Look in the mirror — do you look any different now than you did just a few days ago? If you notice anything strange or different, chances are this is your body trying to tell you that something is wrong. Ignoring your body’s warning signs could leave you with health risks that could develop into more serious ones later down the road.

Are Your Lips Beyond Dried Out?

Having chapped lips every once in awhile is nothing to be worried about. On the other hand, if your lips are becoming dried out on a regular basis, you might be dehydrated. In addition to dry lips, if you have dry eyes and cotton mouth, consult your physician. A combination of these symptoms could be a sign of Sjogren’s syndrome — an immune system disorder.

How Are Your Nails Looking?

• Overly Pale Color – Anemia, heart failure, liver disease
• Extremely White – Hepatitis
• Blue Tinge – Emphysema
• Rippled Texture – Psoriasis, arthritis
• Cracking & Splitting – Thyroid disease, fungal infection
• Excessively Bitten – Anxiety, OCD

Why Are Your Ankles Swollen?

Look down at your feet — have your ankles been swollen for some time now? If nothing is broken, sprained, or rolled, an underlying health issue could be contributing to the swelling. Health issues associated with swollen ankles include:

• Lymphedema (damaged lymph vessels that can cause a collection of fluid in the tissue)
• Damaged valves (blood begins to flow away from the heart)
• Blood clots (slows or completely stops blood flow)
• Heart, kidney, or liver disease.

When something is wrong with your body, it will usually try to show you — so don’t ignore the obvious signs! For other useful tips and information, visit our blog! If you’re interested in learning more or visiting The Arbors Assisted Living community, schedule a tour by contacting one of our five convenient locations:

Bohemia
Hauppauge
Islandia East
Islandia West
Westbury