Common Health Issues That Bark More Than They Bite
When you notice a change or issue with your health do you constantly think about the worst-case scenario? You’re not alone, a lot of people are incredibly paranoid about their health and it’s not difficult to understand why. We are constantly bombarded by the media with new health worries and concerns that we should be scared of. This could be anything from cancer to a brain tumour. It’s no wonder that we all think a cough could be a sign of an issue with our longs.
The good news? Nine times out of ten a health concern is going to be nothing and the greatest health fears you have aren’t as common as you think. Even the worst cancers are the ones that you are least likely to be diagnosed with. That doesn’t mean that what seems like a red light is always going to be a false flag, but there are going to be times where this is the case.
To explore this further, let’s look at some of the health issues that have scary symptoms but often lead to very little actually wrong.
Back Pain
Back pain is notorious in the world of health professionals for being terrifying when there’s really nothing to fear. Indeed, the general rule with back pain is quite simple. If it hurts an incredible amount and it comes on suddenly, there’s a good chance that you have nothing to fear.
Unfortunately, it’s the severe pain that makes people immediately start to panic. If you suddenly experience crippling pain in your back that makes it difficult to stand or even walk, then you are always going to be worried. It’s only natural to think about calling the emergency services. But what’s really going on?
Well, it’s likely that you’ve just pulled a muscle. This can be incredibly painful and may ultimately lead to issues with any form of mobility for a couple of hours or a couple of days. However, eventually, the situation will resolve itself.
Heartburn
Heartburn is often caused by indigestion. Essentially, you might be eating too quickly or there might be an issue with your body not digesting the food that you consume the right way. Should you be terrified? Of course not because digestion isn’t a major health concern, but it can certainly seem that way.
Many people don’t realize how far the symptoms of indigestion and heartburn can go. For instance, you might find that you feel as though there is a heavy weight on your chest. That’s always going to be enough to make you want to call a doctor. Your chest could feel quite tight as well as you may even have problems breathing normally. It’s possible that the heartburn is causing pains in your lower stomach too and on the side of your torso.
Any unexplained pain in your body should make you feel cautious. However, if it is heartburn, you’ll find that you can clear up the issue with Gaviscon. This will provide quick relief and ensure that you don’t have to make an embarrassing call to the doctors. Instead, you can make sure that you tackle the issue yourself. In the past, severe heartburn has been confused with a heart attack.
Haemorrhoids
Have you ever noticed blood in your stool? If this is the case, you might immediately start to fear the worst which is usually going to be bowel cancer. However, this is often going to be an issue with haemorrhoids.
Now, there are two things that you are probably thinking of here. First, surely you would notice haemorrhoids because the vessels often emerge? While this can be the case causing a symptom known as piles it’s not always how haemorrhoids occur. They can instead remain concealed and only a doctor will usually be able to feel them.
You might also think about the amount of blood. However, if a blood vessel gets damaged, there can be a considerable level of blood. The telltale sign is whether the blood is shown on the toilet paper or if the stool itself is blood covered. The latter is far more concerning and quite rare. Usually, the blood will be present when you wipe. Think carefully about how much you strain. It might be time to add some more bran to your diet. This becomes more necessary as you get older.
Headaches
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If you start to experience severe headaches, then you might wonder whether there is an issue with your brain. While technically, this could be the case, it’s more likely that you are suffering from migraines than a life-threatening health issue. It’s important to be aware that migraines can be quite severe. Indeed, you might find that your migraines distort your vision with something similar to broken glass. This can be quite unsettling. Alternatively, migraines may also incapacitate you completely making it difficult to think at all.
Headaches can also have a variety of different causes. They can be triggered by stress or anxiety. You can also experience morning headaches if there is an issue with your sleeping pattern. If you are experiencing headaches when you wake up, it’s possible that you are suffering from sleep apnea. This occurs when breathing is blocked for a few minutes or seconds during regular sleep routines. While not life-threatening, this condition can increase your chances of suffering from a heart attack or a stroke.
As such, it’s important to speak to a doctor if you do notice this issue. There is a range of treatment options available and this will also help ensure that you feel more energetic when you wake up in the morning.
We hope this helps you understand some of the health issues that do have worrying signs. The general rule you should follow is to wait two weeks. If during that time, your health issue doesn’t get worse and it actually disappears completely it’s probably nothing. If a health issue lingers for longer than this, you do need to get checked out. However, there’s still a good chance that it’s more of a bark than a bite.
