Part I of II

This will be a two-part blog to keep each one short enough for you to read without becoming overwhelmed. The subject is about symptoms that should cause you to seek medical attention sooner rather than later. Some may seem obvious, others may not. Either way, I hope you will file these away in your memory banks for future reference in case you develop one or more of these symptoms.

1- Persistent cough. Everyone experiences cough from time to time, particularly in association with a cold or flu. These are almost always due to a viral infection and will pass within 1-2 weeks. Chronic cough is another matter and must be evaluated by your physician. Causes could be infection (including Tb), chronic bronchitis, asthma, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (heartburn), or even cancer. If you see blood in your sputum (stuff you cough up), seek medical attention rather quickly.

2- Bleeding. If you cut yourself (a minor cut) and the bleeding doesn't stop within a few minutes, it could indicate a blood-related problem. Similarly, if you bruise very easily, this should be checked out. People who take a lot of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen or naproxen) will have inactive platelets (the blood cells that help clotting), and this may be the most minor cause and is easily corrected. But if you have persistent bleeding, from the gums, in the urine or in your stool, that needs to be evaluated. Also, if your stools become darker than usual, this could be a sign of bleeding in the colon and should be examined soon (it could be something minor like some medications you are taking or diet, but it could also be a sign of colon cancer.

3- Headaches. We all get the occasional stress-related or tension headache that is usually short-lived and responds well to over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicine. Excessive use of OTC painkillers, however, can lead to a vicious cycle involving what's called a rebound headache. It's due to medication overuse and you may need help in breaking the cycle. If you get incapacitating headaches or headaches preceded by strange sensory phenomena, this could be migraines, for which there are now extraordinarily effective medications. No need to suffer in silence. Of course, if you develop a sudden headache that you describe as "the worst headache I've had in my life," this could be a very serious medical emergency caused by bleeding in or around the brain and you should be taken to the hospital immediately.

4- Visual difficulties. Sometimes visual changes occur so slowly that we're not even aware of them. This is why it's important to have periodic eye examinations that may uncover subtle, but serious, abnormalities. But if your vision changes suddenly in any way, this needs immediate attention. You might have a detached retina or other mechanical problem or you might have an infection that needs immediate treatment (especially true for people who wear contact lenses).

Page 1 of 2 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 | Next