In fact, many of the expected and unexpected symptoms that appear scary are quite harmless. Our increased forgetfulness may be a natural part of aging or a byproduct of an overly taxed schedule, and if we find ourselves bruising easily, it may be a sign that we need to bump up our iron intake.
When unexpected symptoms arise, especially those that seem troubling, you should always talk to your doctor or schedule a routine visit to rule out potentially serious causes.
If you experience any of the following scary symptoms, take a deep breath - they’re probably harmless:
Nosebleeds
If you go into your young child’s room to check on him or her late at night and find them sleeping on a bloody pillow, you, like many other parents, may be inclined to call your pediatrician’s on-call service.
But according to the Encyclopedia of Children’s Health, about 30 percent of young children (between two and five) experience spontaneous nose bleeds without an apparent cause. These numbers jump to 56 percent in children between 6 and 10, and to 64 percent in children between 11 and 15. Of these children, only about 10 percent have been diagnosed with an underlying bleeding disorder or other medical condition.
What causes them? Nosebleeds can occur from trauma caused to the nose by picking, by allergies, environmental irritants (cleaning products, aerosol fragrances), or by environmental conditions, such as overly cold or dry air.
Should I Get Help?
If your child suffers from frequent nosebleeds, you should talk to your pediatrician about possible causes. Likewise, if a nosebleed doesn’t stop after 10 minutes of pressure or packing, if there is rapid or severe bleeding, or if the child begins to feel weak or faint, you should get medical attention immediately. If the nosebleed occurs after a head trauma, it could indicate a skull fracture or serious trauma, and you should take your child to the emergency room.
Bruising
Some children and adults are more prone to bruising, or seem to bruise more easily than others, but finding yourself or a child suddenly covered in bruises can be alarming, especially if it is a new trend. In adults, taking NSAID medications - including aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen -- can lead to easy bruising because they inhibit blood clotting.
Age may also contribute - as our collagen diminishes, we lose some of the protection that it offers our blood vessels from breaking, meaning that as we age, it takes less of an impact to cause a bruise than in our younger years.
Should I Get Help?
If you suddenly begin developing unexplained bruises, you may be developing a blood disorder, such as leukemia, and you should make an appointment with your doctor to discuss this and other related symptoms.
If your child suddenly begins showing bruising, especially after being left in the care of others, you should look into possible causes, including mistreatment or abuse, especially if the child is too young to tell you about any wrongdoing him or herself.
Memory Glitches
Memory problems can strike at any age, especially with our stressful, hectic lifestyles and tendency to not get enough sleep - all of which can cause forgetfulness. If you find yourself suddenly misplacing important items - such as car keys, wallets, or forgetting where you parked your car, just how troubling this symptom is may largely depend on age. For a 20-something, it may be a frustrating sign of stress.
In an older adult, there may be a fear of impending dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. As we age, it may be harder to learn new skills or remember new information, like a phone number - and this is a perfectly normal part of aging.
Should I Get Help?
Whether your memory problems are an issue largely depends on the degree to which they happen. If you miss a turn driving home from work because you were distracted on a phone call, that’s one thing. If you find yourself confused as to which way to turn to get home from a familiar destination, that may be a cause for concern.
According to a Huffington Post interview with Dr. Jessica Lee, geriatric fellow at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, one sign that can help determine if you might have a problem is whether or not you are later able to recall the piece of information you stumbled on initially.
If you’re worried about increasing levels of forgetfulness, talk to your family members to see if they have noticed changes in your behavior, and make an appointment to speak with your doctor.
Broken Blood Vessel In The Eye
If you look in the mirror and notice that you have a patch of red on the white of your eye, it may be frightening - especially with how important our eyesight is to our everyday lives. This condition, called subconjunctival hemorrhage, is scarier than it looks. It can be caused by a hard sneeze or blood thinning medications. Or there might not be a cause at all.
Should I Get Help?
If you develop this condition, it's important to have it checked out to ensure that you won’t have complications. In most cases, there is no treatment other than artificial tears and a tincture of time to clear it up. If this has happened multiple times, be sure to tell your doctor.
Heart Palpitations
If your heart skips a beat or suddenly starts racing, it can be incredibly frightening, especially when they come with waves of anxiety. However, when this happens infrequently and out of the blue, it’s typically nothing to be too concerned about.
In women who are near or have gone through menopause, hormonal changes can cause these palpitations. They can also be caused by excessive caffeine and or alcohol intake, smoking, or by medications, like antihistamines, decongestants, and antidepressants.
Should I Get Help?
In rare cases, palpitations can be the sign of an underlying heart condition, so you should bring them up with your doctor if you begin to experience them. If you begin to experience tachycardia, or a heart rate of 150 or more beats per minute for several minutes, you should go to the emergency room.
You should also get emergency medical attention if your palpitations are accompanied by pain in the chest, jaw, or left arm, a feeling of extreme nausea, a sensation that you’re about to pass out or a collapse.
As A General Rule
You know your body better than anyone else. If you feel that you have developed a symptom that is troubling, it’s always best to let your doctor know or get yourself medical attention, especially if that symptom seems serious.
When it comes to your health, especially heart health, respiratory conditions, and other symptoms that appear to be affecting one of the body’s major organs, it’s better to be safe than sorry.