We recently wrote a post where medical professionals revealed the “small” health signs you shouldn’t ignore. In the comments, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals shared warning signs that people often ignore, which could indicate a serious health problem. Here’s what they had to say:
Note: Some responses were pulled from these two Reddit threads.
1. “Little lumps in your gums. Now, it could be a fibroma or bone growth, but especially in decaying teeth, it could be a dental abscess (where the pulp becomes infected) and lead to more serious medical conditions, IV drips, and even death if left untreated.”
– Anonymous
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2. “I’m an expert in obesity and nutrition: if you lose more than 30% of your weight on GLP-1 like Ozempic or Wegovy, you probably need to check other stuff. I’ve seen a lot of cancer cases that were missed because we were blaming Wegovy, and they had colon cancer.”
– Anonymous, 31, Pennsylvania
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3. “Do not ignore sudden severe itching during pregnancy; it may be a sign of liver disease and may require early delivery of the baby and possible liver transplant eval.”
– Anonymous, 31, Pennsylvania
4. “When someone says, ‘You know, I lost sight in that eye a few weeks ago. But I had another appointment that day, so I waited two weeks to come in.’ or some variation. whenever it happens If you suddenly lose vision in one eye, see an eye doctor immediately. Don’t wait. It’s always less solvable over time.”
—u/eyezontheprize30
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5. “Abdominal pain/stomach ache that may rupture the appendix. Usually, it sounds like really bad acid reflux.”
—in/Arena89
6. “MD, Interventional Cardiology. STEMIs, for me. People have had chest pain for six days, but only come in because it still hasn’t gone away. Oops, your entire anterior wall is dead because you came in too late for revascularization. I hope you’re on an external defibrillator for the next three months.”
—in/onion01
7. “I’m in podiatry. Ingrown toenails are always a warning sign. I’ve seen my at-home bathtub nail procedures go south and put the limb at risk.”
—u/SadFortuneCookie
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8. “The amount of diabetic feet I see is staggering. Literally 90% of my wound clinic (the rest have planned follow-ups for surgery) are people who have tried to self-treat their Charcot feet and diabetic ulcers, usually to the point where there is little chance of escape without amputation.”
—u/D15c0untMD
9. “Like, I’ve seen patients with vague, intermittent ‘dizziness,’ which has actually been happening for months. It’s always: ‘OMG. What happened to me? This is so weird; go to the ER.’ But on the other hand, some people wake up and their hands don’t work, and they’re like, ‘Hmm, maybe I can pull this out.’
—u/noteasybeincheesy
“I’m always impressed at people who think they’re having a stroke, actually are Having a strokeAnd still wait to see if he feels better the next day before going to the hospital.”
-[redacted]
10. “‘I have profuse midnight sweats.’ ‘Do you have a cough?’ Answer = Yes. Time to look for tuberculosis. ‘Do you have a cough?’ Answer = No. It’s time to find cancer.”
—u/HermanRV
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11. “An example with pregnant patients: ‘My baby was moving a lot last week, but he hasn’t moved or kicked this week. I’m a little worried.’ Me: ‘Okay, let’s see.’ (In my head: Why didn’t you come earlier!?).”
—u/HermanRV
12. “People with small bite wounds at home sometimes try to close the laceration. It’s bad. It turns an ED visit into an inpatient stay with some stitches and an Augmentin prescription.”
—u/thetreece
13. “Don’t ignore pooping yourself when you have back pain. Or, not being able to poop or pee properly. I had three patients in the last week who didn’t go to the ER because they didn’t want to wait. One with an osteoporosis-based sacral fracture and two with severe cervical stenosis myelopathy/radiculopathy.”
—u/olyfishmouth
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14. “I’m honestly shocked at how many new diabetes cases I see with DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis), and parents don’t think it’s unusual for their child to lose 20 pounds in two months. Spontaneous weight loss is not uncommon. It’s often related to something serious, whether it’s AIDS. It should seem normal, new. Feeling, but it clearly isn’t.”
—u/halp-im-lost
15. “Never ignore oral health problems. Walk into any cardiology ward, and there are many patients waiting to have teeth extracted. Poor oral health can kill you.”
-bubblyelephant984
16. “I wish patients would understand that it’s not normal to cough all the time and be short of breath on the slightest exertion … I hate cigarettes.”
—u/fixture94
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And finally…
17. “SOOOOO much hypertension, arrhythmias, and hyperglycemia. You’ll get a lot of different answers based on the specific patient population in this area, but the most common things I see are hypertension and hyperglycemic events for patients who are inappropriate with their medications. Their complaints are often vague, physical pain, weakness, headache, weakness check. Vitals, BMP, UA, and past medical history make it clear very quickly, especially when the patient’s previous visits are in your system.”
“When asked if they haven’t refilled their Metformin or Norvasc since January, many patients will shrug their shoulders. They either changed insurance, lost their insurance, or they feel fine and think they can go without it for a while.”
—u/handmantis
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Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
As doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, what are some other “small” health signs people should never ignore? Tell us in the comments, or if you want to remain anonymous, you can use the form below.
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