Health - Wellness
'Silent' Medical Conditions You Should Really Be Aware Of
By ARIANE LANG
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is when plaque builds up on the artery walls, blocking the blood flow and leading to a heart attack.
Common signs of CAD are chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, and feeling tired. The good news is that CAD can be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle.
Silent Heart Attack
According to Harvard Health, elusive heart events make up a whopping 45% of all heart attacks and have a soft spot for men, impacting them more than women.
People experiencing the heart attack might be tired, have mild throat or chest pain, or feel perfectly normal during and after, making it a dangerous, easily missed threat.
High Blood Pressure
When the blood flowing through your veins exerts greater force than it should, it quietly damages your heart and sets the stage for serious health issues.
High blood pressure or hypertension is known as the "silent killer" due to its lack of symptoms, which makes it hard to detect until it's already too late.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition when the pancreas doesn’t produce or maintain enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Diabetes symptoms can be deceptively mild.
Per Healthline, excessive hunger and thirst, unexplained weight loss, frequent urination, vision problems, fatigue, and slow-healing sores are all potential red flags.
Ovarian Cancer
Per Northwestern Medicine, this complex disease has over 30 distinct types and doesn't show noticeable signs in its early stages, making detection tricky.
The symptoms, if they manifest, are common to women, and none are exclusive to ovarian cancer. Unlike other cancers, there's no routine or reliable screening test.