Symptoms & When to See a Doctor

It is an uncomfortable experience that almost everyone experiences from time to time. But, for some people, this pain can become agonizing, due to its frequency and/or severity. Symptoms of abdominal pain may vary from person to person, however, some common symptoms may include- inability to pass stools, vomiting, tenderness in the abdomen, bloating, belching, indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, pelvic discomfort, loss of appetite, painful or frequent urination, signs of dehydration and chest discomfort.

These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma and anaphylaxis.

This pain could be caused by an injury e.g. sprain or by a medical condition such as arthritis.

These disorders affect how we feel and behave. They can at times manifest into real physical symptoms.

It is caused by inflammation of the bronchial tubes. The most common symptom of asthma is wheezing-a whistling sound heard when breathing in or out. If you have asthma, you may also experience symptoms like coughing, which is persistent and gets even worse during night time; shortness of breath, chest tightness, difficulty speaking, breathing heavily and faster than normal. Apart from these major symptoms, some other early warning signs may include-itchy or a sore throat, increased fatigue, coughing after exercise, staying up at night, itchy chin, runny or congested nose, fever, and headache.

It can refer to blood loss inside the body, called internal bleeding. Or it can refer to blood loss outside of the body, called external bleeding. Blood loss can occur in/from almost any area of the body.

Blood clots are life-saving. However, sometimes clots occur when they’re not needed, and that can be troubling, especially if formed in the deep veins, also known as Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If a DVT rupture from its position and travels to your lung, then it can cause a Pulmonary embolism (PE). The symptoms of blood clots range from DVT to PE. The symptoms of DVT may include redness or discoloration of the affected area; swelling, pain, and tenderness in legs and arms, and trouble breathing. The symptoms of PE may include-a dry cough, chest pain (sharp and stabbing), sudden shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; blueness in certain parts of the body (skin, lips); rapid heart rate; light-headedness or dizziness; fever, and anxiety.

It may also at times be filled with pus.

Breast lumps are a common occurrence and may have a number of distinct causes. Common types of breast lumps include-a breast cyst, a fibroadenoma, breast cancer and fibrocystic breast and the symptoms may vary according to the type. For breast cancer, symptoms may include discharge from the nipple; the lump may feel firm, inverted nipple, red and swollen skin on the breast. A breast cyst may feel firm and is round in shape with distinct edges. You may also experience pain if the cyst is particularly large. Fibroadenomas are common in younger women and have a rubber-like texture. They are painless and are in well-rounded shape. Fibrocystic breast is a benign condition and people may experience tenderness.

However, it is most commonly due to bacterial infection of the urinary tract which in turn affects the bladder.

It can be caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction or radiation.

It can be attributed to several causes ranging from muscular strain to reduction in blood flow to the heart.

Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation.

They can be seen as white flakes on the hair.

They may occur due to medications, poor diet, pregnancy, menstrual disorders, chronic stress and lack of sleep. Dark circles under the eyes are not always a sign of weariness, but stress and exhaustion seem to aggravate the facial appearance of many people. The common signs of dark circles include-dark coloration of the skin under the eyes, tiredness from sleep deprivation (insomnia), stress, and fatigue. One may also notice puffiness and eye bags under the eyes.

It is commonly a symptom of a number of different health problems, depending on the type and severity of a pain. You may also experience other symptoms along with the eye pain that can help diagnose the cause of the condition. These symptoms include-a headache, decreased vision, red and bloodshot eyes, the feeling that there is something in your eyes, discharge, light sensitivity, tears, and conjunctivitis.

It can occur to anyone, and most adults experience fatigue at some point in their life. It is also a common symptom of many health conditions, ranging in severity from mild to serious. Fatigue can cause varied physical, mental and emotional symptoms including- a headache, sore or aching muscles, chronic tiredness or sleepiness, dizziness, muscle weakness, issues in decision making or judgement, appetite loss, blurry vision, memory problems, slowed reflexes, moodiness, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, and lack of motivation.

These viruses can enter your body through your mouth or nose. It is highly contagious and normally spread by sneezes and coughs. The most common symptom of the flu is an increase in the body temperature, and the fever may last up to a week. People who have the flu can also experience some or all of these symptoms- loss of appetite, sneezing, blocked or runny nose, sore throat, diarrhoea, pain in muscles, chills, tiredness, headache, difficulty sleeping, chesty and dry cough or full of mucus and malaise (a common feeling of uneasiness, illness and discomfort). Symptoms of the flu may last 1-2 weeks. However, the feeling of fatigue can continue for several weeks.

Also known as overactive bladder, frequent urination is an uncomfortable condition that can affect both men and women. The most common symptom of frequent urination is urinating more than 8 times during the day. Some of the other symptoms that indicate frequent urination or an overactive bladder include- inability to postpone the need to urinate, waking up multiple times at night to urinate (known as nocturia), urine continues to drip after finishing urination, pain or burning sensation during urination.

Excessive gas can be a result of a range from temporary conditions such as constipation and gastroenteritis, to food intolerances such as gluten/lactose intolerance.

It can affect people of all ages but is more common in young children. Depending on the causes of an ailment, the symptoms may appear within a few days of infection. They can either be severe or mild. The main symptoms of gastroenteritis include-diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, mild fever and chills, abdominal pain or cramping, loss of appetite, fatigue and general body weakness, muscle aches and headache, loss of control over bowel motions and blood in your stools. These symptoms usually last for a day or two, but may also persist for up to a week. A doctor should be consulted if the symptoms do not improve after 5 days and after 2 days for children.

It can affect one or more joints. A number of conditions can trigger pain in joints, including osteoarthritis, bursitis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, sprains, strains, and other injuries. Some common symptoms of joint pain include-swelling, tenderness, locking of the joint, joint warmth, redness of the joint area, fever, but no signs of flu and the pain persists for 3 days or more.

Leg swelling is known as “lower extremity oedema” and may affect one leg or both legs equally. The swelling is painless and is a common problem, especially among older people. The most common symptom of oedema includes the swelling of the affected area, which also causes the surrounding area to tighten and indentation may also take place when pressure is applied to the affected area with a finger, sock or shoe. Other symptoms may include blurry vision, dizziness, mild headache, a sudden increase in weight, tender limbs, skin discoloration or redness in an extremity (cellulitis or DVT), jaundice, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

It usually occurs due to blockage of the nasal passages. You may feel that your nose is stuffed with something that can cause a number of other minor issues, causing a hindrance in performing your activities of daily living. You may experience trouble in sleeping, mild headache, coughing, constantly feeling the need to clear your throat, problems with your sense of smell, difficulty breathing through your nose and bothersome snoring. A stuffy nose may or may not be accompanied by a runny nose or nasal discharge. Nasal congestion is just another annoyance for adults or older children, but can be quite severe for infants if it is interfering with breastfeeding or children may also have sleep problems due to insufficient oxygen levels.

It is accompanied by an involuntary urge to vomit.

Your eyes get red due to the expansion of the tiny blood vessels on the surface of the eyes. It can occur due to an injury, illness, eye infections, or other condition such as allergies. Red eye does not usually require medical attention and can be cured using over the counter eye drops or home remedies, but it may require immediate attention if you experience symptoms such as-the inability to open eyes, change in vision, nausea or vomiting, severe headache or pain in eyes, unusual sensitivity to light, foreign object in your eye, sudden halos around light, and swelling in the eyes.

In medical terms, it is known as dyspnea. While it is normal to get short of breath when walking, climbing stairs, running or when you have simply overexerted yourself, but it is often a warning sign of a serious medical condition when breathlessness kicks in suddenly and unexpectedly. Common symptoms of shortness of breath or dyspnea include-feeling uncomfortable while breathing, inability to get enough air, chest pain, cough, a feeling of tightness, suffocation or drowning.

The pain can range in intensity from a mild stomach to severe acute pain. Stomach pain is caused due to mild viral infection, intestinal gas, eating too little or too much food. It can be in the form of mild ache, abdominal pain, cramps or sharp pain. People with stomach pain may experience dizziness, difficulty in breathing, cough, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, heartburn, diarrhoea, indigestion, gas, belching, bloating, tenderness, inability to pass stools, dehydration, fever, constipation, chest pain and back pain. Some severe symptoms may include swelling, severe tenderness, unintended weight loss, persistent vomiting and nausea, bloody stools, pelvic discomfort, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and unexpected severe pain.

Although it’s not something that many people are concerned with and it may be welcomed by some people, unexplained weight loss is indeed worrisome. If you are experiencing weight loss for no apparent reason, then it may be a sign of an underlying health condition. The most common symptom of unexplained weight loss is dramatic or sudden weight loss, which is usually 5% of the weight of your body. It could have occurred over a few weeks or months. Other symptoms may include an inability to perform daily tasks, loss of energy, weakness, night sweats, pain, fever, loss of appetite and fatigue.

However, excessive tearing can cause watery eyes. Also known as Epiphora, watery eyes may also occur if the tear duct that drains the tears is not functioning. While the issue is not harmful, it can be annoying. The most common symptom of watery eyes is self-explanatory; the eyes produce excessive tears involuntarily and can give the eyes a glassy appearance. People with watery eyes may also experience crusting around the eyes, discharge, eye pain, red, bloodshot eyes, sneezing, swollen eyelid, reduced visual acuity, tenderness around the nose, foreign sensation in eyes, itchy and burning eyes.

The sound is most obvious when breathing out, but may also be made when inhaling. The most common symptom of wheezing is whistling or musical sound, which indicates that you have airways obstruction or vocal cord problems. Other symptoms may include coughing, shortness of breath, swelling of the face and tongue, a decreased level of consciousness, tightening in the chest, fever, sore throat, swelling of the tongue or lips, heartburn, itching eyes, nasal congestion, weight loss, night sweat, vomiting, loss of voice, sputum production and laboured breathing, especially when exhaling.