5. You’re Sleeping Too Much

It is healthy to sleep seven to nine hours every night. If you find you’re sleeping far longer than that, or you’re having trouble staying awake during the day, it could be a sign of a larger issue.

Hypersomnia is when you have recurrent episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged nighttime sleep. This is not the same as being tired from a lack of sleep. Individuals with hypersomnia feel the need to nap throughout the day, often at inappropriate times. These naps, however, don’t ever provide relief from symptoms.

Hypersomnia could be a sign of certain medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis, depression, encephalitis, or epilepsy. Treatment may include a prescription for a stimulant drug, or behaviour changes. This could mean avoiding night shift work or staying out late, changing your diet, or avoiding caffeine and alcohol [8].

6. Your Eye Color Changes

If you notice a grey ring appear around the cornea of your eyes, it could mean that you have arcus senilis. It is not typically cause for concern, however in some cases it could lead to health complications if there is a hidden cause and it is left untreated.

The main cause of arcus senilis is aging. It is when fat deposits form in the outer part of the cornea. It could be a sign that you have high cholesterol, although this is not always the case. If you are found to have high cholesterol, a doctor can prescribe a mixture of medications and lifestyle changes to help get your cholesterol down to healthy levels [9].

7. You’re Craving Salt

Salt cravings are quite common, and can often be tied to boredom or stress. When your craving becomes almost uncontrollable, however, it could be a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Excessive salt cravings could be a sign of the following health problems:

• Addison’s Disease: occurs when the adrenal glands do not make enough hormones.
• Bartter Syndrome: a genetic condition that presents at birth. People with this syndrome cannot reabsorb sodium in their kidneys, causing them to lose sodium, potassium, and calcium in their urine.
• Cystic Fibrosis: a hereditary disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.

These conditions usually present themselves with other symptoms as well, so if you’re experiencing uncontrollable salt cravings, talk to your doctor. They can help you identify any other symptoms and determine a cause [10].

8. You’re Forgetful, Tired, and Have a Desire For Intimacy

While these can be symptoms of a variety of health conditions, such as depression, it could also signify a thyroid problem. When your thyroid makes too little hormone, this is called hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism can make you feel tired, gain weight, or make you unable to tolerate cold temperatures.

Thyroid disease is often the result of another disease that affects how the thyroid gland works. For this reason, it is important to talk to your doctor, particularly if you’re experiencing a few of the following symptoms:

• Feeling tired (fatigue).
• Gaining weight.
• Experiencing forgetfulness.
• Frequent and heavy menstrual periods.
• Having dry and coarse hair.
• Having a hoarse voice.
• Experiencing an intolerance to cold temperatures.

These signs of poor health may be subtle, so your doctor will help you determine if your thyroid is causing your symptoms. They will then be able to figure out why your thyroid is acting that way and develop an appropriate treatment plan [11].

9. You’re Always Thirsty

Polydipsia is the medical term for extreme thirst that you cannot quench by drinking. It is not in itself a disease, but a symptom of other health problems. Along with being unable to quench your thirst, Polydipsia will also cause you to have dry mouth.

Polyuria, or excessive urination, may also accompany polydipsia. Causes of polydipsia may include:

• high blood sugar levels due to diabetes mellitus
• diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a complication of hyperglycemia due to diabetes mellitus
• low vasopressin levels as a result of diabetes insipidus, a rare condition
• dehydration
• a loss of bodily fluids, for example, through sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting
• the use of certain medications

Polydipsia is a common symptom of high blood sugar levels. If you’re experiencing dry mouth and excessive thirst, but have not been diagnosed with diabetes, you should talk with your doctor.

If you have diabetes and you are experiencing these symptoms, you should check your blood sugar levels. Be aware of your symptoms, if they do not go away, you should talk to your doctor, since your treatment plan may need adjusting [12].

10. You Want to Chew Ice

The constant desire to crunch on ice is known as pagophagia. It’s a common, but a subtle sign of poor health, but rarely reported, form of pica. Research has shown that an iron deficiency or another type of anemia could be the cause.

If you are experiencing pagophagia, a quick blood test will reveal if anemia is the cause. If that is the case, you may need to take a supplement to reverse the deficiency [13].

Listen to your Body

Your body will often send you subtle signals when something is off. It is important not to ignore these symptoms, because if you can catch a health problem in its beginning stages, it’s generally easier to treat it.

You know your body best, and if something feels off, you owe it to yourself to look into why. It could be nothing, but if not it is in your best interest to take care of the problem before it gets worse. Keep these subtle signs of poor health in mind.