WHEN SHOULD YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM?!

Find yourself searching for a "hospital near me"? If you are looking for a sign to go to the hospital this may just be it. Or maybe you have a headstrong, stubborn family member who is flat-out ignoring their own health issues, and you’re worried, go ahead and send them this video. Actually, while you’re at it, save this video for reference and keep watching because what I am about to tell you may just save your life one day.

And of course if you think you are experiencing a true emergency, please call 9-11 (Or your country's emergency equivalent) and or get to the hospital immediately.

10. Trouble Breathing

Are you huffing and puffing? Having difficulty breathing suddenly, wheezing or having any kind of out-of-the-blue shortness of breath? Well, you may want to have 9-11 on speed dial because this sudden onset of shortness of breath may indicate something much more serious that requires immediate medical attention. Definitely get to an emergency room if this is the case. As an ER Doctor, when I hear a patient is having sudden breathing trouble: there is a laundry list of medical conditions that could cause this we need to rule out the bad ones ASAP. Things like heart attack, blood clots in the lungs, problems with your aorta, other lung problems like a collapsed lung, asthma complications, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD), heart problems like cardiovascular disease, heart failure, infections in the airways like croup, bronchitis, pneumonia, the list goes on and on. Not to scare you but Trouble breathing is very serious and we need to rule out the potential life-threatening causes for your sudden shortness of breath.

A normal level of oxygen in the body is usually 95% or higher. Some people with chronic lung disease or sleep apnea can have lower normal levels around 90%. You can measure it on things like this oximeter that you can buy easily online on like amazon or something. But if your oxygen level drops below 90-95% or you just feel uncomfortable and are having trouble catching your breath, definitely get to the hospital now. I repeat definitely go to the hospital.

9. Chest Pain

If you have chest pain that lasts longer than 5 minutes and doesn't go away, I repeat chest pain for 5 minutes and doesn't go away. Even when you rest or take medication, this could be seriously life-threatening. Especially if you find that your chest pain is paired with shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea, fatigue, lightheadedness, or any other pain that radiates out to other body parts like your arm for instance. This is definitely caused for major concern and you need to get to the hospital ASAP.

Your chest pain could be due to things like a heart attack (coronary occlusion), aortic aneurysm dissection, myocarditis, esophageal spasm, esophagitis, rib injury, and anxiety, among many other serious life-threatening issues. The moral of the story, is if you or one of your loved ones thinks they can just ignore their sudden chest pain or quote "work through it." Like I’ve heard a million times before, I’m telling you don’t be that person. Get to the hospital. Chest pain is your body's internal warning system to seek medical attention. So listen to it. Get to the Emergency Department.

8. Displaced or Open Wound Fractures

In layman's terms: Broken bones. Fractures in doctor’s speak just mean broken. And displaced fractures can either be open or closed. In other words, when you break a bone, the skin is sometimes intact (aka it’s a closed fracture) or if the bone breaks through the skin that in doctor's speak is called an open fracture). But no matter what you call it, if you break something in your body, or have a suspicion you or someone you love broke a bone, seek medical attention right away.

In the Emergency department, we’ll first assess the injury and take x-rays to see just how bad of a break it is. Then we’ll decide whether we need to splint it, sling it, or whether you may require a reduction procedure or surgery to put the bones back in place. It's also important to get checked out because you want to make sure that the displaced bone isn't doing anything bad like cutting off the blood supply somewhere or pinching a nerve for instance. And it's also important for pain management, even if you don't really have pain now. Not properly taking care of a bone fracture can cause major issues down the line. Get treated today and you’ll minimize things like growth issues, arthritis, osteoporosis or other pain in the future. Have you ever broken a bone? Let me know which one and what that experience was like for you in the comments below.

7. Fainting or Dizziness

Fainting is when you suddenly lose consciousness for a short period of time. You're talking, for example, doing something, and then boom the lights just go out, and maybe you fall to the floor. This is usually caused by a sudden drop in blood flow to the brain. These types of fainting episodes usually last a few seconds or even minutes. Usually, right before the temporary loss of consciousness, a person will feel dizzy, lightheaded, maybe even nauseous, cold, or clammy. Then your field of vision just sort of goes blank.

Passing out or Fainting can be caused by many different things: pain, being overheated, the sight of blood, and anxiety. Lots of different causes. But If a person you know faints in front of you, lie them down on the ground, definitely don’t get back up too quickly because this could cause a person to faint again. Remember it’s that sudden blood pressure change. So stay low to the ground to avoid further injury. Also make sure you call your doctor or head to the hospital because medically we need to investigate whether or not there is a more serious underlying medical issue going on that is causing the fainting episodes..

6. Reason to go to the ER: Sudden Numbness or Weakness

Numbness in the body usually happens when there is a lack of blood supply to an area, nerve compression, or even nerve damage. You know maybe you sit down for too long and your legs go all tingly. It kind of feels like pins and needles in your body. Well, that sudden feeling or numbness can also result from infection, inflammation, trauma, and other life-threatening issues like stroke. If this is happening to you or someone you know, pay close attention. If you feel numbness particularly that is occurring on just one side of the body. You need to get to the ER immediately.

Certainly, there are other neurological conditions that may cause numbness, but my concern when I hear sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body is always stroke. This is very serious and could be potentially life-threatening. Stokes is the number 5 cause of death in the US. They can occur when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When this happens, blood and oxygen can’t get to that area in the brain and brain cells start to die. So to avoid further complications or other potentially disabling outcomes. If you feel numbness or weakness in your body, play it safe and call 9-11 or seek immediate medical attention. (adlib about medicine if you want)

5. Bleeding That Cannot Be Stopped

If you have Bleeding that you can't stop after 10 minutes of the firm and steady pressure on it. Or if Blood is spurting out of a wound anywhere from say a trauma, accident, or other unknown reason. You need to get to the hospital. This also goes for symptoms like coughing or vomiting blood, blood in the urine, bloody diarrhea or you're pregnant and experiencing bleeding or you have any other abnormal bleeding that you are concerned about this is definitely a reason to come to the Emergency department.

Besides an obvious trauma that comes with its own set of possible complications and risks, there are so many reasons why a person could be potentially bleeding and none of them have good outcomes If the blood loss isn't stopped. Also keep in mind that a good rule of thumb is if you are trying to stop bleeding and wrapping it isn't doing the trick, place a finger or two straight onto the area and apply firm pressure, it may need a more direct approach to stop the bleeding rather than just say a wrap or bandage on the injured area. Nevertheless If severe hemorrhaging isn't stopped, a person can bleed to death in a short window of time. So call an ambulance and or get to the hospital immediately.

4. Abdominal Pain

This is the single leading reason people come to the emergency room, actually about 12 million annual ER Visits in the US, each and every year for Abdominal Pain. But just because a person has stomach pain doesn't always mean the underlying issue is actually a stomach problem. Your abdomen houses many other organs which could be causing the pain. Your intestines, pancreas, liver, kidneys, and appendix. Or is the pain caused by a gastrointestinal issue? Kidney stones? Did your Appendix burst? I mean the list goes on and on for possible reasons your stomach could be upset or in pain. So when to go to the hospital?

If you have constant or severe abdominal pain, or any pain paired with a fever. Go to the hospital. Or if you have changes in pain intensity or location. For instance: does the pain go from a dull pain to a sharp stabbing pain, or does your pain radiate to another area? If you answered yes: go to the hospital.

Also increasing pain in a very specific spot is worthy of an ER Visit as well. I’ll give you some examples: if the right lower quadrant of the abdomen hurts that usually indicates appendicitis which needs to be seen in the hospital immediately. Right upper quadrant: that could be an inflamed gallbladder or infection. The left lower side of the abdomen that usually could indicate diverticulitis or some issue or infection with the colon. So any specific area or any pain accompanied by another symptom like difficulty breathing, fever, or changes in pattern behavior, Get to the hospital stat.

3. Intense Fever

First let’s define what a fever is. A body temperature of over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees celsius is considered a fever and often a sign of an infection in the body.

Now If a child is under the age of 3 months and experiencing any elevated temperature, call your healthcare provider or head to the ER immediately. For anyone older than an infant typically patients are told to come to the hospital when a fever is hitting or heading towards the 103 degrees Fahrenheit or (39.4 degrees Celsius) mark. Any Higher body temps than that definitely come to the Emergency department. Also if you or your loved one’s fever also has other symptoms that accompany it like: Fever plus severe headache, Fever plus rash, or fever plus convulsions or febrile seizures. Get to the ER. and of course If you’re still unsure just be safe and head to the hospital.

2. Confusion or Changes in Mental Status

Several serious medical conditions or even outside factors can cause changes in a seemingly healthy person and this is definitely causing for concern.

Serious medical conditions like stroke, infections like meningitis, brain injury, low oxygen levels, medication side effects, psychological issues, or even drug or substance intoxication. So if you see any sort of acute confusion or sudden mental changes in a person you care about, definitely seek out immediate emergency treatment because it could be a matter of life or death.

1. Anything You Are Concerned About

Listen I get it sometimes it is super obvious when it's an emergency situation, for instance, you get into a car accident and there are injuries, or you and I don't know inhaled poisonous fumes or have burned to any part of your body, these seem pretty obvious, right? Get to the emergency room.

But Hear me out. Sometimes serious medical issues aren't that obvious. Maybe your symptoms are a little vague or maybe someone is telling you to just ride it out. This is where I have to disagree and add context on when to go to the hospital.

Things: like severe onset headache (especially if the individual is on blood thinners), seizure, sudden inability to speak, see, walk, or move, sudden dropping on one side of the body, pain in the arm or jaw, car accident, kitchen knife accident, Anything at all that seems suspicious and or is getting worse over time. Or on the opposite end of the spectrum symptoms or pain that just comes on out of the blue, that’s what we call acute symptoms. They just pop up and cause a person sudden pain and discomfort. This could be your body’s sign telling you that it's time to seek medical attention.

Here's what it all boils down to the symptoms I've listed out are not a complete listing, but rather an overview or guideline to try and help you assess whether you or your loved one is at risk, it's better to get to the emergency room and be wrong but have the reassurance that the symptom was not life-threatening than to completely ignore the symptoms and put yourself at risk.

Believe me I've seen people sort of ignore their symptoms and the situation turns out to be a lot direr than they originally thought. “Headaches” that turned out to be brain bleeds or “allergy and shortness of breath symptoms” that turned out to be a heart attack. All the time I see this in the Emergency room. So give yourself peace of mind and either reach out to your health care provider, call 9-11 for an ambulance or get to the hospital immediately if you have any of these symptoms I've mentioned or any doubt in your mind.

5 CREEPY Ancient Medical Procedures Doctors Still Use Today

Bloodletting, Lobotomies, and the secret skin grafting treatments! What?!

Today we are breaking down 5 truly bizarre and bloodcurdling past medical procedures that were shockingly used to treat patients. Were they truly a medical necessity or an ineffective misery-inducing procedure, I’ll let you be the judge. Plus are they still used in medicine today?

5. Bloodletting

Nowadays in modern medicine losing a ton of blood is a bad thing. Whether it's due to a major trauma like a car accident, gunshot wound, or worksite injury, in the Emergency Department where I work, if a patient comes in and is bleeding out, the goal is to stabilize the person and stop the bleeding as soon as humanly possible. But what if I told you that this was not always the case? Quite the opposite. In fact, doctors encouraged blood flow. Yes, for thousands of years, Bloodletting or removing the blood from a person with the goal of treating a medical condition was one of the most common procedures performed by doctors. Ancient Egyptians all the way through the Greeks, Romans, and even into the early 1940s if you’d believe it, bloodletting was believed to be a suitable cure for just about any ailment you could imagine.

So what was the purpose of this medically induced bloodshed? And how would they do it? Well depending on whether it was generalized or local, doctors might have gone about it a few different ways. First, they may cut a vein or artery, or even employ leeches, or use a scarification cupping type of procedure to draw the blood out of the body. On a very basic level, the belief was if a person was ill, there was an imbalance in the body. And the thought was: to release blood over several days, this would restore the balance to the body. But was it effective? I’m sure this may come as no surprise to you but there were a lot of risks with bloodletting. It puts people at risk for infections, organ failure, and even death. The most common cause of death is blood loss. In fact, they say that America’s first president George Washington may have even died of bloodletting gone wrong. Evidently, historians say Washington had a throat infection and upon his request, his doctor performed bloodletting 4 different times over an 8-hour period. You know, trying to restore balance to his body. But as it turns out he ended up losing about 40% percent of his blood and died.

So although this antiquated practice may sound like a gruesome form of torture do you think we still use this process today in medicine? I'll give you a few seconds to take a guess.

Yes, believe it or not, there are versions of this bloodletting process that we still use today. Now it's no longer used to treat every ailment under the sun, but in a very limited way, it can be quite useful. If a patient has Hemochromatosis, for instance, is a disorder where the body can build up too much iron in the skin, heart, liver, pancreas, and more. And this buildup of iron in the body over time can cause serious damage to the tissue and organs. So to treat hemochromatosis, doctors will in fact remove blood from your body on a regular basis. But nowadays it is more like donating blood than yesteryear’s bleeding out process.

4. Lobotomy

Our next barbaric and infamous medical procedure may be the most feared of all time. Originally known as the leukotomy, the Lobotomy was a surgical procedure in which the nerve pathways in a lobe or lobes of the brain were severed from those in other areas. You see, the belief was that mental illness was caused by faulty connections between the frontal lobes and another part of the brain -- the thalamus. So the idea was that severing those connections and regrowing them could treat symptoms and agitations of the mental illness.

Sounds maybe kind of, sort of reasonable when you just hear the definition and thought process behind it right? But what if I told you that this radical therapy was performed with an ice pick? Yes, and patients were not always anesthetized and often left in a vegetative state. Brutal for sure.

First performed in Portugal by a neurologist, the procedure was later adapted and popularized in the US in 1936 by Dr. Walter Freeman. He performed tens of thousands of lobotomy procedures and yes used an actual ice pick-like tool to hammer into the corner of an eye socket and jiggle into the prefrontal portion of the brain. This 10-minute procedure was believed to help patients with schizophrenia, manic depression, bipolar disorder, and many other mental illnesses.

So I know what you're thinking: did the lobotomy ever work? According to records, there were about 40-50,000 lobotomies performed in the US, and about a third of the lobotomies were considered successful. For instance, one patient named Ann Krubsack said that after enduring schizophrenia for 8 years she had a lobotomy in 1961 and it worked for her. To what degree though I’m not sure. However, in the majority of other patients, things did not generally go so well. Some were paralyzed during the procedures, some were left devoid of personality, and some died throughout the process. And in 1967 Freeman was banned from performing this procedure after his patient suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage.

So what do you think? Do we still use this procedure to treat mental illness today?

No, not exactly. Although the lobotomy procedure was used well into the 1960s in the US and even the 1980s in other parts of the world. Today shock therapy and another psychosurgery (the surgical removal or altering of specific regions of the brain) occasionally are used to treat patients whose symptoms have resisted all other treatments

3. Trepanation

Trepanation aka drilling or scraping a hole in the skull is one of the most brutal sounding and surprisingly oldest forms of surgery that we know of. I'm sorry Doctor Wagner, what in the what? It's true, I’m no historian but evidently, humans have been performing this procedure since neolithic times. For instance, at a burial site in France dating back to 6500 BCE, tons of prehistoric skulls have been found to have trepanation holes in them.

So why would one drill a hole into the skull of another human and it is such a common practice in ancient times? Although it could have been for injuries or other practices that we have yet to discover, some experts believe it could have been that ancient humans may have done this as a way to quote release demons from the skull. And No, I'm not making that up. Now whether these skull demons were religious in nature, or a metaphor for some other physical ailment or mental component, experts don't really know exactly. But something they do know? Shockingly some neolithic patients did actually survive this demon-dispelling procedure as there is evidence of healing on ancient skulls that have been found. Wild Right?

Alright, what do you think? Is this alarming procedure still used today in medicine?

Well, sort of …Not necessarily to dispel demons but nowadays we do in fact use a more advanced version of this technique called the Burr hole. This brain surgery is often done after mild to severe head injuries have occurred. In this procedure, a neurosurgeon will drill a small hole into the skull in order to drain excess blood from the brain. This build-up of blood from an injury can cause pressure and compress brain tissue which can lead to brain damage and even death. So shockingly yes doctors still do drill into patients' heads for the sake of saving their lives. I can’t say I've ever seen a demon come out though.

2. Rhinoplasty

But wait a minute doc, I’ve heard of this one before! Eh, maybe not in the way you think you have heard of it before. You see, rhinoplasty as we know it today is a surgery that changes the shape of one’s nose. This could be done to improve breathing, for cosmetic purposes, reconstructive purposes. You name it. But back in 16th-century Europe however, the motivating factor for this unpleasant procedure may have been the result of the syphilis epidemic.

You see syphilis or bacterial infection that is usually spread by sexual contact, showed up in Italy in the 16th century. Allegedly carried by sailors after they went out into the world um- exploring. But you see, Syphilis develops in stages with symptoms varying per stage. Things like sores on the genitals, and possible heart complications. And one of the lesser-known symptoms of syphilis: it can also destroy the soft tissue in the nose, and lead to the collapse of the cartilaginous bridge of the nose. Which can cause a gaping hole in the middle of a person’s face or a deformed saddle nose. So if the possible social stigmatization wasn't enough the huge hole in one’s face was absolutely a motivating factor for the first rhinoplasty that was to be performed.

This is why one Italian surgeon, Dr. Tag-lia-cozzi, developed a method for concealing this nasal syphilis-induced deformity. He created a new nose using tissue and skin from the patient's arm. A skin flap would be connected between the arm and face. And after about three weeks of the awkward nose arm growth process, the skin graft could finally be completed/was finally complete. The doctor would then separate the skin from the arm and finish restructuring the previously damaged nose.

So do we still use this old-timey rhinoplasty in today’s modern world? Not exactly although the foundation is there and we do use skin grafts and reconstruct noses for all sorts of reasons. This procedure wasn't always the most reliable, there are reported cases of patients’ noses turning purple and blue in cold winter months and falling off. Luckily for us today we have come a long way with reconstructive surgery and syphilis is usually treated with an easy course of antibiotics.

1. Lithotomy

Meaning “Cutting of the stone” was a jaw-dropping procedure used by everyone over time. From Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Persians, all the way up to the early 1800’s even. Put very simply it was a procedure that was used to remove bladder stones. Bladder stones are hard masses of minerals in the bladder and they can be crazy painful. They develop and build up when the minerals in urine crystalize and form stones. Sometimes this happens when a person has trouble completely emptying their bladder. Or maybe has an unhealthy diet. But it seems like a simple enough treatment. Lithotomy Just gotta remove those stones, right? WRONG!

This was in fact a miserable excruciating old medical procedure that I’m about to describe to you so put down your lunch maybe. In old-time lithotomy, a patient would lay on their back, feet apart while a blade was passed through the perineum (You know the spot between the genitals and the anus) yeah so an instrument was just casually passed through that delicate area into the patient bladder. Then there other surgical tools may have been inserted into the urethra or rectum to further assist with removing the bladder stones. Intensely painful. And did I mention it had a 50 percent mortality rate? So it's kind of like the worst game of would you rather? Suffering from bladder stones which can be unbearable or test your fate with a 50/50 shot of kicking the bucket. Either one is not good.

So I know what you are thinking. Is this crazy procedure still used today? What do you think?

Yes and no. Today if an adult gets a bladder stone, doctors will do a procedure called a transurethral cystolitholapaxy. For this, the surgeon inserts a small, rigid tube with a camera at the end into your urethra and up into your bladder. From there they may do a

Lithotripsy treatment, where they use ultrasound shock waves, breaks up the stones into smaller pieces that can be passed out by the body.

10 BIZARRE Body Signs You SHOULDN'T Ignore!

Skin rashes, uncontrolled laughing, wrinkled earlobes? And more. Today we are breaking down some truly bizarre ways that your body is trying to tell you something is potentially wrong with it.

1. Metallic Taste in Your Mouth

Does your mouth taste like you just sucked on an old coin? Chomped on some pennies? Well, this common metal mouth type of taste could be a side effect of a variety of different medical issues. For starters this could be a sign of heartburn or indigestion, this could be due to bad oral hygiene or say a reaction to a medication or something. Or heck I’ve even had patients who got bit by rattlesnakes who experienced this coppery type of flavor.

But if you experience a recurring metallic taste in the mouth this could also be signifying other serious illnesses like chronic liver problems, undiagnosed diabetes, or even Kidney disease. You see when your kidneys haven’t been functioning properly for a while, a substance called urea builds up in the bloodstream causing a medical condition called uremia. And one of the common symptoms of having uremia is a metallic taste in the mouth.

Now if you are otherwise healthy and it's just a one-off metal tang that comes on, it's probably pretty benign, but if you experience this bizarre metal taste along with changes in urination and back pain, definitely follow up with your doctor. If there is an underlying serious medical condition you need to treat it sooner rather than putting off until later.

2. Skin Tags

No they aren't warts, Skin Tags however are those harmless little skin flaps or extra skin that grow most often on the areas of your body that rub together or against your clothing. Common areas include the underarms, neck, groin, and face. Now while usually friction can produce these unwanted extra pieces of skin not to freak you out or anything, there could also be several underlying medical conditions that can be correlated to skin tags. Things like: Obesity, Crohn's disease, High blood pressure, PCOS and even Diabetes. Diabetes for instance is a health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy and can cause chronic high blood sugar levels. So what's the connection to skin tags? Researchers in several studies have determined that having numerous skin tags may be a sign of insulin resistance and is more prone to developing type 2 diabetes. So pay close attention if you find yourself suddenly getting more of these skin tags on your body. Additionally, women who experience fluctuations in their hormone levels for instance during pregnancy or as they age may also be more prone to skin tags.

3. Aching Jaw

Jaw pain is no joke. Besides the obvious culprit like a sports injury, Persistent tenderness that can radiate to other parts of the face, definitely a red flag. This Aching pain can also be a sign of other pressing medical issues, things like: Sinus infection, tooth problems, blood vessels or nerve issues. As well as a total mouth full of a condition called: temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ for short. This is where the joint here acts sort of like a sliding hinge connecting your jawbone to the skull and any issue with this mechanism can certainly cause pain and discomfort. You’ll definitely want to contact your doctor or Dentist if you suspect you may have TMJ.

Now that being said, another often overlooked medical condition that also may be linked to an aching jaw is actually Lyme disease. Lyme is a tick-borne illness caused by deer ticks that carry bacteria. Typically lyme disease first causes a bullseye pattern rash, flu-like symptoms among other joint pain and weakness in the body. But if you're suffering from chronic pain or jaw aches that come and go, ask your doctor if lyme disease could be a possible issue. Although one of the harder ailments to diagnose this could potentially be an underlying culprit for many persistent pains in the body such as jaw aches.

4. Itchy, Blistery Skin Rash

I’m sure everyone watching this has experienced some sort of suspicious rash on the body at least once in their life. But if you find yourself with an itchy, blistery reaction that breaks out specifically on the elbows, knees, butt, back or even scalp you’re going to want to pay close attention. Although yes this could be a sign of or look awfully close to eczema, a dermatitis condition that causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin. But, this rash could also be a sign of a more serious issue called Celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which ingesting even the tiniest amount of gluten causes your body to freak out and attack its own small intestine. Usually, a person with Celiac may experience classic symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, fatigue, low blood count (anemia), and osteoporosis. But many others who suffer from celiac may have no digestive issues but rather up to 25% of people with celiac may experience this type of rash, known as dermatitis her-pet-iformis.

When someone with celiac consumes gluten, the body releases an antibody known as IgA, which attacks the intestines; sometimes IgA also collects in small blood vessels underneath the skin, triggering the telltale rash. If you find yourself with a similar skin issue, definitely talk to your doctor as they may be able to biopsy the rash and look for antibodies that indicate celiac. From there they will often recommend a gluten-free diet, which should make the skin condition lessen or disappear, and protect your body from other long-term, serious damage of celiac disease, like osteoporosis or small intestine cancer.

5. Lumpy Collarbone

Now im not talking about an old battle wound or collarbone break from a sports injury or falling off your bike or something. Rather If you find yourself with a sudden lump on your clavicle, your body may just be trying to warn you of danger lurking around the corner. Typically swollen lymph nodes usually occur as a result of infection from bacteria or viruses. And they play a vital role in your body's ability to fight off infections.

But located on top of your collarbone near your neck is a lymph node called Virchow’s node. This node can serve as a warning signal for your digestive system. In specific instances, especially on the left side where Virchow's node swells up—a condition called supraclavicular lymphadenopathy or troisier's sign—may be the first indicator of cancer of the stomach, intestines, or colon. So if you find yourself with swelling of this specific node or any lymph node in your body for that matter, please see your doctor as soon as possible. This could turn out to be very serious.

6. Chewing on Ice

You've probably heard the old saying that chewing ice means you're sexually frustrated. Well although that could be true, that's not exactly the medical condition that your body is trying to warn you about.

Chewing ice could be a tell-tale sign of Pagophagia, or more simply a subtype of pica. A mental disorder that involves compulsively eating ice, snow, or ice water.

Now if you find yourself with a strong desire to chew ice and pica is not the culprit this could also be a warning for another bodily issue, That you’re in desperate need of more iron or that you're anemic. Anemia also referred to as low hemoglobin, is a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body's tissues. This can make you feel tired, weak and dizzy, in mild cases, but in more severe cases this could be life threatening. Also if you notice that your hair is thinning out, this could be another symptom of iron deficiency. So if you’re wondering how to get more iron in your day-to-day life, of course you take a supplement. Or rather than chomping on ice, instead try chowing down on foods that are naturally rich in iron like red meat, seafood, beans, spinach and more.

7. You Laugh or Cry Uncontrollably for No Reason

This could mean you have MS. Multiple sclerosis (or MS for short) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord in which the immune system attacks the protective sheath (the myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. But going back to the uncontrolled laughing or crying for a second. This symptom is called pseudo-bulbar affect (PBA), and is a very serious indicator. As it occurs in at least 10 percent of people with MS. And signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Some people with MS may experience numbness, muscle spasms or even worse lose the ability to walk independently among other complications. So if you or someone you know is experiencing this laughing or crying uncontrollably for seemingly no reason, definitely get in touch with your doctor today. This is definitely a warning sign that your body is trying to send to you.

8. Smelling Things That Aren't There

Are you getting a sudden whiff of rotten eggs or say wet dogs? Gross smells, but then you look around and there are no signs of the unpleasant odor culprit in real life. This my friends is a serious indicator that you shouldn't just blow off as a general funk in the dorm room type of smell . Rather phantom smells or Phantosmia as it is medically known is a condition in which your nose catches a scent of something particularly unpleasant but it's not actually there. This is a serious sign that something is off and you need to see a neurologist ASAP. This could be a warning of a more concerning matter such as brain tumor, epilepsy or parkinson's disease. Even if it ultimately just turns out to be your roommate who just refuses to shower, it's better to be safe than sorry. If you are smelling weird phantom odors, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately.

9. Yellow Eyes

Ever heard of a check engine light on your car? Well, what if I told you that similarly, your body has a check liver light -so to speak? If the whites of your eyes are no longer white but instead turn a bright yellow, the first medical condition that comes to mind is jaundice.

Jaundice is a condition in which the skin, whites of the eyes and mucous membranes turn yellow because of a high level of bilirubin, a yellow-orange bile pigment in your system. Basically when your liver isn't properly breaking down the bilirubin can build up in your system causing things like your eyes to turn yellow. This can be caused by issues like hepatitis, gallstones, and tumors. If this is the case that your check liver light comes on, you'll definitely want to get examined by a doctor, particularly if you have a fever as well.

10. Diagonal Earlobe Creases

Say what? Yes let me repeat that again, Diagonal earlobe creases. I know it sounds like a bizarre mad lib rather than a real medical indicator but humor me take a look at your earlobe, if it has a wrinkle-like line going diagonally down it, you may want to really put some extra attention into boosting your heart health. This visible wrinkle is sometimes called: Frank’s sign and it could be an indicator of coronary artery disease, aka- the most common form of heart disease. According to many studies there is an association or link between these angular ear wrinkles and and the leading cause of death in the United States. So all this to say if you or someone you know has these suspicious ear creases reach out to a health care professional and discuss how you can improve your heart health.