You wake up one day and notice something strange — maybe your skin has an orange tinge or you see red stripes in your hair. What gives? Are these odd body changes trying to tell you something?
Dr. Neil Shulman, associate professor of medicine at Emory University, says yes. In his book, "Your Body’s Red Light Warning Signals: Medical Tips That May Save Your Life," he and his co-authors, Drs. Jack Birge and Joon Ahn, explain symptoms that may require immediate medical attention.
"I worked in emergency rooms, and one of the things that really bothered me was that I’d see people who waited a long time for something that was really important," Shulman says, explaining the catalyst for the book. "There are some [symptoms] that are more common and there are some that are more disastrous if you miss it."
Here are six signals your body is sending, and when you should sound the alarm:
Sudden leg pain. Take notice if you have pain or tenderness in the back of your lower leg, especially if it appears suddenly and includes swelling, tenderness, warmth, and discoloration. It may indicate a blood clot that could be deep vein thrombosis (DVT), Shulman says. This condition can be dangerous -- part of the clot could break off, travel through the bloodstream and "cause a blood clot in your lungs that can be life-threatening," he says. Unfortunately, some people don’t know they have DVT until they show signs of a pulmonary embolism, which includes shortness of breath, pain with deep breathing, and coughing up blood, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
Striped hair. Striped hair is not just a stylish fashion trend — but rather, a lack of dietary protein or iron, according to Joan Liebmann-Smith and Jacqueline Nardi Egan, co-authors of "Body Signs: How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective." The stripes may turn blond, gray, or reddish; however, these stripes also may be a sign of ulcerative colitis, a bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, or other conditions that may deplete protein, such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Seeing spots or floaters. Floaters — tiny spots, specks, flecks, and cobwebs — show up in your vision, and most of the time they are not cause for alarm, according to Allaboutvision.com. This fairly common and annoying sign of aging may seem pronounced when you look at a bright sky or a computer screen. If, however, you see a shower of floaters and spots, sometimes accompanied by light flashes, you should seek medical attention immediately, as those may be signs of a retinal tear or detachment.
Skin color changes. Pale skin may indicate anemia, a condition in which the body does not make enough red blood cells, according to Body Signs. Bluish skin may be a sign of cyanosis, or oxygen-deficient blood, and may develop after too much exposure to cold air, water, or high altitude. Persistent blue skin, however, may suggest conditions that block oxygen from entering the blood, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Yellow skin is a classic sign of jaundice, which stems from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. However, if your skin is more orange than yellow it may be a sign of carotenemia, a usually harmless condition resulting from too much beta-carotene or vitamin A.
Sudden numbness, tingling, or speech problems. If you have paralysis of your arms or legs, tingling, numbness, or slurred speech, or weakness especially on one side, this could be sign of a stroke, Shulman says, and immediate treatment matters significantly. A stroke — sometimes called a brain attack — happens when blood flow gets blocked or cut off on the way to the brain. Nationwide, strokes kill about 137,000 people each year, according to the National Stroke Association.
Headache, stiff neck, and fever. If you develop a stiff and painful neck, an intense headache, and a fever, Shulman says it’s time to act fast. These are symptoms of meningitis, an infection of the protective sac covering the brain and spinal cord. This condition infects about 1,500 Americans annually, according to the National Meningitis Association. Adolescents and young adults are at increased risk for the potentially fatal condition. "It’s most common in infants, by the way, who do not show specific signs," he says. "It’s a different story in an infant and this is something that parents really, really, really need to know."
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