Think you’re the picture of perfect health? Even if you eat well, work out regularly and drink plenty of water, everything may not be working as well as it should be with your body. The thing is, you can’t judge a book by its cover when it comes to your health, as a recent study finds that one in 15 people with a “normal” BMI are living with undiagnosed cardiovascular disease. And according to another recent study, more than half of those with a normal BMI also had at least one metabolic abnormality.
Fortunately, health experts say there are some small signs to look out for that can indicate you may not be as healthy as you look on the outside:
- Your blood pressure is high - Dr. Suzanne Wylie points out that blood pressure isn’t something you can reliably judge from appearance or how you feel. High blood pressure often has no symptoms and if left untreated over time, it can raise the risk for heart disease, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.
- Your cholesterol is raised - We can’t tell if our cholesterol levels are high based on how we look or feel, it has to be measured. Even if you’re at a healthy weight and are relatively young and active, you could have genetically high cholesterol.
- You’re constantly exhausted - While fatigue isn’t specific enough on its own to tell how healthy you are, it can be a warning sign of issues from stress to thyroid problems.
- You get breathless more easily than you used to - Health experts say there are several explanations for getting out of breath more easily than before, but it can be an early sign of a cardiovascular or respiratory problem.
- Your sleep is consistently poor - An occasional night of tossing and turning is common, but if you’re snoring loudly, waking repeatedly, have morning headaches and feel groggy despite getting enough hours of sleep, it could be obstructive sleep apnea, where breathing repeatedly starts and stops during sleep.
- You’re suddenly a lot thirstier or peeing more - If you’re waking up to go multiple times a night or feel much more thirsty than usual, it can sometimes indicate diabetes or kidney disease, even if you feel fine.
- Your resting heart rate has changed - If you notice your resting pulse is faster than usual, especially when you’re relaxed, it’s worth mentioning to your doctor, as it can signal abnormal heart rhythm, anemia or thyroid issues.
- Your family history tells a different story - “Someone can do everything they are supposed to do, maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly and still inherit a higher susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes or other conditions,” Dr. Wylie explains. Looks can be deceiving, so it’s important to tell your doctor about your family history, get concerning symptoms checked out, and go to your scheduled health screenings.
Source: Metro