Four warning signs: come on, run to the doctor!

Do you have a lot of moles or birthmarks on your body? Are you bothered by strange pain at night? Are you breathing too fast? Or perhaps your partner is experiencing erection problems? Whatever problem you have, don’t let things take their course – take your health seriously!

1. Promising mole or spot

You know the song from the children's program Sesame Street where they sing, “One of these things is not like the others”? "If most of your spots are light brown and you see one that's pink or black, or if most of them are tiny and one is much larger, that's the one you need to worry about," says Steven K. Wang, MD, author books “Conquering Melanoma” and a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

And in this case, it is more important than ever to be vigilant: the incidence of potentially fatal melanoma has jumped 30 percent over the past 10 years, with the number of young women getting the disease rising exponentially.

In women, the risk areas for skin cancer are usually the torso and legs. For guys it's the back and chest. And even if you don't have any weird moles, scheduling an annual skin check with your dermatologist is a good idea.

2. Pain at night

If your leg hurts and the pain continues to throb as soon as you get into bed, you may have a stress fracture - a small crack that forms when the bones can't handle the intensity of repeated motion. This condition is common in the legs and can sometimes be a warning of insufficient bone density.

"It can come from wearing ill-fitting shoes or simply from being too active," says Lisa Cannada, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in St. Louis. Your husband plays the role of a weekend warrior and children who love sports are at risk too, but women and athletes are most affected due to the amount of stress on their bones.

“I've seen too many women doing charity rounds and their legs start to hurt, but they wait a month to see a doctor. Rest is usually the treatment, although some more severe stress fractures may require splinting.

3. Breathing too fast

“You're unlikely to ignore a baby who sniffles loudly, but it's not the only sign of a potentially life-threatening breathing disorder. An increased breathing rate is the first symptom, says pediatrician Jim Sears, MD. To measure your baby's breathing rate, count how many breaths he takes in 60 seconds. If this value exceeds the limit for the age of your child (60 for children under 3 months, 50 for children from 3 to 12 months, 40 for children from 1 to 5 years, 30 for children from 5 to 12 years, 20 - for teenagers), call your doctor immediately and insist on an appointment on the same day.

4. Erection problems

Talking to your husband about his erections, or lack thereof, can be awkward. However, ignoring the problem is even worse because "erection problems can be an early symptom of life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and even spinal problems," says urologist S. Adam Ramin, MD.

Low testosterone levels, thyroid disease and depression may also be causes. An occasional lack of physical interaction is normal, but if it occurs more than half the time, see a doctor.