If you catch even the most severe ailment in time, you have a chance of being cured. Don’t let the fear of COVID make you stay home. Aitana found a lump on her breast in April of last year. Despite the fright that he got, the confinement and the fear of contagion made him stay home. He did not consult the doctor then, or in May, or in June … Well into July, he decided to go since the lump was still there.
In his case, the worst prognosis was confirmed. It was breast cancer. Although today he is in expert hands and his life is not in danger, if he had gone earlier, his case would have been easier to treat. And what most worries the experts are all the Aitanas (and Antonios) who have not decided to go to the consultations.
Table of Contents
1. The Other “Wave” That Is Coming After Us After Covid
Doctors fear that, once the pressure due to the coronavirus eases, problems due to the delay in diagnosing other diseases will surface. There will be another “wave” of cases that will be, like Aitana’s, more challenging to treat.
Taking cancer as an example, Dr. Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, president of the SEOM, affirms that “with a lower diagnosis rate, we are concerned if the tumors are going to arrive in more advanced stages, or if they are going to arrive.”
See your doctor when necessary. Don’t do like Aitana. Don’t worry, take care. If you detect a lump, a mole that changes its appearance, a sore in the mouth that does not heal … go to the doctor. So that you can get your bearings, we have developed this “anti-panic guide” with easy checkups to do at home that will help you see if you should ask for a consultation.
2. How Is Your Heart?
Taking your blood pressure regularly at home and taking into account specific symptoms can give you an idea of whether your heart is at risk.
How should you do it? Ideally, please take it in the morning on an empty stomach. Sit down first to be relaxed. You must have your back supported, your legs uncrossed, and your arm supported and at the level of your heart. If the values are equal to or more excellent than 14/9 cm / Hg, it is high, and if this happens frequently, it may be due to heart problems.
Have you got little yellow bumps on your eyelids? It may indicate that blood cholesterol has skyrocketed. Check with your doctor because it is a significant risk factor for heart disease.
Do you feel heartburn and palpitations? If you also have back or shoulder pain, cold sweat, pressure in the chest behind the sternum or stabbing notes, nausea, suffocation … you could be having a heart attack because they are the most frequent symptoms in women.
In his case, the worst prognosis was confirmed. It was breast cancer. Although today he is in expert hands and his life is not in danger, if he had gone earlier, his case would have been easier to treat. And what most worries the experts are all the Aitanas (and Antonios) who have not decided to go to the consultations.
3. The Problem Is That There Are Many More Atenas
The combination of hospitals saturated by the COVID-19 pandemic and people afraid to go to the doctor for getting infected in the waiting room has created the perfect storm.
Many serious ailments are not being diagnosed because people stay at home. And when they reach a doctor, they are in more advanced stages, which makes them have a worse prognosis.
Without going any further, the Society for Medical Oncology (SEOM) has calculated that, throughout 2020, 1 in 5 cases of cancer in Spain have ceased to be detected, that is, 20% less than in previous years.
4. Before You Flush, Take A Look At This
We should check our stools with a specific frequency because they can give us many clues about our health, especially colon cancer, the second most common tumor in women and men. I think that 90% of cases could be cured if detected in the early stages.
Why check the stool? Because a change in your bowel habits – alternating constipation with diarrhea – or in the shape or size of your seat over a certain period can be signs of colon cancer.
What should alert me? Your stools are thin like a pencil, which could be due to the presence of polyps, lumps that are usually benign but can become malignant. Also that they have a blackish color or black pants because it indicates that there may be blood in the stool due to these polyps.
5. And Also, Look At The Color Of Your Urine
And it is that the color of your urine gives you many clues also of the health of your kidneys or liver. It may not be life-threatening, but it is a reason to see your doctor.
What to look out for? If you have not eaten foods that can stain the urine, such as beets or dyes, etc., and it has a reddish or dark brown color, make an appointment with your doctor. This symptom can be accompanied by others, such as yellow eyes, fatigue …
6. Apply The “Abcd” Rule To Your Skin
The incidence of skin cancer is on the rise. Each year, 10% more cases of basal cell carcinoma, one of its most common forms, are diagnosed. Therefore, regularly checking our freckles and moles applying the “ABC” rule is a guide to detecting possible skin tumors.
What does each letter correspond to? Asymmetric. That the mole is asymmetric is the first warning sign.
Edges. Skin cancer has jagged or poorly defined borders.
Color. Be suspicious when the color of the mole changes from one area to another. It can go from bronze to black, or it can be white, red, or blue.
I diameter. Rapid growth is usually also an alarming symptom.
Do not miss any part … Start with the head, continue through the trunk and back. In this area, you do not have the help of another person, and you can check it using two mirrors. Finish off arms and legs. Also, check behind the ears and scalp. You can ask your hairdresser.
7. Checks, Why Are They Important
Because the early detection of serious diseases is critical to be able to overcome them.
a. Ictus
30% of strokes leave disabling sequelae by going to the emergency room late. If it arrives 4 hours after it occurs, it may not leave sequelae, but after 8 hours, the brain damage may be irreversible.
b. Breast cancer
The chances of cure for breast cancers that are detected in their initial stage are almost 100%, according to the Association against Cancer.
c. Colon cancer
90% of cases could be cured if detected in the early stages.
d. Lung cancer
92% of lung cancer is cured if it is detected early.
e. Infarct
A study has shown that calling 112 instead of going to the ER on your own improves survival and can prevent complications.
8. Stroke Symptoms You Should Know
a. SMILE
Be suspicious if, when trying to smile, the right or left part of the mouth does not move. There may be tingling on that side of the body.
b. REPETITION
When the stroke occurs, the affected person may have problems even repeating straightforward phrases. Ask me to check it out.
c. ARMS UP
Another prominent symptom is, when asking him to raise his arms, that it is impossible or that when doing so, one falls collapses.
d. AND ALSO
You may also feel a sudden headache, impaired vision (blurred, double vision …), or suffer from imbalances or dizziness. If you find that a person is suffering a stroke, urgently call 112 and follow the instructions they give you. Speed is key.
