A symptom or sign may indicate a health condition that affects one or more organs of the body. It is important to note and report any new symptoms, especially those that occur suddenly or persist for an extended period of time.
Many diseases present with similar symptoms. That’s why we use summary measures like ratios, proportions and rates to help us understand patterns of illness.
1. Pain in the Chest or Abdomen
Pain in the chest or abdomen is a common indicator of illness. While pain in this area is often associated with heart attacks, it can be caused by a number of different issues. For example, chest pain can be a sign of tuberculosis, a lung infection that can lead to a collapsed lung (pneumothorax), or a gallstone attack in the pancreas (pancreatitis).
Chest pain can feel like pressure, fullness, squeezing or burning. It can travel to the neck, jaw, shoulders or one or both arms and varies in intensity. It can get worse with exercise, eating or coughing and is relieved by rest. If you experience chest pain, write down the details and talk to your doctor or health care provider.
If the pain is a symptom of a heart attack, the health care team will check for a blocked or narrowed blood vessel to the heart (coronary artery disease), and they will give you medicines that quickly restore blood flow to the heart muscle and stop damage. They may also test for a blood clot in the lung or a tear in the wall of the large blood vessel that takes blood from your heart to the rest of the body (aortic dissection). Other causes of chest pain include:
2. Changes in Bowel Movement or Urination
The normal cadence of bowel movement for healthy people is to poop about three times per week and up to three or four times per day. If a person’s bathroom habits deviate significantly from this, it may be time to talk to a doctor, Bulsiewicz says.
For example, if you suddenly start having diarrhea that lasts more than two weeks, this could be a sign of something serious, such as a bowel obstruction, anal fissure or Crohn’s disease. Also, if you notice bright red streaks in your stool or black or tarry stools, this could be a sign of hemorrhoids, inflammation of the anus (a condition known as rectal spasms) or colon cancer.
Other causes of bowel changes include functional incontinence — leakage of urine because you can’t reach a toilet, if you have a mobility problem or an intellectual disability — and fecal incontinence, which is when you can’t control your bowel movements. In addition, issues like medication side effects, stress and weak pelvic floor muscles can cause bladder or bowel dysfunction. Treatments can range from dietary modifications to medications and surgery, depending on the diagnosis. Symptoms can be as mild as urinary incontinence, which is when you experience an urgent and frequent need to urinate, or as severe as fecal incontinence.
3. Changes in Emotions or Mood
Everyone has bad days now and then, but if someone you know seems to have dramatic shifts in their feelings, thinking or behavior, it could be a sign of mental illness. It may also be a warning that they aren’t getting enough sleep or eating well.
Mood-related symptoms can include sadness, irritability or feelings of hopelessness. They can be caused by a psychiatric disorder, such as depression or bipolar disorder, or they can be a sign of dementia or other conditions that affect the brain.
Some mood-related symptoms can be triggered by events, such as a rude encounter at work or a family argument. But they can also be related to chronic health conditions or aging, such as thyroid disease or Alzheimer’s disease.
Often, a doctor will prescribe psychotherapy, antidepressants or other medications to treat mood changes. They will also address the underlying cause, such as lack of sleep or nutritional problems. In some cases, the doctor will refer the person to a specialist for further evaluation, such as a neuropsychiatrist if they suspect dementia or another condition. They may also order imaging tests to gather images of the brain. Getting treatment right away can help reduce the severity and frequency of mood symptoms.
4. Changes in Sleep Patterns
Sleep has long been tied to mental health, and research suggests that there is a bidirectional relationship: Mental illness may make it harder to get good sleep, while poor sleeping habits can contribute to or exacerbate symptoms of mental illnesses like depression. A symptom tracking app can be a good app for anyone who experiences these abrupt changes for their well-being.
People in their middle and older years often need more sleep than those in younger age groups. That’s partly because the internal clock typically advances with age, meaning that people are tired earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning.
In addition, certain conditions that occur with aging may affect sleep, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and lung or eye diseases. Likewise, medications taken for aches and pains, GERD or other digestive problems, or to treat depression or anxiety can interfere with sleep.
Finally, a change in sleep patterns can be caused by other factors, including lifestyle changes, retirement, grief after the loss of a loved one, or use of drugs or alcohol. Having difficulty learning or remembering can also affect sleep. If these or other symptoms are affecting your sleep, talk to your healthcare provider about what may be causing them. He or she may recommend tests to learn more about the problem.
5. Changes in Eating Patterns
Eating disorders are serious and potentially life-threatening conditions that can cause serious medical problems including heart, brain and digestive tract issues. These disorders are also linked to mental health conditions such as mood and anxiety disorders and may co-occur with substance use. They affect people of all body sizes, ages and genders. Anorexia (an-oh-REK-see-uh) is characterized by extremely low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and an unrealistic view of body size and shape. Bulimia involves episodes of binge eating and purging behaviors like excessive exercise, vomiting or laxative abuse. People with bulimia often have a normal or even overweight body weight but still feel out of control around food and struggle with eating in a healthy way.
Research shows that dietary changes can be early warning signs of an eating disorder. The patterns of these changes are different for everyone, but some common indicators include avoiding certain foods or eating in secret, frequent feelings of hunger and fullness, and using extreme dieting practices like restricting calories, skipping meals, over-exercising or binge/purge behavior. Cultural ideas about EDs often focus on young, thin, white, cisgender women and girls but these conditions can happen to people of any age or body size. In fact, People of Color, men, LGBTQIA+ folks and those with lower incomes are more likely to engage in disordered eating habits that meet ED criteria.
6. Changes in Blood Pressure
Almost every trip to the doctor’s office includes a check of your blood pressure. While some fluctuation is normal (it rises during sleep, dips after meals and during exercise, and spikes when you’re stressed), a sudden or frequent change can be an indication of a problem.
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart beats. It’s recorded with 2 numbers: systolic pressure is the amount of pressure on the artery walls each time the heart beats and contracts, while diastolic pressure is the resistance to blood flow in the arteries between beats when the heart relaxes.
The higher the pressure on the artery walls, the greater the stress and over time, the more damage that can occur. High blood pressure, or hypertension, may not have any symptoms and is often called the “silent killer.” It increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney and eye damage.
Many things can raise your blood pressure, including being overweight; salty foods; stress; lack of exercise; and medications that constrict the blood vessels. Having a family history of high blood pressure also increases your risk. Changing lifestyle factors can help lower your blood pressure, including losing weight; getting enough sleep; and limiting alcohol intake.
7. Changes in Blood Sugar
Glucose is a sugar that comes from the food we eat and is one of the body’s main energy sources. It rises and falls throughout the day, but it can’t enter most cells without insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas. When blood glucose levels get too high, it can lead to serious health problems.
The most common signs of high blood sugar are excessive thirst and excess urination. These can be caused by a variety of things, including illness, stress or not eating enough. They can also be the result of an imbalance between how much you eat and the amount and timing of insulin or other diabetes medicines.
High blood sugars can cause a lot of damage over time, from nerves and eyes to kidneys and hearts. They can also weaken your immune system, making you more likely to have infections – both skin and internal. Your healthcare team will work with you to evaluate your long-term blood sugar control, based on data from your continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or from your finger stick test results. They will also help you learn what changes in your diet, exercise and medications to make to keep your blood sugars in a healthy range.
