Amy Korn-Reavis, respiratory therapist and sleep technologist, cautions you should not ignore sleep-related issues. “I have been working in this field for a long time. I believe one of the things people do not talk to their physicians about is their sleep problems,” she says. “If a person has heart issues, diabetes, or high blood pressure and they have issues sleeping, snoring, or high levels of fatigue, they should talk to their physician about it.”
If you don’t know where to begin and are suffering from the conditions mentioned, Korn-Reavis suggests using an Epworth sleepiness scale or a Berlin questionnaire and discussing the results with your doctor.
Although we’re all familiar with the occasional headache, it can sometimes also indicate a serious problem like a brain tumor or meningitis, says Dr. Gruver. If your headache is accompanied by a fever, stiff neck, or vomiting or lasts an unusually long time (more than a few days), it should be investigated, she says.
Other symptoms that require medical attention: A sever headache that comes on suddenly; a headache accompanied by slurred speech, vision problems, trouble moving your arms and legs, loss of balance, confusion, or memory loss; a headache that gets worse over a 24-hour period; a headache that occurs with a head injury.
Dr. Gruver has had several clients who have had facial pain and were misdiagnosed. “They went from dentist to dentist to find out they ultimately had shingles in the facial nerve,” she says. “Because it wasn’t treated quickly, it led to painful and permanent neuropathy in the face. It could have also lead to blindness.”
