Don’t ignore these trivial signs

The human body is very resilient and is capable of dealing with minor ailments easily.

We all get the odd headache that dissipates sooner or later. There is also the offbeat tummy ache, colds and flu that may come and go. Yes, there’s no reason to rush to your doctor every time you cough or sneeze. But be wary of minor, but recurrent symptoms.

A vague abdominal pain is likely to be a result of overindulgence or a stomach bug that could be self-resolving. Rarely would it be sinister, especially if symptoms resolve quickly or with simple remedies.

I am sure you have had symptomatic malaise that amount to nothing. In most cases, we simply ignore the discomfort and come to no harm. This is acceptable.

But if the symptoms are recurrent, no matter how insignificant they may seem, they become a cause of concern. Recurrent abdominal pains, headaches, chest pain, breathlessness and other symptoms cannot simply be wished away.

Recurrent symptoms are more likely to have an underlying medical condition. It becomes less likely that they are due to a series of unrelated events, hence seeking medical care becomes important.

You should be your own first line of medical defense. This requires vigilance and right decisions regarding your health. Most medical conditions are unlikely to creep up on you without any tell-tale symptoms.

Chronic conditions don’t just go away. That’s why they are called chronic in the first place. If you don’t ignore recurrent symptoms and act early enough, you stand a better chance of cure or optimal disease management.

Doctors are more helpful if they can detect medical conditions and diseases early enough. If you visit the doctor too late, there would be very little that be done to address your medical problem.

It’s better to err on the side of paranoia and assume your recurrent symptoms are indicative of a serious problem. In case a medical checkup shows there was no cause for worry, at least the problem would have been addressed and wouldn’t continue nagging you.

And if it turns out that you indeed have a serious medical problem, you would have caught it in good time and this could probably prevent deterioration, if not lead to a cure.

Get in the habit of reviewing what appear to be trivial symptoms. If the symptoms dispel soon enough, you can assume that there’s no need to have sleepless nights. But if they recur over and over again, then you should act accordingly and seek medical attention.