UPDATE:
HEALTH experts have warned that frequent nosebleeds could be a sign of much more serious medical conditions.
While nosebleeds are common in pregnancy, for those on blood- thinning drugs and as a result of injuries and allergies, frequent bleeding could be an early sign of serious problems.
And a host of other minor ailments, including swollen ankles, headaches and moles, can also act as vital warnings of health concerns.
Regular nosebleeds can be an indication of high blood pressure, the bleeding disorder haemophilia and, in rare cases, nose cancer.
Research suggests one in four people suffer regular nosebleeds but around 74 per cent of them are unaware of how serious they could be. Roddy Morrison, chairman of the Haemophilia Society, said: “Some 20,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with a bleedingdisorder.
Warning “However, it is estimated that a further one per cent of the population remains undiagnosed.”
Nosebleeds are just one of the body’s many early warning signals.
Here’s our guide to knowing what your body is trying to tell you.
The “thunderclap” headache is a severe sudden headache which reaches maximum intensity within a minute and lasts between an hour and 10 days.
They could be nothing to worry about or a symptom of minor problems such as sinus infections.
But in some instances, it can be caused by bleeding on the brain, an unruptured aneurysm or other blood vessel problems.
A headache that occurs during sex could also, on occasion, indicate something much more serious, like a stroke or haemorrhage.
Sharp, stabbing headaches caused by bending, coughing, laughing or sneezing could just be increasing blood pressure but, if they are frequent, severe or lengthy, they could point to problems such as brain tumours.
Everyone is prone to bumps and bruises but an unusual amount of bruising could be the first sign of a blood disorder like leukaemia, especially in children.
Dry, greasy and unmanageable hair or hair that is turning grey prematurely could be a sign of a poorly functioning thyroid.
Coughing and wheezing could be the symptoms of asthma but it could also be the early stages of lung cancer.
New moles and black spots that itch, bleed or increase in size are classic signs of skin cancer.
Women suffering fatigue may need more than just an early night – research has shownwomen are more likely to suffer tiredness rather than chest pains prior to a heart attack.
Lumps in the armpits could be blocked sweat glands or a build-up in the hair follicles but they could also be an early sign of cancer.
Blood in stools or in vomit could be a sign of an ulcer or cancer. Swollen ankles could be just water retention, an allergic reaction or even the result of poorly fitting shoes but it is possible that they could be a symptom of deep vein thrombosis,circulatory disorders or diabetes An increasedurge to urinatecould be a signal of both diabetes or prostate cancer in men.
Bleeding after the menopause could be harmless, caused by the use of birth control pills or a hormonal imbalance, but it could also be a sign of non-cancerous growths in the uterus or uterine cancer Many diseases and serious conditions can be detected bychanges in fingernails and toenails.
Flaky, split and ridged nails can be a sign of nutritional deficiencies and may show that you are not absorbing nutrients from your food.
Splitting nails may denote a lack of essential fatty acids which help protect against heart disease and arthritis, while white patches often indicate a zinc deficiency.
Nails with a blue tint may show circulatory disorders. Kidney disease can make nails half pink and half white, while lung diseases and diabetes can make nails thick and yellow
Read more here: Nosebleeds
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