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I feel like when a lot of people are having health concerns, they go one of two ways: they either self-diagnose from Web M.D. and they think they’re dying, or they totally ignore it and only go see a doctor at the last minute when a lot of damage is already done.
That’s why you go see a professional in these situations, people!
Medical workers on AskReddit talked about BIG misconceptions that people have had about their bodies. Let’s take a look.
1. Wrong!
“Nurse here.
We work with patients with kidney issues. Our biggest misconception…
The product “No Salt” is totally safe to eat…..WRONG!
No Salt is a potassium based product to mimic salt texture for food…but now puts you into a whole new issue with having high potassium from frequent use, leading to cramping, arrhythmias, and even death.”
2. Magical honey fortress.
“Patient with seafood allergy presents to ER with swollen lips, hives, itchy throat.
Provider takes a history asking if the patient could’ve been exposed to seafood or cross contamination. Have they eaten new food or at a new establishment? The whole nine. While being treated, patient adamantly denies this. They keep trying to figure out what the allergen could’ve been because it’s a pretty strong reaction.
Eventually the patient gets frustrated and admits they ate shrimp pasta but it CAN’T be from that because he took two tablespoons of honey first and “it coats things in there.” As in, shrimp can somehow not penetrate the magical honey fortress.”
3. Are you sure about that?
“I’ve had male patients in my audiology clinic tell me they have fallopian tube issues.
Perhaps I shouldn’t assume they mean eustachian tube issues, but I do.”
4. Trippy.
““How are you feeling today?”
“Not great, I have a cough that starts from an emotion in my throat and chest. That emotion disturbs me.”
It was a bacterial pneumonia. His roommate is a neighborhood “spiritual guru”.”
5. Where’s the face?!?!
“Baby came out face down .
The father freaked out his child was born without a face.
We had a good laugh after.”
6. Not exactly…
“Had a mother ask if it was true that the soft spot of her baby’s head was “like a whale blow hole” that he could breathe out of.
Apparently her own mother had told her that.”
7. Oh, boy…
“Well, I had one girl that really thought if she had s*x in the shower she could not get pregnant because all the sperm must fall out and go down the drain.
Her boyfriend had been convinced as well…
They did, indeed, end up pregnant. There had been A LOT of standup shower s*x.”
8. Ugh!
“I caught a patient drinking his own urine once.
He thought it would help heal him, somehow.
I have never looked at a water pitcher the same way and I always check to make sure it’s water.”
9. It’s normal, sir.
“I had the father of a baby absolutely beside himself because his newborn baby had no teeth.”
10. Please don’t do that.
“”What do you mean, I can’t eat an entire fruit cake? Isn’t fruit supposed to be healty?”
From a diabetic type 2 with a blood sugar level of 450 mg/dl.”
11. Missed that class, I guess.
“I had to explain to a pregnant woman once that the baby is coming out of her v*gina.
She was almost six months pregnant and was horrified, I think she thought all babies were just C- sectioned out.”
12. What are you talking about?
“I had a patient who needed a tooth extracted.
Young teenage girl, obviously very sheltered. She was telling me how bad it hurts and I asked her what she takes for pain.
“I apply a little clove oil to it when it keeps me up at night.” I asked if that works and she goes “Um… not really.”
When I told patient and mom to control post-operative pain with ibuprofen and acetaminophen, they looked at me like I had grown a second head.”
13. It goes away, right?
“There seems to be a common misconception that diabetes only needs to be treated temporarily and then it will go away, in the absence of lifestyle changes. I have seen this a lot in primary care.
“Do you have diabetes”
“No, I used to and finished my medication”
Check labs and surprise surprise, extra uncontrolled diabetes.”
Have you ever heard someone talk about really bad misconceptions about the human body?
If so, please tell us your stories in the comments.
We look forward to hearing from you.
