30/06/2026
The red flag trend may be over on social media, but in medicine, there are some red flags that never go out of style.
Some illnesses arrive suddenly. Others whisper for weeks or months before they finally get your attention.
Here are 5 symptoms I never ignore: (swipe left ⬅️)
🚩 Persistent fatigue
Feeling tired after a full night's sleep isn't "just getting older." It could be anaemia, thyroid disease, sleep apnoea, depression, vitamin D deficiency, or many other medical conditions.
🚩 A change in your bowel or bladder habits
Blood. Black stools. Pencil-thin stools. Frothy urine. Blood in the urine. Going much more or much less than usual. These all deserve a medical assessment.
🚩 Unintentional weight loss
If you're losing weight without trying, don't assume it's stress. This is one symptom I never advise people to ignore (nor would ignore myself).
🚩 Severe or persistent pain
Pain is your body's alarm system. Whether it's headaches, back pain, abdominal pain or joint pain, don't simply learn to live with it, especially if the pain changes suddenly or becomes more severe.
🚩 Chest pain
Not every episode of chest pain is a heart attack, but some are (or worse). Chest pain, especially with shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness or sweating, should never be diagnosed at home.
The biggest piece of advice I can give?
Learn the language of your body.
It usually tells you when something isn't right. The key is listening before the whisper becomes a scream.
*Look out for next month's blog post "When the body talks"*
