Three symptoms of deadly diseases you shouldn’t ignore

Published January 28, 2013 11:44am

According to the resident doctors of “Pinoy MD,” GMA 7’s weekend health show, lack of time is one of the top reasons many Filipinos don’t consult a doctor when they notice alarming changes in their bodies. Another reason is the fear of going to clinics and hearing “bad news.” “Pinoy MD” resident internist Doctor Rolando “Doc Oyie” Balburias reminds that ignoring even seemingly harmless symptoms could be dangerous. “Kapag may nararamdaman ka na, you really have to go [to the doctor] lalo na kapag persistent ang nararamdaman,” he said. Here are three seemingly harmless symptoms that could be signs of serious illness, including both heart disease and diabetes. “Pinoy MD” advises that if you’re feeling any one of these symptoms, it would be wise to consult a doctor. “Kapag present sa’yo [ang tatlong sintomas na] ito, aba’y isa kang walking time bomb. Anytime pwede kang magkaroon ng heart attack, at risk ka of having stroke,” says Doc Oyie. Symptom you shouldn’t ignore #1: Daytime drowsiness Neil Pasion, a 28-year old soft drink distributor, told “Pinoy MD” that he knew something was wrong when he started to feel tired and drowsy even though he was getting enough sleep. Neil said he would even get sleepy while driving: “Pag nagda-drive ako, yosi hanggang sa makarating ako sa pupuntahan ko. Pag mas malayo pupuntahan ko, mas maraming yosi nauubos ko.” Daytime drowsiness can be normal for people who don’t get enough sleep at night, like workers on a graveyard shift or those who have insomnia. But if you get enough sleep at night and you often feel drowsy during daytime, it might be a sign of diabetes. People who have diabetes have low levels of insulin, or the substance which carries sugar or glucose from the blood to the different body organs. When there’s an insufficient supply of insulin, the sugar accumulates. Stored and unused sugar can cause a lack of energy, sluggishness and daytime drowsiness. At first Neil was afraid to go to the doctor, but he later changed his mind. “Number one na nagpaisip sa akin ng ganyan yung anak ko, kasi gusto ko siyang makitang lumaki, gumraduate ng college,” Neil said. “Pinoy MD” brought Neil to Doc Oyie’s clinic to get him checked. Doc Oyie found out that the 28-year-old soft drink distributor has high cholesterol, and advised Neil to change his diet if he wants to save his health. “Mataas yung risk factor niya sa heart disease, kahit bata pa siya, I would say na pwede siyang maging kandidato para magkaroon ng both heart and brain attack,” said Doc Oyie. Symptom you shouldn’t ignore #2: Shortness of breath If you’re experiencing shortness of breath or difficulty breathing even during light activity such as short walks, you might have high blood pressure or even cardiovascular disease. The heart is responsible for pumping both blood and oxygen to different parts of the body. If your heart is weak, it may not be able to supply your entire body with oxygen. An insufficient supply of oxygen causes a person to gasp for breath. Symptom you shouldn’t ignore #3: Frequent neck pain Neck pains, especially when accompanied with headache, might be a sign of a cardiovascular disease, as well. “Ang cardiovascular disease, mula pa noong 1985, number one na siya kung ano ang laging ikinamamatay ng mga Pilipino,” said Doc Oyie. High blood pressure is often caused by the accumulation of fat in the veins. The biggest veins in the human body can be found in the neck. They don’t easily get clogged but when they do, it can be something serious. Consult your doctor immediately The internist also pointed out that these symptoms do not develop overnight. “Karamihan sa mga ito ay matagal nang nandoon sa indibidwal bago pa man na-detect,” he said. If you are experiencing these three body symptoms, don’t wait until it’s too late. Consult the doctor because as cliched as it may sound, prevention is better than cure. “Kung may mga nakikita ka nang sirkumstansiya na nagdudulot ng problema sa kalusugan mo, then you have to stop that,” Doc Oyie added. --Rica Fernandez/PF, GMA News

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