As we age, we generally tend to not only have an increased of health woes, but at the same time become more and more aware of potential problems that could be brewing.

Vigilance with health is good to have, but there are times when the awareness of benign issues can grow to become aggravating worry that can actually be more harmful that the minor health blip itself.

Below are three of the top hot-button issues to which people can tend to overreact when they likely no big deal at all.

One elevated blood pressure reading-

Several things can cause a blood pressure reading to spike up to an elevated level in a person who is generally healthy.  It always boils down to some kind of acute, and likely temporary, stress of some sort.

Having an infection, injury, or emotional blip can launch a person’s blood pressure up temporarily, but given the chance to normalize, it generally will without intervention.  This is a normal thing that the body does, and is a defense mechanism.  Even “White Coat Syndrome” can cause blood pressure to go up at the doctor’s office, which is a completely temporary condition and not at all indicative of blood pressure health overall.

The time to act is if 1) blood pressure is over 135/85 for several readings in a row, over many different days and if there is no other explanation (as with a mild infection); and 2) efforts to change diet or exercise haven’t helped.

One wayward reading is nothing to panic about, but even if it is time to act, medication doesn’t have to be the go-to solution.  Try natural alternatives that are not only more effective, but also safer anyway.

This 3-step exercise plan is so easy literally anyone can do it, and it drops blood pressure down to normal without drugs…

One cholesterol test with higher numbers –

There is no doubt that millions of people are over-medicated.  There are many reason as to why this is, but one of the most preventable is the rush to treat something that may be a simple anomaly.

One high cholesterol test should never be the reason to immediately start on a statin.  Follow-up tests after simple lifestyle interventions should always occur.  As with the blood pressure example above, there are a number of things that can affect a test result, and one single high reading isn’t grounds for announcing that the sky is falling.

Even if you are directed to work on improving cholesterol health, there are a number of ways to do it naturally that don’t have to involve starvation or a complete lifestyle overhaul.

Here is a step-by-step plan that has helped thousands of people to easily normalize their cholesterol level in 30 days or less…

Reaching for an antibiotic with every sniffle or cough…

As many people are likely well aware, overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotic medications has created a number of resistant bacteria strains that are becoming very difficult to fight.

We should all know that viruses are not affected by these medications, because viruses aren’t really alive.  They’re more like little machines, and the human body is the best at dismantling these little guys so they stop their assault.  Keeping the body well-stocked with proper nutrition is the best way to help it do that.

But even having a simple bacterial infection doesn’t always need an antibiotic.   It is true that some infections need intervention, such as strep throat, since leaving it untreated can lead to more dangerous complications.

But some issues can easily be left to the body to fight as medications also can raise blood pressure, cause allergic reactions, or contribute to resistance.  The time to act is when a fever exceeds 101 degrees or symptoms last more than a week.

It’s important to note that you should absolutely call your doctor and at least visit with the nurse if you are unsure if something should have some follow-up.  But the point here is to not panic about some of these every day occurrences that could really be nothing scary at all.

Open communication with your health care provider about what you are noticing with your body and your preferences for treatment when the time comes will help alleviate a lot of unnecessary worry and sometimes even unnecessary tests.