Women truly do it all—they may work, take care of their families, and everything in between. But when it comes to their own health, sometimes it gets put off. However, it’s important to not ignore certain signs of health that could be something more than it seems.
NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar shared her expertise on TODAY, and some seemingly simple health signs women should not ignore. However, typically, the tendency for women is to think that whatever it is will just pass, so they ignore it or push off getting seen by a doctor.
“I think it’s important for women to understand that there’s no duration of a symptom that automatically makes it a red flag—some things can wait,” she says.
For example, one of the health signs you should watch out for is shortness of breath. Does that mean you need to dial 9-1-1 every time you feel a bit winded? Of course not. In fact, most women likely feel short of breath a lot of the time. So where is the line, and when should you check it out?”
“If it’s a change from your pattern, it’s something to take into consideration,” says Dr. Azar.
For example, if you haven’t been working out as much as you used to and feel super out of breath from simply switching over the laundry, you probably have nothing to worry about. But if it’s something you’re noticing regularly with no change from your daily habits, shortness of breath could mean a range of more serious diagnoses—from asthma to blood clots, pneumonia and more.
Additionally, shortness of breath doesn’t always come from the lungs, Dr. Azar cautions. “You’ve gotta think about something coming from the heart, such as a heart attack, heart failure, even an arrythmia,” she says. “So if you’re having shortness of breath that is persisting, you need to rule out that it isn’t cardiac in origin.”
Not only does Dr. Azar continue to discuss other red flag symptoms women need to look out for, she also talks about certain screening tests that women should get regularly, plus the idea that the COVID-19 vaccine can cause heavier periods among women. Check out the insightful video below and take care of yourself!
Do you ever have any of these symptoms and think it could be something more? What was the best piece of info you gained from this video?