Meaning of Symptoms

The body speaks volumes about what ails it -- from obvious warnings like a fever that accompanies an infection to subtle clues like losing hair on the toes, which can be an early sign of vascular disease.

Some signs that seem alarming may actually be harmless: Bright-red stools are more likely to come from eating beets than from intestinal bleeding. But some that seem minor can warn of a serious disorder. Small yellow bumps on the eyelid, for instance, may be fatty deposits that signal high cholesterol, which in turn raises the risk of heart disease.

Other signs seem to make no logical biological sense: Eyebrows that no longer extend over the corners of the eyes can indicate an under-active thyroid, and a diagonal crease in the earlobe seems to herald a heightened risk of heart attack.
Some body signs can have a confusing range of meanings: Does that bulging tummy signify middle-aged spread or the beginning of ovarian cancer?

The problem is that most people do not recognize the warnings, even when they're staring them in the face. But, before you race off to the doctor for every lump or discoloration, remember that anomalies you've had for years are more likely to be a harmless part of your genetic makeup. Signs and symptoms that are unusual for you, or painful or debilitating, are more likely to be significant.

Examining a patient from head to toe for such indicators is a key part of every nurse's training. Knowing how to interpret all those signs and symptoms takes up much of a doctor's education and is refined over a lifetime of clinical practice. But many doctors and nurses alike say that patients, too, should be vigilant for anything new or unusual about their own bodies.

With major changes to the nation's health-care system looming, it may be more important than ever for people to keep track of their own physical health. Primary-care doctors could become increasingly pressed for time, and long-term doctor-patient relationships may be harder to sustain. The growing emphasis on preventive medicine may also place more responsibility on patients to head off illnesses before they become serious.

Diabetes alone costs the nation an estimated $174 billion annually; people with diabetes have more than twice the average medical bills than those without. Signs of diabetes show up all over the body, from bleeding gums to tingling feet to darkened skin patches on the neck and underarms.

Excess belly fat is becoming notorious as a sign of a heightened risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, gall-bladder disease and numerous cancers. Waist-to-hip ratios are especially telling: If a man's waist is larger than his hips, or a women's waist is more than four-fifths her hip circumference, that's a sign that dangerous visceral fat is surrounding an abdominal organ.

A high body-mass index is a red flag in general to clinicians. But sudden, unexplained weight loss can be even more worrisome.

Many other signs of possible illness are less well-publicized. Thyroid disease can manifest itself in dry, brittle hair, brittle nails, and weight gain or loss. Losing hair on the rest of your body could be aging or menopause, or a metabolic disorder or circulatory problems.
Nails tell other tales as well. White nail beds -- the skin underneath the nail -- can signify anemia. Nails that are white near the cuticle and red or brown near the tip can be a sign of kidney disease. Irregularly shaped brown or blue spots in the nail bed can be melanomas. Fingertips that are blue or clubbed can be a sign of lung disease -- although generally, there would be more significant signs as well.

Many of the same signs occur in toenails. But the feet are critical for other reasons. Feet tell you a huge amount about the health of the circulation. The first place that vascular disease can show up is where the blood vessels are the smallest and the farthest away from the heart.

Circulatory problems can manifest themselves as numbness and tingling in the feet; so can peripheral neuropathy, or damage to the nerves that often begins at the extremities. Both are signs of uncontrolled diabetes. With circulation compromised, even a minor scratch or sore on the feet can become infected easily; lack of sensation can make it easy to ignore, and gangrene can set in, requiring amputation. That's why people with diabetes are urged to check their feet every day for any kind of scratch or lesion.

The mouth provides another window into overall health. Another reason as to why gums bleed could be due to inflammation from leukemia. Bulimia can leave telltale acid marks on the backs of teeth -- and missing teeth can be a sign of poor nutrition, advanced gum disease or long-term drug use.

Some body signs are more statistical correlations than causal relationships. Short leg length has been linked to a higher risk for diabetes, atherosclerosis and heart disease, which could all be due to poor nutrition in utero or early childhood. Several studies have found that the shorter a man's index finger in relation to his ring finger, the more aggressive he's likely to be. One possible explanation is exposure to testosterone in the womb, but so far, that remains more a curiosity than a clue. Of course, being vigilant about your body signs can show you just how imperfect you are.

A Summary of Symptoms & Possible Causes