7 Health Symptoms You Should Never Ignore

By SHAPE magazine - Feb. 17, 2012

1. Sleep problems: One of the things people do not talk to their physicians about is their sleep problems.If a person has heart issues, diabetes, or high blood pressure and they have issues sleeping, snoring, or high levels of fatigue,they should talk to their doctor about it.

2. Vaginal discharge: Alyssa Phillips, physician assistant and bone marrow transplant survivor, knows firsthand what an abnormal vaginal discharge can tell you. "I didn't ignore or delay seeking medical attention when I began having a watery vaginal discharge that I thought was just a routine bacterial infection," she says. "Turns out, it was a really rare and aggressive type of cervical cancer called Large Cell Cervical Neuroendocrine Cancer." She was in Stage IV at the time of her first symptom and seeking medical care immediately saved her life.

3. Constipation: Did you know each of us should be having one to three bowel movements a day to be at our best? When you go several days without [going number two], it could indicate a blockage, tumor, or prolapse in the colon.

4. Headaches: We're all familiar with the occasional headache, but it can sometimes also indicate a serious problem like a brain tumor or meningitis. If your headache is accompanied by a fever, stiff neck, or vomiting or lasts an unusually longtime (more than a few days), it should be investigated.
Other symptoms that require medical attention:

*A severe headache that comes on suddenly

*A headache accompanied by slurred speech, vision problems, trouble
moving your arms and legs, loss of balance, confusion, or memory loss

*A headache that gets worse over a 24-hour period

*A headache that occurs with a head injury.

5. Tooth and facial pain: People who have had facial pain and were misdiagnosed going from dentist to dentist to find out they ultimately had shingles in the facial nerve. Because it wasn't treated quickly, it led to painful and permanent neuropathy in the face.
It could have ultimately also lead to blindness.

6. Diarrhea: If you're experiencing diarrhea for longer than a few days. This could indicate a serious problem, like a parasite, Crohn's disease, cancer, pancreas or gall bladder problems, and more. Simply taking anti-diarrheal medicine is not thesolution.

7. Acid reflux: Acid reflux can cause heartburn, dental erosion, and asthma-like symptoms when stomach contents are aspirated into the lungs. Plus, it can lead to esophageal cancer.
The quick fix of popping pills is only masking the condition. Acid reflux is a progressive disease and becomes wore as the anti-reflux valve in our esophagus deteriorates.

To see the article in full:

http://shine.yahoo.com/vitality/7-health-symptoms-never-ignore-203200563.html