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.