From a lump to night sweats and bloating… new book reveals if embarrassing signs are deadly or not

GOOGLE any physical issue - however mild - and you'll soon find yourself down a rabbit's hole of health anxiety.

Everything seems to be cancer or another life-threatening condition.

But we should all be aware of when to go and get checked out by a GP, because that's how you prevent health issues escalating into potentially life-threatening crises.

To help us determine what's normal and what's not, Drs Christopher Kelly and Marc Eisenberg have written a book called .

It goes through common symptoms and provides advice on what steps to take next - whether you should simply chill out and have a cuppa, or get yourself to A&E.

They write in the that their key piece of advice is: if in doubt, ask a doctor.

And if you have any embarrassing issues alongside unexplained weight loss, definitely seek medical attention - because unexplained weight loss isn't normal.

Here are four common and awkward symptoms that may - or may not - be serious:

Excessive sweating

Some of us break into a sweat as soon as we jog for a bus, while others seem to stay dry regardless of physical activity.

And the same goes for night sweats. Some of us can sleep under a thick duvet and stay dry, while others will wake up absolutely drenched.

But night sweats can also be a sign that something is seriously wrong.

See your doctor if:

• they are severe enough to make you change your sheets or PJs (and your room isn't too hot/duvet isn't too thick)
• if you have diabetes (your blood sugar may have dropped overnight)
• if you have brief episodes of sweating with paralysing fear
• you're taking pain medications, NSAIDs, antidepressants, viagra or hormonal medicines (15 per cent of users get excessive sweating from their meds and your doctor may be able to offer alternatives)

Go to A&E if:

• you have a high temperature (above 40'c)

Your body is probably trying to fight off infection and is trying to cool the body down through sweat. A really high temperature can damage your organs so you need to be seen ASAP.

Diarrhoea

We've all had upset stomachs before and usually, they're nothing to worry about.

If it happens more frequently, it might be worth keeping a food diary to see if something sets you off.

Spicy foods, certain fruits, dairy and gluten can trigger bloating, gas and diarrhoea in some people.

Those of us who drink a lot of coffee may also find ourselves running to the loo as coffee is a really effective laxative.

If you've had proper diarrhoea for less than 48 hours, however, you may have picked up a bug; if it doesn't clear up after a few days, go to your GP.

See your GP if:

• you've had belly cramps for a few days
• you've had consistent diarrhoea and belly pain for three days or more
• you've got tremors, palpitations, weight loss and you feel constantly hot, alongside chronic diarrhoea
• you've got mouth ulcers, weight loss, fever, joint pain and diarrhoea

Go to A&E if:

• there's blood in your poo or it's black and tarry

Dark and bloody poo can be a sign of something quite serious - internal bleeding.

A black stool indicates bleeding from somewhere within the digestive tract so if someone presents with that you would really want to investigate both the bowel and the stomach.

Black poo is a red flag sign for bowel cancer, as well as bright red blood in the poo, so don't hesitate to speak to a doctor.

Bloating

So many of us suffer from bloating.

It's usually caused by trapped air in the stomach or intestines and you get it when you've eaten too much or too quickly.

Like chewing gum? Well, that can cause you to swallow a load of air which then gets trapped. And it also contains lots of artificial sweeteners which react with your gut bacteria and produce gases as a result.

Sipping with straws is also a surefire way of swallowing bubbles of air - particularly if you're drinking a fizzy drink with a straw.

Sugar is also a big cause of bloating, so if you eat a lot of sugar or sweet drinks, you may want to cut down and see if that improves the situation.

But sometimes bloating can be indicative of a more serious issue.

See your GP if:

• you have bloating and belly pain that significantly improves after having a poo (which could be IBS)
• your bloating doesn't change throughout the day or improve after pooing
• you have diabetes and you can't keep good down

If your belly gets noticeably larger, then you could have fluid around your intestines, or you might have liver disease, heart disease or ovarian cancer.

Yellowing of the skin and eyes often indicate a liver issue, while swelling in the legs tends to be linked to heart disease.

Your GP can arrange for you to have an ultrasound scan to see what's going on.

Go to A&E if:

• you feel sick and have belly pain - it could be a blockage in your intestines
• you've had significant weight gain in the past couple of weeks and feel out of breath (could be kidney, heart or liver disease)

Lump in the groin

No one should ignore lumps anywhere on the body.

See your GP if:

• you find a soft or firm lump on the top of or anywhere on your testicles (often a sign of testicular cancer)
• you have a bump or bulge that gets larger when you cough (could be a hernia)

Erectile dysfunction

It's thought that around 40 per cent of 40-year-old men have some degree of ED, and that number goes up with age (50 per cent at 50, etc).

It can be down to a range of different causes - both physical and mental.

Smoking, drinking and leading a generally unhealthy lifestyle may have an effect on your ability to get and maintain an erection. Both smoking and drinking alcohol could damage blood vessels, impeding blood flow.

The NHS says that narrowing of the blood vessels going to the penis is commonly associated with pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

See your GP if:

• you've struggled with erectile problems and you haven't been to the GP for a while
• you have love handles (could be a hormonal imbalance, usually caused by lifestyle factors)
• you're taking medication for depression or blood pressure
• you have a burning sensation when you pee (could be a bladder or prostate infection, or chronic pelvic pain syndrome)

Go to A&E if:

• you're taking medication for erectile dysfunction and you have an erection for more than two hours without stimulation

Remember, doctors have seen it all - there's nothing you can present with that they won't have seen or heard about.

More often than not, they can help you to nip issues in the bud before they become serious problems, and that saves time, money and stress for everyone concerned.

But that doesn't mean that you have to rush to your GP at the slightest sign of something feeling wrong.

Get to know what's normal for you, monitor how you feel and if symptoms feel as though they're going on longer than they should, seek help.

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