5 subtle health red flags women shouldn’t ignore

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has reaffirmed his commitment to improving women’s healthcare on the NHS with a refreshed Women’s Health Strategy.

The report outlines 117 action points, including plans to cut waiting times for gynaecology services, improve access to contraception and abortion care, and introduce a new £1 million menstrual education programme to help girls better understand what constitutes a healthy period.

While the report acknowledges that no single strategy can fully address the growing number of working-age women unable to work due to long-term illness, it emphasises that the Government “will do more to prevent the health conditions that cause economic inactivity.”

It can be easy to overlook health red flags amid the demands of daily life or be put off by long waiting times, but the Department of Health and Social Care hopes that these measures will make it easier for women to access the support and care that they need.

We spoke to Dr Jane Benjamin, GP and women’s health lead at HCA UK Primary Care, who highlighted five subtle health red flags women should never ignore…

1. Abnormal vaginal bleeding

“One warning sign to look out for is abnormal vaginal bleeding, which could be bleeding after menopause, bleeding after intercourse or bleeding between menstrual periods,” says Benjamin. “It’s important to not ignore this because it could be a sign of an abnormality with the endometrium, such as an endometrial polyp, or an early sign of endometrial cancer.

“Bleeding after intercourse can also be a sign of cervical cancer if it’s advanced.”

She recognises that many women don’t necessarily think to go to a doctor about changes to their usual bleeding pattern.

“I think because women get periods, and we are used to bleeding, some don’t realise that any change in a normal pattern or any bleeding after menopause is actually abnormal and don’t realise that there might be pathology associated with it,” says Benjamin.

“As soon as you notice a change out of the norm, you should discuss this further with your GP.”

If the GP is concerned, they might refer you for a pelvic ultrasound.

“The next step would be a pelvic ultrasound to assess the lining of the womb, and bleeding after intercourse is a symptom where they would also need to have a look at the cervix to make sure there are no abnormalities,” says Benjamin. “We want to pick up cancers early, so the sooner we detect them, the better the clinical outcome will be.”

2. Unexplained weight loss

“Unexplained weight loss is one of the major red flag symptoms for pathology, so it’s important to consult your GP about any rapid, unexplained weight loss when you’re not exercising or dieting,” says Benjamin.

“Then if your GP is concerned, they will arrange an onward referral for you.”

3. Change in bowel habits

“I would also recommend looking out for any changes in bowel habits such as constipation, diarrhoea, urgency (needing to run to the toilet) or bleeding when you pass stool,” says Benjamin. “These can be a potential signs of bowel cancer.”

However, she recognises that talking about bowel habits can still feel like a bit of a taboo.

“Bowel habits are not something that people tend to speak about in society, so people often don’t feel comfortable speaking about it,” says Benjamin. “So, people often don’t realise the symptoms they’re experiencing are not normal.”

4. Bloating

“If bloating is associated with other gastrointestinal symptoms, such as a runny tummy or cramping abdominal pain, it could be a sign of something like viral gastroenteritis, but we would expect these symptoms to pass quickly, within a few days to a week,” says Benjamin.

“If symptoms persist for longer than a week, I would advise people to follow this up with their GP, because bloating, feeling full after meals, or an increase in abdominal size can be potential signs of ovarian cancer, which is often picked up quite late because people are not aware of the symptoms.

“There is currently no screening process in place for ovarian cancer, so it is reliant on individuals reporting symptoms to get a scan in order to get a diagnosis.”

She highlights how ovarian cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) because they share symptoms.

“People often label bloating as IBS, but you need to make sure there isn’t anything else going on before you can call it IBS,” says Benjamin.

5. Lumps and bumps

“We should be doing a monthly breast self examination, and if we detect any lump or bump in our breast, that needs to be reported to a doctor,” advises Benjamin. “Lumps and bumps under the armpit often get missed because when people do a breast examination, they often don’t examine under the armpit, which is an important area to check.”

She also recommends getting any lumps and bumps elsewhere on the body checked out by a GP.

“Any new lump and bumps must be investigated, even if they are very small,” says Benjamin. “Lumps and bumps in the groin are often missed and could be a sign of something like lymphoma, and anything that develops on the back can also be difficult to detect.”