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By Emma Haak




An ophthalmologist spotting high cholesterol? A dentist diagnosing diabetes? You might be surprised by what specialists can discover before your GP does.




You expect your dermatologist to check your body for suspicious moles, but you probably don't expect her to be the first to catch a potentially serious problem with your ovaries. It may sound odd, but research shows that many diagnoses can come from unexpected sources. Here, the surprising questions you should ask your specialists.


The Eye Doc


Ask: "How's my cholesterol?"


In 65 percent of cases, optometrists and ophthalmologists notice signs of high cholesterol before any other health provider, according to a study of more than 200,000 Americans. Elevated cholesterol can cause yellowish plaques to lodge within retinal blood vessels. "By dilating pupils and using ocular tools, we're able to look at the blood vessels in the back of the eye in real time, allowing us to spot the signs of high cholesterol noninvasively," says optometrist Rupe Hansra, senior director of eye care for LensCrafters.



The Dentist


Ask: "Do I have diabetes?"


Red, swollen gums may signal more than just lax flossing habits -- they could indicate that you're suffering from diabetes. "High blood sugar can interfere with the body's immune response, so gums become more susceptible to inflammation from bacteria, leading to gingivitis," says periodontist Sally Cram, DDS, based in Washington, D.C. "I've had patients with mild cases of diabetes that I was the first to notice because changes to their gums were so pronounced."


The Dermatologist


Ask: "Could I have PCOS?"


Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal imbalance associated with infertility, is characterized by irregular periods, ovarian cysts, and higher levels of hormones called androgens. "Many symptoms of excess androgen are manifested on the skin -- like acne along the jawline and dark hair on the face and chest," says Rachel Reynolds, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School. In fact, up to 92 percent of PCOS sufferers have excess hair growth, while up to 35 percent experience breakouts. "Dermatologists are trained to pick up on certain skin patterns, so we're able to connect the dots others may miss," says Reynolds.


The Podiatrist


Ask: "Are my cold feet a sign of peripheral artery disease?"


High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage the inner layers of arteries, making them more vulnerable to the accumulation of fatty plaques. This, in turn, can lead to a condition called peripheral artery disease (PAD), in which the arteries in your limbs begin to narrow and harden. "When the narrowing occurs, one of the first organs to lose blood flow is the skin," says podiatrist Megan Leahy of the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute. While it's unclear why PAD is more common in lower extremities, beware if the skin on your feet turns thin and shiny and feels unusually cold. Early detection is critical, since PAD puts you at risk for stroke and heart attack.


The Orthopedist


Ask: "Could my cancer be back?"


Among women whose breast cancer recurs within ten years of an early diagnosis, 70 percent will have a metastatic form of the disease that has spread to their bones. The symptoms regularly include unexplained pain in the back, hips, and upper arms. Kristy Weber, MD, chief of orthopedic oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, who has treated many patients with recurring breast cancer, says, "The most common place for the cancer to spread is to the thoracic spine in the upper back." Letting your doctor know you're a breast cancer survivor may help her discover the disease's recurrence sooner.


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Earlier on HuffPost OWN: Bizarre Questions People Ask Doctors




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  • 'Why Don't We Get Goose Bumps On The Face?'


    We do get them</a> on our cheeks, says <a href="www.ArtofDermatology.com" target="_blank">Jessica Krant, MD</a>, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor at <a href="http://www.downstate.edu/" target="_hplink">SUNY Downstate Medical Center</a>. Goose bumps, or cutis anserine, occur where we have hair -- pretty much everywhere except for our palms and soles of feet, Krant says. She breaks down the process: Each hair follicle contains a microscopic muscle called arrectores pilorum that contracts in response to the sensation of cold, or the feelings of fear or excitement. The reason most of us, especially women, don't notice goose bumps on our face is because the peach fuzz there is usually fine and short, and our facial skin muscles are less robust than those in our arms and legs. Krant adds that if you find goose-pimply bumps on any part of your body that don't seem to be affected by fear or temperature, you might have <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002433/" target="_hplink">keratosis pilaris</a>, an eczema-like condition caused by inflamed follicles.




  • 'Does Being Overweight Mean You'll Get Pregnant Easily?'


    We don't see many images of fertility goddesses as skinny stick figures. And it's true that <a href="http://www.asrm.org/Abnormal_Body_Weight/" target="_blank">underweight women make a form of estrogen that can be too weak for successful conception</a>, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). But while obese women often have an overabundance of estrogen, this can affect their cycle to the point that they stop ovulating. Excess weight can influence fertility in other ways, too: A 2007 Dutch study of more than 3,000 couples (without any known ovulation problems) found that women with a body mass index of 30 or higher <a href="http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/2/324.full" target="_blank">had significantly lower probability of becoming pregnant</a>, when compared with women with BMIs of between 21 and 29. This is why the ASRM stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy weight when trying to conceive. By the way, having full hips won't even provide an advantage during childbirth: "It's the front-to-back dimension that creates the tightest squeeze," discovered <a href="http://www.nathanaeljohnson.org/all-natural/" target="_blank">Nathanael Johnson</a> while exploring the science and history of childbirth (among other biological processes) for his book <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781605290744-0" target="_blank">All Natural</a>. So an average-weight woman has the best chance of getting pregnant naturally and giving birth more easily.




  • 'Why Don't People Who Take Nitroglycerin For Their Heart Blow Themselves Up?'


    This query usually exposes a childhood fascination with Road Runner cartoons, says <a href="http://www.med.nyu.edu/biosketch/wlg2" target="_blank">Billy Goldberg, MD</a>, a New York emergency room physician and the co-author (with Mark Leyner) of <a href="http://www.whydomenhavenipples.com/" target="_hplink">two</a> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/101276/why-do-men-fall-asleep-after-sex-by-mark-leyner-and-billy-goldberg-md" target="_hplink">books</a> about health trivia ("the stuff everyone wants to know, but that doctors aren't taught in medical school," Goldberg says). For those who've forgotten: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9bC_3cNH34" target="_blank">Wile E. Coyote would blow himself up</a> with explosive nitroglycerin -- the same substance used in heart medication. In the commonly prescribed pill form, <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a601086.html" target="_blank">nitroglycerin</a> helps increase blood flow to oxygen-deprived areas of the heart by dilating blood vessels. The medicinal dose of nitroglycerin in heart medication is infinitesimal compared with the amount in a stick of dynamite, explains Goldberg in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Why-Men-Fall-Asleep-After/dp/0307345971" target="_blank">Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex?</a></em>. It's also highly diluted for safe handling.




  • 'Can Sunshine Trigger A Sneezing Fit?'


    Goldberg says this is one of his favorite questions -- mostly because he assumed it was too ridiculous to be true. While writing <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nipples-Hundreds-Questions-Doctor-Martini/dp/1400082315" target="_blank">Why Do Men Have Nipples?</a></em>, he and Leyner pored over medical textbooks and studies to find out that some people have a strange reaction to blazing sunlight that causes them to sneeze uncontrollably. This is due to something called the photic sneeze reflex -- also known as autosomal dominant compelling helio-ophthalmic outburst, or ACHOO. A 2005 study of six Spanish families showed that <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16007510" target="_blank">there are usually two to three "achoo"s per episode of ACHOO</a>. This reflex is relatively under-studied and not completely understood, says Goldberg, but it is thought to have something to do with an accidental crossing of nerve signals.




  • 'Why Does It Feel So Hot Out When It's 90 Degrees If Our Bodies Are 98.6?'


    This question comes up all the time, says Goldberg (most likely during the sweltering East Coast summers). The answer is found in the human body's way of regulating temperature. We're constantly producing heat as we burn calories and exert energy, says Goldberg, and the heat needs to escape. He explains that it's easier to release pent-up heat when the temperatures outside are moderate or cool. When the temps soar, the body increases blood flow to the skin to help the heat escape through sweat. The hotter it gets, the more sweat and energy the body needs to exert, and the harder it ends up working. As a result, you feel like you're burning up.




  • 'If You're Stranded On A Desert Island Should You Drink Ocean Water Or, Um, Your Own 'Water'?'


    This is definitely one of the more far-fetched questions Goldberg has been asked in his 20-plus years as an emergency room doctor and <a href="http://www.med.nyu.edu/biosketch/wlg2" target="_blank">assistant professor of emergency medicine at New York University</a>. But the answer underscores the importance of staying hydrated at all times. Our drink of choice would have been seawater. But Goldberg informs us that we have it wrong: Seawater is three times as concentrated as human blood, and to process it, the body would need to excrete the excess salt through the kidneys as urine. As your body worked to flush out the salt, you'd lose precious fluids and become even more dehydrated. Before long, your muscles would atrophy, your heart would pound out of rhythm, and you'd eventually die of dehydration. He says it's probably safer to drink urine than seawater, but you'll probably be too dehydrated to make enough to quench your thirst.




  • 'Can Pins And Needles In Your Feet Cause You To Become Paralyzed?'


    Goldberg says he's seen many people end up in the ER because they've failed to respond to that weird prickly feeling, perhaps because they've been knocked out by alcohol, sleeping pills or a punch in the face. He explains that when you've been kneeling for too long (or doing something else that puts pressure on your leg), the arteries in that area can become compressed, preventing them from providing tissues and nerves with oxygen and glucose. This also blocks nerve pathways, causing some nerves to stop firing and others to go off like a 4th of July fireworks finale. When the brain receives these signals, it interprets them as that uncomfortable sensation of pins and needles. Prolonged pressure on the arteries can indeed lead to temporary or even permanent nerve damage, so it's important to respond to the feeling as soon as you notice it.