Time for a check-up?

To help live longer your life there are some symptoms you should never ignore, whatever your age.

They could be early warning signs of something serious. Pay heed to these so that they can be treated in good time.

1. The appearance of blood, even streaks, in your spit, urine, bowel motions or vaginal discharge must be checked out at the earliest by your doctor to exclude the possibility of a tumour.

2. From the age of 45, consult your doctor if you suffer from a sudden attack of heartburn, indigestion, tightness or chest pain. It could be an indication of a heart ailment that needs urgent attention.

3. A painful red eye with blurred vision or halos around lights, especially at night or in the dark, is an early sign of acute glaucoma and raised pressure in your eyeball. Permanent eye damage can be prevented with early treatment.

4. Hoarseness of the voice that persists for more than a couple of weeks could be the first sign that indicates the presence of a tumour in the larynx. If the hoarseness or an irritable cough is persistent, it could be lung cancer.

5. A passing paralysis of the face, leg and hands or temporary loss of vision or memory could be an early warning sign of a stroke. These transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) require blood-thinning drugs from your doctor.