{"id":11200,"date":"2020-10-13T11:00:35","date_gmt":"2020-10-13T16:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=11200"},"modified":"2022-04-14T10:35:10","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T15:35:10","slug":"symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/","title":{"rendered":"Symptoms that should never be ignored"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. A dangerously high fever, constant vomiting or excruciating pain are all very clear signs something is wrong, and you need medical attention.<\/p>\n

But some symptoms of serious illness are easier to ignore, or maybe you\u2019re too embarrassed to bring them up to a physician.<\/p>\n

Shawn Piers, MD<\/a>, is a family medicine physician for OSF Medical Group \u2013 Primary Care in Washington, Illinois. He has identified symptoms people commonly try to ignore, but could indicate something serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should get them checked out. Don\u2019t risk your long-term health and safety by ignoring them.<\/p>\n

1. Change in bowel movements or habits<\/h2>\n

\u201cPeople have their own stool habits,\u201d Dr. Piers said. \u201cMaybe you always have to go after your coffee in the morning or some other consistent pattern, so you know when your pattern changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Changes that are most concerning are unusual and persistent constipation, ongoing diarrhea, the feeling that you can\u2019t empty your bowels completely and even blood in the stool.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople either don\u2019t want to talk about it or face it,\u201d Dr. Piers said. \u201cThey will usually put that off for a while. It won\u2019t drive them to see a doctor. With blood in the stool, they often think it\u2019s just hemorrhoids.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we would be concerned most about in people 45 and above is the possibility of colon cancer<\/a>. The thing that finally brings someone in is abdominal pain. By the time that occurs, the illness could be much worse. It\u2019s important to not ignore some of the initial symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Unexpected weight loss<\/h2>\n

\u201cIf someone is not changing eating habits or exercising, but is losing weight, it’s concerning to us because our bodies don\u2019t lose weight naturally,\u201d Dr. Piers said.<\/p>\n

The weight loss can be gradual, happening slowly over the course of weeks and months, but maybe you notice your clothes are fitting more loosely despite no diet or exercise change. The biggest concern Dr. Piers would look for in this case is cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would be looking for cancers within the lung<\/a>, abdomen or even blood cancers like leukemia<\/a>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Diabetes <\/a>or thyroid disease<\/a> are also possibilities.<\/p>\n

3. Chronic fatigue or tiredness<\/h2>\n

\"visibilyIf you find yourself always tired, it may be a symptom of depression<\/a>, which is an illness that sort of feeds on itself.<\/p>\n

It can happen slowly, making it difficult to notice, Dr. Piers said. A person loses interest in things, and maybe becomes more withdrawn. And when a person is interacting with others less often, it can be hard for loved ones to see the changes.<\/p>\n

Plus, depression can cause insomnia<\/a>, which can exacerbate the problem. Changes in diet and performance issues at work can be signs of depression, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese things come on gradually and people often feel it\u2019s a sign of weakness to get care or therapy,\u201d Dr. Piers said. \u201cThey think \u2018It\u2019s for someone else, but it\u2019s not for me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Other medical conditions would also need to be ruled out, such as thyroid disease.<\/p>\n

4. Shortness of breath<\/h2>\n

\u201cBy itself, shortness of breath doesn\u2019t usually drive people to seek medical attention unless it\u2019s significant,\u201d Dr. Piers said. \u201cIt can be due to a lack of exercise. But, when we are unusually short of breath going up steps or during daily tasks, such as carrying out the garbage, this could be a serious issue needing attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cMistakenly, people often feel they need another symptom paired with shortness of breath before visiting their doctor, such as chest pain or cough. However, shortness of breath by itself is a symptom that should be addressed. Because it comes on very slowly, allowing you to adjust to it, it is not recognized as a problem that would cause you to see your clinician.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortness of breath could be caused by heart disease<\/a> or asthma<\/a>. If you\u2019re a smoker, COPD<\/a> is a possibility, but smokers often ignore shortness of breath because they think it\u2019s just an effect of the smoking.<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Piers, shortness of breath associated with cough, especially if it\u2019s bloody, could be cancer.<\/p>\n

5. Headaches<\/h2>\n

\"manIf you are accustomed to not having headaches, and start having them regularly, it may be a sign of something wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople tend to not seek medical care for headaches until the headaches start to interrupt their daily life,\u201d Dr. Piers said.<\/p>\n

What you want to look out for is a recurring headache that is more prolonged. It might start as a low-grade headache that gets worse over the course of weeks or months.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could just be stress, but we would worry about something more serious,\u201d Dr. Piers said. \u201cParticularly if you start seeing other symptoms, like numbness or weakness.<\/p>\n

6. Enlarged testicle or lump on testicle<\/h2>\n

Because of the private nature of this area of the body, men can be uncomfortable sharing information about testicular issues with a clinician. Guys seem to be more open about it now than in the past, however, Dr. Piers said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should always come in to the office for that,\u201d Dr. Piers said. \u201cEspecially if you\u2019re younger, there\u2019s a danger of testicular cancer<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Testicular cancer is most common in men under 40 years old \u2013 predominantly late teens to 20s \u2013 which also makes it likely that symptoms will be ignored by young men who believe they are too young to have something serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn older person with an enlarged testicle or a lump, I\u2019m less concerned about cancer, but it may be something such as a cyst or hernia,\u201d Dr. Piers said.<\/p>\n

Serious illness does not go away by itself, and with a lot of medical issues, the earlier you get treatment, the better your chances are for a positive outcome. So, if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor. Don\u2019t have one? You can start here<\/a> to find one available near you. It\u2019s never been simpler.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":11204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[101,129,735],"tags":[966,939,830,2,106,602],"coauthors":[692],"class_list":["post-11200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cancer","category-miscellaneous","category-preventive-health","tag-asthma","tag-copd","tag-depression","tag-health-tips","tag-heart-disease","tag-primary-care"],"yoast_head":"\nSymptoms that should never be ignored | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Symptoms that should never be ignored\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OSF HealthCare Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-13T16:00:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-04-14T15:35:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"670\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ken Harris\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Symptoms that should never be ignored\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ken Harris\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/\",\"name\":\"Symptoms that should never be ignored | OSF HealthCare\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-13T16:00:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-04-14T15:35:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/99db8faf7294806788c8cabb2f164061\"},\"description\":\"Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":670,\"caption\":\"Concerned senior woman holding her hands to her face\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Symptoms that should never be ignored\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"OSF HealthCare Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/99db8faf7294806788c8cabb2f164061\",\"name\":\"Ken Harris\",\"description\":\"Ken Harris is the proudest father and was a writing coordinator for the Marketing & Communications division of OSF HealthCare. He has a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked as a daily newspaper reporter for four years before leaving the field and eventually finding his way to OSF HealthCare. In his free time, Ken likes reading, fly fishing, hanging out with his dog and generally pestering his lovely, patient wife.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/osfhealthcare.org\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/author\/kharris\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Symptoms that should never be ignored | OSF HealthCare","description":"Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Symptoms that should never be ignored","og_description":"Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.","og_url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/","og_site_name":"OSF HealthCare Blog","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osfhealthcare","article_published_time":"2020-10-13T16:00:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-04-14T15:35:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":670,"url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ken Harris","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Symptoms that should never be ignored","twitter_description":"Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg","twitter_creator":"@osfhealthcare","twitter_site":"@osfhealthcare","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ken Harris","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/","name":"Symptoms that should never be ignored | OSF HealthCare","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg","datePublished":"2020-10-13T16:00:35+00:00","dateModified":"2022-04-14T15:35:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/99db8faf7294806788c8cabb2f164061"},"description":"Sometimes it\u2019s really obvious you need to see a doctor. Learn the six very clear signs something is wrong and you need medical attention.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg","width":1200,"height":670,"caption":"Concerned senior woman holding her hands to her face"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/symptoms-that-should-never-be-ignored\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Symptoms that should never be ignored"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/","name":"OSF HealthCare Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/99db8faf7294806788c8cabb2f164061","name":"Ken Harris","description":"Ken Harris is the proudest father and was a writing coordinator for the Marketing & Communications division of OSF HealthCare. He has a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked as a daily newspaper reporter for four years before leaving the field and eventually finding his way to OSF HealthCare. In his free time, Ken likes reading, fly fishing, hanging out with his dog and generally pestering his lovely, patient wife.","sameAs":["http:\/\/osfhealthcare.org"],"url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/author\/kharris\/"}]}},"modified_by":null,"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/concerned-woman-holding-her-hands-to-her-face.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11200"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15533,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11200\/revisions\/15533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11200"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=11200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}