Strange aches? Are you smelling something funny? Do you swear your hair actually hurts sometimes? What does it all mean?
Experts agree that most little physical oddities are nothing to worry about, but it’s still a good idea to understand what’s probably going on…and how to tell if the issue is a serious one.
Why: It could be due to a plugged hair follicle or an ingrown hair in your armpit (from shaving, for example) or a swollen lymph node (from an infection).
The solution: Try putting a warm compress on it several times a day and see if it goes away within a week, says Teng.
See a doctor: If it lasts longer or if it worsens (and gets red or irritated). “It could be a sign of a breast infection, a cyst, or a tumor,” says Teng.
Why: If you have a sudden increase in floaters, or have intense flashes of light, be sure to discuss it with your doctor. These could be signs of a detached retina – the part of your eye that sends images to your brain. Without medical attention, it could lead to blindness. Detachment of the retina may be associated with a physical injury or an eye disease such as glaucoma. Those little white specks that drift across your field of vision are probably just tiny pieces of tissue that stray into the vitreous, the jelly-filled chamber of each eye, says Ruth D. Williams, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
The solution: Your eye will probably reabsorb them (or you’ll just stop noticing them).
See a doctor: If those specs are black or are accompanied by flashing lights, which can signal a retinal tear.
Why: “Sneezing is a protective reflex,” says Nathanael Horne, a physician in New York City. “There’s something irritating in the nasal passages, and your nose wants to get rid of it.” So you’ll sneeze until the job gets done.
The solution: Sneeze! Once, twice, or four or more times—all are perfectly normal.
Why: You could be mildly dehydrated. Or you might have orthostatic hypotension (a.k.a. postural hypotension), which occurs when blood rushes to your feet and away from your head as you stand up suddenly. (People with low blood pressure can be especially prone to this phenomenon.)
The solution: Drink plenty of fluids and be sure that when you stand up, you do it slowly, says Donnica Moore, a physician in Far Hills, New Jersey. If you see stars anyway, grab a table or a chair to stabilize yourself or sit back down.
See a doctor: If the light-headedness persists.
Why: It’s probably
tinnitus, a perceived buzzing or whooshing sound commonly caused by partial hearing loss, says Cristina Cabrera-Muffly, an otolaryngologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Medications, including aspirin and some antibiotics; allergies; and earwax buildup can be to blame.
The solution: There’s no cure for tinnitus caused by hearing loss, but “stress-reduction techniques, such as biofeedback, may be useful to decrease your brain’s perception of the sound,” says Cabrera-Muffly.
See a doctor: If the ringing is only in one ear or is accompanied by vertigo, balance problems, or facial weakness. These symptoms could indicate an acoustic-nerve tumor.
Why: When you move your feet in a repetitive way during a workout, or if your shoes or laces are too tight, the “tiny nerves between your toes can get pinched as you put pressure on your foot,” says Sabrina Strickland, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York City, and that can make it feel uncomfortably numb.
The solution: During your workout, wiggle your toes in your shoes a few times—and loosen your laces if they’re too tight.
See a doctor: If numbness happens during other activities or you can’t make it go away. You could have a nerve problem in your foot.
Why: Sweaty palms happen to everyone now and then, and they’re a normal response to stress or a case of the jitters.
The solution: Taking a few minutes to try to relax—by breathing deeply, meditating, or visualizing a tranquil place—may help prevent or relieve the sweatiness, says Teng.
See a doctor: If your hands are constantly sweaty. You could have hyperhidrosis, a disorder involving excessive sweating of the hands, feet, or underarms. Applying an antiperspirant on the palms can treat the condition, says Roshini Raj, an assistant professor of medicine at New York University and the author of What the Yuck?! The Freaky & Fabulous Truth About Your Body. So can a medication prescribed by your doctor. In very serious cases, surgery can remove the part of the nerve that’s stimulating the sweat glands to become overactive.
Why: A subtle electrolyte imbalance (involving potassium, magnesium, or calcium) or mild dehydration may be triggering these cramps, says Teng.
The solution: Get up and walk around, then massage the muscle to help it relax.
See a doctor: If you get them nightly or during the day when you walk. A condition such as a blood-clotting disorder or nerve damage could be to blame.
Why: These hypnic jerks, or sleep starts, probably stem from nerves misfiring as your brain and body downshift into sleep mode. “An interruption in your brain’s signal to your body to relax can cause the limbs and head to jerk,” says Clete A. Kushida, M.D., the medical director of the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, in Redwood City, California.
The solution: There’s nothing you can do to prevent these harmless jerks. Fortunately, they last only a few seconds.
See a doctor: If they happen frequently or disturb your sleep, as they might be a sign of sleep apnea or periodic limb movement disorder.
Sudden confusion, also known as delirium, comes on quickly and includes signs such as struggling to focus, mumbling, appearing groggy or not knowing who or where you are, or seeing things that are not real. Delirium has many possible causes, including carbon monoxide poisoning, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, seizures, cancer, infection and more, which require immediate medical attention.
When iron levels are extremely low, a person may notice that their tongue becomes inflamed and appears to be multiple shades of red. There may also be some swelling, which flattens the tongue’s grooves, making it appear smoother than usual.
All of these symptoms are indicative of glossitis or tongue inflammation.
If you’re feeling just a little bit off, you shouldn’t ignore it. Stress can affect our emotions, how we behave, and your body in lots of different ways. Sometimes when we are stressed, we might be able to tell right away. But at other times, we might keep going without recognizing the signs.
If you are stressed, you might feel:
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