7 signs you may not be as healthy as you think

We all love to look healthy, and most times we claim we are healthy based on certain parameters, but the question is – are we truly as healthy as we claim?

The wholeness/healthiness of an individual is determined by several factors and there are times when certain things we experience or do can be signs that we are not really as healthy as we think.

These subtle symptoms that most people think of as “normal” and insignificant are at times real warnings about something more serious going on in their bodies.

As humans, we tend to pay a lot of attention to symptoms like persistent pain, but we might be very quick to dismiss symptoms that seem common, and that could be a serious mistake.

This article discusses seven commonly overlooked signs that may be clear indications that one is not really as healthy as one thinks.

1. Snoring

I know you are surprised but snoring can be an indication of a more serious health condition rather than just being regarded as sleeping noisily.

Snoring can be a sign that you are experiencing sleep apnea, which is a condition that causes people to stop breathing for periods of time. Snoring could also be a symptom of heart disease or high blood pressure. So, you see the need why you really need to know the reason you snore.

2. Insomnia

According to medicalnewstoday.com, insomnia is a sleep disorder that regularly affects millions of people worldwide. Someone with insomnia finds it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.

We all need a certain amount of sleep in order to function normally and being deprived of sleep can result in all kinds of problems, including accidents that could result in serious injury or death.

Your inability to sleep can be an indication of other serious conditions such as depression, asthma, arthritis, or even Parkinson’s disease.

3. Headaches

Headache is something almost all of us have experienced at certain times in our lives.

Although headaches can be quite unpleasant and inconvenient, most of the time they are harmless and will go away on their own before long or after a bit of rest.

In other cases, it could be important to pay attention to a headache, especially if it starts happening more frequently than usual.

Headaches can be the result of a serious infection, high blood pressure or stroke.

Serious causes such as brain tumours and meningitis are less common but should not be overlooked.

4. Brittle nails and thinning hair

Having brittle nails, that is, nails that break easily and frequent loss of hair can be an indication of a serious health condition.

Brittle nails could be your body’s way of telling you that you are suffering from malnutrition, anaemia or liver disease, especially if they also have a pale appearance.

Everyone loses a bit of hair on a regular basis but it’s worth paying attention to if you start losing more than you usually do.

Hair loss can be an indication of thyroid problem, which can lead to a host of other health problems that can actually be life-threatening.

5. Bad breath

There’s no doubt that almost everyone experiences “morning breath” on a regular basis but chronic bad breath is something that one should pay attention to.

It’s not uncommon for bacterial infections of the throat, mouth, nose and digestive system to causebad breath.

The same thing is true for yeast infections, which we might otherwise tend to associate with other parts of the body.

Less common but still worth paying attention to is the possibility that bad breath could be the result of something more serious like acid reflux (GERD) or even certain types of cancer.

5. Low sex drive

There are many circumstances that can result in a low sex drive, including some prescribed medications, mental health problems, and excessive stress.

It’s also true that our sex drive tends to diminish as we get older and that some people just have a naturally-occurring lower drive than others.

On the other hand, a sudden drop in sex drive can also be a warning sign for more serious considerations like diabetes, arthritis, hormone imbalances or even cancer.

6. Bloating

Abdominal bloating according to Healthline.com, occurs when the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is filled with air or gas.

Most people describe bloating as feeling full, tight, or swollen in the abdomen.

While bloating will often result from over-eating or as a result of a woman’s normal and expected monthly cycle, those causes should be relatively easy to separate from other instances where bloating is something that should be further investigated.

Unexpected and persistent bloating can also result from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and less commonly, celiac disease or even ovarian cancer.

You deserve and should be healthy but do not overlook the above signs as they could be indications of some underlying health conditions.

Indeed, you might not be as healthy as you think you are.