If there’s anyone people can count on on the internet, it’s medical professionals.
In 2021, Ipsos asked people from 28 countries how much they trust different professions, and doctors came out on top with an average reliability rating of 64%, ahead of scientists (61%), and teachers (55%).
So if their word is good in real life, it should be solid online, too.
Recently, people working in healthcare have been developing a thread sharing simple advice on how everyone can look after themselves in everyday life. Here are some of the most popular submissions from their conversation.
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#1
Death is not the worst thing possible. Being tortured with every available option to stay alive while you rot in a bed is worse than death. Stop keeping someone alive who has no QUALITY of life just because you can’t let them go. Not being able to move, eat, communicate, etc is not good quality of life. It’s cruel and selfish to make your loved ones suffer like that.
If you’re not taking steps to prevent pregnancy and you’re sexually active then you are trying to get pregnant. Applies to both men and women. Be responsible.
#3
Psychologist here. I wish everyone who was sad didn’t call themselves depressed. Or wanting things neat and tidy and calling it OCD. These terms refer to real diagnoses, not moods or quirks.
#4
Drink water when thirsty. No soft drinks, no juice. Just plain water.
In addition: Give water to your kids, because if they regularly get soft drinks when feeling thirsty, you are conditioning them into connecting thirst with soft drinks. These are the people that will say: I don’t like water, water doesn’t taste good….
A large proportion of possible health and dietary issues can be prevented by just stick to this simple rule. This of course excludes special dietary needs, but in general it’s a good thing. .
#5
Paramedic.
The things that can kill you and the things you can survive constantly amaze me. I’ve seen people survive a bullet through the head and walk into my fire station after they recovered. I saw a guy that shot himself in the chest and head and was able to shake it off and manage to get the gun and take a third shot to finish the job. I’ve seen people survive crazy amounts of trauma in car wrecks. I survived getting shot with buckshot, I saw a guy shot in the neck with a shotgun and every pellet missed anything vital.
I’ve also seen people die from an injury that penetrated less than an inch into someone’s arm. Death from falling backwards and hitting their head. From a single punch, from a bullet that hit them in the butt and penetrated about an inch according to the xray. And don’t forget that a lethal heart attack or stroke is caused by a piece of plaque around the size of a pencil point. People have an aneurysm in their head right now and don’t know it.
The line between alive and dead is unimaginably thin.
#6
Because I haven’t seen it yet: basic women’s anatomy. I can’t begin to tell yall how often I’ve met other women that don’t know that we don’t pee out of our vaginas. I even had a friend in high school that came and got me because she thought she was dying. She’d gotten her first period, and her ultra fundie Southern Baptist mother had never told her about periods. So there I was, explaining the birds and the bees to a fifteen year old peer in a crappy high school bathroom. No surprise, she thought we peed out of “the front hole” too.
If I could add a second fact to this: it’s OK to seek mental healthcare, there is nothing to be ashamed of! You are worth it, and you are loved!
#7
Not a doctor or surgeon or whatever but worked at a pharmacy
DOSE MAKES POISON. Stop overusing medication. Follow the instructions on the goddamn bottle. “But it doesnt do enough” talk with a pharmacist or your doctor. Most people have no idea how their meds work and think just taking more will lead to better results. This can kill you in some cases, and worse – ruin your organs in others. For the love of God stop f*****g around with meds. It won’t be fun for anyone when you find out.
#8
Sleeping less than 5 hours a day increases risk of heart disease by 75% and shortens your lifespan. It also increases risk of alzheimer’s disease & dementia in general. So sleep well lads.
#9
Smoking is bad for you. It will likely shorten your life and decrease the quality of your life. It smells terrible even if you don’t think you smell or “I only smoke outside.” And it will never be easier to quit than it is today.
#10
If you go to a hospital and expect 4-5 surgeons to be the ones actually taking care of you or running a code THINK AGAIN. Medical shows really be giving a false narrative of doctors and I feel the ones who are performing most of the skills and patient care are often looked down upon in real life. BE NICE TO YOUR NURSES, YOUR NURSE AIDS, RT, TECHS, PT, OT, etc.
#11
Breathing deeply through your nose releases nitric oxide which is a natural vasodilator (it opens up your vessels) and can help reduce blood pressure.
When you’re tempted to cry during times of stress, let it out. Cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) is released in those tears and your body releases oxytocin and endorphins (feel good hormones). You’re literally venting your stress and decreasing emotional and physical pain by doing so.
#12
Empty your bladder when you feel the need to go. Don’t delay it too often.
#13
Dentist…. A tooth infection can kill you.
#14
Strength training is so important for both men *and* women.
It doesn’t matter how you do it, staying strong across middle and old age is immense beneficial. Physically and mentally.
#15
If you are a woman in your late 40’s to early 50’s, there are a slew of problems that can result from perimenopause, and most of your doctors will just ignore them, or ignore the fact that you are in menopause. Besides the symptoms everyone knows about (hot flashes, weight gain and vaginal dryness) you may experience anxiety, mood swings, migraines, insomnia, joint and muscles pain, memory lapses and difficulty concentrating. And I’m pretty sure this is not a complete list. Talk to your doctor about ways to mitigate these problems, which can include diet changes, exercise, and meditation, as well as hormone replacement therapy.
#16
Overly controlling what you eat may be worse for your health than any ingredient(s) you’re trying to avoid.
#17
A sedentary lifestyle is bad for you even if you’re a healthy BMI range. Get yourself moving.
#18
If you have hearing loss you need to treat it sooner than later as it is a leading cause of dementia risk/ Alzheimer’s / cognitive decline and hearing aids have shown to cut cognitive decline by nearly 50% per a recent Johns Hopkins study.
#19
There is zero reason for you to know your blood type. If you need blood products, you will be typed every time. Those dumb patches that cops wear with their blood type are useless. We will type them too, regardless of the dumb patch.
Very few people, almost none, have rolling veins. That’s an excuse someone told you because they missed and didn’t want to take responsibility for missing. If your veins are that rolly, then you probably have connective tissue issues, or you’re very elderly and wasting away.
Your dishwasher is not sterile. You can’t p**s in any old jelly jar and take it to the lab, just because you ran it through the dishwasher. We aren’t rejecting your Cool Whip container to be mean. We are trying to give you the most accurate results that you’re paying for.
Fasting for labwork means dont eat. Please take your medicine and drink plenty of water.
#20
Keeping your mind active through constant learning as you get older is just as important as keeping your body active.
#21
You are super fertile right after giving birth and you CAN get pregnant while breastfeeding. Use protection. Most people are clueless about sexual health.
#22
If a man has a positive pregnancy test go to the doctor asap! It’s probably cancer.
#23
The Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines prevent cancer. Hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of liver cancer, and HPV causes multiple oral and genital cancers. Get the vaccines for your kids and get them for yourself if you haven’t. Males and females can both get cancer from these viruses.
Also, Hepatitis B is not only transmitted sexually. You can catch it from a microscopic amount of blood on a surface. Small children are especially at risk because they put everything in their mouths faster than you can always prevent. Plus there’s the horrible possibility of assault. Do not wait to get your children these vaccines until you think they’re “old enough for sexual activity.”
Bonus tip- if the Hep A + B combo vaccine is an option for you, choose that one. Hepatitis A is a potentially deadly gastrointestinal virus.
#24
Humans have a strong need for touch and connection. Touch is a fundamental human need and can be critical for maintaining wellbeing, as well as providing comfort and improving quality of life. Skin-to-skin contact can have numerous positive effects, including reducing stress hormones, strengthening social bonds, and boosting the immune system. Even the simple act of hugging can release oxytocin, the “love hormone,” which creates a sense of well-being and connectedness.
#25
Your brain is you. Even though it is completely encased in darkness, it interprets the whole world for you and makes you you. Everything else is just scaffolding.
#26
Paying attention to what you eat is important, but more so when living with diabetes. Many of my diabetic patients have not been provided with adequate education on nutrition in general.
Many are often surprised to discover:
1) non-diet soda has calories
2) non-diet soda has sugar and will contribute to elevated blood sugar
3) a single meal from a fast food restaurant may exceed their recommended daily calories for the day
More importantly:
The pins and needles feeling (neuropathy) in your toes and fingers is literally your peripheral nervous system dying off as a result of poor blood sugar control. If it’s happening in your distal extremities, it’s also happening in your brain.
This is detectable on MRI and will eventually go on to result in a vascular neurocognitive disorder (dementia).
#27
*screams in orthopedics* the stress on your knee is equivalent to approximately 4x your body weight during walking. Body weight matters to your joint. It matters especially much if most of your weight you carry is not in joint supporting musculature.
#28
If you have *any* vaginal bleeding after menopause see your doctor. It could be cancer. .
#29
Skinny does not equal healthy. Too many people are more worried about the number on the scale than the overall health of their body. Sure, you may be a size 2, but how are your hair, skin, and nails? What about your teeth and bones? Liver and kidneys?
#30
Having worked at a vet: a majority of cat bites are gonna go septic if untreated. Go to urgent care for antibiotics.
Also: obesity in pets is more of a concern than in humans, because of differences in body fat distribution. Most animals gain fat around their organs first and then start gaining a layer of fat under the skin, whereas humans gain a majority of our fat under the skin (this is an oversimplification, but that’s the gist of it).