Stomach pain, skin issues, insomnia and headache should be monitored early on to prevent future chronic diseases

Health monitoring early on when we are young can provide a picture of our future health. Predicting our future health using data from wearables is a way of prevention.

The following symptoms can tell an underlying health issue that might become a chronic health disease if not managed early on or given attention to heal the body from these disrupting health issues:

Stomach Aches and Constipation

Constipation can be a sign that our digestive system is not functioning well. A regular bowel movement is important in cleansing our body from toxins.  The most frequent reason for abdominal pain are gastroenteritis (13%), irritable bowel syndrome (8%), urinary tract problems (5%), inflammation of the stomach (5%) and constipation (5%). In about 30% of cases, the cause is not determined. About 10% of cases have a more serious cause including gallbladder (gallstones or biliary dyskinesia) or pancreas problems (4%), diverticulitis (3%), appendicitis (2%) and cancer (1%).^[1] More common in those who are older, mesenteric ischemia and abdominal aortic aneurysms are other serious causes.^[2]

A more extensive list includes the following:

• Gastrointestinal
  • GI tract
    • Inflammatory: gastroenteritis, appendicitis, gastritis, esophagitis, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis
    • Obstruction: hernia, intussusception, volvulus, post-surgical adhesions, tumours, severe constipation, hemorrhoids
    • Vascular: embolism, thrombosis, hemorrhage, sickle cell disease, abdominal angina, blood vessel compression (such as celiac artery compression syndrome), superior mesenteric artery syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
    • Digestive: peptic ulcer, lactose intolerance, coeliac disease, food allergies
  • Glands
    • Bile system
      • Inflammatory: cholecystitis, cholangitis
      • Obstruction: cholelithiasis, tumours
    • Liver
      • Inflammatory: hepatitis, liver abscess
    • Pancreatic
      • Inflammatory: pancreatitis
• Renal and urological
  • Inflammation: pyelonephritis, bladder infection, indigestion
  • Obstruction: kidney stones, urolithiasis, urinary retention, tumours
  • Vascular: left renal vein entrapment
• Gynaecological or obstetric
  • Inflammatory: pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Mechanical: ovarian torsion
  • Endocrinological: menstruation, Mittelschmerz
  • Tumors: endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cyst, ovarian cancer
  • Pregnancy: ruptured ectopic pregnancy, threatened abortion
• Abdominal wall
  • muscle strain or trauma
  • muscular infection
  • neurogenic pain: herpes zoster, radiculitis in Lyme disease, abdominal cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES), tabes dorsalis
• Referred pain
  • from the thorax: pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, ischemic heart disease, pericarditis
  • from the spine: radiculitis
  • from the genitals: testicular torsion
• Metabolic disturbance
  • uremia, diabetic ketoacidosis, porphyria, C1-esterase inhibitor deficiency, adrenal insufficiency, lead poisoning, black widow spider bite, narcotic withdrawal
• Blood vessels
  • aortic dissection, abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Immune system
  • sarcoidosis
  • vasculitis
  • familial Mediterranean fever
• Idiopathic
  • irritable bowel syndrome (affecting up to 20% of the population, IBS is the most common cause of recurrent, intermittent abdominal pain)

Insomnia

Our brain detoxes our body during sleep. Some medications can cause insomia.

Insomnia can occur independently or as a result of another problem.^[2] Conditions that can result in insomnia include psychological stress, chronic pain, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, heartburn, restless leg syndrome, menopause, certain medications, and drugs such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.^[2][3] Other risk factors include working night shifts and sleep apnea.

Symptoms of insomnia can be caused by or be associated with:

• Use of psychoactive drugs (such as stimulants), including certain medications, herbs, caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, aripiprazole, MDMA, modafinil, or excessive alcohol intake.^[26]
• Use of or withdrawal from alcohol and other sedatives, such as anti-anxiety and sleep drugs like benzodiazepines.^[26]
• Use of or withdrawal from pain-relievers such as opioids.^[26]
• Previous thoracic surgery.
• Heart disease.^[27]
• Deviated nasal septum and nocturnal breathing disorders.^[28]
• Restless legs syndrome, which can cause sleep onset insomnia due to the discomforting sensations felt and the need to move the legs or other body parts to relieve these sensations.^[29]
• Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), which occurs during sleep and can cause arousals of which the sleeper is unaware.^[30]
• Pain,^[31] an injury or condition that causes pain can preclude an individual from finding a comfortable position in which to fall asleep, and can in addition cause awakening.
• Hormone shifts such as those that precede menstruation and those during menopause.^[32]
• Life events such as fear, stress, anxiety, emotional or mental tension, work problems, financial stress, birth of a child and bereavement.^[29]
• Gastrointestinal issues such as heartburn or constipation.^[33]
• Mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, dementia,^[34] and ADHD.^[35]
• Disturbances of the circadian rhythm, such as shift work and jet lag, can cause an inability to sleep at some times of the day and excessive sleepiness at other times of the day. Chronic circadian rhythm disorders are characterized by similar symptoms.^[26]
• Certain neurological disorders, brain lesions, or a history of traumatic brain injury.^[36]
• Medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis.^[37]
• Abuse of over-the counter or prescription sleep aids (sedative or depressant drugs) can produce rebound insomnia.^[26]
• Poor sleep hygiene, e.g., noise or over-consumption of caffeine.^[26]
• A rare genetic condition can cause a prion-based, permanent and eventually fatal form of insomnia called fatal familial insomnia.^[38]
• Physical exercise. Exercise-induced insomnia is common in athletes in the form of prolonged sleep onset latency.

Headaches

Headaches can occur when we lack sleep or have taken some medications or under stress.  90% of all headaches are primary headaches. Primary headaches usually first start when people are between 20 and 40 years old .^[6] The most common types of primary headaches are migraines and tension-type headaches.^[6] They have different characteristics. Migraines typically present with pulsing head pain, nausea, photophobia (sensitivity to light) and phonophobia (sensitivity to sound). Tension-type headaches usually present with non-pulsing “bandlike” pressure on both sides of the head, not accompanied by other symptoms.

More serious causes of secondary headaches include:^[5]

• meningitis: inflammation of the meninges which presents with fever and meningismus, or stiff neck
• bleeding inside the brain (intracranial hemorrhage)
• subarachnoid hemorrhage (acute, severe headache, stiff neck WITHOUT fever)
• ruptured aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation, intraparenchymal hemorrhage (headache only)
• brain tumor: dull headache, worse with exertion and change in position, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Often, the person will have nausea and vomiting for weeks before the headache starts.
• temporal arteritis: inflammatory disease of arteries common in the elderly (average age 70) with fever, headache, weight loss, jaw claudication, tender vessels by the temples, polymyalgia rheumatica
• acute closed angle glaucoma (increased pressure in the eyeball): headache that starts with eye pain, blurry vision, associated with nausea and vomiting. On physical exam, the person will have a red eye and a fixed, mid dilated pupil.
• Post-ictal headaches: Headaches that happen after a convulsion or other type of seizure, as part of the period after the seizure (the post-ictal state)

Gastrointestinal disorders may cause headaches, including Helicobacter pylori infection, celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroparesis, and hepatobiliary disorders.^[8][9][10] The treatment of the gastrointestinal disorders may lead to a remission or improvement of headaches.

Skin issues

Our skin is the largest organ in our body. It tells a picture of our health. Age spots can show liver health.  Skin itching can occur when we ingested toxic food or medications. It is easily affected by our environment and lifestyle.

As skin ages, it becomes thinner and more easily damaged. Intensifying this effect is the decreasing ability of skin to heal itself as a person ages. Consult your dermatologist and internist for any skin itching, discoloration and abnormal growth. A teacher brushes off skin itching that she died of breast cancer.

Among other things, skin aging is noted by a decrease in volume and elasticity. There are many internal and external causes to skin aging. For example, aging skin receives less blood flow and lower glandular activity.

A validated comprehensive grading scale has categorized the clinical findings of skin aging as laxity (sagging), rhytids (wrinkles), and the various facets of photoaging, including erythema (redness), and telangiectasia, dyspigmentation (brown discoloration), solar elastosis (yellowing), keratoses (abnormal growths) and poor texture.^[19]

Cortisol causes degradation of collagen,^[20] accelerating skin aging.