Not a professional, but a med. pleb. Diet plays a huge factor in overall health both short and long term. Especially for those that are lactose intolerant and choose to ignore our body’s signs of displeasure.
Ok so this is not related to sickness but injury – after a certain age (different for everyone) you should get rid of every slippery pair of socks, uneven area rug, or any other tripping hazard in your house. It’s very easy to trip and fall in the dark trying to get to the bathroom and a lot of people have major complications trying to recover from a broken hip or other leg injury. Small trip hazards in your house may not seem like a big deal, but they could lead to an injury that you never recover from and it’s a very common problem.
if your toes start turning black from untreated diabetes, it’s not going to get better on its own, it will only continue to get worse, and lead to irreparable damage including the loss of the foot entirely.
idk if people also realize that aspirating things (something “going down the wrong tube” as most people say) causes pneumonia.
also idk if this counts but i can say that after multiple months doing xray at an inner city level 1 trauma hospital, i will never ever get on a motorcycle, four wheeler, atv, dirtbike, none of that. nope no thanks im good.
This is good advice. I’m 43 years old and I tripped over an uneven sidewalk a few weeks ago and I am still dealing with some pains from it. I never realized just how dangerous falls could be, especially for the elderly, before.
Vaping. I have pts that repeatedly see allergists/pulmonary bc they “don’t know why i’m wheezy all the time and it feels like i can’t breathe.” Nasal sprays, antihistamines, allergy pills, 3-4 different nebs…all while denying they vape. It’s gross.
Not following advice like reduce or cut out something in your diet or not exercising. Also, not keeping basic hygiene practices like washing your hands.
Not necessarily sick but long car rides without breaks can absolutely cause blood clots, which can possibly lead to a pulmonary embolism if left untreated.
Derm PA here- please moisturize your skin. Wearing lotion is not only a “girly” thing to do. Dry skin can lead to itchy skin, which can lead to chronically itchy skin, which can lead to intense scratching and can leave open wounds and sores.
Itchy skin can drive a person bonkers. I see it everyday. The easiest way to prevent this is to wear lotion.
Listening to influencers who are not medically trained.
I’ve watched ads on TikTok where an influencer will pour two packs of liquid iv into a cup to make a new flavor. Or whatever the hell the raw milk and unpasteurized nonsense is. You can’t lemon and cayenne water your way out of hyperlipidemia, but you can erode your gastric lining.
Do NOT let your dog lick an open wound! Their mouth is full of bacteria, they don’t have “clean mouths” like we were told when we were kids. Also, please take your meds before coming to the hospital. Just let us know what you took. No reason to skip your BP meds… Bathroom injuries yall… I cannot tell you how many people come to the ER because they vasovagaled
on the toilet pushing too hard. ALSO make sure your toys have flared bases 😀
Pay attention when something changes or something new happens. Even minor issues that don’t go away or continue to get worse should always warrant a trip to the doctor.
I’m a medical student and I put off going to the doctor for embarrassing urinary symptoms for 6 months. I finally saw someone a couple weeks ago and they think I may have MS. I’m so mad at myself that, if I do have MS, I could’ve started treatment months ago and prevented ongoing nervous system damage.
Wash. Your. Hands. I don’t mean a little squirt of soap and then immediately rinse it off, I mean the whole 20 seconds. Noro/sapovirus, C. Diff, trust me, you don’t want it.
If you have a stomach bug or anything else that causes vomiting and diarrhea, try to keep up with fluids. Crackers or plain toast if you can, but especially water. You lose a lot more water through vomiting or diarrhea than you’d think. Broth, soup and tea are great ways to rehydrate your body. This goes doubly for children, people with illbesses and the elderly.
Check your boobs/testicles regularly for knots and lumps. If you are concerned check with your gp. Anybody can get breast cancer.
Same goes for moles. Any change in size/shape or sudden discharge? Get that checked out. And not just white folks. Anybody can get skin cancer, no matter the amount of melanin in your skin.
Animal bites and scratches should at least (!) rinsed under clean water, better yet apply disinfectant. If the area around it becomes red/warm/swollen go to urgent care. You don’t want to lose a hand to a cat scratch.
Try to have some sort of sleep schedule and get around 7 to 8 hours of continuous sleep. Your future self will thank you.
Not drinking water. So many people feel like shit but only drink coffee, Coke, and Corona. People like this live live on a onife edge of minor dehydration where the tiniest bit of exertion feels impossible. If you actually drink the water your body needs, it fixes all sorts of minor issues.
I’ve had so many male patients with rectal problems because they will not wipe after using the bathroom. One guy told me it’s gay to touch your butt. Another said he just don’t do that wipe thing. Another said he didn’t care. Totally preventable disease state.
Stop changing your medications on your own. Please no.
The vast majority of the time, you’re just screwing yourself over. A small minority of the time, you’re putting yourself at serious risk of a devastating medical event.
Untreated sleep apnea is absolutely terrible for you. Over time it can lead to heart problems, diabetes, stroke, and even shorten your lifespan, to say nothing of what chronic lack of quality sleep can do for your immediate mental and psychological health. Snoring all night every night is not normal. Get over yourself and use the CPAP.
Patients cutting their toenails wrong. Many people think that if they have a slightly ingrown toenail, that they should try to “cut out” the ingrown portion by clipping them at a sharp angle/curve at the corners, when really that just makes it much, much worse; they should clip the nail straight across instead.
Chronic reflux can cause cancer. Chronic throat clearing isn’t normal. Esp after eating
Snoring doesn’t =sleep apnea. It means you may stop breathing for periods when you sleep, which can cause heart enlargement, high blood pressure, clotting, stroke…..the list goes on. Wear the damn CPAP
If your blood pressure is normal it doesn’t mean stop taking the BP meds. It means they are working.
A super high blood pressure isn’t just bc you are stressed/ anxious in the moment. That’s probably happening all the time off the monitor and it isn’t good.
A single EKG or a week long holter monitor that doesn’t show atrial fibrillation doesn’t mean you don’t have it- maybe it just didn’t catch it during that period.
Swimming with contacts in. Every time I dispense fortified vancomycin and gentamicin (compounded by our IV room, strong antibiotic) eyedrops, in the chart it turns out that the patient was swimming with contacts in. They get super nasty infections.
Consistently getting less than 7 hours of sleep, even if it’s 6.5 hours, is enough to suppress your immune system. This is because deep sleep is extremely important for T-cell function, the cells that seek out and destroy infected cells and cancer. Chronic short sleep leads to more frequent infections and it also takes longer to recover.
I work at a dentist, people improperly taking or prematurely stopping antibiotics. When people start but don’t finish antibiotics (usually because they feel better), the surviving infection grows resistant to those antibiotics, so future courses become inefficient or don’t work at all.
TAKE THE WHOLE COURSE.
Infections in your teeth and jaw have a short path to your brain, and leaving that infection untreated (especially if it’s asymptomatic or not causing pain) can cause bone loss, which can very much detrimentally impact things like implants and even your jaw strength
Comments
Not a professional, but a med. pleb. Diet plays a huge factor in overall health both short and long term. Especially for those that are lactose intolerant and choose to ignore our body’s signs of displeasure.
Finishing antibiotics.
Always finish the full course you are prescribed. You think k you are better. But the bacteria may not be dead and it’s gonna come back stronger
People with Congestive Heart Failure not checking labels for sodium content, and here in Louisiana, going to multiple crawfish boils.
Ok so this is not related to sickness but injury – after a certain age (different for everyone) you should get rid of every slippery pair of socks, uneven area rug, or any other tripping hazard in your house. It’s very easy to trip and fall in the dark trying to get to the bathroom and a lot of people have major complications trying to recover from a broken hip or other leg injury. Small trip hazards in your house may not seem like a big deal, but they could lead to an injury that you never recover from and it’s a very common problem.
Not washing their hands, and transferring bacteria to their food.
if your toes start turning black from untreated diabetes, it’s not going to get better on its own, it will only continue to get worse, and lead to irreparable damage including the loss of the foot entirely.
idk if people also realize that aspirating things (something “going down the wrong tube” as most people say) causes pneumonia.
also idk if this counts but i can say that after multiple months doing xray at an inner city level 1 trauma hospital, i will never ever get on a motorcycle, four wheeler, atv, dirtbike, none of that. nope no thanks im good.
This is good advice. I’m 43 years old and I tripped over an uneven sidewalk a few weeks ago and I am still dealing with some pains from it. I never realized just how dangerous falls could be, especially for the elderly, before.
Not washing hands before touching and eating food. Wanna grab those chips, wash your hands with soap and water or use a sanitizer.
Vaping. I have pts that repeatedly see allergists/pulmonary bc they “don’t know why i’m wheezy all the time and it feels like i can’t breathe.” Nasal sprays, antihistamines, allergy pills, 3-4 different nebs…all while denying they vape. It’s gross.
Not following advice like reduce or cut out something in your diet or not exercising. Also, not keeping basic hygiene practices like washing your hands.
Psych nurse here. Don’t stop your meds because you’re “feeling better”. Why do you think you feel better
Not necessarily sick but long car rides without breaks can absolutely cause blood clots, which can possibly lead to a pulmonary embolism if left untreated.
Derm PA here- please moisturize your skin. Wearing lotion is not only a “girly” thing to do. Dry skin can lead to itchy skin, which can lead to chronically itchy skin, which can lead to intense scratching and can leave open wounds and sores.
Itchy skin can drive a person bonkers. I see it everyday. The easiest way to prevent this is to wear lotion.
Check your basement for radon
Listening to influencers who are not medically trained.
I’ve watched ads on TikTok where an influencer will pour two packs of liquid iv into a cup to make a new flavor. Or whatever the hell the raw milk and unpasteurized nonsense is. You can’t lemon and cayenne water your way out of hyperlipidemia, but you can erode your gastric lining.
Move.
Please stop drinking energy drinks.. they are terrible for you!
Do NOT let your dog lick an open wound! Their mouth is full of bacteria, they don’t have “clean mouths” like we were told when we were kids. Also, please take your meds before coming to the hospital. Just let us know what you took. No reason to skip your BP meds… Bathroom injuries yall… I cannot tell you how many people come to the ER because they vasovagaled
on the toilet pushing too hard. ALSO make sure your toys have flared bases 😀
Pay attention when something changes or something new happens. Even minor issues that don’t go away or continue to get worse should always warrant a trip to the doctor.
I’m a medical student and I put off going to the doctor for embarrassing urinary symptoms for 6 months. I finally saw someone a couple weeks ago and they think I may have MS. I’m so mad at myself that, if I do have MS, I could’ve started treatment months ago and prevented ongoing nervous system damage.
Not brushing your teeeeeth, mouth bacteria can lead to a hundred different head to toe issues and can even kill you
Not drinking enough water
High humidity in a house causes mold. Not changing the air filter on your HVAC regularly causes mold/high energy bills.
Leaving a tooth infection without treatment. It can cause so many bad things.
Brush your teeth.
If you have a stomach bug or anything else that causes vomiting and diarrhea, try to keep up with fluids. Crackers or plain toast if you can, but especially water. You lose a lot more water through vomiting or diarrhea than you’d think. Broth, soup and tea are great ways to rehydrate your body. This goes doubly for children, people with illbesses and the elderly.
Check your boobs/testicles regularly for knots and lumps. If you are concerned check with your gp. Anybody can get breast cancer.
Same goes for moles. Any change in size/shape or sudden discharge? Get that checked out. And not just white folks. Anybody can get skin cancer, no matter the amount of melanin in your skin.
Animal bites and scratches should at least (!) rinsed under clean water, better yet apply disinfectant. If the area around it becomes red/warm/swollen go to urgent care. You don’t want to lose a hand to a cat scratch.
Try to have some sort of sleep schedule and get around 7 to 8 hours of continuous sleep. Your future self will thank you.
Not drinking water. So many people feel like shit but only drink coffee, Coke, and Corona. People like this live live on a onife edge of minor dehydration where the tiniest bit of exertion feels impossible. If you actually drink the water your body needs, it fixes all sorts of minor issues.
I’ve had so many male patients with rectal problems because they will not wipe after using the bathroom. One guy told me it’s gay to touch your butt. Another said he just don’t do that wipe thing. Another said he didn’t care. Totally preventable disease state.
People don’t realize how their partners make them mentally sick
Stop changing your medications on your own. Please no.
The vast majority of the time, you’re just screwing yourself over. A small minority of the time, you’re putting yourself at serious risk of a devastating medical event.
Just don’t. For your own sake.
Untreated sleep apnea is absolutely terrible for you. Over time it can lead to heart problems, diabetes, stroke, and even shorten your lifespan, to say nothing of what chronic lack of quality sleep can do for your immediate mental and psychological health. Snoring all night every night is not normal. Get over yourself and use the CPAP.
Patients cutting their toenails wrong. Many people think that if they have a slightly ingrown toenail, that they should try to “cut out” the ingrown portion by clipping them at a sharp angle/curve at the corners, when really that just makes it much, much worse; they should clip the nail straight across instead.
Stop touching your eyeballs.
Poor social support and relationships. Drug misuse and abuse not thinking they’re abusing. Never opening their blinds or sitting in the sun.
Chronic reflux can cause cancer. Chronic throat clearing isn’t normal. Esp after eating
Snoring doesn’t =sleep apnea. It means you may stop breathing for periods when you sleep, which can cause heart enlargement, high blood pressure, clotting, stroke…..the list goes on. Wear the damn CPAP
If your blood pressure is normal it doesn’t mean stop taking the BP meds. It means they are working.
A super high blood pressure isn’t just bc you are stressed/ anxious in the moment. That’s probably happening all the time off the monitor and it isn’t good.
A single EKG or a week long holter monitor that doesn’t show atrial fibrillation doesn’t mean you don’t have it- maybe it just didn’t catch it during that period.
These are just a few off the top
Swimming with contacts in. Every time I dispense fortified vancomycin and gentamicin (compounded by our IV room, strong antibiotic) eyedrops, in the chart it turns out that the patient was swimming with contacts in. They get super nasty infections.
Consistently getting less than 7 hours of sleep, even if it’s 6.5 hours, is enough to suppress your immune system. This is because deep sleep is extremely important for T-cell function, the cells that seek out and destroy infected cells and cancer. Chronic short sleep leads to more frequent infections and it also takes longer to recover.
I work at a dentist, people improperly taking or prematurely stopping antibiotics. When people start but don’t finish antibiotics (usually because they feel better), the surviving infection grows resistant to those antibiotics, so future courses become inefficient or don’t work at all.
TAKE THE WHOLE COURSE.
Infections in your teeth and jaw have a short path to your brain, and leaving that infection untreated (especially if it’s asymptomatic or not causing pain) can cause bone loss, which can very much detrimentally impact things like implants and even your jaw strength
Not a doctor.
My mother kept getting itchy eyes, scratchy throat.
Mom, your drinking stevia. You have a ragweed allergy. Stop drinking that..
She stopped and it was that.
It keeps happening periodically.
Mom, fucking echinacia. Stop taking that. You’re making yourself sick.
Mom, did you look at the label, this has stevia.
Maaaaam whyyyy.