How to pay attention to your body signals is about letting you know if something goes terribly wrong with your body. There are 11 signals your body shows to let you know something is not right. These could be red flags of a serious ailment. For example, if you find a lump, you can’t walk, or you have persistent pain. And if it is a sudden chest pain or breathlessness, a stroke or heart attack, seek medical help immediately. The 11 signals are explained further below:
A Lump
Irrespective of whether you’re a woman with a lump in your breast or a young man with a testicular lump, it’s important to get these lumps checked by a doctor. They aren’t always cancer. And because you really can’t tell what they are based on how you feel, it’s important to find out immediately about new lumps for sure, just in case you need treatment.
Extreme Exhaustion
If you notice you’ve got less energy, headaches, an upset stomach, or little things you used to ignore now bother you, it could be stress-related. So, these are signs you need to improve your stress management. What to do: You can boost your relaxation through exercise, positive relationships, meditation, smiling and laughing, and taking a step back from your stressors.
Erratic Heartbeat
Dizziness with a racing, fluttering, or slowed heartbeat, that’s more than a few minutes, might be from an illness or heart rhythm problem. Likewise, severe chest pain or trouble walking or speaking could mean a heart attack or stroke. Or an easy workout that suddenly seems hard and raises your pulse longer than usual may mean you’re overdoing it. Get medical help immediately.
Sore And Worn Out
When your body feels sore and worn out, you may need some rest. How often you need rest depends on how hard you work, what you do, and how you feel. You may need to skip your daily exercise until you feel better. And if you’re not in pain, some movement is usually a good idea. A certified personal trainer’s training schedule builds in recovery.
Wear And Tear
Some pain from wear and tear on your body is natural as you get older, particularly in your lower back. Or you may discover you’re not as supple or strong as you used to be. This is because the pad at your joints and between the bones of your spine can start to break down. And this can hurt and limit your movement. So it’s best to stay active. But when the pain doesn’t go away, your doctor might suggest a specialized “rehab” exercise routine to cope with it.
Persistent Pain and Aches
Are you noticing persistent pains and aches? Don’t try to cover them up with medication or “work through” them. You want to stop a minor ache from turning into a major problem that won’t go away. So see a doctor to help you identify the source of the problem and treat it permanently. Besides, you might need physical therapy to help you start feeling better.
Feeling the Blues
There are times you feel down or anxious, but if you have depression or anxiety, these conditions can impact you physically and emotionally. You may cry often, isolate yourself, have tense muscles, shun activities you normally enjoy, lose concentration, and either eat more or sleep more (or less) than usual. What to do: these are signals to talk to your doctor or a therapist for help.
Appetite Changes
Stress, depression, or illness may change your appetite. So when you find that you eat a lot more, or a lot less, than normal, this is your body telling you something is amiss. And even getting older can also affect your appetite. You can regain your appetite by being more active and choosing more flavorful, healthy food. But if the problem persists, talk to your doctor..
Listen to Your Body
When you’re working out and your body screams, “Stop!” listen. You may have broken a bone, torn a muscle, or ligament. Try RICE: Rest by lying down and keeping the weight off; ice the sore area 20 minutes at a time; compress with a bandage for support; elevate the hurt area above your nose if you can.
Visit an ER or clinic if the pain is worse or if you also have a fever and chills. And if it still hurts after 2 weeks, call your doctor.
Trouble Sleeping
Are you tossing and turning at night and can’t get a restful sleep? Try simple things like going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, sleeping at least 7 hours a night. Keep your bedroom cool, and don’t watch TV or check your phone after bedtime. Being physically active during the day also helps. Avoid heavy meals and caffeine too close to bedtime. And if these tips don’t help, ask your doctor what the problem might be.
Bad Allergy Reaction
If you notice starting to get allergies to pollen, or that your gut can’t handle lactose or gluten. Or you notice that your skin is itchy and dry all of a sudden. It’s easy to jump to conclusions about these allergy reactions. However, the best solution is to see a doctor to find out whether you really do have an allergy or if something else is causing your symptoms. Doing this will help you know how to treat your triggers.
Bottom Line
As a last note, paying attention to your body’s signals requires your doctor’s input. Hence, in situations where you need to see your doctor to find out what’s causing the problems you’ve noticed, the following tips will help:
1. Bring a list of your symptoms, when they started, what seems to help, what makes them worse, and how you tried to fix the problem.
2. Tell your doctor about all the things you take, including vitamins, herbal products, over-the-counter medicines, and prescriptions.
3. Bring a list of questions that are on your mind.