15 silent signs your body might be in big trouble

Any unexplained bleeding – coughing up blood (lung cancer), unusual vaginal bleeding (cervical or endometrial cancer), blood in stool (colon or rectal cancer), blood in urine (bladder or kidney cancer), or bloody nipple discharge (breast cancer) – should be brought to your doc’s attention.

Research in the European Cardiology Review found a link between erectile dysfunction and heart disease. Arteries to the penis are smaller than elsewhere in the body, so they may become blocked even before a man has any other signs of heart disease. “It’s embarrassing. Many men just want to get a prescription and avoid discussing the problem with their doctor,” says cardiologist Dr Nieca Goldberg. “But it’s really important that they not dismiss it and get evaluated for heart disease.” If men have other risk factors, such as a family history of heart disease, the doctor may recommend advanced screening tests such as a coronary calcium scan.

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Gum disease could increase the risk of heart disease by 20 percent, according to a study in the Journal of the Indian Society of Periodontology. “The link has to do with the body’s response to inflammation,” says Stuart Froum, DDS, director of clinical research at NYU College of Dentistry. Frequent cleanings (every three to six months) by a dentist can usually control early-stage gum disease. Treating gum disease was associated with fewer hospitalisations among people with heart disease or type 2 diabetes, according to a 2014 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Discover the 50 best foods for your heart.

When you start developing type 2 diabetes, your body becomes less efficient at breaking down food into sugar to use as fuel for energy. As a result, sugar builds up in the bloodstream, where it does silent but significant damage to blood vessels and nerves, says endocrinologist Dr Ashita Gupta. Your body frantically tries to dump the glucose buildup by flushing it out in your urine. Translation: “You’re going to the bathroom more frequently – and producing much more when you go,” says Dr Gupta. You may find yourself getting up a few times during the middle of the night to pee. Since you’re urinating so much, you may be thirstier.

Ask your doctor about getting an A1c test, a blood test that measures your average blood glucose over the course of three months (other tests, such as the fasting blood glucose test, measure blood glucose levels only on the day of the test). “The sooner type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the more likely you can reverse it with lifestyle changes such as weight loss and exercise,” explains Dr Gupta.

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Spaced out on your neighbour’s name at a barbecue? It may be due to stress or fatigue, but forgetfulness about little things such as names or grocery lists could indicate hypothyroidism – low levels of thyroid hormone. “Patients complain that their brain just feels ‘fuzzier.’ Without thyroid hormone, everything just slows down,” says Dr Gupta. “I ask whether they still feel tired after a full night’s sleep. If they still feel foggy, it may signal that something hormonal – like an underactive thyroid – is the culprit.” Other low thyroid signs include always feeling cold, low libido, and food not tasting as good as it used to.

Because these symptoms are often vague and seemingly unrelated, it’s easy to blow them off. But if you have any of the symptoms, it’s worth getting tested. “When patients are treated with thyroid medication, they’re always amazed at how much sharper they feel – that their memory lapses and difficulty concentrating weren’t due to just menopause or ageing,” adds Dr Gupta.

Next, don’t miss these 41 strange symptoms that could signal a serious disease.

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Source: RD.com