IMPORTANT SYMPTOMS WHICH NEED IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTIOM.
IMPORTANT SYMPTOMS WHICH NEED IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTIOM.
As we age, we can expect some changes in our physical and mental condition. Many of these changes are part and parcel of the ageing process, and shouldn't cause any alarm. However, there may be some changes that are warning signs of something more serious. We should never dismiss any persistent or sudden symptoms that are causing us pain or discomfort as it could mean some underlying health problems. If you have a high fever that won't go away, or a recurring stomach pain, go see a doctor immediately. A thorough medical examination may reveal nothing serious, or if there is something to be concerned about, you would have nipped it in the bud at an early stage. .
1. Sudden Intense Headache.
If you experience severe head pain unlike any you've had before, especially if it peaks in seconds to minutes in any part of the head, it could signal a ruptured aneurysm, a blood vessel in your brain that suddenly bursts, requiring immediate attention.
It could also be shingles which can cause pain in the forehead days before the skin reaction erupts. Shingles is a painful flare-up of the herpes zoster virus that lies dormant in anyone who's had chicken pox. Contrary to common belief, sudden severe headaches are unlikely to be a sign of a brain tumor.
2. Chest Pain
Any intense discomfort, heaviness or pressure — like an elephant sitting on your chest — could spell heart attack. It may be combined with pain radiating down an arm, nausea and vomiting, sweating, and shortness of breath. Women can experience more subtle symptoms, like fatigue, a burning sensation or upper abdominal pain. If these symptoms occur only during exertion, it could also be angina, which happens when the heart muscle temporarily doesn't get enough blood.
3. Unexplained Weight Loss
Losing more than 5 percent of your body weight — without trying — over a period of six months could mean cancer: Weight loss is a symptom in up to 36 percent of cancers in older people. It could also mean endocrine disorders e.g. hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid. The condition also triggers restlessness, sweating, increased appetite and difficulty concentrating.
If your weight loss is accompanied by extreme thirst or hunger, fatigue and frequent urination, it could be a sign of diabetes.
4. Unusual Bleeding
Ulcers and colon cancer can cause rectal bleeding or black or tarry stools. If you haven't had a colonoscopy recently, talk to your physician. Vaginal bleeding can be linked to gynecologic cancers. Bloody vomit can result from stomach or esophageal cancer, and people with lung cancer can cough up blood.
Blood in the stool may be due to hemorrhoids, while blood in the urine may be the result of a bladder or kidney infection. Vaginal bleeding long after menopause may be due to the growth of benign polyps or fibroids. Vomiting blood can result from a tear in the blood vessels or an ulcer in the stomach or esophagus. And coughing up blood can happen with noncancerous conditions, like bronchitis, pneumonia or tuberculosis.
5. High or Persistent Fever
Fever is your body's way of fighting infection. But fever of 103 degrees and higher warrants a trip to the doctor. It may indicate a urinary tract infection, pneumonia, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart chambers and valves) or meningitis, which may require antibiotics to clear up. A persistent low-grade fever — for several weeks — with no obvious cause is characteristic of some infections, including a sinus infection, and some cancers, like lymphoma and leukemia.
6. Shortness of Breath
When organs aren't getting enough oxygen, breathlessness can result. Sudden shortness of breath can indicate a pulmonary embolism — when a blood clot forms in the body's deep veins (usually in the legs), travels to the lungs and gets lodged in the lung's blood vessels. If you find yourself gasping after climbing two or three stairs or getting tired sooner than you used to, doctors will want to rule out chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), especially if it's accompanied by a cough and fatigue and you have a history of smoking. Irregular heart rhythm, congestive heart failure and other types of heart disease are additional possibilities.
7. Sudden Confusion
If you're experiencing sudden confusion, personality changes, aggression or an inability to concentrate, it's important to see a doctor right away. In the worst case, a brain tumor or bleeding in the brain could be behind the delirium. If you're also experiencing slurred speech, difficulty finding the right words, or numbness or weakness in the face, hand or leg, stroke is a strong possibility. Get to the doctor immediately. Any delay beyond two to three hours may result in irreversible brain loss
8. Swelling in the Legs
An accumulation of fluid (called edema) in the extremities can be caused by a number of conditions, but the one that most concerns doctors is heart failure, when the heart cannot pump as much blood as the body needs. When that happens, blood backs up in the veins, causing fluid to accumulate in the body's tissues. Heart failure is suspected when both legs are affected and the patient also has shortness of breath, fatigue and chest tightness.
9. Sudden or severe abdominal pain
Sudden abdominal pain could signal that an aortic aneurysm has ruptured. Alternatively, sudden pain can indicate a perforated viscus (a hole in the stomach, intestine or other hollow organ), often due to an ulcer. Intestinal ischemia, which happens when blood flow to the intestines slows or stops, starving tissues of oxygen, can be a culprit, too. Each of these conditions is life threatening, requiring emergency surgery.
Abdominal pain is frequently due to gallstones, which are hard, pebblelike deposits that lodged in a gallbladder duct, resulting in sharp pain as well as nausea and vomiting. Although irritable bowel syndrome can trigger painful spasms in the colon, the pain tends to come and go over time and may also cause constipation, diarrhea or alternating bouts of both. more
As we age, we can expect some changes in our physical and mental condition. Many of these changes are part and parcel of the ageing process, and shouldn't cause any alarm. However, there may be some changes that are warning signs of something more serious. We should never dismiss any persistent or sudden symptoms that are causing us pain or discomfort as it could mean some underlying health problems. If you have a high fever that won't go away, or a recurring stomach pain, go see a doctor immediately. A thorough medical examination may reveal nothing serious, or if there is something to be concerned about, you would have nipped it in the bud at an early stage. .
1. Sudden Intense Headache.
If you experience severe head pain unlike any you've had before, especially if it peaks in seconds to minutes in any part of the head, it could signal a ruptured aneurysm, a blood vessel in your brain that suddenly bursts, requiring immediate attention.
It could also be shingles which can cause pain in the forehead days before the skin reaction erupts. Shingles is a painful flare-up of the herpes zoster virus that lies dormant in anyone who's had chicken pox. Contrary to common belief, sudden severe headaches are unlikely to be a sign of a brain tumor.
2. Chest Pain
Any intense discomfort, heaviness or pressure — like an elephant sitting on your chest — could spell heart attack. It may be combined with pain radiating down an arm, nausea and vomiting, sweating, and shortness of breath. Women can experience more subtle symptoms, like fatigue, a burning sensation or upper abdominal pain. If these symptoms occur only during exertion, it could also be angina, which happens when the heart muscle temporarily doesn't get enough blood.
3. Unexplained Weight Loss
Losing more than 5 percent of your body weight — without trying — over a period of six months could mean cancer: Weight loss is a symptom in up to 36 percent of cancers in older people. It could also mean endocrine disorders e.g. hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid. The condition also triggers restlessness, sweating, increased appetite and difficulty concentrating.
If your weight loss is accompanied by extreme thirst or hunger, fatigue and frequent urination, it could be a sign of diabetes.
4. Unusual Bleeding
Ulcers and colon cancer can cause rectal bleeding or black or tarry stools. If you haven't had a colonoscopy recently, talk to your physician. Vaginal bleeding can be linked to gynecologic cancers. Bloody vomit can result from stomach or esophageal cancer, and people with lung cancer can cough up blood.
Blood in the stool may be due to hemorrhoids, while blood in the urine may be the result of a bladder or kidney infection. Vaginal bleeding long after menopause may be due to the growth of benign polyps or fibroids. Vomiting blood can result from a tear in the blood vessels or an ulcer in the stomach or esophagus. And coughing up blood can happen with noncancerous conditions, like bronchitis, pneumonia or tuberculosis.
5. High or Persistent Fever
Fever is your body's way of fighting infection. But fever of 103 degrees and higher warrants a trip to the doctor. It may indicate a urinary tract infection, pneumonia, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart chambers and valves) or meningitis, which may require antibiotics to clear up. A persistent low-grade fever — for several weeks — with no obvious cause is characteristic of some infections, including a sinus infection, and some cancers, like lymphoma and leukemia.
6. Shortness of Breath
When organs aren't getting enough oxygen, breathlessness can result. Sudden shortness of breath can indicate a pulmonary embolism — when a blood clot forms in the body's deep veins (usually in the legs), travels to the lungs and gets lodged in the lung's blood vessels. If you find yourself gasping after climbing two or three stairs or getting tired sooner than you used to, doctors will want to rule out chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), especially if it's accompanied by a cough and fatigue and you have a history of smoking. Irregular heart rhythm, congestive heart failure and other types of heart disease are additional possibilities.
7. Sudden Confusion
If you're experiencing sudden confusion, personality changes, aggression or an inability to concentrate, it's important to see a doctor right away. In the worst case, a brain tumor or bleeding in the brain could be behind the delirium. If you're also experiencing slurred speech, difficulty finding the right words, or numbness or weakness in the face, hand or leg, stroke is a strong possibility. Get to the doctor immediately. Any delay beyond two to three hours may result in irreversible brain loss
8. Swelling in the Legs
An accumulation of fluid (called edema) in the extremities can be caused by a number of conditions, but the one that most concerns doctors is heart failure, when the heart cannot pump as much blood as the body needs. When that happens, blood backs up in the veins, causing fluid to accumulate in the body's tissues. Heart failure is suspected when both legs are affected and the patient also has shortness of breath, fatigue and chest tightness.
9. Sudden or severe abdominal pain
Sudden abdominal pain could signal that an aortic aneurysm has ruptured. Alternatively, sudden pain can indicate a perforated viscus (a hole in the stomach, intestine or other hollow organ), often due to an ulcer. Intestinal ischemia, which happens when blood flow to the intestines slows or stops, starving tissues of oxygen, can be a culprit, too. Each of these conditions is life threatening, requiring emergency surgery.
Abdominal pain is frequently due to gallstones, which are hard, pebblelike deposits that lodged in a gallbladder duct, resulting in sharp pain as well as nausea and vomiting. Although irritable bowel syndrome can trigger painful spasms in the colon, the pain tends to come and go over time and may also cause constipation, diarrhea or alternating bouts of both. more
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Richi, You are very right that Leg swelling can be due to onset of Kidney Disease, but Richi there can be other resaons for the leg Swelling which I am giving below: Leg swelling caused by the buildup of fluids in leg tissues is known as peripheral edema. Several body systems help maintain the appropriate balance of fluids, including the circulatory system, the lymphatic system and the kidneys. A problem with any one of these systems may contribute to the buildup of fluids. Gravity can also contribute to the accumulation of fluids in your lower limbs, particularly with prolonged standing or sitting. Leg swelling due to trapped fluids can be also caused by such factors as: • Acute kidney failure • Cardiomyopathy (disease of heart tissue) • Chronic kidney failure • Chronic venous insufficiency (problem with leg veins returning blood to the heart) • Heart failure • Hormone therapy • Lymphedema (blockage of lymph system) • Nephrotic syndrome (damage to small filtering blood vessels in the kidneys) • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) • Pericarditis (swelling of the membrane surrounding the heart) • Preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure) • Pregnancy • Prescription medications, including some drugs for depression, diabetes and high blood pressure • Prolonged sitting, such as during airline flights • Prolonged standing • Thrombophlebitis (blood clot, usually in the leg) Causes related to inflammation Leg swelling may also be caused by an immune system response that leads to inflammation in leg tissues. Inflammation may be a normal response to injury or disease, or it may be the result of an inflammatory disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Leg swelling related to inflammation is usually associated with pain Regards more
Jul 27
another cause for swelling in legs to add into this is onset of kidney disease creating imbalance between input and output more
Jul 26
Lakshmi. Thank you for finding it "Helpful". Yes you are right we can also add to this: "Feeling sluggish or tired after eating a meal, which may mean blood sugar or the onset of diabetes." If it continues get your "Blood Sugar Level test done". more
Jul 26
Thank you, Mr Raja Chandra. This was very helpful. You can also add to this: Feeling sluggish or tired after eating a meal, which may mean blood sugar or the onset of diabetes. more
Jul 26
