When you are busy and it feels like there just is not enough time in the day to get everything done, it can be easy to ignore your body’s warning signs. The aches and pains that we feel like we can live with for now and will pay attention to when we have time. And because things are especially busy and stressful right now, these health issues tend to be ignored for quite a long time. Well, it is high time that you stopped ignoring your body and listen to what it is trying to tell you.
Because it is true that the vast majority of health issues will not go away if you simply ignore them. That toothache, that pain in your lower back, that tightness in your chest? All of these are warning signs that something is not right, and they should be addressed straight away. And even if the health problems that are starting to flare up aren’t a sign that something worse could be going on, there is no reason to put up with them if there is an easy treatment available. Your quality of life could be significantly better if you address these issues. Here are a few that you should stop ignoring.
Don’t Ignore Back Pain
We have all had the experience of trying to lift something and feeling our muscles complain that it’s either too heavy or we’re lifting it the wrong way. Many of us have woken up in the morning and realised that we have contorted ourselves into a strange position and our body is not happy about it. Back, shoulder and other muscle pain sometimes feels like it is too minor an issue to see the doctor about. We just tell ourselves that we’ll take it easy for a day or two and it will sort itself out.
However, as we get older, we need to be taking better care of our bodies and they are less and less capable of bouncing back from being issues such as this. Working from home during the pandemic has also had a negative impact on our posture. If you notice that you are suffering from sore muscles or back pain on a regular basis, then speak to your GP or book in an appointment with a physio. These issues can get worse if they go untreated, and it is much better to take positive action now than to endure pain that is not necessary.
Don’t Ignore Tooth Pain
Some people simply don’t like going to the dentist. Other people are worried that getting the problem sorted will be a long and difficult process. Others are simply of the opinion that it isn’t that serious. There are several different points to make here, but they all boil down to the fact that it is very important to take good care of your teeth. Aches and pains are not going to go away if you ignore them, and in fact they can get worse. If you put off going to the dentist because you think you might need a filling, you might need more extensive treatment by the time that it’s bad enough that you have no choice but to go.
One of the best ways that you can see that putting off going to the dentist is a bad idea is by finding a dentist that you actually like going to. Going to the dentist should not be something that you are worried about. A good dentist will put you at ease by explaining the procedure, talking you through how you can take better care of your teeth, and getting you sorted in the quickest and least stressful way possible. Anyone looking for a dentist in Fulham should get in touch with the team at Fulham Road Dental. They offer a boutique dental experience with friendly staff who are trained in a range of different procedures. You can find out more and read about the services on offer at fulhamroaddental.com.
Don’t Ignore Chest Pains
Realising that we are not as fit as we used to be is a part of getting older. Running up that hill is harder work than it was a few years ago, our legs complain after a bike ride that didn’t use to bother us, and it’s always a sad day when we realise how much grunting we do while standing up from a squatting position. However, there is a big difference between those normal signs of aging and the more serious warning signs that something is not working properly. It is easy to brush off a sudden sharp chest pain with a comment about how you need to work on your fitness, but this is something that you need to pay attention to.
If you feel a sensation that is like someone squeezing or crushing your chest, then this could be the first warning sign of angina, or a potential heart attack. These symptoms often get ignored because they often come on very suddenly and disappear just as quickly. We brush them off as temporary or something that is not very serious, such as stress or heartburn. Don’t ignore chest pain, talk your doctor about it as soon as possible. Circulatory and heart diseases cause more than 160,000 deaths in the UK every year, which makes up a quarter of the grand total. A doctor will also be able to tell you about changes that you can make to your lifestyle that will help you avoid further issues in the future.
Don’t Ignore Mental Health Issues
Mental health issues get ignored for all sorts of reasons. Some people simply do not think that what they are going through is serious enough to bother a doctor about. Some people have had a bad experience with talking to a professional in the past and don’t believe that they will have a better outcome if they try again. Some people are in the kind of place where they don’t want to talk to anyone at all. While the pandemic has given us very few genuine positives, it has made us all a lot more aware of how important it is that we talk about our mental health.
We have seen a lot of reports since March 2020 about how everyone has suffered when it comes to mental health, from children and parents to people working at home and people working on the front lines. It is easy enough to say that you should always talk to someone if you are struggling with depression, anxiety or another mental health issue, but it can feel awfully difficult to open up to your friends and loved ones if you are having a hard time. If you are struggling, then consider making an appointment with your GP, or researching counsellors in your local area. Many counsellors will have a detailed website laying out the kind of work that they do, the areas that they focus on, and the processes that they use. Remember that you may not find the perfect fit the first time, and that it is better to find someone that you are comfortable working with instead of sticking with someone that is not on the same page.
