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Medical Professionals Bring Up 74 Things They Stopped Doing After Seeing The Effects On Patients
If you go to a lawyer, you normally want answers about the law. When you head over to a hairdresser, you also hope they can help you with any questions about hair care. So, it only makes perfect, logical sense that if you have a medical concern, you go to a doctor.
But while we think of doctors as these omnipotent, all-knowing humans who have worked their whole lives to reach their goals — which they have — they're also human beings. And as humans, we learn something new every day, even in the fields we're experts in.
And so, we gathered a list from r/AskReddit where health professionals share what they learned and implemented in their own lives, all because of their patients. Some of these are things we might want to add to our own routines as well, so here's what they said.
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#1
A struggle I'm currently having is the knowledge that using my phone all the time is likely to have longterm consequences on my focus (and I see the issue in the "lifers" of the younger generations too), but it is hard to resist .
- neurologist, sent while doomscrolling reddit hypocritically.
RELATED:
#2
Wearing sunscreen only when i plan on going to the beach.
you don't understand how important sun exposure accumulation is until you experience the results years later. now, i apply sunscreen even when i'm going out to have an ordinary day, specifically on my face, neck, and hands.
younger me believed that sunscreen was to prevent a sunburn.
older me knew that the sun keeps its receipts.
Chrystina Sumpter 1 month ago
When he was young, I had to wrestle my very pale stepson in order to get sunscreen on him—often unsuccessfully. Now I watch him put sunscreen on his even paler daughter before she steps out the door. I confess to feeling a certain satisfaction.
#3
Working too much - Seeing otherwise healthy people deteriorate due to things like cancer, Parkinson's, Dementia, etc. just makes me want to go on a road trip and call my family.
CALL UR FAMILY. HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS. GO ON THAT TRIP!
Every single human is shaped by their choices, experiences, and learnings, and medical staff isn't any different. Despite knowing more than the average person about the best ways to maintain their health, some things aren't really that obvious until they're actually in the field, watching things unfold.
Surprisingly, some of these replies were actually about food — which, granted, should be an obvious one for doctors and the common folk alike. After all, you are what you eat. But, of course, deep-fried and ultra-processed food isn't just something to avoid because of weight concerns, but because it is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and even mortality in adults, and some healthcare providers actually ignore this. Oof.
#4
Aside from the obvious ones like eating and drinking too much and moving too little, I also think trying to do everything right is problematic. Everybody can get some terrible illness and d*e from that. The patients that always followed the rules (exercise, healthy weight, no d***s of any kind, lots of vegetables, no junk food...) had a lot of trouble to accept their illness which made it hard for them to manage it and often gave them some serious psychological damage.
I'm not saying everybody should be a hedonist and not take care of their health at all - but living healthy is no guarantee for a long healthy life. Take it easy sometimes and drink that beer you craved on the first warm day of summer. It's okay.
Cerulean 1 month ago (edited)
I agree with this so much. Eating healthily and exercising is good, and makes you feel better. But I have watched friends with extraortdinarily healthy lifestyles and diets still get cancer and other illnesses - diseases are not all caused by behaviour! There's genetics, social and natural surroundings, bad luck, and just age....
#5
Lost a ton of weight after I worked in a cardiac ICU. The quality of life for obese people is just so much worse. Lost 40lbs, work out 5 times a week now.
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago (edited)
Here come the downvotes. Even if mildly obese, just getting out and doing 3-4 hrs of cardio a week brings down blood pressure, sugar and a host of other ailments. My sugar is controlled and blood pressure is high/normal. Yes, I take HBP and sugar meds, but this last year especially has shown that cardio works as I had a torn meniscus and couldn't get out much, numbers rose.
#6
Neurologist here. Getting chiropractic neck adjustments.
I used to go occasionally in college when my neck felt stiff from studying at weird angles. Then during residency you see your first 20-something having a massive stroke from a vertebral artery dissection because someone gave their neck a high-velocity twist.
People treat routine neck manipulation like harmless wellness maintenance, but tearing the inner lining of an artery in your neck is a real risk when you forcefully wrench it. Once you watch a completely healthy person come in with a devastating brainstem stroke over minor tension that could have been resolved with a hot shower and some gentle physical therapy, you never let anyone touch your cervical spine again.
Anony Mouse 1 month ago (edited)
Any chiropractor is going to be dangerous. It’s a useless to harmful pseudoscience and should be outlawed.
Some of the lifestyle changes included in the list were things we couldn't necessarily predict. Like, let's say, riding motorcycles. Now, we've all probably heard about how dangerous being on the road can be. But motorcycles actually have a fatality rate that's 28 times higher than that of your classic passenger car.
Which is why so many professionals, even morticians, will actively choose not to get on a motorcycle. They constantly see the effects and consequences of road accidents, and many have reported that motorcycle accidents are among the most shocking.
#7
Physician.
For me, it’s got to be not exercising and allowing weight, limited mobility, and lack of strength to persist and worsen over time. So many patients just accept it as part of getting older. It doesn’t have to be an inevitability.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s important to address other medical issues obviously. That said, you absolutely should be doing something to stay strong and mobile. If you ever need to recover from a complex medical issue, surgery, or unforeseen setback, having physical capability vastly improves your ability to recover/maintain a high QOL.
If nothing else, I exercise to stay strong and able bodied. I slacked for a bit during college and early med school, but after seeing the writing on the wall if I continued that, my attitude completely changed. Use your body! (Safely and reasonably).
BarkingSquirell 1 month ago
When I was a teenager I noticed an older couple, neighbour, go on walks every day. They were in great shape.
#8
In my 20s I met an AHA researcher and asked what advice he had for me for life long heart health. He told me to “love plants, pets and people. And don’t eat deep fried things.” He was eating a large raw carrot when he told me this.
#9
Dieting. The cycle of restricting to lose weight and then binging in a moment of weakness is bad for your physical and mental health.
Chich the witch 1 month ago
My mother. She would set a target weight and starve herself. Reach it and - Banana splits! Pie! KFC!!! OMG I'm fat! Repeat
#10
American Football.
The most recent study showed something like 215/235 of former NFL players’ brains showed signs of CTE. We’ve seen it in kids as young as 15 years old. It’s pretty much an observable fact at this point that football causes brain damage.
Chich the witch 1 month ago
And maybe not just the players? I do not understand the cult following some (most) sports get. I saw a cartoon that summed it up -"Yay Sports! Move the thing! across the thing! into the thing! Yayyy!"
To one of the replies, we might call it a bit of professional friendly fire—if not for the fact that many medical doctors do not view chiropractic care as a branch of conventional medicine. They actually fall under complementary and alternative medicine, and specialists such as neurologists frequently warn against certain types of neck manipulation.
There are a number of reasons for this, but essentially, force applied to certain areas, such as the neck, can cause problems, including strokes, clots, and blockages, and can also affect breathing, balance, and motor control. This is because twisting certain areas of the body can ultimately end up causing serious, long-term injuries to otherwise healthy people.
#11
Dental Hygienist here. I didn't start flossing until hygiene school. I also use interdental brushes and sometimes a Waterpik. Most people, including other healthcare professionals, don't grasp the connection that the bacteria(and fungi, viruses, etc) in our mouth have to our overall health. Our mouth is not an isolated petri dish, we swallow and inhale that bacteria, it also has the ability to enter our blood stream easily when there is infection in the gums.
#12
I will not touch ca****is ever again after seeing a non-insignificant number of people develop psychotic illness from it. Schizophrenia is not something I’d wish on my worst enemy and not something I’m rolling the dice on. .
#13
I don’t do hot tubs. Ever.
Hot tub lung is a thing. - think severe allergic reaction in your lungs. Skin infections. Soaking in others’ skin cells, funk, etc. Human soup? I’m good thanks.
Then comes work — which many healthcare professionals mentioned. Some claimed they'd never retire. After all, research suggests that having a daily routine with built-in opportunities for complex problem-solving and social interaction can actually be great for preventing cognitive decline. And work fits most, if not all, of those boxes, since it keeps your brain active as you grow older.
At the same time, other replies indicated that living to work can be incredibly detrimental to your mental health. Not having a healthy work-life balance can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease, as well as disrupt your metabolism. The risk of burnout also grows and, essentially, can cause people to socially isolate themselves at work.
#14
Health policy researcher, it sounds really simple but you will never catch me without my flu vaccine (or any vaccine available to me). I saw the fear in my colleagues eyes last year when they talked about the flu stats and the risk of running out of treatments/space in hospitals. Then I saw the stats on how many children last year’s strains were k*****g (think like 5 - 15 year olds, the exact group you’d expect to have robust immune systems). People think the flu only kills the elderly. One bad year and one bad strain is all it takes for that to no longer apply.
ETA: to tie it back to the question, it’s a pretty normal health habit to not bother getting the flu vaccine if you aren’t old or disabled, but you always should if you can!
#15
Radiographer here, I won’t jump on a trampoline ever again. Or see a chiropractor.
#16
Live to work.
I work in elderly care (think geriatrics, but not in the US) and I've yet to meet a patient who tells me they wish they worked more. I'm lucky to work somewhere where I earn a decent wage while working what's essentially a 9-5, so I can still focus on myself and my family. Sure, I'm not in what's considered an "exciting" field, but I'm happy with my little life and the genuine connection I still have with what makes me, me.
I could've picked a lot of other fields that would've made more money or prestige, but I'm not here for that. I would've had to give up the things that make me who I am, and the regret I see in my patient's eyes when they talk about how that happened to them is reminder enough that I should be very, very grateful.
#17
Get your HPV vaccines ladies and gentlemen.
It’s not just about cervical cancer.
I saw a two young men around 19 years old. One with stage 4 lung cancer and another 3 head and neck cancer. This was before routine vaccination became a thing for everyone. Pathology came back positive for HPV both times. It can also cause penile cancer (although rare) as well as cancer the a**s and r****m.
And remember, even though it’s not technically intercourse, making out with strangers is a huge risk for transmission. Anywhere those damp tissues touch becomes a risk. .
CK 1 month ago
Vaccines in general are amazing. The vast majority of the time, instead of getting the disease, you just don't, with minimal side effects. We don't appreciate them enough, and it's a crying shame that "vaccine hesitancy" is getting away with presenting itself as a moderate position just because it's less than full antivaxx. (It's "moderate" like if someone wanted to replace all world government workers with goldfish and then someone else came in and suggested only replacing 50%. Watered down stupid is still stupid.)
#18
Not in medical care now, but worked in the kitchen of a small rural nursing home where we had a lot of contact with patients. There were several 20something dudes spending the rest of their lives there because they were in motorcycle accidents and had major head or spine trauma. No s*x life, no partying, no career, no starting a family, just waiting to d*e.
Bikes are fun, but I will never get on one again.
#19
I got way more serious about losing excess weight once I got into the OR.
Once you start seeing people’s insides up close and personal, it really hits home how much weight affects everything. Literally, *everything*
There isn’t a single step of any surgery that isn’t affected by the patients weight. Even just a little bit of extra weight has consequences. It’s astounding.
I'm.Just.A.Girl 1 month ago
I'm curious what exactly obesity affects for surgeries. How much anesthesia can be given or how it affects healing.. ect.
Yet another recommendation that many doctors only truly understood after working in the field is exercise. Much like having a healthy diet, exercise is something you might assume doctors already knew plenty about. But it wasn't until they saw what a lack of exercise can do that some doctors decided to change their own habits.
And it isn't just a matter of reducing the risk of obesity; it's also about maintaining long-term mobility. Elderly falls and muscle loss, which can then lead to major physical decline, are often tied to mobility issues. Experts say one of the best ways to combat this is to incorporate a variety of activities, such as balance exercises, aerobics, and even weight training.
#20
Hospice nurse here. With what I see on a daily basis, I no longer ignore that phone call or text from a loved one, I no longer rush friends or family off the phone or rush to leave a gathering. I stopped getting annoyed when my loved ones talk to much or for too long. I stopped making excuses when loved ones want to spend time with me.
#21
Had a patient who got part of his lung lobe taken out, and he looked me in my face and said “as soon as I get out of here I’m gonna smoke a cigarette.”.
#22
I do not take any supplements. I have worked in organ transplant for years and you can really mess up your liver and kidneys with these.
Ai 1 month ago
That's oversimplified and as bad as taking too much. Good advice would be: take only supplements you know you need because you checked. I take a few, like D3, and regularly check the levels. In some climates and with some diets, it's really hard to get everything the body needs just from food. Just take it wisely, consult with your doctor, and get blood work done. Not taking supplements you need because some people o******e on supplements they don't need is just s†upid.
Sir William Osler, who is often called the father of modern medicine, once said, "Every patient you see is a lesson in much more than medicine." And ultimately, these testimonies are proof of that time and time again. No one can learn without practice, experience, and new challenges.
With that being said, will you be implementing any of these changes and pieces of advice into your own life? Or do you particularly connect with any of them? Please do let us know your thoughts below!
#23
Wanting to do sports as a professional as an amateur.
People don't realize in what bad shape some joints, spine can be from what first starts as a minor injury. Some professional sportsmen are in reallyy bad shape after they retire or even before.
I learned that true healthy results come from normal exercise and consistency. .
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago (edited)
My grand nephew is, at the moment, recovering from multiple fractures of his shin after going through Special Forces training. "Hey, you will have opportunities beyond that if it doesn't heal". He's a ginger, so sun exposure is limited. he now takes "D" supplements
#24
I primarily see people in long term care facilities, so i get to see the long term effects of people's life decisions. The worst usually involve any combination of excessive d***s, alcohol, cigarettes, and poor diet and exercise. I can't tell you how many people I have seen using oxygen tanks and still craving a cigarette.
Annika Kremer 1 month ago
Yup, when I was in hospital (for a stupid sports injury) I regularly saw very ill people, including ones with oxygen bottles, smoking. Right next to them in the smokers' corner were women who were obviously heavily pregnant.
#25
Not health habit, but have had to remove an ID card on a neck lanyard from someone's chest when the airbag went off. Won't wear anything round my neck driving now.
#26
Using earplugs at concerts. Seeing older folks struggle with their hearing makes me want to protect mine.
Edit: for the grammatical micromanagers, my answer was honoring the gist of the question to make my point, which was that I am making sure to protect my hearing by using earplugs.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago
Inner ear infections will k**l your hearing, too and there's not a d**n thing you can do about those. Now that that's happened, I wish I'd listened to the music a lot louder a lot sooner than I did.
#28
I never did these in the first place because I saw how it affected patients at my hospital:
* Donorcycles (worst injuries, worst outcomes)
* Chiropractor (strokes, neurological issues)
* Detox cleanses (gimmicks that might ruin your liver/kidneys)
* Living far away from a trauma centre (affects treatment options and independence post-discharge)
* Unnecessary pain medication
No smoking, no d***s, no alcohol. Daily, moderate-intense exercise that I work into all areas of my life, I.e. walking desk, squats while watching videos, etc. Sunscreen all the time, and hat/protective clothing outdoors. Also, no s*x with someone unless they've had a recent STD screen.
If you don't look after yourself, you'll end up losing years/decades of your life. I, for one, plan on maintaining my health and independence for as long as possible to maximise my video gaming lmao.
Chich the witch 1 month ago
I see lists like this and am reminded of a cartoon where a shrivelled sad old guy is at this Doctor. "Remember how you avoided anything fun to add years to your life? This is them"
#29
I have made the effort needed to get to a healthy weight and avoid diabetes and hypertension.
BarfyCat 1 month ago
My beloved doctor told me the best kept secret about diabetes: it runs in families, and you get it from the maternal side. Not saying diet and exercise don't help, but if your mom was diabetic you're pretty much doomed. I was worried about my family history, but it's all on my paternal side. She assured me I didn't have anything to worry about.
#30
I work in GI as a PA and minimize drinking. I see what it does to your liver and pancreas, the fistulas and other gross things it can do to you. Its not the way you wanna go out.
#31
Pediatrician. I don’t have kids but I’d never co-sleep. I’ve seen babies d*e from their parent sleeping on them.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago
Co-sleeping is prevalent in many other societies. How are they coping?
#32
I’ve become more disciplined when it comes to going to the gym and training. Seeing how quickly patients lose strength and how lack of muscle strength leads to other injuries such as osteopenia has scared me straight. I don’t need a 6 pack or the juiciest delts known to mankind, I just need to have enough muscle to help my metabolism,bone strength, and other things. Function over looks ig.
#33
Medical assistant here with experience in ER and clinical
There’s a lot... I always wear my seatbelt. I always wear a helmet if I’m on a bike (but you won’t catch me on a motorcycle).
I space out my medicine and check the interactions. Those warnings are there for a reason! They need to be taken at different times.
Tyranamar Seuss 1 month ago
Very few meds need to be spaced out. Thyroid medication- yes. Calcium with certain anti-biotic- yes. Most other things can be taken together. I hate when I have a patient who is non-compliant bc they're trying to space out each med by an hour. If I wrote for you to take it in the morning, take it in the morning, with all the other meds. If we want something spaced out it will be written on the bottle.
#34
ER doc here. Popping 800mg of ibuprofen after every tough workout to "get ahead of the soreness."
I used to treat Advil like candy in college and my early 20s. Then during residency you see just how many young, fit people end up admitted vomiting coffee-ground blood from massive stomach ulcers, or in acute kidney failure because they were taking max-dose NSAIDs daily for routine gym aches.
People treat over-the-counter pain meds like they're completely harmless supplements. Now if I have DOMS or a mild ache, I just drink water, do some light stretching, and accept being sore for a couple days.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago (edited)
Thirty years, forty doctors, twelve aspirin a day. Woudn't you think ONE of those d**n doctors could have come up with something better than "I don't know - there's nothing wrong."? Honey, I applaud you, but let me tell you and everyone else out there: when you're in pain, you will take WHATEVER you can get your hands on that works and you won't care how much it messes other things up.
#35
*Not wearing sunscreen. Skin cancer is no joke*.
#36
Orthopedic nurse here, falls are no joke at any age. Even from standing height, a simple slip and fall can lead to multiple fractures, surgery, physical therapy, etc. So don’t climb on random items to reach a lightbulb, salt your icy walks in the winter, and please check on your elderly friends/neighbors/relatives daily so they’re not lying with a femur fracture for days before someone finds them.
Also, go see your orthopedic provider when you start having joint pain instead of letting it go on for years (if you can, American healthcare is a capitalist hellscape). There are interventions that are less invasive than a total joint replacement that can be an option as long as your body hasn’t sustained too much damage from trying to power through.
#37
My husband was a resident in the ER when electric scooters came to Austin. You won’t catch him riding one!
Colleen Glim 1 month ago
Broke my shoulder falling off one. Sidewalk took a jog to the right and I didn’t. It could have been a lot worse than it was because I landed on grass instead of concrete. Six months, one surgery, and a b**t ton on physiotherapy, I went back to work
#38
I guess I would say not focusing on preventative medicine. See a lot of people who are like “I only go to the doctor when I’m sick why would I go other than that.”
People act like preventative medicine doesn’t exist in the US but it absolutely does. Going to a PCP every year and getting a physical with labs is exactly that. As well as exercising, being food conscious, getting a colonoscopy at 45, Pap smear at 21, getting a mammogram at 40, getting vaccinated, etc. All preventative medicine.
Yes we focus too much only treating stuff as it arises. But it still has to be done. Every other nurse and doctor I work with says they wished we focused more on preventative care. This is the system with have to work with right now.
Also, with the rise of social media, “health” influencers act like diet and exercise is this secret treatment for everything that doctors don’t want you to know because they want to get rich treating you or something. Folks, the medical community has always recommended a healthy diet and exercise for literal decades. It’s not some new trend or fad or something. Eat well and do some form of exercise and you’ll stay relatively healthy. Social media is so manipulative.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago
Sorry, preventive medicine costs money. Personally, I'd rather eat for a month than spend that money on a doctor, ya think?
#39
Not exercising and only going to the doctor when sick. I've taken care of many 100+ year old patients and many were stronger when sick and their minds intact. I like to ask what they did to live that long and a large majority say they were physically active their whole life or having jobs that were physically active (dance teacher, aerobics instructor etc...). I've had some 105 year olds look better and have better mental faculties vs some of my 50 year old patients. Some taking less medications and having less health complications too.
Also, finding a good primary care provider and seeing them for prevention not just when sick. The body needs maintenance and sometimes the worst things creep up before symptoms, and prevention helps.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago
I'd love to see the income level breakdown between those 50yr olds and those that are in good shape at 100. And you do realize, that at least 50% of that is all genetics anyway, right? We had a lady in our neighborhood who walked her dog regularly, was Asian, told me she still eats an Asian diet, was skinny as a rail, wasn't over 60, and fell over d**d from a massive heart attack one day. I decided right then and there to just enjoy life, including the deep fat fried foods.
#40
Tracking my health data. I have well managed OCD and yea, we don’t need to go down that road. -clinical psychologist.
#41
I didnt smoke anyway but working as a paramedic has really doubled down that I would never pick up a cigarette - and it honestly shocks me that so many healthcare workers still do smoke.
COPD is an awful disease that in its later stages causes every single second of life to be hard work. People spend so much effort breathing they are left as skin and bone. It's just so so horrible - one of the worst common diseases I see.
#42
100% on stopping ibuprofen/NSAIDs. They are so terrible for your kidneys and stomach.
But after doing inpatient medicine for 10 years I can safely say I will never stop lifting weights. Muscle mass (I’m not talking body builder I’m talking just basic resistance training and core strength) is probably one of the best indicators of how someone will do long term weather it’s through chemo treatments, a bad infection, cardiac issues, whatever is leading to a hospitalization.
The bounce back is crazy better in patients who do some sort of resistance training and significantly lowers their need for skilled nursing facilities, prolonged physical therapy etc.
#43
I stopped taking NSAIDs casually. Saw too many kidney injuries and GI bleeds that started with "just some ibuprofen" for back pain or a headache, and nah, not worth it.
#44
Im just a pharmacist, but, seeing how many meds a person might need when they get older. mix 3 or more meds and you cannot reliably predict anything in terms of side effects, blood levels, metabolism or elimination etc anymore. Overprescribing is a thing too.
For example, older lady falls and has a break or bruise bc of osteoporosis, gets pain meds, gets obstipation from them, gets laxatives for this. Old lady doesnt drink enough water bc she has trouble moving around with the pain and going to the loo all day is too taxing. electrolytes glitch, circulation is off, she falls again. old lady cant sleep well bc shes anxious bc of the falls and pains, gets benzos or Z-substances, has overhang, falls again.
So, ill do my best to keep my mobility, my strength and to keep at a healthy weight.
BarkingSquirell 1 month ago
"Just a pharmacist." These people know more about medicine than any doctor.
#45
When I was a teenager, no one wore helmets. I was stupid too, but I was alt least always careful and not a fan of high speeds.
I now work in orthopedics, and I will never bike without a helmet ever again, and I sure as hell won't get one another electric scooter without one either (and I will ensure my kids are smart enough to do the same... hopefully...).
The horrific injuries I've seen due to the lack of helmets is no joke.
BarkingSquirell 1 month ago
I live in a massive city and car vs. cyclist accidents never end well. Please wear a helmet.
#46
Glamorizing sleep not being a priority.
#47
Orthopedic RN here. Skipping stretching and mobility work, ignoring injuries, and not wearing proper footwear. All things I stopped doing after working on my unit. You only get one body and you will pay in pain for ignoring its needs throughout your life.
Binky Melnik 4 weeks ago
I’m pretty sure I found this tip on BP: Every day, get down on the ground and then get up. It’s good practice for when you actually fall, and old people tend to. (I usta have incredible balance; I seemingly have little to none now.) I actually do it three times a day, just in case.
#48
The doctors I know have terrible eating habits due to the stress/hours.
Working in healthcare really doesn't make it easy to take care of yourself. The whole system seems f****d.
#49
Everyone freaks out over lung cancer caused by smoking
Yall ever see what COPD does to you? You slowly suffocate for years.
And it’s 10x more common than lung cancer. Like a good handful of every ED shift is treating patients with COPD exacerbations.
#50
ER nurse here. I will never go to a chiropractor again. I went once before I even become interested in working in healthcare, and realized that it was too dangerous then. I was having neck pain and the only thing I can think of that may have resolved it is doing pilates. Seen so many people in the ER with multiple complaints related to their chiropractor visit.
cerinamroth 1 month ago
A good Thai massage did it for me. I knackered my neck trying to do a somersault on the bed to entertain my then 2 YO. He's 5 now and I went for a Thai massage the other week. She noticed straight away that something was off and after an hour of really heavy-duty, painful manipulation by a tiny lady, I could finally look back over my shoulder again! Hurray!
#51
I saw a ton of people who cut their hands washing glass cups. They put the sponge and their hand into the cup and it shatters. I use a bottle brush now.
BookFanatic 1 month ago
Yep. I did that about six months ago. Scar is still red and raised. Yes, I did go to the ER--got 4 stitches.
#52
Eating a normal diet. The incidence of Diverticulosis in Western society starts at 50% from age 50 and rises 1% with each year of age, and is basically the gut digesting itself from having too soft stool passing through. Eating enough fibre will also solve cholesterol imbalances, which most people have. I think we also eat way too much food on the whole.
I just eat oats with Psyllium Husk in the morning.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago
Well, I just eat sunflower seeds with the shell on them. Those shells going through your gut will scrape anything off your intestines.
#53
We have a serious "No getting on ladders without someone else within arms reach" rule in the house. .
BarkingSquirell 1 month ago
You wouldn't believe the number of professional roofers who work with no safety gear at all. I can't even look.
#54
Popping anything. It always starts out with “oh it’s just an ingrown hair” and turns into straight up necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating bacteria) every time. Especially in the groin area. Leave that s**t alone. Warm compress if you must but please don’t pop it.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago
I swear, these people want you to stay wrapped up in cotton wool and do absolutely NOTHING in your life "just in case"! How in hell do they think people lived and survived 200 years ago?
#55
Kinda irrelevant to my field of expertise, but sitting for too long on the toilet.
Rectal prolapse is not nice.
#56
Skimping on sleep. If I’m at the point I have to ask myself, should I do/finish X or go to sleep? The answer is *always* sleep. Knowing that’s my rule makes those decisions easier too.
olivejuicedrinker (she/her) 1 month ago
yea i don't think this'll work for me. i start school in a week and my schedule is packed with classes. no lunch, no breaks. most of them are honors/ap so im gonna have a looot of stuff to do. goodbye sleep
#57
I could never smoke after showering a woman with a tracheotomy who used the steam to produce copious amounts of phlegm only to go and have another cigarette.
Binky Melnik 4 weeks ago
I quit smoking for five years because I ended up in a homeless shelter, and the number of people who absolutely coughed, gagged, and even vomited from coughing so hard during mealtimes put me off smokes! I hurried up and left, and two days later was National Smokeout Day, and I quit that day, successfully, for five years. I’ve even thought of going back to a shelter just so I can quit again. The grossness really did the trick!
#58
The one thing you see today in healthcare that has the most health consequences is obesity. It is incredible hard to take care of obese people in the OR and you see it cause all kind of problems ranging from increased infection risk, DM, sleep apnea, ect that I remain very motivated to stay fit as I view this as the secret (or not so secret) key to a long healthy life.
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago
True, but as mentioned several times in this group overweight is bad, overweight and not even going for one walk/week is the clincher to poor health.
#59
NAD or nurse but I’m a healthcare worker for 31 years. I avoid alcohol. It’s so bad for you not just socially or physically, but truly at a cellular level. It’s also a Group 1 (smoking, asbestos) carcinogen. Living in New England, consuming is common in social situations. I mean, I don’t know anyone who socializes without drinking. Ever.
Binky Melnik 4 weeks ago
I’m TERRIFIED of asbestos. Smoking is in the same class?! That might be the info I need to quit smoking again! I was about to close this article, thinking I’d seen enough, but this might be the thing that gets me to quit! 😱
#60
Large dogs as pets. I’ve seen so many elder people come to the ER for bad injuries related to their large dogs accidentally causing them to fall.
#61
Drinking any sort of dark cola. I work in dialysis (RN), and granted these people have acute kidney issues and chronic by the time they end up on dialysis, the amount of times I have to educate dark colas. It contains high phosphorus that can cause a TON of other kidney issues in general even with non-dialysis patients.
Paul Rabit 1 month ago
How much cola are we talking for a non-dialysis patient? And what is the health record of said non-dialysis patient? I get that dark cola is not good for you, but given how many people consume soda, I'd say that you need to drink a lot of it or combine it with other health and dietary risks to achieve the kind of kidney issues that OP proclaims.
#62
I once went to a chiropractor and he was “ adjusting “ my neck. He actually made a noise with his mouth so it sounded like my neck made a clicking noise. He asked if that felt good. It didn’t help at all. What a scam!
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago (edited)
Massage.. roughly the same cost but, oddly enough, not covered by US health insurance. WAY better than spinal manipulation.
#63
Psychiatrist - drinking alcohol. From the drunkicidal patients, severe withdrawal (seizures, delirium tremens), complications from cirrhosis, and patients who underwent liver transplant and get admitted for alcohol withdrawal… I could go on and on. It’s heartbreaking.
Tyranamar Seuss 1 month ago
Ok but there's occasional alcohol and then there's heavy drinking. 2 different things.
#64
My mom's was taking ibuprofen like it's nothing. Make sure you always eat beforehand.
#65
I worked for a prosthetics company - most of our clients were over weight smokers.
This is why I watch my weight and exercise. People are losing their limbs from obesity and diabetes, the blood circulation in their feet is so little that their toes rot of... then the foot.. then the ankle... you get the drift.
People getting new artificial limbs fitted for their rotting limbs - all because they ate too much and didn't exercise.
Binky Melnik 4 weeks ago
A neighbor shows me photos his nephew sends of his foot. It started with a couple toes, but kept right on going, and in the last photos, there was no foot anymore. In his 40s. Black folk are dealt a horrible card, genetics-wise, but I certainly can’t fault ‘em for the hypertension; I can’t imagine living the way they do, in fear of white folks. 😰
#66
My dad is a doctor for decades, and he avoids sushi and rare/medium rare steak. He always orders well done which surprises servers.
He has probably seen some s**t.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago (edited)
You can eat rare or medium steak. Steak is usually cut off the cow in one piece and isn't mixed with other beef. Hamburger is ground with the beef of hundreds of other cows and one sick cow can contaminate 8 tons of hamburger beef. That's why you don't eat raw hamburger. Sushi on the other hand...always cook your seafood and shellfish to completely done. You can get polio from raw shellfish.
#67
ED RN here… I will never retire. Retired people age rapidly. People with steady jobs do not. If you definitely NEED to retire find a regular activity that you do at the same time for a sustained period many days a week or your health and brain *will* decline.
#68
OR Nurse. I had a obese patient fall on her b**t while getting out of her car. She didnt break anything but she couldnt physically lift herself up from that position. It was 111 degrees that day and no one noticed her screaming for 2 hours till her neighbor drove by. She had 3rd degree burns on her a*s. I originally thought it was the funniest s**t possible till I saw what it looked like. I take my weight gain and mobility seriously now.
#69
RT here, most of my patients on ventilators in the ICU have a long history of unhealthy living and sedentary lifestyle. I started working out more than 6 times a week after my first few months in the icu.
#70
If it ever comes to the point they recommend daily aspirin and a statin I will take it no questions asked the benefits far outweigh any risks.
Also I am way more cognizant of staying at a healthy weight with adequate muscle mass. Someone that is morbidly obese at 40 can't handle illness the same way a healthy weight 40 year old can. Its the difference between taking antibiotics at home for an infection VS it turning into sepsis, your body not being able to handle it, spending multiple days to weeks in the hospital and then your heart struggling to keep up because you're so unconditioned. Also so many obese 40 something year olds have COPD and heart failure and they didn't even smoke or use d***s its crazy.
On the flip side a broken hip on an old lady can quickly turn into losing your independence for the rest of your life. The key is you cant be too thin and frail or too large. The healthiest 90 year olds have the perfect amount of fluff.
Also any blood in your stool is something to take seriously.... Any excessive unplanned weight loss take it serious.
I also don't drink and probably will never drink again. There are so many other things besides liver failure that can happen, pancreatitis, GI cancers, and dementia. Also never use m**h or c*****e unless you want to have 20% heart function by the time you're 45. I'll also never smoke anything ever again...
Oh and I will never mess around with untreated high blood pressure or diabetes both of those can turn into kidney failure and a lifetime of needing dialysis.
So basically live a healthy lifestyle and be a little overweight in your 80s and you'll live forever.
#71
Riding a bicycle outside on the streets with other cars around. They will hit you eventually .
cerinamroth 1 month ago
If you live in a country where people on bicycles are not considered equal road users, I suppose so. I don't actually know any cyclists who have been hit by a car. Some have swerved to avoid a dangerous traffic situation and come off their bike, some have come off when riding on a steep downhill, some have slipped on ice/oil on the road but thankfully I've never actually known anyone hit by a car when they were on their bike (and everyone cycles here). Of course I hear about news stories and I'm not denying it happens.
#72
Birth control. I’ve seen too many women deal with adverse side effects from it.
If other women want to take it/take those risks, that’s there prerogative, but I’ve been working in a women’s clinic for over twelve years and I will NEVER go on hormonal birth control.
Kelly Scott 1 month ago
Again, that's not every woman. My mother took birth control from the year it first came out (she would have been about 30 then) until she hit menopause and smoked the entire time. She died at 93 and that was from the smoking. My aunt, her twin sister who doesn't smoke but also took birth control for decades, is still alive at 97. It's mostly a c**p shoot from what I can see.
#73
Being conscious to my weight and cardiovascular endurance, alcohol intake, take blood pressure every couple of months even though it’s been perfect.
Living with a distant awareness of the random chance my body might give out due to bad luck and shifting some priorities with that in mind.
#74
Car accident + full bladder = exploded bladder. Never will drive with a full bladder again.
Richard Campbell 1 month ago
some of these are just paranoia. The chances of this happening are rare enough that it's not a thing to be overly concerned with
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Paul Rabit 1 month ago
I think some of this is good advice, but a lot of it is fear-mongering. Everything has risks - and every body is different. Just be responsible and use your brain - most of it is common sense. And if it's any comfort, you really don't really want to live so long that you outlive your peer group - that can be lonely has heck!
CK 1 month ago
When it comes to risks, the people who specifically see all the negative outcomes are biased toward the negative. Especially since the number of cases they see reflects the total number of negative outcomes, not the percentage of people who engage in the risky behavior. So an extremely popular mildly risky activity will be more represented than an unpopular high risk activity.
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Binky Melnik 4 weeks ago
I gave it up 25 years ago (I’d had all I could stand of dads in the Bronx yeeting their babies off the roof), and my depression, anhedonia, and dysthymia have been sooo much better since! (Now, unfortunately, our president has undone all of that and things are worse for me than ever, but the way I live, I’m hoping I haven’t many more years of suffering left!)
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Paul Rabit 1 month ago
I think some of this is good advice, but a lot of it is fear-mongering. Everything has risks - and every body is different. Just be responsible and use your brain - most of it is common sense. And if it's any comfort, you really don't really want to live so long that you outlive your peer group - that can be lonely has heck!
CK 1 month ago
When it comes to risks, the people who specifically see all the negative outcomes are biased toward the negative. Especially since the number of cases they see reflects the total number of negative outcomes, not the percentage of people who engage in the risky behavior. So an extremely popular mildly risky activity will be more represented than an unpopular high risk activity.
Load More Replies... Binky Melnik 4 weeks ago
I gave it up 25 years ago (I’d had all I could stand of dads in the Bronx yeeting their babies off the roof), and my depression, anhedonia, and dysthymia have been sooo much better since! (Now, unfortunately, our president has undone all of that and things are worse for me than ever, but the way I live, I’m hoping I haven’t many more years of suffering left!)
Load More Replies... 
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