1. Feeling Tongue-Tied
He’s thinking: I’m having a senior moment.
But it could be: A stroke. 

2. Shortness of Breath
He’s thinking: I’m really out of shape.
But it could be: An impending heart attack. 

3. Persistent Pain On One side of the Abdomen
He’s thinking: I probably pulled a muscle.
But it could be: A kidney stone or tumor. 

4. Toilet-Time Blood
He’s thinking: Must be something I ate.
But it could be: A kidney stone or bladder cancer if blood is in urine; colon cancer if blood is in stools. 

5. Trouble Down Below
He’s thinking: There’s a pill for this.
But it could be: An early warning of cardiovascular disease. 

6. Daytime Fatigue
He’s thinking: I should go to sleep earlier.
But it could be: Obstructive sleep apnea. 

7. Constant Grumpiness
He’s thinking: I’m just under a lot of stress at work.
But it could be: Depression. 

8. Frequent Urination
He’s thinking: I’m drinking too much coffee.
But it could be: Type 2 diabetes or an enlarged prostate. 

9. Yellowish Skin
He’s thinking: What yellow skin?
But it could be: Liver trouble. 

10. A New Spot—Mole, Freckle, Red Patch— On the Skin
He’s thinking: It’ll go away.
But it could be: Skin cancer or seborrheic keratoses— warty, waxy benign lesions that become more common in middle age. 

Richard Laliberte and Gail Saltz (c)