Learn to Listen to Your Body
Tip: Pain and changes in your body’s normal functions are two early warning signs you should not ignore.
If you are willing to pay attention to what your body is telling you, it’s possible to find serious problems early. Many times, finding problems early results in less invasive and lower cost treatment, and a dramatic improvement in living a longer and healthier life.
Tip: Research shows that the survival rates of almost every major illness improve dramatically when the problem is found early, confined to its point of origin, and treated quickly.
Your body’s warning signs can mean almost anything. They may be telling you to take a simple action like eat something, drink something, get some rest, change a habit, get some exercise, change your diet, stop reading books without glasses, or get new walking shoes.
Early warning signs may also mean that something is going wrong with your body’s ability to perform its daily functions. When you feel warning signs that something may be wrong, pay attention. Consider if you have done anything that might be causing your body to react and whether any changes in your daily routine might be causing your symptoms.
If you think it is possible that your lifestyle might be causing your body to react, try to correct the problem yourself. For example, common heartburn can be caused by too much acid or sugar in your diet. Foot, ankle, knee, or hip pain might be caused by something as simple as wearing poor fitting shoes. Common headaches can be caused by stress, vision issues, allergies, diet issues, and simple dehydration.
Correcting a problem yourself can be as simple as…