Symptoms & When to See a Doctor

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. Apart from these, if you experience- blood in bowel movement, unintended weight loss, pale skin, swelling of the abdomen, persistent nausea or vomiting, vomiting blood, trouble breathing; along with severe pain in the abdomen, you must seek immediate medical care.

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.

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.

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.

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. If darkness and swelling appear under just one eye and seem to compound over time, you must seek medical attention.

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. In most cases, eye pain can be treated using simple home remedies, however, if you begin experiencing symptoms such as- a severe pain which makes it impossible to touch the eye, sudden or dramatic vision change, eye pain accompanied by vomiting- you must seek immediate medical attention.

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.

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.

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. You should consult your doctor immediately if frequent urination is accompanied by these symptoms- discharge from the penis or vagina, blood in your urine, back pain, vomiting and high fever.

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.

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. However, consult your doctor immediately if you experience these symptoms- severe joint pain, the joint is completely immobile, and sudden and severe swelling of the joint.

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.

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.

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.

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. One must seek medical attention if shortness of breath is accompanied by other symptoms such as swelling of the feet and ankles, high fever, chills, wheezing, a breathlessness that does not go away even after 30 minutes of rest.

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.

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.

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 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.