10 Body Changes That Need Your Attention
Our bodies are incredible.
Everything is interconnected, and it finds a way of signaling us when something is wrong.
The internet has made it easy to self-diagnose every minor inconvenience, so it’s important
not to get carried away.
A bruise could be just a bruise, or it could be hemophilia, a life-threatening disease.
So there’s a fine line between being a hypochondriac and neglecting what could be a more serious
problem.
Here are 10 body changes that you should pay attention to sooner rather than later.
Number 1 - Unintentional Weight Loss
The United States has the 12th highest obesity rate in the world at 36% in 2021.
Many of us would like to lose weight.
Our vocabulary is full of buzzwords like calorie deficit and intermittent fasting, which is
really just the hip, new way of saying “I skipped breakfast.”
It’s one thing when you’re watching what you eat and killing it at the gym every day,
but it’s quite another when there’s no reason for your weight loss.
It could be a sign of a parasite or even cancer.
Number 2 - Frequent Gut Problems
Speaking of unintentional weight change, gaining or losing weight can be a sign of a gut problem.
Other signs include gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn.
While a number of gut problem symptoms are related to your food intake such as food intolerances
and a high sugar diet, other symptoms are not so obvious.
Gut problems can also cause sleep disturbances, constant fatigue, and skin irritation.
Number 3 - Dry Skin
Perhaps the most important step of any skincare regimen is moisturizing.
It certainly does help when it comes to dry skin.
But fragrance in skin and hair care products can also cause dry skin.
So can hard water or long, hot showers.
Or even long, hot showers in hard water.
Skin irritation can also be a sign of something more serious that’s seemingly unrelated
such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, malnutrition, or kidney failure.
Number 4 - Cracked Lips
You know how they say that you shouldn’t pull out your gray hairs because more will
pop up in their place?
The same thing is true for cracked lips.
If you repeatedly lick your lips, the result will be even drier lips.
Environmental causes include dry weather, sun damage, and heat exposure.
Cracked lips are also associated with canker sores, cold sores, and vitamin deficiency.
The most serious condition that cracked lips could be a sign of is dehydration, which can
be life-threatening.
Number 5 - Thinning Eyebrows
The importance of full, well-groomed eyebrows is one of the many contributions to society
we can attribute to the Kardashians.
They changed the standards of beauty when they became pop culture royalty.
And women who over-plucked their eyebrows in the ‘90s had to patiently wait for them
to grow back.
However, thinning eyebrows can be a sign of something more concerning.
Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own hair follicles, and
the hair falls out.
Alopecia Areata refers to random spots of hair loss; while Alopecia Universalis is the
loss of hair all over the body.
In addition to a variety of skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis,
thinning eyebrows can be a sign of ringworm or thyroid disease.
Number 6 - Brittle Nails
Brittle nails have the tendency to split and peel.
They can be caused by aging or weakening from polishing your nails too often.
Like cracked lips, they’re more common during the winter when the weather is cold.
Some more serious causes of brittle nails include Raynaud’s syndrome, hypothyroidism,
and anemia.
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can also weaken nails.
Number 7 - Red Face
If your face is becoming red for no obvious cause, you may be suffering from some type
of disease or health condition.
The onset of menopause is often accompanied by a red face as a symptom.
But it could also be Rosacea or Cushing’s disease.
Number 8 - Hair Loss
Did you know that the typical person loses 50 to 100 strands of hair per day?
At the same time though, you’re growing new hair, so it’s generally not noticeable.
Hair loss becomes obvious when that new hair isn’t coming in.
Hair loss is largely affected by genetics, but can also be a reaction to medications
and supplements, a stressful event, radiation therapy, or over-processing of your hair.
Hormonal changes and medical conditions such as those due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause,
and thyroid problems can also result in hair loss.
Number 9 - Foot Deformity
Foot deformities can be a birth defect or develop over time.
Embarrassed about your deformed feet?
Recent research has shown that 1 in 7 people have fantasized about feet in a sexual way
at least once in their lives, so someone has got to find your imperfect phalanges endearing.
It can be the result of bone misalignment or wearing shoes that are too tight, as well
as injuries and inflammation, being overweight, arthritis, or brain disease.
Number 10 - Unexplained Bleeding
Any unusual bleeding, might be a sign of a serious problem.
Blood in your stool, for example, can be caused by hemorrhoids, anal fissures, stomach ulcers,
inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.
Urine containing blood might be the result of a kidney, urinary tract, or prostate disease;
or it could be the result of a bleeding disorder.
Bleeding in postmenopausal women or continuous bleeding in women of reproductive age might
be caused by fibroids, hormonal treatment, cervix inflammation or infection, or cancer.
It can be hard to tell when any of these conditions are a sign of major concern.
Dr. WebMD has made it really easy for us to self-diagnose ourselves with a variety of
conditions, and we often pick the worst one.
You don’t want to be a hypochondriac, but you also don’t want to ignore what could
potentially be a sign of a bigger problem.
It’s important to be familiar with your body and to be conscious of any inexplicable
changes.
Make sure you see a doctor before your eyebrows are completely gone and your feet are too
deformed to love.
Or when you suspect there could be something else going on.
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