Some illnesses are little cause for concern or, at the very least, are annoying but not life threatening. But some illnesses can signal a more serious underlying condition. In the bustle of our daily lives, it’s easy to overlook sudden afflictions. But the cold, hard reality is, you may stand to save your own life, or at least prevent yourself a great deal of hardship, by diagnosing symptoms early.
A sudden inability to achieve or maintain an erection in a majority of sexual encounters is more than distressing, it could also be an early sign of cardiovascular disease. Erections are caused by increased blood flow to the penis. Diseases of the arteries, such as atherosclerosis, can restrict blood flow to the penis preventing an erection. The same disease that causes erectile dysfunction can also restrict blood flow to the heart, which causes damage to the heart tissue leading to a heart attack.
If you notice a sudden drop in potency, before you ask for erectile dysfunction drugs, such as Viagra, ask your doctor to test your for heart disease. In many cases, resolving the underlying disease will resolve the erectile dysfunction. At any rate, taking Viagra without treating the underlying heart disease can actually do more damage to your heart.
Indigestion is another common ailment that is easily ignored. In most cases, indigestion is harmless and generally caused by overeating, or eating foods that irritate the stomach. But indigestion can also signal a more serious condition such as peptic and gastric ulcers, and even stomach cancer. A heart attack can also be mistaken for indigestion because it is often accompanied by a burning sensation in the middle of the chest.
If your indigestion occurs with chest pain and shortness of breath, seek medical attention: you could be experiencing a heart attack. If you suffer from frequent indigestion and you also notice weight loss, vomiting (especially with blood), and a yellow cast to your skin, consult your physician to determine if you have a more serious underlying condition. The treatment you receive will depend on the condition and could include dietary changes, medication, surgery, and even chemotherapy.
Headaches are so common that people often ignore them or think they are symptoms of a temporary illness such as the flu. But, that headache could signal a serious underlying problem such as diabetes or hypertension. With diabetes, the headaches are usually caused by fluctuations in blood sugar levels, and are accompanied by excessive hunger and thirst. With hypertension, or high blood pressure, the headaches are usually caused by the increased pressure inside the small vessels in your brain.
If you notice that you are having headaches more often, consult your physician. For diabetes, the doctor will test your blood sugar and, possibly, your A1C levels. For hypertension, he will test your blood pressure in the office, and may have you monitor your blood pressure yourself over a period of days to confirm the diagnosis.
Untreated, both diabetes and hypertension can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, and stroke. If your diagnosis is positive for either, or both, your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication and self-monitoring with a blood glucose meter (for diabetes), or an electronic blood pressure cuff (for hypertension).
If you suddenly develop round, red, scaly patches on your scalp, you might think it’s a minor scalp condition, like dandruff or seborrhea, or a minor fungal infection known as ringworm. In reality, it could be a more serious condition: an autoimmune disease called chronic cutaneous lupus. The disease is also called discoid lupus due to the shape of the patches. The biggest danger with cutaneous lupus is that it has the potential to progress into the more serious systemic lupus, which can affect all of the organs in your body. Systemic lupus can lead to kidney failure, coronary artery disease, and affect the nervous system.
Additionally, having one autoimmune disorder makes you more likely to develop another, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis. Discoid lupus can also lead to other skin problems such as Raynaud’s phenomenon – constricted blood vessels in the hands and feet that cause pain, numbness, cold and tingling. If you are having issues with red, raised, flaky, disk-shaped lesions on your scalp or other parts of your body; or if you have a rash that seems to worsen with sun exposure, consult your physician. There is no cure for lupus, but there are effective treatments that can keep your symptoms in check.
The likelihood of contracting any of these conditions is relative to your risk factors, such as family history, lifestyle, and environmental factors. There is no catch-all preventative cure to most diseases, which is why the onset of sudden unusual symptoms should always be taken seriously.
jamie braun says
a few months back, i suddenly started getting heavy migraines. ive never really been a headache person, so i kinda freaked out. after a week of the massive headaches, i finally went to the doc. got an MRI and all the test done. ended up only having a sinus infection, but better safe than sorry
June M. says
I actually ignored knee pain & leg swelling when I was 20, thinking that I had either twisted my knee or was bitten by a spider or something. After walking around on it for many days (and the swelling getting much worse). I finally ended up in the ER and then in the hospital due to a DVT blood clot. The next time I developed a clot, it again started with knee pain but I did not ignore it.
Michelle S says
Wow, I never knew that about dandruff. Scary stuff, for sure, but I totally agree if it’s a sudden onset then it’s not normal, especially if it occurs more than once. While some think it’s silly, if you have a sudden onset I would suggest (aside from getting help) is to write down what you were doing / eating, etc when the onset occurred so that the doctors can try and piece things together. Sometimes people get a headache, forget about it, brush it off, a few weeks later it happens again. It’ll help you avoid what may have triggered the onset.
Donna George says
My ex suddenly had impotence all of a sudden. Turns out, it was due to Prozac. This was back when it first came out, and the doc didn’t believe that the meds had anything to do with it. Turns out, 40% of people on it have the same type of issues.
Ari says
This was a very informational post! It really pays to be attentive to that anything you are suffering by comparing it to what you’ve experienced before and to mark any unusualities in its symptoms. I myself had a situation in which I was incorrectly diagnosed for one illness when the end result was that my symptoms were actually taking place due to a more serious condition. So it’s always good to trust your instincts and really be aware of anything that you can use to classify what is going on. Even medical professionals get things wrong every now and then, so you really do have to be your own health advocate.
Janet W. says
Thank you for posting all of this information! This is all really good info people need to know. You really have to pay attention to your body because it will tell you when something isn’t right. Follow your gut and get yourself checked out by a doctor.