundae, you might be suffering from an inactive thyroid gland. If your craving is specifically for chocolate, you might be deficient in magnesium.
8. Low-Grade Fevers
Low-temperature fevers are easy to ignore as they’re not bad enough to disrupt our work. We only associate high fevers with something serious, but having a low-grade temperature for anything more than a week, could be equally dangerous. Persistent low fevers could be as harmless as a flu or could indicate a more serious condition like leukemia. Either way, never leave a fever untreated if it persists for more than a few days. Even if it’s not serious, it’s best to have a doctor treat it.
9. Sudden Weight Loss
If you’ve abruptly lost a lot of weight without having to do anything for it, it’s probably not something to write home about. Sure, you can finally fit into that pair of jeans you bought a decade ago, but your body could be suffering from something serious. Unexplained weight loss could be due to several reasons, ranging from diabetes, to certain kinds of cancer. Get a full body checkup done at the earliest to rule out anything.
10. Impotence
You might have the occasional off-day performing in bed and that’s normal. However, if you find it happening more frequently, then don’t listen to your partner’s words of comfort as it does not happen to every man. Plaque buildup or atherosclerosis restricts blood flow to all parts of the body, including the penis. Men who suffer from impotence frequently are at a higher risk of developing cardiac problems. Visit your doctor immediately so he can make a diagnosis.
