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Keep your eye on the dashboard: Symptoms you can’t ignore
Think of your body as a fine-tuned car — complete with symptoms that act as dashboard lights to alert you when something is amiss under the hood. Here’s a head-to-toe run-through of the human machine and what to watch for. At any sign of these symptoms, steer yourself straight to your doctor.
Head injury & brain aneurysm
Head injuries, like the skiing bump-to-the-head that killed actress Natasha Richardson, should be monitored closely, as it can take hours or even days for symptoms of brain trauma to appear. Brain aneurysms form when a wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain weakens or thins, then expands like a balloon (the larger the balloon, the more likely to burst). Watch for:
- Change in consciousness or mental function, such as confusion or unusual behavior
- Low breathing rate, drowsiness or unequal size of pupils
- Profoundly severe headache
- Stiff neck, nausea or vomiting
- Inability to move one or more limbs; swelling at the site of head injury
Stroke
The third leading cause of death among Americans and the leading cause of disability, strokes are often known as “brain attacks” (versus “heart attacks”) and occur when a blood vessel bringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain is clogged or bursts. They usually happen suddenly, without warning, and nerve cells in the affected area of the brain die within minutes. Watch for:
- Sudden weakness, numbness or paralysis, especially on one side of body
- Difficulty smiling or lifting arms; loss of balance, dizziness or lack of coordination
- Muddled speech, confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding
- Trouble seeing out of one or both eyes; blurred or double vision
- Severe headache
Heart attack
Heart attacks are not always chest-clutching fall-to-the-floor events. They may begin as mild discomfort; the most common symptom is chest pain. Also watch for:
- Mild to severe chest discomfort (pressure, squeezing or fullness) that comes and goes
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea/vomiting, cold sweats, lightheadedness, dizziness or breaking out in a cold sweat
- Pain in the upper body, including uncomfortable sensations in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach
Abdominal pain
The stomach, colon and kidneys send signals in the form of pain to get your attention. So do the spleen, pancreas, gallbladder and appendix. The key is to have a doctor pinpoint abdominal pain and the problem causing it. Watch for:
- Constipation and pain, especially if either continues for a few days
- Diarrhea and vomiting; fever, aches, chills and nausea
- Abdominal pain near the navel or lower right abdomen; loss of appetite and fever (possible appendicitis)
- Pain originating in the back, near ribs, then moving down; blood in urine (could be kidney stones)
- Pain migrating between shoulder blades or under right shoulder, abdominal bloating, intolerance of fatty foods and indigestion (warning signs of gallstones)
Ovarian cancer
Women in the early stages of ovarian cancer may have no symptoms, or mild/vague symptoms that can be mistakenly attributed to other causes — or even ignored or dismissed. As a result, ovarian cancer often goes undiagnosed until it has reached an advanced stage. Watch for:
- Heaviness in the pelvic area
- Lower abdominal pain, bloating or swelling
- Mid-cycle bleeding, abnormal periods or vaginal bleeding after menopause
- Unexplained back pain that gets worse
- Diarrhea or constipation; gas, nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States. Screening tests can catch colorectal cancer early, increasing the survival rate for those diagnosed with the disease. Watch for:
- Irregular bowel habits, including constipation and diarrhea
- A constant feeling that you need to have a bowel movement
- Rectal bleeding or bloody stools
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