Alump in your breast or a flutter in your chest. You will high tail it to your doctor if you experience these symptoms. But some common illnesses are so difficult to spot that many women - and even their doctors - may miss them. "It's crucial to familiarise yourself with the warning signs so that you can bring them to your physician's attention," says Phyllis Greenberger, president and CEO of the Society for Women's Health Research in the US. Take control of your health by learning more about the following four often-overlooked diseases and how you can lower your risk.

It could be: DEPRESSION

Everyone's battled a bout of the blues, which makes it easy for many women to write off a glum mood. But symptoms that persist for at least two weeks may signal depression a disease that affects 6.2 per cent of women aged between 20 and 59.

Caused by an imbalance in your brain chemistry, depression has been shown to quadruple your risk for heart disease, reports the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Doctors aren't sure why there's a link, but some research suggests that mental distress causes blood platelets to clump together, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and clots. Depression also causes your body to pump out stress hormones at a high rate, which, over time, can weaken bones and raise your chances of developing osteoporosis. If you've been experiencing symptoms for a few weeks, ask your physician for a referral to a consult a mental-health professional.

What's your risk? Everything from low self-esteem to hormonal changes increases the risk; depression can also be triggered by a specific experience, such as the loss of a loved one.

Protect yourself

Take a trip down memory lane. Ten minutes of reminiscing twice a day can raise flagging spirits, finds a study from Loyola University in Chicago. "Reflecting on meaningful times in your life prevents you from feeling bogged down by everyday worries," explains study author Dr Fred Bryant.

Stop smoking. As if you needed another reason to quit a new Finnish study reports that long-time smokers (those who have smoked for five or more years) are more likely to suffer from depression than those who have never lit up.

See your doc if you snore. It can be a sign of sleep apnoea, a condition marked by disrupted breathing that's five times more common in people with depression, according to a study done by Stanford University.

It could be: LUPUS

Because the most common signs of lupus mimic the signs of so many other familiar conditions, it takes an average of three to five years for someone with this chronic autoimmune disorder to be diagnosed. Lupus causes the immune system to lose the ability to distinguish foreign substances from normal cells. So the body creates antibodies that attack healthy cells.

As a result, sufferers experience chronic inflammation, especially in the joints and surrounding tissues, which triggers an attack called a "flare." It can be mild to crippling and occur as often as once a week or as rarely as once every few years. Women with lupus often go to their doctors with different complaints. Other signs may include muscle pain, extreme fatigue, swollen glands, and hair loss. "Because symptoms come and go, it's kind of like watching a Polaroid develop - it takes a long time for the whole picture to come into focus.

But it's critical to get diagnosed early, because the consequences of the disease can be life threatening. The inflammation raises the risk of heart disease tenfold and kidney disease by 50 per cent and it can damage several other areas of the body, including the brain, lungs, and skin. Although there's no known cure for lupus, there are medications to manage flares and treat symptoms, such as steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen, antimalarial drugs, and immunosuppressive drugs to relieve pain and lower the risk of damage to your organs and joints.

What's your risk? Lupus primarily strikes women between the ages of 15 and 44; in fact, females make up 90 per cent of the 1.5 million people in the US with the disease.

Protect yourself

Know your family history. Research suggests that the illness, along with other common autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, may be hereditary. So if you have a relative with lupus, be sure to mention it to your physician.

See the right expert. Since there's no simple test to screen for lupus, doctors must piece together symptoms to make a diagnosis. Rheumatologists, physicians who specialise in treating arthritis and certain autoimmune disorders, are more likely to spot the signs than general practitioners are.

Let go of little worries. Day-to-day stressors can make lupus symptoms worse, according to a study from the University of Granada. Chronic tension may increase the levels of hormones that trigger flares or exacerbate them. Techniques to reduce stress, such as deep breathing and exercise can make a huge difference.

It could be: ASTHMA

You might attribute your respiratory problems to allergies or a cold, but if they linger, asthma may be the cause. Also characterised by wheezing. the disease is caused by a chronic inflammation of the walls of the airways inside your lungs. Most people associate asthma with sudden attacks, which is common in childhood cases. But among adults, the symptoms may be persistent and less obvious.

The bulk of adult-onset cases are caused by allergies, such as those to pet dander, dust mites, and pollen. Exercise can trigger symptoms in about 80 per cent of those with asthma: for some people, it's the only time they experience problems.

If you have symptoms that last more than two weeks, or if it's hard for you to breathe, see an allergist who can do an evaluation and prescribe medication, such as an inhaled steroid. Left untreated, asthma can lead to sleep problems, pregnancy complications, and even heart disease.

What's your risk? Women are 33 per cent more likely than men to have asthma, which affects 20 million adults in the US. Experts have also linked the disease to obesity - extra weight may reduce your lung capacity, making you more susceptible.

Protect yourself

Eat an apple a day. A recent Harvard School of Public Health study found that eating less than one-and a-half cups of fruit - the recommended daily intake - is associated with symptoms like wheezing.

Make mould history. Inhaling the spores of these fungi growths are a big asthma trigger. Mould may be lurking in minuscule amounts in and around your shower. To get rid of it, scrub bathrooms at least once every two weeks.

Warm up before you work out. Before starting your normal run, do a few 30-second sprints. A new study from Indiana University in Bloomington found that this kind of pre-workout routine can reduce the airway-tightening that occurs in asthmatics during exercise by as much as 50 per cent.

It could be: TYPE 2 DIABETES

That's because if the signs, which include an increased need to urinate, are present, they may be easy to overlook. But without proper treatment, diabetes can prove deadly. Two out of three diabetics die from heart disease or stroke. Research from Louisiana State University shows that diabetic women between the ages of 18 and 44 are 14 times more likely to have either condition than non-diabetics are.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body doesn't make enough insulin or use it efficiently to control your blood sugar (glucose) levels. This can adversely affect your nervous system, heart, eyes, and more.

What's your risk? If you're overweight, ask your doctor about getting a blood sugar test. Having a body mass index of 30 or higher means you have a 55 per cent greater likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes than someone who is slender. The upside is that losing weight is often enough to prevent the disease or even reverse it. If slimming down doesn't lower your glucose levels, an oral medication may be prescribed. People with a family history of diabetes are at an increased risk, as are women who had gestational diabetes or high glucose levels during pregnancy.

Protect yourself

Change your diet. Research has shown that eating more fruit, vegetables, and beans -and less white flour and sugar - can help prevent or control diabetes. A new Harvard study found that women who consumed at least two and a half servings of whole grains a day were 32 per cent less likely to develop the disease than those who ate less than half a portion daily.

Schedule a dental cleaning. Gum disease can trigger diabetes according to a new study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen. Although it's not clear why, gum disease seems to interfere with the body's ability to control blood sugar. A common sign of gum disease is tender gums that bleed easily.

Do an emotional check up. A North western University study showed that depression is strongly correlated with future diabetes risk. Researchers believe that depression can negatively influence your eating, sleeping, and exercising habits.