From excessive sweating to painful bowel motions, embarrassing symptoms can be mortifying to talk about.
However Dr Deyo Famuboni, a GP in London, warns there can be underlying causes for the most humiliating health issues.
Writing for Healthista, she said: 'You may be worried about what would happen when you see your healthcare professional.
'This
is understandable, however we are here to make sure you are well looked
after and have all appropriate tests and treatments and feel healthy.'
Here, she reveals the seven embarrassing symptoms you should never ignore...
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From an abnormal smell to a lack of
sex drive, Dr Deyo Famuboni, a GP in London, reveals the seven
embarrassing health symptoms you should never ignore
EXCESSIVE SWEATING
According to the NHS, most people sweat about a litre a day.
But some of us, around three people in 100, produce ten times as much sweat each day.
There are various reasons why sweating can become excessive.
Sweating
continuously, regardless of activity or stress levels, usually
indicates that the sweat glands are constantly activated.
This is a condition called hyperhidrosis.
And it can be focal – meaning, in the armpits or palms – or generalised.
The cause of this can range from infections to drugs to hormone problems, or the cause can be unknown.
Finding and treating the underlying reason is, therefore, crucial.
If antiperspirants don't work, focal sweating can be reduced with items such as deoderants available on prescription.
A
referral to a dermatologist may be required as other treatment options
such as ionotophoresis (the use of water currents to stop focal
sweating), oral medications or Botox are also available.
Sweating continuously, regardless of
activity or stress levels, usually indicates the sweat glands are
constantly activated. This is a condition called hyperhidrosis.
PAINFUL BOWEL MOTIONS
This can occur as a result of passing stools too frequently or infrequently.
It
is often due to haemorrhoids or fissures around the back passage.
Straining due to constipation exacerbates this as it causes trauma to
the surrounding area.
The pain makes you less inclined to pass stools and this can make it worse as stools get drier and more difficult to move.
It is important to have this treated so as to prevent severe constipation, profuse bleeding or infection in that area.
Painful bowel motions, associated with bleeding or abdominal pain should be investigated by a GP
Treating
constipation with dietary changes - including fibre rich foods,
exercise and water - is vital to help piles or a fissure heal.
Laxatives
and topical ointments and suppositories - where drugs are delivered
through the vagina, rectum or urethra - can also be obtained from a
pharmacy or prescribed.
This
symptom can also be associated with bleeding or lower abdominal
discomfort or pain – this warrants a review by your healthcare
provider.
Around one in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer in their lifetimes and both of these are symptoms.
NIPPLE CHANGES
This includes leaky or inverted nipples or skin changes around the nipple area.
There are several causes for this, including problems with your hormones.
Provided
you are not breastfeeding, producing breast milk should be investigated
as it may be due to an excess of the hormone prolactin.
This is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, named so because of its role in lactation.
Other causes include medications, stress, thyroid and kidney problems. These are all treatable.
If
left untreated, it can affect your periods, cause infertility,
contribute to osteoporosis and cause pressure effects if due to the
benign growth.
Your
health practitioner would ask further questions regarding associated
symptoms. This may include your family history, menstrual cycle,
contraceptive use and vision.
They would then carry out an examination and might organise blood tests.
Depending
on their findings, a referral to a breast or hormone specialist may be
warranted as you might need a mammogram, ultrasound or biopsy to check
for breast cancer.
ABNORMAL SMELL
When
the natural environment in the vagina becomes upset, this can lead to
an overgrowth of bacteria which causes a ‘fishy’ smell.
This
is a condition called bacterial vaginosis, the most common form of
discharge in women of childbearing age. It might be associated with
discharge and itching.
This
is different from a yeast infection (thrush) which causes itch with an
odourless discharge and can easily be treated with an over the counter
medication such as Canesten cream.
When the natural environment in the
vagina becomes upset, this can lead to a condition called bacterial
vaginosis. An overgrowth of bacteria (pictured under the microscope)
causes a ‘fishy’ smell
Depending on your symptoms and sexual history, your doctor may examine you and take samples to rule out other infections.
A vaginal gel or antibiotics may be prescribed by your doctor.
Usually,
bacterial vaginosis doesn’t cause further problems, however, if it
occurs at certain times, such as during pregnancy, it may increase the
risk of delivering earlier than expected.
It
is also associated with a higher risk of sexually transmitted
infections and inflammation of the pelvic region so it’s worth having it
treated by your doctor.
BLOATING
Though
often harmless - and due to eating foods or drinks that produce excess
wind - bloating can also be due to other conditions.
Bloating could be a sign of coeliac disease or fibroids (file photo)
If
unexplained or associated with other symptoms, for instance, urine or
bowel frequency, abdominal pain, then a visit to your doctor is
warranted.
They
might test for problems such as coeliac disease - an intolerance to the
gluten protein found in food, affecting one in 100 people.
They might also test for fibroids, non-cancerous tumours that grow in or around the womb.
Fibroids
are common, affecting up to 40 per cent of women (they’re not harmful
but your doctor may treat the symptoms with medication and/or surgery).
Depending on their findings, they may also do blood tests and scans to rule out anything sinister such as ovarian cancer.
INCONTINENCE
Women
often find they leak urine when exercising, especially running, or when
they cough, sneeze, lift something heavy or laugh.
This is known as stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and can be due to the increase in abdominal pressure with exercise.
It can also be due to an overactive bladder, which is known as urge incontinence.
Some women have both stress and urge incontinence.
In addition to exercise, other causes for this include medications, weak pelvic muscles, urine infections, to name a few.
Treatment options vary depending on the underlying cause.
It
is important to see your doctor to rule out any structural
abnormalities, test your urine and direct you in the treatment path that
would be more suited to your symptoms.
This includes pelvic floor exercises or bladder retraining or seeing a (gynea) urologist.
LOW LIBIDO
The cause of this is complicated and could be due to physical, psychological and social reasons.
Women
can experience this due to hormone changes, however, mental health
problems, such as depression are a common cause for this.
Depression affects the chemicals in your brain which are required for a normal libido such as serotonin.
Depression can cause sex drive to plummet as it affects the chemicals in the brain required for a normal libido (file photo)
There may be other symptoms of depression such as trouble sleeping, general aches, as well as feeling sad and hopeless.
Speaking
to your healthcare professional can help work out whether your symptoms
are due to depression or stress and also signpost you to the best
treatment option for you – such as talking therapy, mindfulness or
exercise therapy.
Medication might be required as a last resort, depending on the severity of your situation.
It should ideally be one with minimal effects of libido.
Ssome antidepressants affect a woman’s libido and ability to orgasm.
Therefore you might need to try a couple of different ones before settling on one that doesn’t have this effect for you.
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