Body Talk: 10 Unusual Symptoms and the Signals Your Body Might Be Trying to Send You
- Terri Seydel
- May 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 9
Your body isn’t being weird—it’s being wise. The question is, are you listening?
We’re used to tuning into the obvious stuff: the pounding headache, the stomach that stages a protest after questionable sushi, the sore muscles after a new workout. But what about the not-so-obvious stuff? The stuff that doesn’t show up neatly on a lab result or get an easy diagnosis?
If you’ve ever been dismissed with a shrug or told “your labs are normal” while your body is sending S.O.S. signals… you’re not alone. It’s not all in your head. It’s in your body language—the subtle signals your body sends long before a full-blown health issue impacts your life.
In my new book, Body Language: Listening to Clues for a Healthier You, I walk you through how to start decoding these whispers before they turn into shouts. Through this method, you'll become more confident and empowered to self-advocate for your wellness needs.
In the meantime, let’s dig into 10 unusual symptoms and signals that might be trying to tell you something—and what science says they might actually mean.
1. Waking up between 2–4 a.m. regularly and struggling to fall back asleep
No, it's not just your brain being annoying. Traditional Chinese Medicine links these hours to liver detoxification. Western science echoes the connection: cortisol spikes, blood sugar imbalances, or even liver overload (hello, wine and late-night snacks) may be involved.1
What to track: food and alcohol intake, and emotional stress before bed.
2. Dry, cracked heels that won’t quit
Beyond needing a better moisturizer, this can be your thyroid asking for attention. Hypothyroidism is linked to dry, thick skin—especially on the feet.2
Body Language Tip: Track this with other potential thyroid signals like fatigue, constipation, and weight changes.
3. Sudden strong aversions to foods you used to love
No, you're not being dramatic. Changes in gut flora, food sensitivities, or histamine intolerance can create sudden “nope” reactions. Your gut’s microbiome could be begging you to reevaluate.
Science says: Food aversions are often early indicators of underlying gut, immune, or hormone imbalances.3
4. Chronic jaw tension or tooth clenching
This isn’t just about stress (though that’s real too). The vagus nerve—your body’s main communicator between brain and gut—can influence jaw tension.4 Clenching could be your body’s S.O.S. for help.
Try tracking: stressors, sleep quality, and digestion.
5. Weird skin rashes that come and go
Hives without a clear cause? Eczema flare-ups? Often, these are inflammatory responses tied to food, hormones, or even nervous system dysregulation.
Science-backed clue: Many autoimmune conditions and gut imbalances show up first through the skin.5
6. Random episodes of lightheadedness after eating
Surprise! Blood sugar crashes, adrenal fatigue, or histamine intolerance could be behind that post-meal swoon.6
Journal tip: Record what you ate, how you felt, and when the lightheadedness hit.
7. Sudden scent sensitivity
If perfume, gasoline, or even food smells start making you dizzy or sick, your detox pathways might be overburdened.
Science link: Heightened chemical sensitivity is common in people with chronic inflammation or mold exposure.7
8. Hair loss in weird places
Thinning eyebrows—especially the outer third—can signal thyroid issues.8 Excess shedding after stress? A cortisol spike might be to blame.
Symptom clue combo: Add fatigue, brain fog, or anxiety to the mix and you've got a trail worth following.
9. Goosebumps or chills at random times
When not cold or emotional, this could be a subtle nervous system glitch—part of your body’s fight-or-flight response getting tripped.
Body science: Dysautonomia (dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system) can cause these little ‘static shocks.’9
10. A growing intolerance to heat, cold, or light
If you're suddenly the person who needs blackout curtains, a sweater in summer, or ice packs in winter—your body might be dealing with hormonal shifts, nutrient deficiencies, or chronic inflammation.10
Note to self: If your sensory thresholds are changing, your wellness needs might be too.
So... now what? What should you do about unusual symptoms?
These clues don’t mean you need to panic. They mean you need to pay attention.
When you begin to track and connect these signals through symptom journaling, just like I guide you to do in Body Language, you turn your health story into a solvable puzzle.
The old model says: Wait for symptoms to get bad enough to name. The new model says: Tune in earlier, track the subtle shifts, and respond before things spiral.
This isn’t about becoming hypervigilant. It’s about becoming health-literate in your own body’s unique language.
Want to learn how to turn your symptoms into insights?
Be the first to get early access to Body Language: Listening to Clues for a Healthier You.
Sign up here to join the wellness revolution. Because your body is talking—it’s time to start listening for clues to a healthier you.
References:
Kalmbach DA, Anderson JR, Drake CL. The impact of stress on sleep: Pathogenic sleep reactivity as a vulnerability to insomnia and circadian disorders. J Sleep Res. 2018 Dec;27(6):e12710. doi: 10.1111/jsr.12710. Epub 2018 May 24. PMID: 29797753; PMCID: PMC7045300.
The Different Ways Your Feet Can Reveal Thyroid Issues — PodiatryCare, P.C. and the Heel Pain Center
Caminero A, Meisel M, Jabri B, Verdu EF. Mechanisms by which gut microorganisms influence food sensitivities. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019 Jan;16(1):7-18. doi: 10.1038/s41575-018-0064-z. PMID: 30214038; PMCID: PMC6767923.
Manzella, Debra RN. Dealing With the Sugar Crash of Reactive Hypoglycemia After Eating. VeryWellHealth. April 2025.
Medical News Today. Everything you need to know about heat intolerance
