Possible warning signs of common health problems that are easy to dismiss

“Probably the flu, stress, or just getting older.” That’s the thought a health system’s patient guide puts in the head of a woman with an aching upper back, and it works for plenty of other symptoms too.

The six signs below have one thing in common. Each can pass for a long day, a bad night, or age. Each can also be an early signal that a doctor would want to hear about.

These are possible signs, not diagnoses. A symptom here can have a harmless cause. If one fits you, say so at your next appointment.

Fatigue that doesn’t match your week

Heart attack symptoms in women can be quieter than the chest-clutching version in movies. The Cleveland Clinic lists unusual fatigue, nausea, and shortness of breath, along with pain in the back, jaw, or between the shoulder blades. Women are also more likely to have a silent heart attack.

The American Heart Association says women are more likely to ignore these symptoms. Mingsum Lee, MD, a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente, says studies have shown women wait longer for treatment than men.

Image credit: Renata Hamuda / iStockphoto

It went away, so you forgot about it

Slurred speech. A face that droops. An arm that goes numb. Then it clears up in a few minutes.

That’s what a transient ischemic attack, or mini-stroke, can look like. It’s a warning, not an all-clear. Mayo Clinic says about 1 in 3 people who have one go on to have a stroke, and the risk is especially high in the first 48 hours.

“It is considered a warning sign of an impending ischemic stroke,” says Veronica Moreno-Gomez, MD, of University of Utah Health. MedlinePlus says not to ignore symptoms just because they go away.

Snoring, plus a tired morning

Loud snoring, gasping at night, morning headaches, and daytime sleepiness. Mayo Clinic lists them as signs of sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Not everyone who snores has it.

Bed partners usually notice first. Women are also less likely to be diagnosed, Mayo Clinic Press notes, partly because women’s snoring is often less loud. Untreated, it’s linked to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Thirsty; again

Drinking more than usual. Making more trips to the bathroom. Blurry vision, tingling in your feet, and unexplained fatigue. The CDC lists these as common signs of diabetes, and they can develop slowly enough to go unnoticed.

“Cells need glucose to function; it’s their energy source,” says Dr. Diaz in a UnitedHealthcare guide. About 11 million U.S. adults have it and don’t know, MD Anderson reports, citing the CDC.

One mole that looks different

Asymmetry. An uneven border. More than one color. Bigger than a pencil eraser. A spot that’s changing. Those are the ABCDEs dermatologists use to check a mole, and the Skin Cancer Foundation adds the “ugly duckling,” the one mole that doesn’t match the others.

The case for checking is the numbers. Melanoma caught early has a 99 percent five-year survival rate. It’s 74 percent if it reaches the lymph nodes, and 35 percent if it spreads to distant organs.

Swollen ankles and a number on the scale

Puffy ankles at the end of the day usually have a dull explanation. But swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet can also be a sign of heart failure, and Mayo Clinic lists very fast weight gain from fluid among the symptoms.

The American Heart Association says to watch for a gain of more than two or three pounds in a day or five in a week. Harvard Health notes the early signs of heart failure, fatigue, shortness of breath, and swollen ankles, are often dismissed.

The bottom line

Mayo Clinic says about 1 in 3 people who have a mini-stroke go on to have a stroke. Early-stage melanoma has a 99 percent five-year survival rate.

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Possible warning signs of common health problems that are easy to dismiss