The Shortlist of Serious Medical Symptoms

July 20, 2008

[newsmax.com]

There's a shortlist of six symptoms that should immediately send you to

the doctor or the emergency room. The list was put forward by Neil

Shulman, MD, who is the author of Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals.

He describes hundreds of symptoms in his book that could mean life or

death, but these are true " red flags " :

1. Unexplained weight loss. " If you're on a diet, you're expecting this

to happen, " Shulman says. " But if you're eating the same way—and now

have to adjust your belt a few notches tighter—you could have a

serious problem. "

Unexpected weight gain can also be a warning, especially with ovarian

cancer. " Fluid builds in the abdomen, and women think they're gaining

weight. But if you have been at the same weight range for years, and

doing nothing different, see a doctor. "

2. Slurred speech, numbness and/or

weakness, and paralysis. You know what this one is—a potential stroke.

Rush to the emergency room because quick treatment may save your life as

well as prevent brain damage.

3. Black, tarry stools. The food you eat changes stool color, but

according to Shulman, black, tarry stools could be the sign of cancer or

a bleeding ulcer.

4. A headache with fever and a stiff neck. You may have bacterial

meningitis. Quick test: if you can't put your chin on your chest, you

need immediate treatment.

5. A sudden severe headache. If you're struck out of the blue by a

headache that's worse than any you've ever had before, you may have an

aneurysm, which is a blood-filled pouch that bulges out from the wall of

a brain artery. Get treatment before it breaks—it could save your

life.

6. For women: postmenopausal vaginal bleeding. Bleeding after menopause

is a symptom of several conditions, including deadly uterine cancer. For

men: lump in the testicle. A lump could be a sign of cancer, and the

best thing for men to do is to regularly check themselves in the shower.

When you seek treatment or consultation, be firm with physicians about

testing and ruling out a potentially life-threatening emergency.

" Sometimes you have to make a scene, " Shulman says. " The one person most

likely to be concerned about whether you live or not is you. "

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