The Minor Health Concerns You Should Never Ignore

As an adult it often feels like you’re constantly getting ill- from minor aches and pains to full-blown flu, every day seems to bring a new health issue.

This leads many people to work through their ailments in a bid to prove their strength and avoid missing time out from work and social activities, but this can be dangerous. Here’s a list of some of the common minor illnesses that you should always treat to ensure that you enjoy good health throughout your life.

Unexplained Bruises

Everyone at some point finds bruising that they can’t exactly remember the cause of, but if this occurs regularly then you need to see a doctor and get it checked, as this could be a sign of a more serious issue. There are a variety of reasons why you could be getting bruises, and these could simply be a case of clumsiness or a propensity towards bruising easily, however they could also be a sign of something more serious, such as a more blood disorder.

Snoring

Snoring in your sleep might sound like a perfectly harmless issue, but it can cause sleep deprivation issues for your partner, or even be a sign of a more serious problem such as sleep apnoea. It’s important that you try to stop snoring or go to your doctor if the problem persists so that you can get rid of the issue and go back to enjoying restful, high-quality sleep every night. If this is an issue your struggling with, you can start by reading this guide by snorer.com which will help you to figure out which method you can use to stop snoring and whether it could be something like sleep apnoea instead.

Skin Rashes

Rashes and abrasions on your skin can be a sign of allergies or another skin condition. If the issue is small and minor, then you can try treating it with a cream or salve. You should also try to diagnose the problem if possible, be it by excluding items from your diet or beauty regime, or by trying to avoid a certain activity. If the rash spreads or starts to hurt, then consult your doctor so that they can give you a diagnosis and explain how you can treat the rash to get yourself looking and feeling better.

Blood In Your Faeces

There are many different reasons why you might have blood in your poo, but this could be a symptom of serious illness such as bowel cancer, so you need to get it checked as quickly as possible. If you notice that your faeces is very dark, streaked with blood, you see pink water in your toilet bowl or you find that there is blood on your toilet paper after you’ve wiped, then you need to go to your doctor to get it checked out.

Persistent Coughing

Coughs and colds are common, particularly if you live or work around children or in the healthcare industry, but if the cough persists then it could be a sign that your respiratory system is not operating to full capacity. When you initially get a cough, you should treat it yourself using over the counter medicines such as cough sweets and syrups. If your cough lasts for three weeks or more then you should go to the doctor and have them check that it’s not something more serious.

Migraines

Serious headaches where your entire body is incapacitated are known as migraines, and these can have serious implications for your health and quality of life. Occasional migraines could simply be a sign of stress, but if you get migraines regularly then you need to discuss this with your healthcare professional. They might be able to recommend a remedy that will help you or do some tests to find out if the problem is dangerous and needs urgent attention. If the problem is a headache that develops into something worse, and it often occurs after doing a certain activity, like reading or using a computer, then visit your optician to see if the issue is your eyesight. Problems with your eyesight can be dealt with using glasses, contact lenses or even corrective surgery.

Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums are often a sign that your gums are receding, an issue that could lead to tooth loss. It could also be a symptom of other serious mouth maladies, so it’s important that if you notice blood when you eat, while brushing your teeth or when rinsing your mouth, that you make an appointment with your dentist to have it checked out.

Toothache

Another dental problem that you should never ignore is a pain in your teeth, known as a toothache. There is a range of reasons for getting toothache, including tooth decay, impacted teeth or cracks, as well as non-dental reasons such as sinus infections. When you first get tooth pain you should visit your dentist and find out the cause. Some issues, such as sensitivity, can be treated at home using medicines you can buy from your pharmacy, whilst other problems will require specialist dental treatment. It’s important that you find out what the cause of the pain is before you try to treat it yourself so that you don’t make the issue worse.

Vomiting

Being sick is often a sign that your body has ingested something that it doesn’t like, or that it has an infection that it is trying to dispel, but if the problem persists and there appear to be no other symptoms then visit your healthcare professional. For cases of vomiting where you know the cause, it’s important that you keep yourself hydrated until the illness subsides, so try to drink plenty of water, even if you don’t want to. Once you start to feel better, wean yourself back onto food slowly using plain dishes like lightly buttered toast or soup.

Irregular Periods

For women, periods can often be irregular and change each month, but if your periods repeatedly change or stop entirely then you should go to the doctor. Often, missed periods or persistent irregularity in your cycle are the sign of another health problem, like an issue with your digestive system or something serious, so if the problem carries on and you don’t have any other health issues or stress then go to the doctor to see if there’s another cause.

Muscle Cramps

Often caused by mistakes during exercise, heat or spending too much time in a certain position, muscle cramps are one of the easiest issues to treat yourself. Massages, ice packs and even changes to your diet can all help you to reduce your muscle cramps. If the problem persists, causes serious discomfort or doesn’t improve over time, then it could be an issue with your blood supply or nerve compression, so go to the doctor to get a diagnosis and learn about a way to alleviate the pain.

It’s important that you take the time to explore your minor illnesses and treat them as best you can so that they don’t become more serious concerns that will lead to permanent issues. If the problems occur in children, then you should immediately take them to your doctor to have the problem checked. For adults, self-treatment is advised in most cases, but what is more important is that as soon as you spot a problem, you take steps to treat it and keep a watch on it for signs of improvement or worsening. Being proactive with your health will ensure that you enjoy good health for years to come and are able to live the life you want.