Symptoms - When to seek help

Symptoms – When to Call the Doctor

I used to work in a hospital, in administration in an Oncology department.   As I read one after another of the patient’s notes by the end of the first week I was convinced that I had everything from skin cancer to cancer of the pancreas.  It is said that medical students are the same.  Being made aware of diseases and conditions that they had no prior knowledge of could make them worried by every little twinge or headache they had, and attribute it to some dread disease.  But joking aside there are some symptoms that should never be ignored and should always send you beating a path to your doctor’s door. 

Among symptoms that always need checking out are:

·       Chest pains

• Abdominal discomfort
• Any unexplained bleeding 

Those may seem pretty obvious but there are other symptoms that are not so obvious but that also need to be checked out by your doctor.  These include any unexplained weight loss. Experiencing weight loss of 5% over the period of a month or a 10% weight loss from six to 12 months could be a warning of conditions such as

• hypothyroidism (an overactive thyroid)

• depression or other mental illness
• some liver diseases
• cancers
• malabsorption
• diabetes

A persistent fever should always be taken seriously. Any fever of over 100 f (37.8c) degrees should be investigated if it persists for more than a week. Fever can be an indication of  underlying infection and  is also sometimes a presenting symptom for some cancers and other medical conditions. Any fever that causes violent chills (rigors) or which is greater than 103f (39.0c) needs immediate medical attention.

Shortness of breath -  A persistent feeling of being short of breath on exertion can be a gradual hardly noticed symptom that can often be explained away easily, (you’re tired, are recovering from a cold, affected by pollen) However it is always best to take this type of symptom seriously, if it persists for any length of time see your doctor and of course any incidences of severe wheezing or gasping for air should be considered a medical emergency. Causes for breathlessness and wheezing are many and may include

• asthma
• heart problems
• anxiety
• panic attacks
• embolus (blood clot) in the lungs

Unexplained changes in bowel habits. Any change in bowel habits might indicate an infection, either bacterial or viral, hepatitis, possible inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) or even colon cancer. You need to see the doctor is you have any of the following:

• severe diarrhoea that lasts for more than two days
• chronic diarrhoea that lasts for a week or more
• constipation lasting two weeks or more
• unexplained and urgent need to have a bowel movement
• diarrhoea that contains traces or frank blood
• black stools or stools that appear tarry
• white stools

Finally symptoms that demonstrate any alteration in mental status. Unexplained changes in thinking, behaviour or demeanour may be due to:

        infection

        head injury

        stroke

        low blood sugar

        side effects of medications

In this area, immediate medical help should be summoned if any of the following symptoms are present:

        sudden confused thinking 

        gradual confused thinking

        disorientation  or panic

        sudden unexplained aggressive behaviour

        hallucinations in someone who has no previous history of this.

While it is important to keep an eye on your health and to know your body so that you recognise when things are not right, it is also important to keep things in perspective.  After all there is a fine line between being self-aware and becoming a hypochondriac, (one obsessed with his own health).   Just making sure that all is well and that any symptoms you have are checked out should ensure that you keep healthy and ensure that you get prompt treatment for any condition or disease that you do develop.   Remember that the earlier a disease is identified the better the chances of a good recovery for you.

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

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Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio