Six Symptoms You Should Never Just Dismiss

It’s easy to brush off a muscle ache, feeling cold, or being tired. (It is just part of getting older?) But sometimes these can signal that it’s time to visit your primary care provider to rule out more serious problems — or get treatment.

Here are symptoms you shouldn’t ignore.

Morning headaches

Some people may wake up with a headache, dismiss it as dehydration, and chug some water before their coffee. But persistent morning headaches are a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a breathing disorder. People who have this type of sleep apnea pause breathing throughout the night. Snoring is also a symptom. Sometimes people aren’t aware that they’re breathing irregularly or snoring. Headaches, dry mouth, difficulty concentrating, and being tired throughout the day are other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. Getting diagnosed is important—sleep apnea is associated with heart disease and stroke, and can lead to death.

Eye floaters with flashes of light

Eye floaters—specks, strands, or web-like particles in your field of vision—often show up as we age. The fluid inside the eye, the vitreous, thickens and clumps together, and casts shadows on the back of the inside of the eye. (People who have nearsightedness or type 2 diabetes are more likely to have floaters.)

Floaters by themselves are common. But when new or large floaters appear with flashes of light, visit a doctor, emergency room, or eye specialist immediately. These could be signs of a detached retina, which can cause permanent vision loss. It’s treatable, but it’s important to get care right away.

 Itching

If you’ve got itchy skin and it’s so annoying that it’s interfering with your daily life or sleep, you may need more attention than a squirt of your favorite moisturizer. Itchiness for reasons you can’t explain (such a rash or bug bite) can be signs of liver or kidney disease.

When itching is a symptom of liver disease, it’s common to have itchy arms, legs, palms, or soles, and it can be mild or so annoying that people scratch until they break the skin. Look for changes in skin color, too, such as yellowing or a greyish tone. If nothing relieves the itch, see your primary care physician.

Feeling cold all the time

It’s harder for the body to regulate its temperature as we age. Many older adults find themselves putting on an extra sweater or nudging the thermostat a degree or two. Women often dismiss feeling cold as a side effect of menopause or post-menopausal changes. But if you usually feel cold, though, it’s worth talking to your physician. Cold intolerance can be a symptom of anemia—your blood is not delivering enough oxygen to the rest of your body. If that’s the case, treatment depends on the type of anemia you have.

Cold intolerance can also be a symptom of fibromyalgia, vascular problems such as Raynaud’s phenomenon, an issue with the hypothalamus (a part of the brain that regulates body temperature), or a thyroid issue.  

Persistent fatigue

Having good energy is good health—so when you’re consistently feeling tired and your energy is low, you shouldn’t ignore it. (Many Americans assume demanding work is exhausting them.) Persistent tiredness can signal different health issues, including depression, fibromyalgia, long COVID, heart disease, sleep disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, certain types of cancer, or type 2 diabetes. You’ll need a physician to help identify what’s behind the fatigue and offer a treatment plan.  

Muscle pain that starts when you’re physically active and then goes away when you rest

It might be tempting to dismiss pain that comes and goes. But these could be signs of a more serious condition that requires prompt care. Symptoms of peripheral artery disease (PAD) include muscle cramps in the legs and hips, particularly while exercising, walking, or climbing stairs. The pain usually goes away a few minutes after you stop. With PAD, your muscles are cramping because plaque buildup in your arteries is keeping the muscles from getting enough blood. PAD can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can also cause leg pain that goes away when you stop moving. DVT is caused by blood clots that usually start in the legs. The clots can break away and move up to your heart, brain, or lungs, so it’s important to go to an emergency room immediately for an evaluation.

Takeaway

It’s not unusual to assume some symptoms are part of natural aging, work-related stress or even because you skipped a warm-up. But it’s important to pay attention to your body, acknowledge what you experience, and get the care you need to stay healthy.