When should you worry about those annoying health niggles we all experience sometime? Check out our guide to what's normal and what's worth seeking advice about.
Floaters in your eye
These are usually harmless and look like specks of dust are stuck in your eyes, but are actually tiny bits of gel or cells in the fluid of your eyeball. They can move quickly when your eyes do, but are still when your eyes are.
Seek advice
If you start seeing flashes or streaks of light. According to The Eyecare Trust, it may be a sign that the vitreous (fluid in your eye) is shrinking or the retina is becoming detached, particularly if accompanied by a large sudden cloud of dark floaters. Vision problems can be linked to a number of serious disorders, though, and could need urgent attention.
Sleep jumps
You're just drifting off and you suddenly dream you've tripped over the pavement, you try to stop yourself, your knee thwacks your fella in bed, and then you're awake! Sleep jumps, or 'hypnotic jerks' happen when your body systems slow down and your conscious brain surrenders control, but are unlikely to be more than a nuisance.
Seek advice
If they stop you from getting a good night's sleep! If you suffer them frequently, you might be prescribed a low-dosage short-term sedative to help. Occasionally, they can be a sign also of anxiety about falling asleep and cognitive therapy might be the answer.
Palpitations
The British Heart Foundation say most palpitations, a feeling like your heart is racing or thumping out of your chest, are harmless and can be caused by fear or anxiety (such as a panic attack), anger, physical activity, fever, stomach upsets or drinking alcohol.
Seek advice
If you suffer from them often or they cause symptoms such as sweating, faintness, chest pain or dizziness. The British Heart Foundation says that symptoms such as these usually mean that there is an upset in the heart rhythm (supraventricular tachycardia) that needs to be investigated.
Cracking joints
It brings a whole new meaning to the term 'body-popping', but many people have joints that 'crack' and it's not exactly known what causes this, though experts believe it may be due to the tendons 'swapping' over the joint when the muscles are tense.
Seek advice
If your noisy joints are accompanied by a swelling or aching pain; it could be osteoarthritis. According to The Arthritis Research Campaign, it is rare in young people but affects mainly those aged 40 upwards and they say: 'The pain tends to be worse on exercising the joint and at the end of the day. The joint may not move as freely or as far as normal, and often "creaks" or "cracks" when moved.'
Bleeding gums
If you spot blood on your toothbrush or in the sink after rinsing, it might be sign of gum disease or insufficient brushing. Bleeding gums mean you have too much plaque around your teeth, causing the gums to swell. Being a delicate area, the blood vessels are easily ruptured when you brush.
Seek advice
If more thorough and careful brushing doesn't clear it up. NHS Direct says that severe gingivitis – inflammation of the gums – can lead to periodontal disease, which is a bacterial infection that, if left untreated, can cause teeth to fall out. Gum disease has also been linked with heart disease.
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