The human body is fascinating. But if you think you know everything there is to know about what makes you tick, think again! There’s so much that the regular person doesn’t understand about how biology and health work. But if you’re lucky enough to chat to an expert, you can really expand your perspective. It could even end up saving your life.
Medical professionals hoping to make a difference in the world took to an informative thread on AskReddit and revealed the things they wish absolutely everyone knew about their body. Keep scrolling to learn something new about yourself, and we hope you’re taking notes!
#21
That they only have one [body] and their behavior now (drinking, smoking, not taking medicines, or whatever...) will impact their life quality and expectancy... sounds logical, but very few patients really realize it...
29points
#23
Alcohol is really *really* bad for you. I understand that ritualistic consumption of the poison has been part of almost every society for thousands of years, but that absolutley does not change just how terrible it is for your body.
You may think, "I binge drink all the time and I'm fine! I come from a long line of heavy drinkers! It's just some booze, I've never gotten sick from it!" But BOY HOWDY do you not realize what it does to your body.
By binge drinking, you run the risk of developing:
Stomach bleeds.
Intestinal bleeds.
Pancreatitis (both acute and chronic).
Liver disease and/or liver failure.
Alcoholism.
Heart failure.
Seizures.
Stroke.
Osteoporosis.
Lung failure.
The list goes on... Every time you have more than a few drinks in a night, you are essentially juggling hand grenades hoping that they don't go off. There is just no reason to do that to your body. Having 4 drinks spread out over a few hours can be JUST as fun as having 10 drinks in the same time span, AND you're not putting yourself at risk for massive organ failure and making yourself look like an idiot.
You may think, "I binge drink all the time and I'm fine! I come from a long line of heavy drinkers! It's just some booze, I've never gotten sick from it!" But BOY HOWDY do you not realize what it does to your body.
By binge drinking, you run the risk of developing:
Stomach bleeds.
Intestinal bleeds.
Pancreatitis (both acute and chronic).
Liver disease and/or liver failure.
Alcoholism.
Heart failure.
Seizures.
Stroke.
Osteoporosis.
Lung failure.
The list goes on... Every time you have more than a few drinks in a night, you are essentially juggling hand grenades hoping that they don't go off. There is just no reason to do that to your body. Having 4 drinks spread out over a few hours can be JUST as fun as having 10 drinks in the same time span, AND you're not putting yourself at risk for massive organ failure and making yourself look like an idiot.
29points
#24
If there could be a public service announcement about how utterly miserable it is to die by paracetomol o******e, that would great. Its the most common medication used for deliberate self poisoning that Ive seen and its not a 'go asleep forever' type deal. Its a long painful process that can last weeks if not caught early.
28points
#25
Don’t do DIY surgery or hold off on reporting things that are obvious warning signs. Don’t be the guy who tried to remove his skin cancer with a knife.
Akumakaji:
My buddy works in the cancer ward and told me a crazy DIY surgery story, that's hard to fathom. There is this guy who somehow brakes of a tooth at work. Not wanting to be a wuss, he scoopes up the splinter and reattachs it to his jew with some industrial grade glue of death.
It holds and he is quite pleased with himself, but a few month later he notices some strange growth in his mouth and it turns out that the industrial grade glue was carcinogenic... at least if administered directly into your jaw! He got cancer all over his mouth and throat and didn't go out of this world pleasantly.
Akumakaji:
My buddy works in the cancer ward and told me a crazy DIY surgery story, that's hard to fathom. There is this guy who somehow brakes of a tooth at work. Not wanting to be a wuss, he scoopes up the splinter and reattachs it to his jew with some industrial grade glue of death.
It holds and he is quite pleased with himself, but a few month later he notices some strange growth in his mouth and it turns out that the industrial grade glue was carcinogenic... at least if administered directly into your jaw! He got cancer all over his mouth and throat and didn't go out of this world pleasantly.
27points
#26
How to check for skin cancer. If you see any moles or anything that are:
A - asymmetrical
B - border (odd borders, like they're jagged or something)
C - Colour (different colours)
D - Diameter (grows)
E - Evolve (Well, evolves)
Go get it checked out. It might be skin cancer.
A - asymmetrical
B - border (odd borders, like they're jagged or something)
C - Colour (different colours)
D - Diameter (grows)
E - Evolve (Well, evolves)
Go get it checked out. It might be skin cancer.
26points
#27
RN here. It’s shocking how many people don’t know the anatomy of women. The urethra is where your pee comes from. It is also where bacteria can enter and cause a UTI. No a UTI is not a STD. And it isn’t in your v****a. It’s in your urinary tract. Yes you need to go see a doctor because that infection can travel all the way up to your kidneys and eventually into your bloodstream and you will end up septic.
Also a yeast infection is not the same thing. Often you get them after a dose of antibiotics that caused an overgrowth of yeast in the v****a. And husbands/boyfriends, familiarize yourself so you can be understanding. She is not gross. She could have some anatomical problems and chronic UTIs. It can happen to you too. You just got blessed with a urethra that has a longer distance from the entrance to the bladder. So most men don’t get them as easily.
Also a yeast infection is not the same thing. Often you get them after a dose of antibiotics that caused an overgrowth of yeast in the v****a. And husbands/boyfriends, familiarize yourself so you can be understanding. She is not gross. She could have some anatomical problems and chronic UTIs. It can happen to you too. You just got blessed with a urethra that has a longer distance from the entrance to the bladder. So most men don’t get them as easily.
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26points
#28
That administering CPR compressions ASAP is one of the greatest indicators of successful outcomes.
ChaplnGrillSgt:
Had a guy roll in post Torsades arrest. The guy behind him at the dmv when he went down was an ICU Nurse who started compressions within seconds and got the aed attached. Patient came in talking with his only complaint being chest pain from the compressions. I wouldn't have believed it if the medics hadn't given me the rhythm strip.
ChaplnGrillSgt:
Had a guy roll in post Torsades arrest. The guy behind him at the dmv when he went down was an ICU Nurse who started compressions within seconds and got the aed attached. Patient came in talking with his only complaint being chest pain from the compressions. I wouldn't have believed it if the medics hadn't given me the rhythm strip.
24points
#29
Your kidneys and liver cheerfully do all the toxin elimination you’ll ever need. Cleanses and other “detoxifying” products are b******t woo and a waste of money. The people who sell them are predators who only care about your money becoming theirs.
24points
#30
That there is a wide range of 'normal'. Don't be embarrassed by your body. Having said that, if you are concerned about anything, ask your doctor. We have generally heard it all before, and trust me, we have (nearly always) seen it all before. Maybe you have something that has been bothering you for ages, but you were too scared or embarrassed to ask about it ... Just ask! It might be 'nothing' and you have been stressing about it for no reason. And if not, then you are at least one step closer to getting it fixed. No one can help if they don't know. There are no stupid questions, so ask away.
I'm always amazed when I have been asked about something that has been bothering a patient for years and years, but they were too embarrassed / scared to bring it up. Most of the time, it is nothing / a completely normal body function / feature. Other times, it is something that should have been discussed right away.
YOU know your body best. So speak up! Don't wait for the doctor to "ask the right question".
I'm always amazed when I have been asked about something that has been bothering a patient for years and years, but they were too embarrassed / scared to bring it up. Most of the time, it is nothing / a completely normal body function / feature. Other times, it is something that should have been discussed right away.
YOU know your body best. So speak up! Don't wait for the doctor to "ask the right question".
23points
#32
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health
.
Optimal_Meow:
Absolutely avalanched here, but your brain is an organ like any other; susceptible to disease and malfunction. When sh*t is going awry mentally, it is in absolutely no way different to lungs struggling with bronchitis, your skin (biggest organ, brain dudes) being overtaken by some weird rash, kidneys or gall bladder pumping out stones... you get the point, I hope.
If you’ve got a brain then you’ve got mental health to look after too, bottom line. Just because the output is mainly social doesn’t mean the disease disrupting your life isn’t as important. Our brains are awesome but also sometimes misguided in how to preserve our wellbeing.
Tell someone. If they don’t listen, tell the next person. But the best person to talk to is alway a mental health professional. If you don’t synch with them just move on to the next on, no biggie. Your whole body will thank you for it in the long run, my friends.
.
Optimal_Meow:
Absolutely avalanched here, but your brain is an organ like any other; susceptible to disease and malfunction. When sh*t is going awry mentally, it is in absolutely no way different to lungs struggling with bronchitis, your skin (biggest organ, brain dudes) being overtaken by some weird rash, kidneys or gall bladder pumping out stones... you get the point, I hope.
If you’ve got a brain then you’ve got mental health to look after too, bottom line. Just because the output is mainly social doesn’t mean the disease disrupting your life isn’t as important. Our brains are awesome but also sometimes misguided in how to preserve our wellbeing.
Tell someone. If they don’t listen, tell the next person. But the best person to talk to is alway a mental health professional. If you don’t synch with them just move on to the next on, no biggie. Your whole body will thank you for it in the long run, my friends.
22points
#33
-Where the orifice each gender urinates through really is.
-Antibiotics are not some magic cure for every pain in your body, nor for the flu or common cold.
-Never ever boil breast milk (in my country there is a popular belief that breast milk jaundice in newborns can be treated by boiling one's breast milk - but by doing this you destroy all the nutrients and it basically becomes as nutritious as water is).
-Do not give honey to children below the age of 1.
-Do not rub your child with rubbing alcohol as to lower his fewer.
-Baby wipes don't substitute daily baths/showers.
Yes, I am a pediatrician.
-Antibiotics are not some magic cure for every pain in your body, nor for the flu or common cold.
-Never ever boil breast milk (in my country there is a popular belief that breast milk jaundice in newborns can be treated by boiling one's breast milk - but by doing this you destroy all the nutrients and it basically becomes as nutritious as water is).
-Do not give honey to children below the age of 1.
-Do not rub your child with rubbing alcohol as to lower his fewer.
-Baby wipes don't substitute daily baths/showers.
Yes, I am a pediatrician.
21points
#34
I'm a dentist and if you don't take care of your gums your teeth will fall out of your head and you'll get pissed at me when your jaw bone atrophies and your denture doesn't fit anymore.
Essentially periodontitis causes inflammation and recession of the gums, which in turn cause inflammation and recession of bone. After that, teeth start getting mobile and falling out.
I appreciate you all asking questions and trying to improve your oral health but without doing an exam and x-rays there's very little I can actually recommend other than using one of those new patient coupons you get from every dentist in the neighborhood to get checked out. Also I love the "dEntIsTs arEn'T d0ct0rz" comments lmao. I'll think about them when I do the two surgeries I have planned tomorrow. :).
Essentially periodontitis causes inflammation and recession of the gums, which in turn cause inflammation and recession of bone. After that, teeth start getting mobile and falling out.
I appreciate you all asking questions and trying to improve your oral health but without doing an exam and x-rays there's very little I can actually recommend other than using one of those new patient coupons you get from every dentist in the neighborhood to get checked out. Also I love the "dEntIsTs arEn'T d0ct0rz" comments lmao. I'll think about them when I do the two surgeries I have planned tomorrow. :).
21points
#35
I am not a doctor, but I am taking a physiology class, and our instructor, who *is* a doctor, gave everyone an extra credit project where we learned that wearing high-heeled shoes contributes to osteoarthritis of the knee. So I assume that would be her answer.
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21points
#36
That gut health is so important in terms of overall health - nurture that s**t!
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20points
#37
Teeth are the most disrespected body part. A healthy set is as important as a healthy heart.
Anon:
This. I’ve ignored a cavity for about 2 years now and as of recently it’s been hitting the nerve which is causing a headache in my right temple. AND I LITERALLY HAVE A HOLE IN MY TOOTH!
Anon:
This. I’ve ignored a cavity for about 2 years now and as of recently it’s been hitting the nerve which is causing a headache in my right temple. AND I LITERALLY HAVE A HOLE IN MY TOOTH!
20points
#38
Some people seem to think that if you act healthy for a bit, it'll make up for being a wreck.
There are so many things wrong with this. Just one example - antioxidants are like gas for your car. You can store up a certain amount of vitamins, but your tank can only hold so much. If you binge and overfill your tank, it doesn't do anything (you excrete it out as waste), and you can't expect to go the next several months without gas just because you tried to overload it before. You're going to still need to get gas. Same goes for your fruits and veggies.
Had someone tell me he went vegetarian for a few weeks, which meant he was done for the year. He was dead serious.
Had a patient at risk for heart failure try to insist that if she stayed away from salt entirely for x days/weeks, she should be able to have her fill of McDonald's fries and ramen.
Had a smoker argue that if he stopped for some time, he should be able to smoke freely for a while. With some digging, "stopping" turned out to mean a couple less cigarettes a day.
There are so many things wrong with this. Just one example - antioxidants are like gas for your car. You can store up a certain amount of vitamins, but your tank can only hold so much. If you binge and overfill your tank, it doesn't do anything (you excrete it out as waste), and you can't expect to go the next several months without gas just because you tried to overload it before. You're going to still need to get gas. Same goes for your fruits and veggies.
Had someone tell me he went vegetarian for a few weeks, which meant he was done for the year. He was dead serious.
Had a patient at risk for heart failure try to insist that if she stayed away from salt entirely for x days/weeks, she should be able to have her fill of McDonald's fries and ramen.
Had a smoker argue that if he stopped for some time, he should be able to smoke freely for a while. With some digging, "stopping" turned out to mean a couple less cigarettes a day.
19points
#39
Not a doc but a nurse in a hospital that has the worst COPD cases in the country. Do not smoke at all. Sure it may seem cool when your young but it’s not worth it to die from not being able to breathe.
ocean_wavez:
Smoking is the absolute worst thing you can do for your body. It is a risk factor for almost every preventable disease, including heart disease and heart attacks, strokes, almost every type of cancer, diabetes, COPD, kidney disease, macular degeneration (blindness), and so much more. I know quitting smoking is hard, but please give it a try, for your body’s sake!
ocean_wavez:
Smoking is the absolute worst thing you can do for your body. It is a risk factor for almost every preventable disease, including heart disease and heart attacks, strokes, almost every type of cancer, diabetes, COPD, kidney disease, macular degeneration (blindness), and so much more. I know quitting smoking is hard, but please give it a try, for your body’s sake!
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19points
#40
Nothing is too embarrassing to see your doctor about.
If you’ve been ejaculating blood, it could be an early symptom of prostate cancer.
If you’ve been peeing blood, it could be an early sign of bladder cancer.
If you’ve been pooping blood, it could be an early sign of colon cancer.
If you have a skin ulcer or lesion that isn’t healing, it could be a developing skin cancer.
Small amounts of intense exercise are just as beneficial as larger amounts of moderate exercise. You don’t need an hour a day or whatever to make a positive change to your lifestyle, even 15 minutes is worth the extra effort.
If you smoke, quitting will be the single best thing you can possibly do for your health in your entire life.
Exercise is as effective for treating depression as medication. That being said, depression involves changes in your brain chemistry which can be reversed or mitigated by taking the right medications. You need both for an optimal recovery.
Treat your body with the same care as your most prized possession - because it *is* your most prized possession. You can’t enjoy any of the things that money can buy if you are suffering or in pain. Anything else in life is replaceable, your body and health are not.
If you’ve been ejaculating blood, it could be an early symptom of prostate cancer.
If you’ve been peeing blood, it could be an early sign of bladder cancer.
If you’ve been pooping blood, it could be an early sign of colon cancer.
If you have a skin ulcer or lesion that isn’t healing, it could be a developing skin cancer.
Small amounts of intense exercise are just as beneficial as larger amounts of moderate exercise. You don’t need an hour a day or whatever to make a positive change to your lifestyle, even 15 minutes is worth the extra effort.
If you smoke, quitting will be the single best thing you can possibly do for your health in your entire life.
Exercise is as effective for treating depression as medication. That being said, depression involves changes in your brain chemistry which can be reversed or mitigated by taking the right medications. You need both for an optimal recovery.
Treat your body with the same care as your most prized possession - because it *is* your most prized possession. You can’t enjoy any of the things that money can buy if you are suffering or in pain. Anything else in life is replaceable, your body and health are not.
Report
19points
