Health checks you can do at home

• A recurrent headache may be due to migraine, or rarely, to a brain tumour but most headaches are linked to stress and anxiety (tension headache).
• Recurrent indigestion is often due to acid refluxing from the stomach into the oesophagus, but peptic ulcers and cancer of the stomach need to be ruled out.

5. Unexpected blood loss from any part of the body
Unexpected blood loss is a frightening symptom you are unlikely to ignore. Let your doctor know as soon as possible if you:

• cough up blood
• notice redness or dark flecks like coffee grounds in your vomit
• pass black, tarry, unpleasant-smelling stools
• notice bleeding in between your periods or after sex - even if it's only spotting
• notice post-menopausal bleeding after you thought your periods had stopped
• see blood in any fluid or discharge from any exit from the body.

Possible causes depend on the site of bleeding or blood staining, but include:

• inflammation or infection
• bleeding from an ulcer or damaged blood vessel
• blood clotting problems or a blood disease
• a stone (eg kidney stone)
• cancer

6. A change in bowel habit
Although it's embarrassing to discuss, a change in bowel habit is one of the few ways your intestines can show you something's wrong. A change in bowel habit means that your habit changes from opening your bowels regularly to opening your bowels more or less frequently than is usual for you. This may be due to constipation, diarrhoea or a general slowing down or speeding up of your intestines. If this continues for more than a week or so, seek medical advice. Possible causes include:

• irritable bowel syndrome
• infection
• diverticulitis
• inflammatory bowel disease e.g ulcerative colitis
• intestinal obstruction
• bowel cancer