Headaches, dizziness, and fatigue can be neglected by busy women. But when it comes to your health, you are your own best resource. You know your body better than anyone else, so pay attention to how you feel. This may indicate an underlying problem.
Visiting your primary care physician and getting regular checkups is important to your health, especially if you have chronic conditions such as diabetes, glaucoma, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease. Even if you are healthy, watch out for the following symptoms.
Nervous
See your doctor if your headache gets worse, has severe pain, or is accompanied by other neurological symptoms.
Additional symptoms of neuropathy that should not be ignored include:
Anesthesia
Suffer
Weakness on one side of the body
Throw things away
Vision problems
These are symptoms of a more serious condition, such as a stroke or a problem with blood pressure. Remember that high blood pressure, the so-called “silent killer,” does not show any serious symptoms until it has been elevated for some time.
Cardiovascular
Heart attacks and chest pain can be different in women than in men. While women may not experience the classic “tight feeling” of something sitting on your chest:
Trembling in the chest
Pain and discomfort in arms, back, neck, jaw, stomach
Feeling more tired than usual when moving or exercising
Dizziness or nausea
The sweat is flowing
These simple symptoms may mean something is wrong with you, so see your doctor.
Gastrointestinal tract
Pay attention to any changes in intestinal health, which may cause problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
Signs to look for are:
Sudden prolonged or frequent diarrhea or constipation
Acid reflux
Bloating or abdominal pain
Feeling full after not eating much
Nausea and vomiting
Colon cancer can show up as blood in your stool, so don’t ignore it. In fact, the prevalence of colon cancer is increasing due to inactivity and diet among women.
Reproduction
If you are of childbearing age and have bleeding outside of your menstrual cycle, it could indicate an infection or something more serious.
This is also a concern if you go through menopause and then start bleeding again.
Even if the damage is not serious, problems that affect your quality of life should not be ignored. For example, if you experience severe pain during your period, it may not be cancer, but endometriosis or fibroids.
Consider the following symptoms of breast cancer.
Aggregation
Breast pain
Breast redness or warmth
Discharge from nipples
Depending on your genetic makeup and family history, plan to get a mammogram every year or two.
Musculoskeletal
Consuming adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D and exercising to improve weight and strength will strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis.
Warning signs:
Severe moderate back pain that worsens at night
Back pain may flare up or worsen
Numbness and cramps
Kidneys and urinary tract
See your doctor if you have blood in your urine or if you have severe back or side pain, especially when you have the urge to urinate. It could be a urinary tract infection (UTI), a kidney stone, or something more serious. What is the best way to prevent kidney stones? Drink plenty of water and urinate regularly.
If you have frequent urinary tract infections, your doctor needs to find the root of the problem. Estrogen deficiency increases the risk of STDs in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.
Nervous system
If you lose feeling in your hands and feet, this could be an early sign of diabetes or your diabetes is not well controlled, which could turn into a more serious problem. If you have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar regularly and check your feet for signs of infection.
Women tend to put themselves last when they care about others. If you feel this way, practice self-care and “put your oxygen mask on first.” This means focusing on the basics, such as eating a healthy diet, sleeping well, reducing stress, not smoking, and exercising regularly.
See your doctor every year to discuss how a health checkup is important to you. Remember, you can’t take care of others if you’re not good at yourself.
