Silent Signs Your Body Is In Big Trouble

Subtle clues—from handwriting to snoring— can reveal the earliest warnings of illness. here’s how to read your own distress signals.

- Hallie Levine and Kathakoli Dasgupta

YOUR GUT IS IN BIG TROUBLE 

Damage to your teeth

“I often get referrals from dentists with patients who don’t feel heartburn or other reflux symptoms, but their teeth enamel is completely worn down,” says Evan Dellon, MD, a gastrointestinal (GI) specialist at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, USA. Many are shocked to learn they have acid reflux. While sugary drinks wear down front teeth, acid from your oesophagus tends to dissolve enamel at the back, leaving a funny taste in your mouth.

Other subtle but suspicious symptoms of reflux: a persistent sore throat, coughing, unexplained wheezing. “We get referrals from ENT specialists for these complaints that don’t seem to have a respiratory connection,” says Dr Ajay Kumar, executive director, gastroenterology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi. If you notice any of these warning signs, see a GI specialist promptly. Untreated reflux not only leads to tooth decay but can also increase your risk for oesophageal cancer.

Itchy, blistery skin rash

This reaction, which breaks out on the elbows, knees, butt, back or scalp, may look suspiciously like eczema, but could be a more serious issue: coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition in which ingesting even the tiniest amount of gluten [a form of protein in grains such as wheat, rye and barley] causes your body to attack its own intestines. This rash is known as dermatitis herpetiformis. Many patients show no digestive symptoms, so it’s best not to ignore a rash.