A friend of mine began running a slight fever every evening. It didn't go higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit. In the morning she would wakeup without the fever and felt well enough to go to work and do her daily routine. After a few weeks of continued fever in the evening, she decided to see her doctor and check what might be wrong with her. Her medical record shows that she has a history of heart murmur. Upon learning that she underwent dental treatment without taking any prophylactic antibiotic, it then became clear that the persistent fever was probably caused by the dental work. During the dental procedure, bacteria were released from her mouth to her bloodstream. Later on, a blood test revealed Bacterial Endocarditis. Had she totally ignored the signs and the infection not been treated in time, it could have created damage that would have required an open-heart or valve-replacement surgery. The worst scenario could have been death.



Outlined are several health symptoms laid out by leading health experts. These are the signs and symptoms that we should all know and should not ignore.

1. Persistent, low-grade fever can be a sign of a number of ailments, including Hodgkin's disease. You should seek your doctor's advice if you have a persistent low grade fever that runs for a week. Early diagnosis of what might be the cause of the fever might just save you from any debilitating disease that might accompany it.

2. Brief lapses in sight or in speech which usually last between 30 seconds to 24 hours. Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA is a brief period when blood fails to reach a specific area of the brain. This symptom is so fleeting that more often than not, it is just ignored. It is estimated that one third of people who experience TIA later suffer a stroke. Aside from lapses in sight and speech, other symptoms include dizziness, tingling and numbness, weakness in the limbs, difficulty to comprehend or properly use the right word when speaking.

3. Changes in a mole. Constant itching of a mole should signal you to seek your dermatologist's opinion. This could be a sign of a deeply rooted melanoma. Malignant melanoma is often fatal. Early detection and removal often offers favorable prognosis. The ABCD of warning signs that you should watch for in a mole: "A" for asymmetry. Usually melanomas have an uneven shape. "B" for border irregularity. Irregular border edge that could be ragged, blurred or notched. "C" for color. Nonuniform shades of tan, brown and black. More often, there are also mottled dashes of red, white and blue. "D" for diameter. Normal melanomas usually measures six millimeters, any increase in size should be a warning sign.

4. Recurrent coughing. This is usually not a symptom of a life-threatening illness but it can also signal an obstructed airway, congestive heart disease, asthma or even lung cancer. If the coughing persists for two weeks or more with no obvious medical explanation such as a cold then it is best to see your doctor.

5. Persistent itching can be a symptom of Hodgkin's disease. Although itching is a minor dermatological problem, persistent itching on the other hand with no visible cause such as a skin rash requires attention. It can be also be a sign of diabetes, liver disease or several blood disorders.

6. Unexplained bruising can signal leukemia, a problem in the blood's clotting mechanism or an underlying liver disease such as hepatitis or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or ITP, a disorder in which the platelets are attacked by the body's immune system.

7. Blurry vision and eye pain can be a symptom of glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease wherein the peripheral vision deteriorates while the central vision remains in top condition.

Symptoms may not exactly tell us what's wrong but these are signals that something's wrong somewhere and we should take notice.