Raise your hand if you’ve ever made the mistake of googling your symptoms and instantly assumed the worst. If you’ve managed to avoid that so far, that’s pretty impressive. For the rest of us, even the smallest unfamiliar sensation can send the imagination running wild.
Our bodies do all sorts of strange, unexpected things, and when something feels even slightly off, it’s easy to spiral, much like when your car makes a sound you’ve never heard before.
But in many cases, that fear is simply an overreaction. On Reddit, medical professionals pulled back the curtain on the most common issues people tend to panic about far more than they need to. Take a look below, and as always, trust a qualified doctor over a search bar when something truly worries you.
#41
Lipomas. Common, harmless and show up almost anywhere as small lumps. The most common place i see them is on backs and in the inguinal region. They are just a group of fat cells. Atypical lipomas can turn into liposarcomas but this is extremely rare.
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6points
#42
Nearly everybody that fills out a form before speaking to me thinks he bruises easier than others...wich COULD be a sign for different deseases but nearly never is...
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5points
#43
The flu. Please don't call 9-1-1 for the flu unless it's absolutely necessary. Most of the time there's nothing that can be done to help you and you're putting everyone in the ER at risk. Call your doctor and see if they even want to make an appointment with you. Most of the time they don't because you'll put their patients at risk as well. 99% of the time the best thing to do is rest and hydrate.
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5points
#44
The bump along your c-spine/neck region. One vertebra has a bump the protrudes more than the others, and anyone falling on their back/neck thinks they broke their neck when they feel it.
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4points
#45
You would be suprised if you found out how many people that gets an head MRI because they felt a little dizzy the other day, and they freak out about it and think they have a brain tumor.
We actually had a lady that had a referral along the lines of:
Passed out in the shower. I wish to do an MRI.
I feel like GPs a powerless against certain types of patients.
We actually had a lady that had a referral along the lines of:
Passed out in the shower. I wish to do an MRI.
I feel like GPs a powerless against certain types of patients.
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1point
#46
This kinda freaks out the alcoholics who are now sober. The human creates its own alcohol (ethanol) as a normal intermediary byproduct of metabolism. It is extremely small in concentration maxing out at 0.004 in the BAC measurement scale. The body's gut bacteria can also produce a tiny amount of ethanol during digestion depending on your gut bacteria and diet. This also gets absorbed and metabolized pretty quickly and in very low amounts.
That being said, there is alcohol in your body. You're not 0.00000000% alcohol free.
That being said, there is alcohol in your body. You're not 0.00000000% alcohol free.
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-2points
#47
I'm a Dermatologist. People freak out about seborrheic keratoses. 90% of the time when someone comes in with "new changing mole concerning for melanoma" it is one of them.
Family doctors get so little dermatology training that many have no clue what they are, and so they refer their patients to me for these. It's nice to give reassurance, but it's just getting ridiculous at this point.
Family doctors get so little dermatology training that many have no clue what they are, and so they refer their patients to me for these. It's nice to give reassurance, but it's just getting ridiculous at this point.
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-2points
#48
Morning sickness.
Now, let me say, I am a male. But, in my line of work (Paramedic), I see lots of serious incidents downplayed by patients, and lots of minor things blown out of proportion.
Routinely, first time mothers to be think morning sickness is the end of the world. They they call for help every other day for a few months until it passes. Some do need some help, but the majority blow it way out of proportion. If I had to gander a guess, the younger the first time mother to be, the more dramatic.
Now, let me say, I am a male. But, in my line of work (Paramedic), I see lots of serious incidents downplayed by patients, and lots of minor things blown out of proportion.
Routinely, first time mothers to be think morning sickness is the end of the world. They they call for help every other day for a few months until it passes. Some do need some help, but the majority blow it way out of proportion. If I had to gander a guess, the younger the first time mother to be, the more dramatic.
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-3points
#49
Moles. I'm not a doctor but 6 years as an Army Medic I saw more people come in for "weird mole" than nearly everything else, except common illnesses. Hey Doc this mole looks weird. "Why yes it does Specialist. It's probably cancer riddled with herpies. Now stop laying in tanning beds for hours before it actually does become a problem.".
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-7points
