There are many obvious ways to tell if your health is suffering. If you fall ill due to a virus and a weakened immune system for example; or if you have open wounds that won’t heal. Some people may not realize their health is in bad shape until they are diagnosed with a serious disease. But your body has a vast array of warning systems that can start showing signs of poor health far before you ever see the debilitating effects of illness or disease. Here are four things you should watch for in order to ensure that your health stays in the best shape.
- Constant Fatigue
If you are always tired, and can never seem to make it past the morning fog and into an energetic frame of mind, something is not right. In our busy world full of electronic stimuli and the push to do more, you may feel like being tired is “normal”. After all, everyone pulls all-nighters and works overtime these days, right? But sleep is one of the most vital procedures our bodies perform to stay healthy. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, this is a big red flag that your health could be waning.
Additionally, being tired could have nothing to do with the amount of sleep you’re getting. If you find that even after a solid 8 or 9 hours of sleep, you are still yawning all day long, you may need to get your thyroid or your adrenal glands checked out. You might need to try a detox diet to rid your body of chemicals that are keeping your systems working far into the night.
- Cracked Lips
If you are constantly reaching for the lip balm to treat cracked lips, especially cracks in the corners, it’s very likely that you have a vitamin B deficiency. Cracked lips are also called “chelitis”, and may be an early warning sign of anemia. You are also at risk for infections when your lips are cracked open.
Anemia is a condition defined by a deficiency in red blood cells. Not only can it cause cracked lips, but also fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, and leg cramps. In very advanced cases of cracked lips, you may need treatment for oral thrush to help.
- “Chicken” Skin
One in three adults have the permanent goose bumps that many people refer to as “chicken” skin. These bumps are caused by an overgrowth of keratin, and they usually appear on the arms. For the most part, they are harmless, though same may find them itchy.
However, in rare cases, a small case of chicken skin can quickly flare-up to become a serious skin condition. Sometimes bathing in milk can help, because lactic acid soothes the keratin, but you may need a steroid cream to prevent these growths from becoming more serious.
- Cold Feet
Many people, particularly those with low body weights, can have constantly cold extremities, but you may want to pay attention if your feet are abnormally cold on a regular basis. The blood flow in your extremities should keep them at least marginally comfortable.
Frozen toes could be a sign of Raynaud’s syndrome, where blood circulation in feet and hands is deficient. This can’t be fixed by warming up with a fire and cozy socks. Reynaud’s is linked to autoimmune conditions, so this needs to be checked out.
While these may seem like normal things that you experience every day, it’s worth looking into further. Your body could be trying to tell you something before it’s too late.
