The saying goes: “Out of sight, out of mind.” This is exactly the case with diabetes, hepatitis and hypertension whose symptoms can sometimes be so minor that they’re often overlooked.
Hypertension, hepatitis and diabetes might not show immediate or severe symptoms but can become life threatening if not treated.
In this blog we take a look at these silent killers, their symptoms, what could potentially happen if left untreated and how to prevent them:
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is the medical term for the inflammation of the liver. Because hepatitis shows very few or any symptoms, millions of people are living with it without even knowing. If left untreated, hepatitis can become deadly.
There are many causes for hepatitis, including viral infections (hepatitis A; B; C; D or E), bacterial infections, autoimmune disorders, toxins and alcohol abuse.
Can lead to:
- Liver cirrhosis
- Liver cancer
- Liver failure
- Death
Symptoms:
The severity of symptoms may vary depending on the cause of hepatitis. These symptoms should not be ignored:
- Stomach pain
- Extreme nausea and vomiting
- Discoloured urine
- High fever
- Yellowing of skin tone (jaundice)
Prevention:
Viral hepatitis like hepatitis A, B, and D can be prevented by a simple vaccine. Hepatitis C and E, however, do not offer a vaccine but can be prevented by taking precautions like practising safe sex and not coming into close contact with infected blood.
For more about the different types of hepatitis, click here.
Hypertension
Hypertension is more commonly known as high blood pressure and affects every four in 10 adults across the world. This means that billions of people are living with hypertension and approximately 50% of these don’t know of their condition.
High blood pressure is caused when the pressure of your blood against the walls of your arteries is higher than normal.
Read more about hypertension here.
Can lead to:
- Hardened arteries, thickened and torn blood vessels
- Weakened and narrowed blood vessels
- Aneurysm
- Heart failure
- Stroke
- Death
Symptoms:
High blood pressure rarely shows symptoms which make it very hard to diagnose yourself.
If you pick up on any of these symptoms, consult your GP at once:
- Dizziness
- Blood spots in the eyes
- In rare cases, frequent nosebleeds and extreme headaches
Prevention:
- A healthy and balanced lifestyle
- A diet low in sodium/salt
- Healthy body weight
- Regular exercise
- Not smoking
- Limited alcohol use
- Low stress life
- Regular GP checkups
Diabetes
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where either the body has trouble producing insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the body cannot use insulin effectively (type 2 diabetes).
Read more about the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, here.
Can lead to:
- Blindness
- Kidney failure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Leg and foot amputation
Symptoms:
The warning signs that you may have diabetes can be so mild that you may miss them. But look out for these:
- Extreme fatigue
- Urinating more often
- Being more hungry or thirsty than normal
- Dry mouth
- Itchy skin
- Blurred vision
- Sores or cuts that take longer than usual to heal
- Pain or numbness in feet
Prevention:
In many cases, type 2 diabetes can be controlled through a healthy diet, regular exercise and balanced lifestyle.
Visit your GP today
If you suspect that you may have any of the abovementioned conditions, it’s best advised to consult your doctor as soon as possible.
With GetSavvi Health’s Primary Care Plan and Primary Care Plan +, you get unlimited doctors’ visits to help detect any underlying conditions you may have.
To find out more about our options, click here, fill in the form and a GetSavvi Health consultant will contact you shortly.