We all experience changes in how we feel from time to time. A few days of tiredness, the occasional headache, an unsettled stomach or feeling slightly short of breath after exertion may have a perfectly straightforward explanation.
But what happens when a symptom doesn’t go away?
Or when something simply feels different from what is normal for you?
Our bodies often give us clues when something needs attention. The challenge is knowing which symptoms can be watched and which deserve further investigation. As a Specialist Physician, Dr Parish assesses adult patients with a broad range of medical conditions, particularly when symptoms are persistent, unexplained or may involve more than one system in the body.
Here are seven changes in your health that may be worth discussing with your doctor.
1. Persistent Fatigue
Being tired after a busy week is normal. Feeling exhausted day after day, despite getting adequate rest, is different. You may notice that everyday activities require more effort, that you struggle to concentrate or that you simply don’t have the energy you once had.
Persistent fatigue can have many possible causes. These may include anaemia, iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid disorders, diabetes, sleep-related problems, chronic illness and other medical conditions.
Rather than simply accepting that you are “always tired”, persistent fatigue may warrant a medical assessment to establish whether there is an underlying cause.
2. Unexplained Weight Loss or Weight Gain
Our weight naturally fluctuates. However, a noticeable change in weight without a clear change in diet, exercise or lifestyle deserves attention. Unexplained weight loss or gain can sometimes be associated with metabolic or hormonal conditions, thyroid disorders, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, medication and a variety of other factors.
The important word is unexplained. If your body is changing and you don’t understand why, it may be worth investigating.
3. Increasing Shortness of Breath
Perhaps you’re finding yourself breathless after climbing stairs that never used to bother you. Maybe you’ve developed a persistent cough, wheezing or a feeling that you cannot quite take a full breath. It can be tempting to blame age or a lack of fitness, but persistent or increasing breathlessness can have many possible causes. Conditions affecting the lungs, heart, circulation or blood can all present with shortness of breath.
Sudden or severe difficulty breathing requires urgent medical attention.
4. Palpitations or Changes in Your Heartbeat
Have you ever suddenly become very aware of your heartbeat? It may feel as though your heart is racing, pounding, fluttering or skipping a beat. These sensations are known as palpitations. There are many possible causes, and experiencing palpitations does not automatically mean that you have a heart condition.
However, new, recurring or persistent palpitations should not simply be ignored. A medical assessment may consider your heart rhythm, medication, thyroid function, blood results and other possible contributing factors. Palpitations accompanied by severe chest pain, fainting or significant difficulty breathing require urgent medical attention.
5. Headaches That Have Changed
Most people experience headaches at some point. Stress, dehydration, lack of sleep and many other everyday factors can contribute to them. What deserves attention is a change from your normal pattern. A headache that has become more frequent, more severe or noticeably different may need further assessment. A sudden, extremely severe headache — particularly when accompanied by weakness, confusion, facial drooping, difficulty speaking or sudden changes in vision — requires urgent medical attention.
6. Persistent Abdominal or Digestive Symptoms
Our digestive systems can be affected by what we eat, stress, medication and many other factors.
Occasional discomfort is common.
Persistent symptoms are different.
Recurring abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, changes in bowel habits, loss of appetite or ongoing indigestion may warrant further investigation. These symptoms can have many possible causes involving the stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder or pancreas.
Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes — known as jaundice — is another important symptom that requires medical assessment.
Rather than repeatedly treating the symptom, it can be important to understand why it keeps happening.
7. Changes in Memory, Thinking or Movement
Occasional forgetfulness is part of everyday life. But increasing confusion, noticeable memory loss, difficulty concentrating, unexplained tremors or changes in movement and coordination deserve attention. Sometimes it is the patient who notices the change. Other times, a partner or family member notices it first.
There can be many possible causes for changes in memory or neurological function, and they are not always related to dementia. Medication, vitamin deficiencies, metabolic abnormalities, thyroid disorders and other medical conditions may also need to be considered.
A thorough medical assessment helps build a much clearer picture.
Symptoms Are Clues — Not Diagnoses
This is perhaps the most important point.
A symptom tells us that something may have changed. It does not tell us why.
• Fatigue does not automatically mean anaemia.
• Palpitations do not automatically mean heart disease.
• Weight loss does not automatically indicate a serious illness.
• Forgetfulness does not automatically mean dementia.
This is one of the reasons a Specialist Physician can play an important role when symptoms are unexplained or potentially involve several areas of medicine. Rather than looking at one symptom in isolation, the assessment considers the patient as a whole. Your medical history, medication, family history, lifestyle, examination and symptoms all contribute to the clinical picture. Blood tests, scans or other investigations may then be recommended where appropriate.
When Is It Time to Make an Appointment?
You don’t have to wait until a symptom becomes unbearable before seeking medical advice.
Consider asking yourself:
• Is this new?
• Is it happening more often?
• Is it getting worse?
• Has it continued longer than expected?
• Is it affecting my normal daily life?
• Do I simply feel that something isn’t right?
If the answer to one or more of these questions is yes, it may be worth having a proper medical assessment.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
The human body is complex. The heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, endocrine system, blood and nervous system don’t operate independently of one another. A symptom in one area may sometimes have its cause somewhere else entirely. That is why unexplained symptoms often require more than simply treating what hurts. They require someone to look at the bigger picture.
As a Specialist Physician, Dr Parish specialises in adult internal medicine and the assessment and management of a wide range of medical conditions. If you have persistent, recurring or unexplained symptoms, a comprehensive medical assessment can help determine what may require further investigation and what the appropriate next steps should be.
Something Doesn’t Feel Right?
Don’t rely on an internet search to diagnose yourself. If you have noticed a persistent or unexplained change in your health, book an appointment with Specialist Physician Dr Parish for a comprehensive medical assessment.
This article provides general health information only and is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional medical advice. Symptoms that are sudden or severe may require urgent or emergency medical attention.
