Testing It Up

We conclude the series on medical warning signs that you should not ignore. There were six listed on the WebMD article, and we are now bringing you the final two symptoms to watch out for.

Asthma symptoms that don’t improve or get worse.

People who have lived with asthma all their lives will certainly find asthma attacks a dime a dozen; they are simply so used to it by now. But WebMD says watch out for asthma attacks that either do not improve or gets even worse. Whether you are used to asthma attacks or not, it is certainly time to seek immediate medical attention – meaning call 911 and get to the ER, stat.

If asthma is left on its own, it can cause severe chest muscle fatigue that can even lead to death, something that we actually have a personal experience with. A 16 year-old chronic asthma patient from a couple blocks down our street had an attack that was left unchecked until the wee hours of the morning; they simply were not able to get to the ER fast enough, and the young girl unfortunately passed away.

During an asthma attack, a patient will have difficulty breathing. The muscles for breathing will eventually tire and there will be a decrease in the volume of air exchanged by the lungs. The end result of this is a decrease in oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide levels. When you notice an attack or if it happens to someone you are with, monitor it; if it doesn’t get better after several hours, ask for medical help immediately.

Depression and suicidal thoughts.

The last symptom may make some people’s eyebrows rise, but it certainly is something that should not be ignored. Severe feelings of anxiety, sadness and fatigue can lead to the ultimate preventable tragedy in someone’s life: suicide. We are fortunate enough to live at a time when such a condition has been given due medical attention and credence, so we should, in turn, do what is necessary to address it should it happen to us or to someone we care about.

In closing, we leave readers with this reminder — do not be afraid to speak up. Complaining about chest pain or fatigue does not have to be associated with being whiny. If your body is trying to tell you something, you should by all means heed it. Remember, your body – and by extension, your health – is the only one you’ve got; it is only right that you take care of it, no matter what it takes!

In a previous post, we shared with you two of the six warning signs that one should not ignore, as featured on WebMD. We now share with you more of the symptoms that one should not dismiss right away.

Tenderness and pain in the back of your lower leg, chest pain, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood.

What these symptoms point to is a potentially dangerous blood clot in the leg, a condition that may arise out of being in the sitting position for an extended period of time. This may happen when one is traveling, either on a plane or in a car when on a road trip. The reason behind this is that sitting or lying down for long periods of time can cause blood to pool in the legs.

If a blood clot does form, the calf can feel swollen, painful and tender to the touch; a medical evaluation is in order. There is also a possibility for a piece of the blood clot to break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs; this can cause sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, Such an occurrence merits immediate medical attention and should warrant a trip to the emergency room as soon as possible.

Blood in the urine without accompanying pain.

Blood in the urine is never okay, even if there is no pain involved – unless, of course, we are talking about that which may occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Blood in the urine is the most common symptom for kidney stones or infection in the bladder or prostate, but if blood is caused by these conditions, it is usually accompanied by pain.

The appearance of blood in one’s urine that is not accompanied by pain may point to the early onset cancer of the kidney, ureter, bladder or prostate. These cancers, which are small enough to be curable, can cause bleeding into the urinary tract but may not cause pain. Bringing such an occurrence to the attention of your physician may be one’s only clue and result in the early detection of these conditions.

When one is so focused on a particular task or having so much fun, it can be very easy to ignore symptoms or sensations that one’s body is giving out. While a lot of the things we feel may be easily dismissed as something benign, there are certain sensations that should trigger alarm bells. The ability to discern which ones are critical and being able to call for help in a timely manner may literally be what separates life from death.

WebMD lists six of these serious symptoms that should not be taken lightly. These symptoms, when they happen to you or to someone you are with, merit an immediate call to 911.

Paralysis of the arms or legs, tingling, numbness, confusion, dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, trouble finding words, or weakness, especially on one side of the face or body.

These set of symptoms are the classic warning signs for stroke; if heart attack is to the heart, then one may think of the stroke as a “brain attack”. Strokes are caused by blockage or rupture in the arteries that supply oxygen to the brain. As a result, the brain tissue may die.

The symptoms that a person may experience will depend on the area of the brain that is involved. Timing is critical when it comes to strokes, as the timing of the treatment has the ability to stop the death of brain tissue before permanent injury to the brain occurs. There is always the possibility of total recovery even after a stroke, provided that the appropriate treatment is administered at the right moment.

Chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm, jaw, or neck; breaking out in a cold sweat; extreme weakness; nausea; vomiting; feeling faint; or being short of breath.

These set of symptoms are signs that one may be having a heart attack. Chest pain or pressure are easily distinguishable; however, it is entirely possible that someone having a heart attack will not experience pain, so it is important to be familiar with other warning signs as well, such as feeling extremely weak and having a sudden onset of dizziness, as well shortness of breath.

The WebMD feature recommends immediately heading off to the emergency room in an ambulance. Doctors quoted in the feature also recommend that patients chew one regular full-strength aspirin in order to prevent damage to the heart muscle, provided, of course, that one is not allergic to aspirin.