Doctor warns ignoring subtle signals your body sends could result in years of chronic pain

The body can signal something’s wrong well before the major attack comes but you just need to know what to look out for.

As people, our lives are busy and most often, there isn’t enough time to take every little ache and pain as seriously as we should.

While some things are harmless, others have sinister meanings behind them that can get out of hand and fast.

Some of those things can also lead to life-threatening conditions.

Rema Malik, MD, is a Vascular Surgeon with Gulf Coast Vascular, and she listed some minor things you might be experiencing that are not to be ignored.

She explained that this common pain could be telling you that something is wrong with your heart or circulation.

There are some things we ignore that could signal underlying conditions (Getty Stock Images)

In a post to her Instagram account, she said: “As a vascular surgeon in Houston, I see the devastating consequences of ignored advice every single day. Here’s the #1 piece of wisdom that could save you from years of chronic pain or a future medical emergency.”

Her advice? 'Listen to your body's whispers'.

Explaining that ‘your body is a brilliant communicator’ and that ‘it doesn't go from perfectly healthy to a crisis overnight’ as it ‘whispers’ its problems long before the big medical issue occurs.

She said if you’ve been ‘brushing off’ these things for months, it’s time to re-evaluate your health before it can get any worse.

These things include a ‘new, persistent ache in your legs at the end of the day’, the ‘swelling in your ankles that leaves marks from your socks’, and the ‘predictable cramp that hits you when you walk a certain distance’.

She said people typically ignore those things because they’re inconvenient and don’t cause too many issues for some time.

Instead, we wait for something massive or life-threatening to occur before we seek help.

This could be a non-healing wound, debilitating pain, a stroke, a heart attack or a blood clot.

However, by the time these things happen, she says ‘the damage is already severe’.

The doctor said it can cause years of chronic pain if not addressed (Getty Stock Images)

The doctor warned that it’s especially important to listen to your body after the age of 40, as the body provides warning signals for vascular disease that are more common and ‘far more urgent’ to address.

She advised: “The greatest act of self-care is to take your own body's messages seriously.”

Taking accountability for your health means having those ‘minor’ things checked out before they can build for years and become something so dangerous that you’re really sick.

Edema, the medical term for swelling, is one of the things the doctor talks about and this is a sign an individual may have a weak heart.

This is because the swelling is caused by the buildup of fluid in tissues.

With blood increasing in the veins of your legs, it’s an indication your heart may not be working as it should.

If the swelling to your legs, ankles or feet is unexplained and accompanied by chest pain, fainting, ‘anxiety’, breathing troubles, or a cough that produces blood, experts say you should seek medical advice pronto.