Do you know the hidden signs of poor health? You might believe your body is perfectly healthy and miss subtle signs that indicate otherwise. Even when you focus on eating well, exercising, and getting plenty of sleep, you can still have health issues.
Paying attention to your body and watching for abnormal changes can make a difference in maintaining your health. If you know what to look for, you can address any signs of poor health right away before they cause further issues. Your body gives plenty of warning signs leading up to illnesses and diseases, but it is up to you to listen.
There will be times when your body gives signs of poor health, but other times it will be more subtle. Symptoms that you tend to ignore could indicate something much more.
Eleven Signs Of Poor Health
“Virtually every aspect of human physiology has regulatory elements, feedback loops, and developmental components that require thousands of interacting genes …the human body represents an irreducibly complex system on a cellular and organ/system basis.” – Dr. Joseph Kuhn
1. Bloating
Everyone gets bloated sometimes, but if it happens regularly, it’s a sign of poor health. Being bloated after a meal is common because it is a buildup of gas in your digestive tract. When the gas buildup is the issue, you can use home remedies to help speed up digestion.
If speeding up your digestion doesn’t help, though, it could indicate a health problem. Researchers at Harvard Health found that consistent bloating can signal colon, ovarian, stomach, and pancreatic cancers. While your bloating could be unrelated to cancer, it is still best to make sure and seek answers.
How to Fix a Bloated Belly
Start by consuming ginger to speed up your digestion. You can add ginger to your meals, mix it into a beverage, or enjoy some chamomile tea to ease gas buildup.
2. Chronic Fatigue
Fatigue is often one of the first signs you will experience when you have health issues. While short-term fatigue could result from a lack of sleep, stress, or working too hard, chronic fatigue means more.
If you are getting eight hours of sleep each night and still experience a lack of energy, it could signal poor health. Fatigue could be a sign of cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Addressing the issue right away is essential to finding the cause and maintaining your health.
How to Fix Chronic Fatigue
Reflect on your lifestyle and sleeping habits before assuming you have a serious health condition. Think about the amount of sleep you are getting and if anything could be interfering with your sleep quality. Maintain a regular sleep schedule, including time to wind down 30 minutes before going to bed.
Avoid drinking alcohol or using nicotine before bed, as well. According to research, alcohol and nicotine are stimulants and can result in disrupted sleep quality. If none of these things help, consider visiting your doctor for a professional opinion.
3. Insomnia
When you struggle to fall or stay asleep, and the problem persists for more than one month, you are experiencing insomnia. Your cortisol levels, a stress hormone, should drop at night to allow you to rest and recharge. Researchers believe cortisol levels might play a role in sleeplessness. When that hormone cycle doesn’t happen, it causes insomnia because your body experiences a stress response instead.
While this might not seem like a big deal, it causes your problems than you might think. When you have a stress response, your body’s self-repair process stops, hindering your body’s ability to fight off illnesses. Plus, your body can’t replenish its resources without adequate sleep.
How to Fix Chronic Sleeplessness
Try some home remedies for insomnia before seeking professional help. Doing things like turning down the lights, sleeping in a cool room, and using white noise can help. You can also try meditating or doing yoga during your wind-down time before bed.
4. Bad Breath
Many things can cause bad breath, and poor health is one of them. Not only is bad breath unpleasant, but experts say that it can indicate concerning health conditions. Some of the health issues it signals include:
- diabetes
- liver disease
- kidney disease
How to Fix Bad Breath
Consider the other potential causes of bad breath and whether those things could be the problem. Smoking, eating onions or garlic, drinking coffee, and bad dental hygiene are things to consider. If any of those are a problem for you, address the issue and implement better habits.
Once you have considered the other potential causes and made the necessary changes, see if bad breath is still an issue. If it is, then it could indicate a more serious health condition that requires professional help.
5. Headaches
Headaches are common in adults, with research showing that almost half experience them. Since they are so common, they are often ignored and thought of as a normal discomfort to push through. Frequent headaches could indicate other issues, however, including stress or dehydration.
A headache is also a sign of a stroke. If you also experience vomiting, nausea, or vision changes along with the headache, seek medical attention immediately. It is always better to be safe and get help than wait it out and cause further damage.
How to Fix the Common Headache
As long as you aren’t experiencing other symptoms along with your headache, you can try to eliminate the discomfort at home. Start by drinking plenty of water and getting some rest to see if dehydration, stress, or lack of sleep is the problem.
6. Weird-looking Nails
Nails are an added layer of protection to your body, and they are an extension of your skin. They require nutrients to stay healthy, and any abnormalities indicate a health issue. Some of the unusual things you might notice about unhealthy nails include:
- yellow or other abnormal colors
- they are brittle
- growing down
- curving upward
- anything but pink nail beds
- nails that flake or break easily
If you notice these changes in your finger or toenails, don’t ignore them. These abnormalities could indicate kidney dysfunction, anemia, or a vitamin deficiency.
How to Fix Abnormal Finger or Toenails
Focus on eating nutritious foods and drinking plenty of water each day. As your body replenishes its vitamins and nutrients, your nails will likely return to their natural color.
7. Low Sex Drive
Low libido, another sign of poor health, can indicate a disruption in your emotional or physical well-being. Stress, anxiety, depression, and exhaustion are all-consuming and can drastically impact your sex drive. Hormonal problems such as an underactive thyroid can also suppress your sex drive.
Other factors that can suppress your sex drive include drugs, alcohol, contraception, and medication. If you use any of those, look into the side effects and consider how they could be harming your sex life.
How to Fix a Reduced Sexual Drive
Fixing your low sex drive depends on the cause. If you consume too much alcohol or use drugs, start by eliminating those and seeing if it helps. Otherwise, look into the side effects of any medications you take and ask your doctor how they could be affecting you.
8. Irregular Bowel Movements
Having regular bowel movements is essential to your overall health. What is normal for others might not be for you, but if your bowel movements have become irregular, it is a sure sign of a problem. Additionally, if you have to push or strain to have a bowel movement, it could be because of a health issue.
Every time you eat, your digestive tract should move to eliminate waste. It also opens up space for new nutrition. If you aren’t having regular bowel movements, the toxins from your waste can seep into your bloodstream, causing inflammation and serious health conditions.
How to Fix Irregularity
Consider your diet and whether you are consuming enough essential nutrients and plenty of water. Make any changes that you see fit, and ensure adequate fiber intake.
While digestive issues happen occasionally, frequent problems are signs of poor health. If your problems don’t clear up with better nutrition and hydration habits, see a health professional for further advice.
9. Rapid Hair Loss
Hair loss is normal, but rapid hair loss is an alarming sign of an underlying medical issue. Rapid hair loss can indicate many things, including:
- hormonal imbalance
- reaction to a medication
- scalp infections
- alopecia
- poor dietary habits
- lupus
- diabetes
- overwhelming stress
How to Fix Hair Breakage or Loss
If you think your hair loss is stress-related, try spending time resting and relaxing. Consider your dietary habits, as well, and make changes to improve your nutritional intake.
10. Muscle Cramping
Muscle cramping is indicative of many health concerns. They can be a sign of nutrient deficiencies, overextension, inadequate blood supply, or straining. If you notice frequent muscle twitches or cramps, pay attention to them.
How to Fix Muscle Cramps
Start by addressing your dietary habits and making beneficial changes. Also, consider if you are overusing your muscles, and take a break if necessary.
11. Fluctuating Weight
Excessive weight gain or loss are signs of poor health. If you haven’t changed your eating habits or exercise routine but continue to lose or gain weight, look into the problem.
The American Cancer Society explains that unexplained weight loss is a leading sign of stomach, lung, esophagus, and pancreas cancer. On the other hand, unexplained weight gain is a sign of poor nutrition.
Other factors that play into fluctuating weight, however, including:
- stress
- thyroid issues
- depression
- insulin resistance
- hormonal imbalance
- digestive problems
- genetics
How to Fix Unusual Weight Gain or Loss
Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and consuming adequate vitamins and nutrients. You should follow a healthy diet with plenty of nutritional benefits to replenish your body. If this doesn’t help, a visit to your doctor might be necessary.
Final Thoughts on Knowing the Eleven Signs of Poor Health
Even when you think you are healthy, there are signs of poor health that you might be ignoring. Don’t let these symptoms continue without addressing the cause, or you can cause further complications for yourself.
Watch for these signs of poor health and make a note of when you experience them. You can often address them by changing your dietary habits, but you might have to do more. Figure out the problem and take care of it so that you can focus on maintaining your health.
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