When it comes to health concerns over the last year or so, it feels like there is nothing but COVID-19. But the flu, heart disease, and cancer are still being diagnosed. Finding a lump on your body can be a scary moment, one that will prompt most people to make an appointment with their doctor. A headache or a fever, even if intense and persistent, may not trigger the same reaction — but perhaps they should. Sometimes vague symptoms are actually alarming signs of an underlying health problem that needs medical attention — like these warning signs you may have diabetes.
Very often ambiguous symptoms indicate mild ailments that will go away on their own or with minimal treatment. For example, most headaches are caused by dehydration — you fix them by drinking a lot of water; and symptoms like fever and diarrhea tend to come from stomach bugs that go away on their own.
But some conditions may linger with no obvious signs. This is where self-awareness comes in. No one knows your body and what’s normal for it better than yourself. Mild pain is not usually a cause for concern, but when it’s accompanied by certain other, even if minor, symptoms, it may need to be evaluated. You may not even realize how many “harmless” things you’re doing that are aging you much faster than you think.