8 Warning Signs of Female Health Problems Women Often Ignore

Women’s bodies are always changing, which is why sometimes it’s really hard for them to identify problems in the early stages. In fact, the average woman waits about 13 weeks before visiting a doctor after first experiencing symptoms of a serious disease. However, if you pay close attention to even the slightest changes in your body, you’ll be able to maintain your physical health and prevent future problems.

Bright Side put together 8 unobvious signs pointing to serious health issues women shouldn’t ignore.

8. Your belly is bloated.

For some women, bloating is a normal part of their monthly period. But if you aren’t prone to bloating and you’ve been experiencing it for more than 2 weeks, this may be the first sign that there is something out of balance with your body.

In the case of endometriosis, your belly can simply swell on any given day and get worse as the day goes on. “Endo belly” is usually unpredictable — bloating can stay with you for days and even weeks or disappear after a couple of hours. Besides that, constant bloating could be a sign of breast or ovarian cancer.

7. There are pimples on your chin.

About 2 weeks before menstruation, your body increases estrogen and progesterone. Because of this change in hormone levels, you may experience an acne breakout on your chin that should go away after some time.

However, if you consistently have pimples on your jaw or chin, it might mean that your hormones are out of whack and you need to see a doctor before it’s too late.

6. You feel pain when working out.

If you frequently have pain in the pelvic region when you’re running, walking, and even standing for a long time, this could mean that your endometrium, the inner layer of your uterus, grows outside of where it’s supposed to. In this case, foreign endometrial cells and scarring are binding your internal organs together, causing pain and the inability to exercise.

5. You experience lower back and leg pain.

Lower back pain is pretty common during a woman’s monthly period, so it can be considered normal. However, if you suffer from pain in your lower back and shoulders before, during, and after your menstruation along with muscle tension in these areas, you probably have endometriosis.

Other common symptoms of endometriosis are numbness, a tingling sensation, and pain in your legs. This kind of pain may spread out over one or both of your legs and get worse before your period.

4. There are blood clots in your period.

Everyone’s period is different — it can be lighter, darker, heavier, and so on. And it’s absolutely okay if you notice a clot or 2 every once in a while. However, if your blood turns dark and the clots are consistent and huge in size, this could be a sign that you have uterine fibroids. These non-cancerous growths in your uterus can cause abnormal bleeding and even bladder issues.

3. You have no interest in your favorite foods.

Do you feel full all the time and have difficulty finishing even a small meal? Have you completely lost your appetite recently? All these changes in your usual eating habits could be a sign of ovarian cancer, especially if they are combined with abdominal pain and changes in your bowel habits.

2. You’re losing your hair.

Hair loss is one of the visual symptoms of low testosterone, a hormone that supports healthy hair production and its maintenance. A sure sign of an imbalance is patchy hair on your head that can develop into baldness over time.

Your body hair can also be affected, though this symptom could be less noticeable, especially if you regularly shave your legs and armpits.

1. You’re always too hot or too cold.

If you can never feel comfortable at room temperature, you probably have a hormonal imbalance. One of the reasons for such an imbalance could be in your levels of estrogen, a hormone that regulates female reproduction. Normally, its levels change throughout your life and throughout your menstrual cycle, but sometimes there could be problems with its production in your body.

Estrogen levels can affect your body temperature. As a rule, low estrogen causes hot flashes and high estrogen, on the contrary, makes you feel cold in your hands and feet all the time.

We wish you to stay healthy and never experience any of these symptoms. But if you do, please consult your doctor as soon as possible. And don’t forget to share this information with your family and friends!