Even if you make an effort to look after your health, there might be risks to your wellbeing that you’re not aware of. Whether it’s excessive stress or a medical condition that doesn’t show any symptoms, it’s important to watch out for all possible dangers to your health. With this in mind, here are three hidden risks you should know about.
- STIs
Many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have obvious symptoms, but some can slip under your radar. For example, the most common STI in the UK is chlamydia and around 70 per cent of women and half of men with this infection don’t experience any symptoms. If you have an STI and don’t realise it, the consequences can be serious. In the case of chlamydia, the infection can spread to other areas of the body and result in long-term medical problems including infertility.
So, even if you feel fine, if there’s a chance you’ve been exposed to an STI, it’s important to get tested as soon as possible. You can do this at your local sexual health clinic and some community contraceptive clinics and GP surgeries also offer testing services. Tests for a range of infections are now available from pharmacies too. For example, you can get a chlamydia test from LloydsPhamacy Online Doctor. Bear in mind that the sooner you get tested, the simpler and more effective your treatment will be if you do have an infection.
- High blood pressure
More than a quarter of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, and many of these people don’t realise it. This medical problem rarely has noticeable symptoms, but it can cause a range of potentially serious health issues. It puts excessive strain on organs including your brain and heart, as well as on your blood vessels. If it’s not treated effectively in time, it can increase your risk of conditions including heart attacks, heart disease, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia.
The only way to know for sure if you have high blood pressure is to get tested. Your GP or pharmacist can do this for you and it’s also now possible to buy tests you can use at home. If you discover you do have high blood pressure, your doctor will be able to recommend the most suitable course of treatment. This could include making lifestyle changes and taking medicines.
- Stress
Experiencing some stress is completely natural. However, if you’re too wound up over a long period of time, you could be putting your health at risk without even knowing it. Prolonged stress can take its toll on your immune system and it could increase your chances of developing serious medical problems like heart disease and high blood pressure. It could also mean that you end up drinking or smoking more as a coping mechanism, which is also bad news for your wellbeing.
So, if you think you’re under too much pressure, now’s the time to take action. This could mean making changes to your work or home life to try to ease the strain. Doing more exercise might also help you to de-stress, and you may find it useful to speak to people about your problems. Try to eat healthily and get enough sleep too.
If you’re not careful, hidden health risks like these can have a big impact on your wellbeing, so it pays to know how to avoid them.
Collaboration