From different times, we may experience neurosis based on our individual condition. We end up assuming we have medical problems but most often, whereas in reality things we brush under the carpet and aren't worried turn out to be significant health problems.
People took to Reddit to talk about their medical, some of the most bizarre instances where they dismissed symptoms as normal, only to find out they were actually signs of a medical condition. From dismissing pimples as harmless to realizing seizures were mistaken for anxiety, read on to find about the conditions:
1. The Silent Assassin
User account U/EchoRespite said: "I thought I had a muscle pull while playing with my dog. A week later, I had to visit the hospital as the pain was getting severe.
2. Misinterpreted Pain
Somebody with the username U/ana_berry mentioned that: " My Mathematics Teacher from 5th Grade assumed I disliked her because whenever I used to have stomach cramps, I often requested permission to go to the nurse.
However, it turned out that it was her period after lunch and milk was the only thing I could drink. Turns out I learnt that I had a lactose intolerance. Even the doctor told my mum that I was making it up. The one who figured out the problem was the school secretary."
3. Hidden Mystery
Someone on a reddit account with username U/ShiraCheshire said: "My friend went to a lot of doctors over the course of many years, he said he was suffering from oversensitive to anxiety.
Lastly, he figured out that his appendix was in ruins. The reason why he did not die was because his body had managed to encase the appendix in scar tissue, preventing the infection from bursting out."
4. Twitching Cue
Somebody with the username U/hillbilly-man spoke about: "A small single muscle near my eyebrows and upper lip had minor twitches facially. It wasn't serious or severe that was visible, but usually would last for weeks together even while I wanted to sleep.
I did not think so seriously about the twitches as they usually stopped on their own. Later in life, when I was blind in my left eye and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I joined the dots.
The twitches were ongoing for weeks, I should have taken this seriously. Apart from that, there are other things that can cause multiple sclerosis or any other disease. Do not take my views in a stressful way for yourself.
5. Sudden Scale Down
User account U/Grilled_Cheese10 said: "I thought it was because of my efforts that I lost the weight and because I was happy looking at the growth and success of it, I lost more weight. The journey kept getting easy. I thought I was getting better and eventually great at it. But unfortunately, it turned out to be cancer.
I should have considered something being off but I thought I was achieving success because of my diet and exercise. After getting diagnosed with cancer, I completed 4 surgeries and the medical treatment, post that I'm doing good now with the help of medicines and their side effects such as weight gain. I feel grateful I'm alive and better than others in terms of weight as I only gained a little bit back, despite working really hard not to."
6. Heart-beating Mystery
Somebody with the username U/AmbitiousDoubt1101 mentioned that: "As a kid, my heart beat used to race fast as I had anxiety. It felt like I was a hummingbird as my chest would feel so, and then suddenly pause and restart at a normal beat after few minutes.
When I turned 23, I had an ugly reaction to a tricyclic antidepressant called imipramine and was rushed to the hospital. It turned out that I had a congenital defect known as Wolfe Parkinson White syndrome which was concluded after they ran an EKG.
In simpler terms, it meant that I had had an accessory or 2nd electrical system in my heart that would cause a 'short circuit' often.
Often my heart rate would hit the sky rocket. Although the problem was cured via procedure using radio waves to form scar tissue around the accessory node because the impulse could not conduct through the tissue. There has been no problem since then."
7. Unanticipated Clarity
Someone on a reddit account with username U/innerfatboy3 said: "During high school, One of my brothers' friends was a goober, he always made silly and friendly jokes that made families laugh and altogether he was a funny person, genuinely.
One day he grabbed my sisters' glasses and started 'acting more like her' and suddenly, he paused for a moment and said, 'Wait…is this how things are supposed to look?' He found out while joking that he needed glasses. I feel glad that the universe leaned towards him in a positive way."
8. Un-exceptional Symptom
Somebody with the username U/AffectionateLettuce6 spoke about: "I thought I had a pimple in my armpit, and ignored it as I did not get concerned about it too much as I thought it's nothing serious and would disappear. However, a few weeks later I came down with the flu.
The flu I had lasted longer than it would usually and I decided to get checked and went into the emergency room to get checked. It turns out that I had a large tumor in my chest caused by lymphoma and what looked like a 'pimple' to me was actually a swollen lymph node."
9. Nurse Molly's Discovery
User account U/MonkeyBrain3561 said: "I had a sprained ankle and it split skin just in a single day. It turns out that it was not a simple sprain but a rare skin inflammation condition, Pyoderma gangrenosum that acts as a gangrene. Nobody could help me find the reason why my ankle flesh exploded.
After a week, they asked me regarding amputation. Luckily for me, Nurse Molly came back from vacation and identified it as she had already seen such a thing more and fortunately I have good mobility on both my feet. I am grateful for the teaching hospitals that draw professionals from all over like Nurse Molly."
10. Painful Revelation
Somebody with the username U/dannicalliope mentioned that: "I had a very intense and excruciating pain in my hand, and assumed that it was arthritis as it runs in my family. However, it turned out to be a bone tumor and luckily it was non-malignant and slow.
Fortunately, After two surgeries, a lot of intense physical therapy and a gnarly scar later— I have no more pain!"
11. Concerns Kept Aside
Someone on a reddit account with username U/acenarteco said: "I was worried about my legs/ankles getting swollen in the latter phase of my pregnancy, and told my OB time and again regarding the same. They ignored the concerns and said all pregnant people experience it. During the 39 Week, they sent me to hospital for an extra monitoring on the baby due to an irregular test.
My blood pressure was insanely high and it ended up being fine. I was induced that night itself and due to severe preeclampsia, I was given an emergency C-Section. It may not look like a fun start to my child's beginning but she is healthy and here, and I cannot be upset about it."
12. Coughing Gesture
Somebody with the username U/bloggingpenguin spoke about: "Something I can answer about, FINALLY! I was diagnosed with a habit of coughing and because of it, pain intensified in my legs, even during short distances of walk. I got my blood drawn and the doctor asked me to get the ER IMMEDIATELY.
I was then diagnosed with a blood clot in my heart and some blood clots in my leg as well with a kidney and heart failure as there was a fluid around my heart. When I was diagnosed I was 21 and now I'm 24.
Sadly, I have to be on medication for the rest of my life as it helps my heart from failing again. Apart from that I may soon need a kidney transplant in the future. It's my goal to keep the kidneys functioning longer. And in conclusion, it turns out that a cough is not just a harmless tic."
13. Cold TRUTH!
The tale of this narrator goes as follows: "I thought my best friend only had this quirky habit of eating ice cubes all the time. She was never bothered by it so I never brought it up. Suddenly, one day she collapsed at work and I had to rush to the hospital with her. The doctors were stunned by the symptoms until they found out about the COLD TRUTH of the ice cubes he used to munch on.
They were not ice but frozen shards of soap. After she was treated, the doctor said she was suffering from Pica, where a person has a compulsive need to eat non-food items. She is completely fine now and in therapy to get rid of that. As a friend, I could not believe she hid that for so long."
14. A Wake-up Jerk!
User account U/Twodotsknowhy said: "When I was 19, I heard it randomly that an average person takes around 20 minutes to fall asleep and I was like, 'Oh shit!' as my issues for having sleep trouble were too high.
For me a good night's sleep is when I fall asleep within two hours of going to bed, and it was not trouble I hit three. As I updated this to my doctor, I was treated for my crippling insomnia with medication, and my depression and anxiety suddenly got way more manageable as well."
15. The Morning Trouble
Somebody with the username U/Strawberryichi5 mentioned that: "Even after consuming just a sip of water in the morning, I had constant nausea. I also had stomach ulcers because of anxiety and stress hitting the roof for a sustained period of time.
I would start my day at work around 4-5am and go with dry wretch over loo a couple of times. People asked me what's up and I would usually go like, 'Eh! I'm just having morning nausea.'
It was not until a coworker told me 'that was not normal, and you seem like it is'. And I, being my dumb self, was thinking and going like, 'Wait, normal or people don't get nausea often in the mornings?' and they were like, 'Nope, go see a doctor.' After an endoscopy check, I am on medication and an altered diet. I rarely get pesky ulcers now!"
16. Unseen Ailments
Someone on a reddit account with username U/Smolmanth said: "Whenever I ate most of the fruits, my mouth would get itchy. My parents told me not to be dramatic and stop making excuses to be picky. Fast forward to the present, and I have OAS and have an epipen now.
Apart from that I also had terrible cramps and I would usually get my periods for an entire month and then nothing for another three months. My doctor said that it could happen because he put me on bc. It turns out that my cramps were chronic cysts from PCOS as my body was over producing testosterone. It also impacted and affected other aspects of my health."
17. Variety of Hobbies
Somebody with the username U/CatCatCatCubed spoke about: "I thought it was absolutely normal to have 10 to 20 creative hobbies that one may purchase a bunch of tools and supplies for and then randomly scratch the surface in on and off for several years or completely lose interest suddenly.
I then later found out that my great great grandparent potentially did it, my great grandmother did it, my grandpa did it, my parents did it, and I do it. Turns out the ADHD runs very strong in my family."
18. Stress-Triggered Seizure
Another user narrated his part of the story, where: "In 2003, When I was having a stressful argument, my heart started beating fast and I couldn't speak or understand speech. This lasted 30 seconds and I knew something was off and called the advice nurse.
She was hysterical and said I had a panic attack. But, no it wasn't that in fact it was a petit mal seizure. When I turned 27, I suddenly became epileptic. I was told that they did not know why, but I realized that it was stress induced."
19. Ignored Hurdles
User account U/moonrocksox said: "In my P.E classes, I could run but was the last person always. I would never run at the pace or consistency of everyone else. However, whenever I used to say that I have a burning, cannot breathe, people said that's because I was 'out of shape' and I had to train harder. So, I felt that everyone thinks that I am just being lazy.
Apart from that it seemed to piss middle aged, P.E as if I planned to challenge their authority. I had a cough attack once at night and went to the doctor and they said I've always had asthma."
20. Freakish Stretchability
Somebody with the username U/ItzMehDonat mentioned that: "My hands and fingers were so flexible that I felt strange when people looked at me as if I was insane as my fingers could bend all the way back.
Later, I was then diagnosed with hypermobility and my doctor told me that its not really a medical problem but it can lead to injuries. It is so bothersome because I have to be extremely careful with my fingers. It felt to me like I am a contortionist."
21. Lost in Thinking
Someone on a reddit account with username U/Lovesmetacos125 said: "My family told me I would randomly 'zone out' and I never remembered. Even though it was quite normal. It turned out that I was having 'absence seizures'.
When I had a routine doctors' check up appointment, while conversing we found something because the doctor asked me to get a bunch of tests done. For almost 17 years, I have been an epileptic."
22. Appendi-Crisis Stopped
Somebody with the username U/knitwit3 spoke about: "When I was 21, I thought I had a stomach bug. One Saturday Afternoon, I started feeling bad and it didn't get better on Sunday morning either. I thought it would go away but my mother got worried.
She called her sister who was a nurse. Later, my aunt asked my parents to take me to the E.R. We reached there by 2pm and by 7pm they were wheeling me for a surgery. It turned out that I had appendicitis. Fortunately, it was caught before it was ruptured."
23. Paralysis From The Grad Trip
User account U/hanideulset said: "I had an intense pain around my neck and shoulders when I was on my grad trip. Over the next 2 days, I lost sensation over my limbs for no apparent reason. I thought maybe it was because there was a trapped nerve in my neck.
When my face went into paralysis and I had to go to an ER, I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome."
24. Scented Rescuer
Somebody with the username U/Whosemydaddy mentioned that: "I could smell things that never existed and I addressed the same to my doctor casually and it turned out to be a type of a seizure. The doctor wanted me to start medication for the same. I felt it was too much and did not want to have medication.
According to him and later on, a neurologist, what I had could turn into grand mal seizures. So I’ve been on anticonvulsant meds for 20 years."
25. STONE Cold Attitude
Someone on a reddit account with username U/raevan_98 said: "When I was 16, I couldn't digest food, had severe pain, had a ton of blood from urine. I was told it was my period but it turned out to be that I have 8 kidney stones.
After 2 weeks, I got the scans done and they denied to believe that it could be stones even though a resident on rounds called it out upfront. The doctor did not want to take them seriously or me."
26. Underdiagnosed Mother's Heart
Somebody with the username U/calicoskiies spoke about: "During the phase of my first pregnancy, I started feeling like I was going to collapse when I stood for a long time and sobbed. I discussed with two different OBs about the same, they dismissed that as a normal part and parcel of the pregnancy and asked me to sit when such a thing happened.
5 years later, it still kept continuing and my Doctor noticed a tachycardia. When I went to the cardiologist, we found that it wasn't normal and now I have a POTS diagnosis, SUPRISE SUPRISE!."
27. A Numb Start
User account U/zippy_bag said: "17 years back, my toes would go numb from time to time as if it were cold but it is not. Cut to the present, I am suffering from axonal sensorimotor neuropathy in my legs and feet along with a complex regional pain syndrome.
It feels extremely painful but at least I can still walk. It isn't easy, nor fat but I manage to get by apart from the times when it gets a little bit worse each day that I am alive.
Apart from that, other neurological issues have surfaced and all the doctors and surgeons of mine are at the Mayo Clinic."
28. Diagnosis Respite
Somebody with the username U/berripluscream mentioned that: "I could go on and on about of the symptoms I had and used to black out when you stand multiple times a day, choke on vomiting while sleeping, dizziness, eating was always uncomfortable and painful, standing was immensely painful, blacking out in temps above 90°, 5+ times a day bowel moments, food on the constant role of, 'least to most painful', body wide numbness etc.
I had Orthostatic hypertension, GERD and moderately severe IBS. I completely reversed and changed my diet and had blood pressure medication. I'm so much better now."
29. Learning About The Allergy
Someone on a reddit account with username U/eminva02 said: "I had an burning aftertaste after eating chocolate, so I never liked it. When I told this to my family, it caught the attention of the room and they nodded their heads because that is not how chocolate tastes for most people. Apart from that, when I ate a certain food, I used to cough a lot, it would last 30-45 minutes and disappear.
What I had was a very distinct cough as if it were trying to clear the throat but could not. It continued on and it sounded quite forced. When I asked my father why they never took me to the doctor, he said it was because 'It always went away on its own in less than an hour'. Lol Thanks Dad."
30. CrossFit Emergency
Somebody with the username U/Deewayne spoke about: "The day after my very first crossfit class, my pee was black, more or less and I shrugged it off as dehydration. Luckily, back then I worked with a dialysis nurse and recollected her talking about 'Coca-Cola Urine' earlier.
After looking on a search engine what it meant, it showcased back muscles that started swelling after walking. I thought I was showcasing the signs of acute Rhabdomyolysis. Then, I quickly went to the ER and was admitted to the hospital for 5 days to prevent my kidneys from shutting down."
