14 hidden signs you’re not as healthy as you think

Of course this doesn’t apply if you’ve started a new diet or exercise program. But “if you’re not trying to lose weight and you’re losing more than two kilos without any effort then you need to see a doctor,” says Dr Bhatia. “The two-kilo rule is a pretty safe guide – almost everyone I know fluctuates that amount – but if you’re having progressive steady weight loss, that’s something bigger and needs to be seen.”

You can blame weight loss on all sorts of disorders – from stress and chronic illness, to digestive disorders and infections, to chronic anaemia and cancer, says Dr Bhatia. See a doctor if you’ve lost more than 5 kilos (or 5 per cent of your normal body weight) over a span of six to 12 months or less, and you don’t know why.

Just like unexplained weight loss, unexplained weight gain is also something to see a doctor about. “Many people will dismiss it,” says Dr Bhatia. “They think they can get a handle on it and before they know it five kilos has turned into ten has turned into 20.”

It could be a sign of an underactive thyroid, polycystic ovarian syndrome, or Cushing’s syndrome. Did you start a new medication? Lots of drugs – like corticosteroids, birth control pills, diabetes meds, and some drugs used to treat bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression – can cause you to gain weight. “If you see your doctor at the four- or five-kilo mark, it’s much easier to reverse it,” says Dr Bhatia.

Don’t miss these sneaky things making you gain weight.

If you never feel like getting frisky between the sheets, you might want to talk to a healthcare provider about it. You wouldn’t be the first. “It’s a common complaint I get from women, but it’s increasingly common in men,” says Dr Bhatia. “Women are overwhelmed and exhausted, and since libido is tied into emotions, we see libido go down if there’s a disconnect from themselves or their partners.”

As for men, Dr Bhatia blames what she calls “the oestrogenisation of men,” which happens when there’s “a convergence of high stress, very poor lifestyle habits, and weight gain,” she says. As a result, “it’s almost like men are dropping their testosterone level faster than they did in the past and that’s affecting their libido.”

Having a low libido can be totally normal, but it can also be caused by a hormone imbalance, depression, or certain medications.

In the meantime, try these 12 surprising things that boost your libido.

Shedding between 50 and 100 strands of hair per day is normal. But if you’re losing more than that, “you should call your doctor,” says Dr Wu.

“Hair loss can be a normal consequence of ageing, heredity – especially for men – or hormone changes, but it can also result from medical conditions,” he says. Those include “scalp infections, thyroid disorders, immune disorders, and sudden traumatic events.  Certain medicines can cause hair loss including some for cancer, arthritis, high blood pressure, or heart disease.”

If you’re eating a high-fibre diet and drinking a lot of water, and you’re not pooping regularly, take note. “The digestive system needs to empty to reset for other things and when it doesn’t there’s a shift in bacteria that then drives inflammation, which leads to chronic disease,” says Dr Bhatia. “So the gut is ground zero for health.”

Of course, “regular” means different things to different people – the Continence Foundation of Australia defines regular as one to three movements per day to three per week – so a change in pattern is what matters. “Chronic constipation or trouble emptying could be a sign of colon issues, thyroid disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, hormone imbalance in women, autoimmune disease – the list is pretty long,” says Dr Bhatia. “If you go three or four weeks without having a bowel movement, you need to talk to your doctor.”

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Source: RD.com