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Does your hair and face reveal anything about your health? Should you worry if you experience hair loss, pale inner eyelids, a swollen tongue, or sunken cheeks?

According to Dr. Mark Stengler, a licensed naturopathic medical doctor and a leading authority on alternative and integrated medicine, all could suggest health problems.

Hair loss for some men and many women is caused by excess cortisol (a stress hormone) or testosterone, but sometimes deficiencies of estrogen, progesterone or thyroid hormone are to blame. The latter also causes partial loss of the eyebrows. These imbalances are often associated with stress, inadequate diet, toxin exposure, or pregnancy and menopause. Breaking hair, split ends, and sometimes dandruff signal nutritional deficiencies.

Your lower eyelid should be a healthy pink-red hue. In contrast, a pale interior eyelid alludes to iron-deficiency anemia — especially if the patient is a vegan, has bleeding hemorrhoids or a heavy menstrual flow. Continuous bloodshot eyes without nasal congestion could indicate food sensitivity. Usually the culprits are soy, sugar, dairy products, wheat or gluten. Food allergies can also trigger dark circles, however, less often; the liver not effectively removing toxins from the body causes them.

Have you endured a red nose or flushed cheeks with tiny red bumps? Could be rosacea, an inflammatory skin disease that is rather common with an unknown cause, although there might be an underlying vascular problem instead. A particular bacterial infection (Helicobacter pylori) that causes stomach ulcers is sometimes associated with rosacea. A simple blood test diagnoses this infection which is treated with antibiotics or oral supplements.

Swollen gums usually indicate a lack of dental hygiene, but they can also suggest vitamin C or flavonoids (healthy plant pigments) deficiency, especially if one bruises easily. Vegetarians or those taking statin drugs for high cholesterol might need more Q10, the naturally occurring nutrient needed for basic cell function.

Still inside your mouth, a swollen or pale tongue alerts you to a possible iron deficiency. If it’s swollen but smooth and sore, you might need additional B vitamins. Again, blood tests can reveal these problems. For optimal health, you want a light red tongue. What if it has a white coating instead? A thin covering is normal but a thick white coating hints at Candida albicans yeast infection — either only in the mouth or also an overgrowth of yeast in the digestive tract. This is a frequent occurrence with long-term antibiotic use.

Do you think sunken cheeks are due to weight loss? According to Dr. Stengler, few American doctors realize that hollow cheeks can indicate cortisol (growth hormone) deficiency. A saliva or blood test can identify this and hormone therapy will follow, if necessary. What about puffy cheeks? It’s a tip-off to Dr. Stengler that a woman is on birth control pills. He advises daily supplements of vitamin B-6 and magnesium to aid the liver in processing estrogen from the pills, thus reducing water retention.

Now it’s time to look in the mirror for an honest evaluation. If you observe any of the above signs, speak with your health care provider.

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Kay Sager is a certified fitness and aquatic specialist living at Port of the Islands. She is a personal trainer using land and water fitness and teaches swimming. She also has written articles for Physician and Sports Medicine among other publications. Kay can be reached by e-mail: kswimfit@aol.com.