Everyone knows that chest pain can indicate a heart attack or that a lump in the breast could be cancer. But other, less common, symptoms can also indicate serious health problems.
• Fatigue. Many heart attacks are signaled by chest pain but other, less subtle signs can herald a heart attack, especially in women. About 70 percent of women report unusual fatigue as a major symptom prior to their heart attack.
• Nail biting. Nails are comprised of calcium, and an urge to chew could be your body’s way of recouping calcium losses.
• Chronic cough. A chronic cough, even without wheezing, could indicate an undiagnosed case of asthma.
• Excessive sweating. Sweating could indicate both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Excessive sweating could signal a deficiency in chromium.
• Ear wax. Excessive ear wax could indicate a lack of essential fatty acids (EFAs). Research indicates that EFAs, such as the omega-3 oils found in fatty fish, protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer.
• Dimpled, “chicken skin” on upper arms. “Chicken skin” also indicates a deficiency of essential fatty acids.
• Stretch marks. Even though stretch marks are common during pregnancy and during times of rapid body change (teenage years or weight gain), stretch marks can also indicate a lack of zinc, which helps to produce the collagen that makes skin elastic.
• Standing or sitting cross-legged. Sitting or standing with legs crossed could be more than just a habit; it could be an indication of low blood pressure. Your body could be limiting the amount of blood circulating in your legs to make sure enough is available for your brain.
• Bleeding gums and nose bleeds. A lack of vitamin K, found in green vegetables, could keep your blood from clotting properly.
• Itching in the breast. An unexplained itching in the breast could indicate inflammatory breast cancer. A sudden increase in breast size as well as a change in skin texture (similar to orange peel) can also indicate this type of breast cancer.
• Rubbing eyes. If you rub your eyes when you’re not sleepy, you may be stressed. Rubbing the eyes stimulates a reflex in the body that lowers heart rate and tends to relieve stress.
• Sudden hearing loss. A sudden loss of hearing can indicate multiple sclerosis, but it can also be an uncommon symptom of migraines.
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