The 'net and medicine.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Lately I'm starting to think that the world is turning into a population of hypochondriacs. On various Question and Answer Forums that I hang out on while bitch-slapping yet another busted PC back into submission, I get all sorts of stupid questions.

Like all the teen to young adult people who have a total freakout thinking that they're going to die from a brain tumor just because they have a rather nasty headache. The odds of dying from a brain tumor in the medically advanced nations of the world are something in the area of 4.4 people out of 100,000.

So we're looking at people freaking out about sinus migraines...or there is a massive population die-off around the corner.

But that doesn't bother me too much. Once quick trip to a doctor who'll either find out what's really wrong and reassure them, or will find the one rare instance of brain cancer and get them on the proper treatment to kill the sucker.

What bothers me is all the bullshit that people hear. Stuff from people who aren't medical doctors and give bad advice. Now I'm not a medical professional. But there are some things that I know. Ways to treat a sunburn (cider vinegar and/or aloe), What to do with a possible sprain until you can get to a doctor in the morning, how to relieve the symptoms of various mild maladies such as the common cold, allergies and the flu.

And I always end my answers with "and if it gets worse or doesn't start getting better...see your doctor right away".

But there are people who are pulling answers out of their ass and the quality of said answers reflects this.

Like people who were told that laproscopic surgery of appendicitis doesn't work and it'll just get swollen again.

Uhm...dude? Regardless of *how* it was removed, it isn't there anymore to become swollen again. The body doesn't replace them like the next towel in the paper towel dispenser you know.

But wow. There are times where I swear the average person knew more about the human body and how it worked back in the 1800's than they do now.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Kinda reminds me of all the idiot parents who take it upon themselves to diagnose their kids with autism and Aspergers. Take a hint, mombies; the fact that you put plasters on grazes and kiss your kids better does NOT make you a qualified doctor and you can NOT diagnose your kids with autism.

I always call such things "Momdiagnosing"; it irritates me cuz firstly a lot of these kids don't have autism of any description and might in fact just be going thru their toddler years normally. If they do have something, then treating them as autistic isn't going to do the child any good if what they actually have is, say, AHDD. Second, I've seen a lot of parents who think that slapping a label on their kid is a good substitute for parenting.

Regarding the whole "headache = brain tumour" thing; that annoys me as well. I've encountered many a person online who calls their headaches "migraines" when it's nothing like a migraine. I've suffered from migraines since I was a teenager; they're less frequent now and less violent, but they're still as different from an ordinary headache as a cold is from a dose of the flu.

Which brings me on to "man flu". No offence to any men here, but a lot of men seem to think that a cold is flu when it damn well isn't. About ten years ago, I caught flu. I was off work for three weeks and was seriously ill. When I have a cold, I feel like shit but I'm able to walk around and function properly as long as I'm armed with cold meds and tissues. Flu means that you're unable to leave your bed. I lost a whole stone when I had flu, cuz I couldn't eat anything without throwing up.

Basically, some people really need to get a clue and leave diagnosis up to the medical professionals.

[TheHuckster]

I never ask the Intertrolls about my ailments. Now, a few times here and there if there was something very specific (i.e. I've got a bloody nose, my two temples are specifically achy, and I feel generally shitty) I might simply look to see if there's any consensus (i.e. "I had the same thing and it turned out someone shot me in the head from the side") but for things that are that specific, you can actually finally get better results from WebMD by really narrowing down your symptoms.

If I have a headache, I'm not going to look online or even call a doctor unless it becomes unbelievably bad or it's been around for over a day. Just saying you have a headache doesn't give anyone help to narrow things down and they'll end up telling you you might have a brain tumor.

But yeah, I've rarely been a hypochondriac when I'm feeling blah or otherwise discomfortable. There's a lot of things that happen to your body that you don't know about. Maybe your muscles are achy because you slept in a strange position, or maybe your stomach feels bad because you ate something funny, or maybe you've got a cough, a headache, and feel really tired because gasp you have the flu! No, not bird flu, just the regular flu!

Which brings me on to "man flu". No offence to any men here, but a lot of men seem to think that a cold is flu when it damn well isn't. About ten years ago, I caught flu. I was off work for three weeks and was seriously ill. When I have a cold, I feel like shit but I'm able to walk around and function properly as long as I'm armed with cold meds and tissues. Flu means that you're unable to leave your bed. I lost a whole stone when I had flu, cuz I couldn't eat anything without throwing up.

Some people thing anything is the flu. Stomach flu is not THE flu, it's norovirus. A bad cough but nothing else is not the flu, either (it's likely not the cold, but bronchitis, and it could get serious, so go see a doctor).

[HYHYBT]

Having the flu does not necessarily mean you cannot get out of bed, nor that your stomach is upset. Nor does it have to last for weeks.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Ironic link:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Flu/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

Flu can give you any of these symptoms:

sudden fever - a temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or above
dry, chesty cough
headache
tiredness
chills
aching muscles
limb or joint pain
diarrhoea or upset stomach
sore throat
runny or blocked nose
sneezing
loss of appetite
difficulty sleeping

Your symptoms will usually peak after two to three days and you should begin to feel much better within five to eight days. However, you may have a lingering cough and still feel very tired for a further two to three weeks.

In any case, my mum's a nurse and she knows what flu looks like. Had it been anything more serious, I would have gone to see a doctor. I have a weak chest so flu hits me harder than it might someone else; I don't have a flu jab, cuz jabs are limited in my neck of the woods and seeing as I'm young and relatively healthy I'd rather the jab went to an elderly person.

[AdminAssistant]

Which brings me on to "man flu".

There is something in the XY chromosome that causes men to be the biggest whinypants in the world when it comes to the common cold. Mine will sit there and cough and sniffle and whine and complain, but he won't take OTC medicine! He'll drink some cough syrup at night, but otherwise he just mopes around, feeling awful and leaving piles of used Kleenex in his wake.

[telecom_goddess]

There is something in the XY chromosome that causes men to be the biggest whinypants in the world when it comes to the common cold. Mine will sit there and cough and sniffle and whine and complain, but he won't take OTC medicine! He'll drink some cough syrup at night, but otherwise he just mopes around, feeling awful and leaving piles of used Kleenex in his wake.

oh god my bf is the worst. He constantly makes this horrible moaning noise that I can't stand and uses it as an excuse to not do ANYTHING including take a shower. "I'm too sick" When I'm sick I still do housework, and go to work, and get shit done. The only thing I might do is go to bed earlier than normal.

[SongsOfDragons]

I had the flu jab a week ago because I'm hoping it will help in protecting me from some of the god-awful chest infections I've been getting every winter for the past six years. After the one this January saw me barely able to walk into the hospital to see the out-of-hours clinic doctor who loaded me with lots of nice amoxicillin... yeah, do not want.

Though after that, I still don't think I've had actual influenza for years and years. O.o

I read up on my epilepsy because I want a good knowledge of it, but as much as I do read some niggly things that happen I don't trust a word the internet says much XD For instance, I had my ear syringed because it blocked but it hasn't cleared, so I looked up what could be up - mostly on Wiki which is generally free from the roaring hordes...while I'm waiting for my doctor's appointment to actually tell me what's going on in there!

[Greenday]

There is something in the XY chromosome that causes men to be the biggest whinypants in the world when it comes to the common cold. Mine will sit there and cough and sniffle and whine and complain, but he won't take OTC medicine! He'll drink some cough syrup at night, but otherwise he just mopes around, feeling awful and leaving piles of used Kleenex in his wake.

Weird. I just had a cold that lasted about a week. I bought some anti-cough/decongestant and went about my business.

[BlaqueKatt]

A bad cough but nothing else is not the flu, either (it's likely not the cold, but bronchitis, and it could get serious, so go see a doctor).

Bronchitis is a chest cold, and you'll get the same treatment advice as you would for a cold.

science daily

If a runny nose and congested chest have you thinking of antibiotics, think again.
“For uncomplicated colds, zero are necessary; bronchitis, less than 10 percent are necessary; sore throats, maybe up to 10 to 15 percent of these patients need an antibiotic,” says Dr. Jim Wilde, pediatric emergency medicine and infectious disease physician at the Medical College of Georgia.
“Ninety to 95 percent of all infections are viral or low-acuity bacterial infections such as ear infections or sinus infections,” says Dr. Wilde. Yet studies show that more than half of patients in the United States are taking bacteria-destroying antibiotics for colds, flu and bronchitis, all caused by viruses

Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a virus. Often a person gets acute bronchitis after having an upper respiratory tract infection such as a cold or the flu.

[Andara Bledin]

I had the flu jab a week ago because I'm hoping it will help in protecting me from some of the god-awful chest infections I've been getting every winter for the past six years.

If you don't get exposed to the flu or are not susceptible to it, a flu jab won't do you much good, will it?

And if you have chest infections, it'd probably be better to figure out the cause than to treat something you don't have.

^-.-^

[Peppergirl]

Weird. I just had a cold that lasted about a week. I bought some anti-cough/decongestant and went about my business.

You're definitely in the minority, love. Most XY's I know are HUGE babies when it comes to even the most simple of ailments.

[Greenday]

You're definitely in the minority, love. Most XY's I know are HUGE babies when it comes to even the most simple of ailments.

Now that I think of it, my step-dad fits that description.

[SongsOfDragons]

If you don't get exposed to the flu or are not susceptible to it, a flu jab won't do you much good, will it?

And if you have chest infections, it'd probably be better to figure out the cause than to treat something you don't have.

^-.-^

Aye, true. I got it in the first place because I read it protects you against one of the pnemococcus (sp?) bugs and my nurse said it was a good idea that couldn't hurt.

As to the cause of the chest infections...all I can tell is that it's 'for the lulz'. XP

[Racket_Man]

There is something in the XY chromosome that causes men to be the biggest whinypants in the world when it comes to the common cold. Mine will sit there and cough and sniffle and whine and complain, but he won't take OTC medicine! He'll drink some cough syrup at night, but otherwise he just mopes around, feeling awful and leaving piles of used Kleenex in his wake.

I must also be in the minority of the XY group. whilst I may get grumpy, I just take OTC cold/flu stuff and get on with trudging cheesey goodness around in the cold, snow, ice, blizzard, hurricane winds, etc.

Heck I already have my OTC supply and bag of cough drops ready and waiting.



If I get bad enough that I am laid up on the couch, whatever has infected me is nasty indeed.