The Internet provides information on health issues, which allows people to make their own medical decisions. Your assumptions could be inaccurate, and you will spend time treating a health concern you never even had. Self diagnosis may save you time and money, but when the problem becomes severe, it will only result in less treatment options and more medical costs.
In fact, inaccurate self diagnosis and its resulting physical and financial effect has its own term. Medical professionals refer to these risks as "shadow diseases," where one illness can have a domino effect on another.
David Pryor, MD., founder of blackwomenshealth.com and board-certified physician in internal medicine, says many people underestimate minute health signs.
"I think a lot people experience certain symptoms, but they assume these symptoms can't be very serious," Pryor says.
The symptoms, however, could be a sign of cancer, heart disease, infections or diabetes. Here are a few signs that are best left up to professional diagnosis.
1. FATIGUE AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH is a signal women should be cautious of. Pryor says fatigue and shortness of breath along with anxiety could be associated with heart attacks.
"Women don't always get the common heart pains like men," Pryor says. "Heart disease is the number-one killer of both women and men, and a number of studies show that women experience heart attacks and chest pains in different ways than men."
A temporary weakness in one side of the body or an inability to speak could be a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is a mini stroke. The American Heart Association says these are warning strokes with no lasting effect, but in half of all TIA cases, a stroke occurs within a year.
"If you can't find your words and then it goes back to normal, it is something to worry about and you need to be evaluated ASAP," Pryor says.
2. BLOOD IN URINE. A sign that may seem embarrassing is traces of blood in the urine. People may not run to tell their physicians about this one because it's not that easy to explain. Patients may skip out on these details, but Pryor says that this could be a signal of kidney stones, an infection or a sign of cancer.
3. BLOOD IN MUCUS. In cold season, coughing up blood may appear to be a symptom related to a tough cold, but the amounts of blood could have other meanings. This may be a sign of a lung infection such as bronchitis, which is caused by exposure to bacteria.
"It could be a sign of an infection, but be more concerned if it persists," Pryor says. "It could be associated with lung cancer."
Any time you experience abnormal health signs, pay attention to the issue. Think about what may have triggered the symptoms and whether it has happened before.
Pryor offers three steps to take when an inexplicable case happens:
1. Take your symptom seriously. According to Pryor, underestimating the health concern means you will not take care of it. In order to receive medical treatment, you must first acknowledge it as an issue.
2. If it's threatening, call 911. Don't gamble with your life. If it's not threatening, but doesn't improve within 24-48 hours, you should consult a physician.
3. Be in tune with your health. Know your body's behaviors. Something that normally occurred rarely but begins to occur more often can only mean one thing: Your problem is entering stronger stages. Over time, the severity of the issues grow and can limit the options for treatment.
"The sooner you know about it, you can get on medication and live longer," Pryor says, "There are less options for treatment in the later stages."
Have you ever ignored a health symptom that turned into a bigger issue? Tell us your story.
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