|
 Your body finds ways of telling you all is not well. Aaishwari Chouhan tells you why overlooking the following seemingly common irritants, could land you in serious trouble
Vaginal bleeding after menopause
Vaginal spotting or bleeding after menopause, may be caused by changes in the vaginal tissue, that become thinner and fragile as estrogen levels decrease. In some cases, however, post-menopausal bleeding can be a symptom of gyneacological cancer.
Dr Ashwini Bhalerao-Gandhi, Consultant Gynaecologist, PD Hinduja National Hospital & MRC
Sometimes, it can be indicative of cancer of the endometrium (inner lining of the uterus) or cancer of the cervix (mouth of the uterus).
A sudden excruciating headache
Bleeding in the brain, stroke, blood vessel inflammation, meningitis or a brain tumor could cause a headache that comes on like a thunderclap, accompanied by shooting pain. A headache that's accompanied by fever, a stiff neck, rashes, confusion, double vision, weakness, numbness or speaking difficulty, needs immediate medical attention.
Unexplained weight loss
Losing weight without exercising, is a matter of concern. If you lose 5% of body weight in a month, or more than 10% in 6 to 12 months, you need to see a doctor. It could be an overactive thyroid, liver disease, depression and even cancer.
Jyoti Lalwani, Consulting Dietician
Unexplained and sudden weight loss could be a symptom of diabetes, where the body starts losing lean body mass. It could also point to depression, tuberculosis or AIDS.
Feeling full after eating little
It could point to gastrointestinal problems, ranging from indigestion caused by acid reflux, to cancer. If this feeling lasts for weeks, clubbed with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, fever and chills, it calls for medical attention.
Jyoti Lalwani: The feeling of feeling full despite not eating enough, requires medical treatment, unless you are consuming a high-fibre supplement, which gives a high level of satiety.
Constant urge to urinate
If you start waking up to pee more than three, four times a night, it could indicate prostate problems, the onset of Type 2 diabetes or a bladder infection.
Dr Ashwini Bhalerao-Gandhi: Frequent passing of urine is commonly observed among elderly women. It may be due to repeated urinary tract infection, which is common after menopause.
Night sweats
Sweating at night is not normal. It could be a symptom of tuberculosis, AIDS or the Hodgkin's Disease, which is a lymphatic cancer.
Change in bowel habits
Mild diarrhoea that lasts more than a week, constipation that lasts more than two weeks, or the unexplained, sudden urge to exercise your bowels, are reasons to see a doctor. Stools that are black or tar-coloured must be checked. These symptoms could result from infection, digestive disorders or colon cancer.
Dr Shripad Bodas, Gastro-intestinal and Laproscopic Surgeon
Mild diarrhoea that lasts long, drains you of electrolytes, and allows infection to spread. Constipation could result in pseudo obstruction of the bowel and hence, needs medical attention.
Trouble seeing clearly
Blurred or decreased vision are classic signs of a stroke or a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) â a mini-stroke that sometimes lasts only minutes.
Dr Raahul Dutta, Consulting Acupuncturist and Hypnotherapist
A mini-stroke is caused by the blockage of blood supply to the brain. Therefore, symptoms like difficulty in seeing, speaking or moving require immediate medical care, to reduce the risk of brain damage.
|
