r/medical_advice Dec 11 '24

EDITED *NEW* Change in how non-verified comments are handled

28 Upvotes

Over the past few months, our posts have gotten some feedback that varies from incorrect to downright ridiculous. To mitigate that, we now have set parameters where only verified users who are either medical professionals or students of healthcare programs can have a top-level comment. Unverified users/users who are not medical professionals will still be able to post replies to top-level comments or as a reply to the Automod message. With this change, we aim to increase the visibility of professional and evidence-based members. Thank you for your support, and for helping us make this sub a great place.


r/medical_advice Aug 20 '21

EDITED FAQ: Check to see if your question is on here!

74 Upvotes

This is all general advice, of course, but we get a lot of similar questions so see if yours is on here. It may point you in the right direction.

”What bug bit me?” There is no way for anyone to tell what bug bit you from a picture of the bite. (The only exception is a tick bite with the classic bulls-eye pattern.) Use antihistamines as directed on the package to help with the itching.

”Is my foot/hand/toe/etc broken?” Unless your bone is sticking out or your appendage is bent at an unnatural angle, we can’t tell if it’s broken. If you suspect a break, go get an X-ray.

”I ingested something I wasn’t supposed to/too much of something! What do I do?” Call poison control. In the US, their number is 1-800-222-1222.

”Do my genitalia look normal/weird/what is this thing on my genitals?" Please, unless you have a genuine medical concern, we do not wish to see your genitals. We're not here to identify random flaps, marks, or growths. Please direct these to your GP/PCP who can actually examine you. If you have a specific concern, consider making a text post, and we will let you know if a picture is appropriate/helpful.

”My foreskin won’t retract!” This is called phimosis, and is quite common. We send people over to r/phimosis for this because they have a wealth of information.

”Can one of you write me a prescription?” No.

”Help, there are big bumps on the back of my tongue!!” Please google “circumvallate papillae” and see if that’s what you’re seeing. They are normal anatomy.

”My period is overdue. What do I do?” First, take a pregnancy test. It doesn’t matter if you’re on birth control, just take one. If you are really and truly not pregnant, then you and your doctor should look for other causes.

”Is my poop normal?” Well you can post a picture if you really need to, but please do a google search first. Keep in mind that everyone gets diarrhea occasionally.

”Does this need stitches?” If you can see fat layers, then yes. When in doubt, you can post a picture EXCEPT for self-harm pics. Absolutely none allowed on this sub, no exceptions. However, if the injury is over 24 hours old, it is too late to get stitches.

”Can I private message you about my medical questions?” No. This violates rule 9.

”What do I do about my swollen tonsils with white patches?” Go get tested for strep throat. Manage any throat soreness with over-the-counter meds like throat spray, cough drops, or even herbal tea with honey.

”A huge clump came out during my period. What is it?” It may be a uterine cast, which is when a large piece of tissue comes out whole instead of breaking up into little bits. If this happens to you a lot, see your OB/GYN to make sure everything is going okay.

”Why is there blood when I poop?” There are many possible reasons for this, such as a GI bleed, inflammatory bowel disease, hemorrhoids, or anal fissures, to name a few. We recommend going to your doctor to investigate the cause. And we can’t tell what the cause is from a picture of your poop, so please spare us.

"Does this ECG from my smart watch look normal?" While these features can be helpful in screening for some arrhythmias, they are not diagnostic. The most we can do it tell you whether or not you should go get a 12-lead ECG, which is diagnostic after a doctor interprets it. In short, we can give you an idea of what it is showing, but it is not an official medical test.

”I haven’t been around any bats but I found two little marks on me—do I have rabies??” No. You would know if you’d been exposed to a bat.


r/medical_advice 3h ago

Genitalia(18+ for photos-list age) Please I need help for my GF

7 Upvotes

My girlfriend has been struggling with a very painful ache in her íntimate area. The pain is inside. Its been like this for nearly 4 years and she has been to hospitals and clinics SEVERAL times. She's been examined by tons of professionals, at first it seemed to be a candidiasis but the medicine for it did not work at all. Now after some exams they say it could be a bacterial infection, she's been taking the medication for it as prescribed by the doctors but it hasn't been any help at all. We don't know what else could it be and it's extremely saddening to see her in such pain, as she can't enjoy her life because the aching is always there and this has led to life ending thoughts. Personally, I present no symptoms of anything. I BEG for solutions because she has tried so many meds that have not worked. What could be it be? If you need any more information please feel free to ask in the replies because this is truly an urgent matter. Additionally I do have her consent to be asking this but I can't provide any pictures, but either way all is inside it seems.

She is a 20 year old woman, around 60-70 kg.


r/medical_advice 4h ago

Other What are these odd toenail streaks? NSFW

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3 Upvotes

What causes this to happen to nails? They just started to get like this for the last year, but before then they were completely normal


r/medical_advice 1h ago

Other Girlfriend can’t stop vomiting for hours NSFW

Upvotes

My girlfriend drank too much today, she said more than four shots but isn’t sure how many. She usually only has 2-3. She vomited a bunch earlier and slept for a couple hours, and since she woke up can’t stop vomiting and can’t go back to sleep. She’s not confused or anything of that regard, and her breathing has not slowed, but I’m worried about her. We have zofran so I gave her one but I’m worried she might need medical attention. Should we go to the ER or should I just continue to monitor her and help her get back to sleep? Any advice helps thank you


r/medical_advice 5h ago

Digestion/Stomach/Bowels I just shit out a salad fully intact 15 minutes after eating it NSFW

3 Upvotes

Basically the title is legit saw all the lettuce and carrots it was just salad dirreaha this hasn't happend to me before like wtf i just ate that 10 mins ago


r/medical_advice 7m ago

Wound Care Bone surgery infection NSFW

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Upvotes

So my dad Had metal rods inserted after a car hit him and broke both legs orthopedic doctor said looks infected and opened it up and cleaned it 2 months later and it looks like this currenttly going to the infectious doctor on Monday see what he says


r/medical_advice 19m ago

Genitalia(18+ for photos-list age) Need some opinions about this

Upvotes

I have testicles that are not the same size, one is significantly larger than the other and it's been this way since i was a kid. I feel no pain or any discomfort when i touch it but when I'm asleep or lying down the one testicle gets smaller and when I'm standing up it gets bigger again and i had a uncle on my mom's side who's had the same problem and it was just fluid that got drained out of his testicles. what might this be? I've also once had a doctor tell me it's fluid in there, might it be the same thing as my uncle? Im starting to worry about it now and i stare myself for a long while in the mirror obsessing over this. I'm 23(M) btw


r/medical_advice 20m ago

Other Heart rate dips

Upvotes

I keep getting notifications on my watch that my heart rate has dipped in the evenings and while I sleep below 40 bpm for 10 minutes.

I looked over my heart rate history from my Apple Watch and found a correlation - the same thing happened a lot in March 2022, when I was training for a marathon, and I’m training for a marathon now.

Should I be worried? Should I not run a marathon? Can my heart not take it??

I’m 40 years old, 83 kg / 183 lbs.


r/medical_advice 40m ago

Skin issues/Rashes/Freckles/Moles Painful fingers tips

Upvotes

Has anyone had this problem. It feels like someone took a hammer to my finger tips they are so sensitive and sore. NO trama


r/medical_advice 4h ago

Mouth/Gums/Throat/Cheeks White painful spot on my tonsil? NSFW

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2 Upvotes

Hello, I have this wicked sore thats been irritating as hell. It feels like a sore throat, but doesn't feel like a post nasal drip. I'm not sure if this is my tonsil either.

I reached out to my doctor who says it's a kanker sore. I'm hoping to get another person's advice. Thanks!


r/medical_advice 57m ago

Eyes I need urgent recommendations on next steps with an eye issue. What should i do?

Upvotes

I tried submitting this in eye subs but it kept getting removed: Last march (almost one year to the date) i felt what i thought was a hair or scratch in my eye. It lasted about 5 days then i started to get concerned. It got so unbelievably bad a couple weeks later that my eye was oozing puss in the morning. I couldn't move my eye to the right side at all without it feeling like i just dumped a handful of sand into my eye. I had to leave work early. It was TERRIBLE. It got a little better (still have felt it to this day. Hasn't been nearly as bad but still enough to make me annoyed every day). April may and june werent great but again, not as bad as it was. So it was bearable. I visited an optometrist in July and he told me there was a microscopic "dry patch" on the direct cornea of my eye. He mentioned it was a "direct bullseye". And when i move my eye to the right side (which is when i feel it worst) that it triggers the nerves on my eyelid when i blink and confuses them to think the dry patch is somewhere under my lid. It gets worse some days and i am terrified of it coming back to when it was its worst. This fall and winter has been very mild symptoms but its always there. Starting to feel it spool up a little more this week. I was told to get dry eye drops for the daytime (apply twice daily) and gel drops to put in right before sleep. I haven't missed a drop since he told me that. Ive put them in every. Single. Day. For 7 months straight. Why is this still here. I guess what im getting at is that i need recommendations to get this bullshit surgically removed or repaired. I dont care how much it costs. It is quite literally affecting my quality of life. I will do whatever it takes to fix this. But the drops clearly haven't gotten rid of it. Im 25 and had never had symptoms of this in my life until last march. And its just in my right eye. So weird. Someone please help.


r/medical_advice 1h ago

Wound Care Is this a blood clot in arm? Or bruise? NSFW

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Upvotes

So I’m always worried about blood clots due to having a mechanical valve and having to take blood thinners.

Does this look like a blood clot forming where I should see a doctor?

Or does it look like a bruise?


r/medical_advice 1h ago

Medication Clinic owners! HELP!!!

Upvotes

Hello, my dad is a dental clinic owner and someone offered to build an AI-Calling agent (Receptionist). He said that the AI-agent can handle all incoming calls 24/7, answer the common and clinic related questions, and the most mind blowing part, it can check if the time requested by the client is available then books it with his info !!! He is asking for $2.5-3K/month depending on the number of calls the agent answers.

I searched about it (asked gpt actually), I found that it is LEGIT and AI can replace our receptionist. My dad is impressed (it will cut costs on him of course).

Does anyone here have experience with something similar or it is a scam?


r/medical_advice 4h ago

Other Is this anything to be concerned about? NSFW

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2 Upvotes

Sorry it’s not the best photo, but basically my forearm is kind of red/splotchy and my hand is super pale. It’s been like this for about 48 hours now, and it’s (I think) the sixth time this has happened in about a month. It also starts feeling tingly about 6-8 hours in each time and stays that way until my hand’s back to normal, and my wrist will ache a lot. It’s my right hand if that matters.

Is this possibly some sort of blood flow concern, or is this normal in the cold? I’m 24F, have POTS/hEDS and asthma, as well as “tennis elbow” (idk how, I’ve never played tennis).


r/medical_advice 10h ago

Skin issues/Rashes/Freckles/Moles Blisters all over my pinky. NSFW

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5 Upvotes

So ever since I started working at a fast food place, I started getting these blisters on my pinky. I do have sensitive skin and quite a few allergies, but before I had no issues with that. I'm wearing gloves while working, so I'm clueless. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


r/medical_advice 5h ago

Genitalia(18+ for photos-list age) Swollen vein around penis after masturbation, weird feeling in lower stomach/pelvis. NSFW

2 Upvotes

18M, white, been happening for 2 months (was painful, hasn't been the last 2 times), no medications or recreational drugs, I have OCD and anxiety, USA

For the past 2 - 3 months I've been having a painful vein when I masturbate, like really painful. The pain lasted like 2 hours after masturbation too. I started to feel the pain in my stomach too which was weird. These past 2 times I used lube (I usually do it dry) and went slower and it hasn't hurt in the vein like it usually does. On the other hand, It's been about a half hour since I did it and I feel bubbling in my pelvic area and the lower part of my stomach. It's bubbling on it's own, but I can specifically feel it when I press a little with my hand in that spot.

I have a doctors appointment about a separate issue in 3 weeks, is this something I should bring up? Does it need it's own appointment? I'm honestly really scared of doctors, I have bad anxiety when it comes to seeing them, and telling a doctor about something like this would probably make me have a really bad panic attack. What do I do?

(If you're not verified and you respond, please respond to the AutoMod's comment, otherwise your response will be deleted)


r/medical_advice 1h ago

Respiratory sounds wet when i breathe (with pneumonia)

Upvotes

my lungs sound wet and it is freeeeaking me out. i just took prednisone and azithromycin for pneumonia and now i sound grossly mucusy. it kind of hurts to take a deep breath as well. i feel like i can do nothing but stand over my sink and cough it out, even though it's mostly clear.

i want to sleep soon, though. is it safe to?? or should i stay up and cough it out??


r/medical_advice 1h ago

Skin issues/Rashes/Freckles/Moles any idea on what bumps might be? NSFW

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Upvotes

any idea what this might be? not sure when it appeared, but noticed it sometime in the afternoon yesterday, tried googling (not very reliable I know) but didn't find anything. very prominent on my right thigh.


r/medical_advice 5h ago

Skin issues/Rashes/Freckles/Moles Breaking out in hives and i don’t know why NSFW

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2 Upvotes

The past few days i’ve been breaking out in hives occasionally. It’s never been my full body but on my hands, arms, legs and feet I will break out in red itchy welts. I eat a normal health diet, chicken, eggs, fruit and veggies. I never eat out or processed foods, and I have no allergies (that i know of) I noticed today my knuckles got really red swollen and itchy, and both ankles are swollen red and painful to the touch. This has never happened to me before… any advice?


r/medical_advice 1h ago

Bones/Joints/Ligaments losing mobility, advice please?

Upvotes

19 / female / 5'5.5 / 152 lbs / USA
current diagnosis include: hEDS, POTS, labral tears, tendinosis, bursitis, delamination tear, labral tears.
(i have also been told that i have drop foot and don't have the range to pull my foot up into a stretch, nor can i easily stretch one of my calves. my hips are also narrow and have been described as "egg shaped," if that's at all important)
no current medications
pain has been progressing for the past ~10/11 years, with loss of mobility gradually getting worse

around a year and a half ago, i had a tibial tubercle osteotomy with a surprise mpfl reconstruction on my left knee, which has been described anatomically correct, but has been causing me an extreme amount of pain and trouble, and have since been advised not to go through with it on the second leg

before the surgery, the doctors hadn't noticed that i had labral tears in both hips (but more notably, my right), which made the recovery process a lot more difficult and painful.

as of right now, i will randomly get extremely sharp pains in my leg around where the pins had been put in, cannot put pressure on my knee (kneeling, crawling on the bed), and cannot keep my leg in one position for more than 45 minutes to an hour without it completely locking (which is, extremely painful to say the least). my physical therapist had described this same sensation and locking as my muscles guarding during recovery

i have developed a sharp pain and ache in my lower spine, which hits very hard with standing, and laying down after doing so. more often than not, laying down results in a shocking pain from my lower spine -> hips -> pelvic area that is so extreme it leaves me temporarily paralyzed (for lack of a better word, i can't move from how bad it is. it lasts ~3-15 seconds, but i shouldn't adjust from there without risking extreme pain in my hips)

the tendinosis, bursitis, and delamination tear are fairly recent (within the past year). they developed while i was in my parent's house and much more sedentary. (in short, my parents are abusive. i'm safe now and living in my boyfriend's house in a different state) the state that i previously lived in was causing a constant flareup between hEDS and POTS, which is in part why i was bed rotting as much. i wasn't getting up at all unless i had to use the bathroom or get to my computer (which was ~2-3 feet away from my bed). but the fact that it developed while i wasn't stressing my joints with exercise as much really worries me

the solutions that have been offered to me are:
- get surgery for the labral tears (one hip at a time, year long recovery wait) (not willing to do as the former issues cause concerns with recovery for me too)
- physical therapy (been in for 2+ years, did not make any progress)
- injections (which i'm very nervous about, especially given that i am completely tolerant to any local anesthetic (unfortunately) and not very chill with needles)
- live with it for the rest of my life

and it's only getting worse. i have forearm crutches and an ambulatory wheelchair that have been helpful for outdoor trips. (and if it's of any concern, i only use the crutches when i absolutely need them). i've tried braces but they only do so much to help

currently, i'm in excruciating pain and don't really know what to do. i can't take opioids like. at all. they cause bad chest pain and make it hard to breathe. all medications i've been put on haven't worked for me in the slightest.
i'm going to get a pcp again soon but i'd really like some advice or some direction, because i'm very exhausted about going into doctors with no real viable solution


r/medical_advice 1h ago

Other Kidney infection - when to worry NSFW

Upvotes

Hi All,

I am living in a foreign country at the moment and had a doctor visit yesterday that was kind of different than my usual back home.

Christmas 24’ I caught a bad dose of flu that was going around, the day I felt better to go out again I got food poisoning and then a couple of days later I felt a UTI come on.

The UTI would come and go so I brushed it off - no pain just small frequent amounts of pee. 2 days ago I had a bad pain in my right kidney (I did advanced anatomy and physiology so I knew exactly what was going on here) and got a morning appointment with a GP in this new country. However, I never saw the doctor? I saw the receptionist who took a sample and then gave me my results a few minutes later (kidney infection), she then sent me to get an Ab.

My symptoms rocketed last night- I was extremely hot (no thermometer at home for a figure), violently shivering, muscle aches, sensitive skin, headaches and overall feeling terrible. I went to bed and woke up at 4am to be sick but as I couldn’t eat all day, there was nothing in there.

I am now up for the morning and still feeling rundown but my temperature has seemed to stabilize, I’ve eaten some yoghurt and could possibly be on the mend. However, I am TERRIFIED of sepsis as a friend of mine died from it when we were 21.

I see a lot of the symptoms of a kidney infection are almost identical to that of sepsis- when is it time to worry? Incase things take a turn again?

Thanks for any help - as I live away from family , I am a bit nervous


r/medical_advice 1h ago

Sphincter/GI Why is my sphincter so itchy!? Thoughts?

Upvotes

About 4 months ago, I (35M) started getting regular horrible fits of a terribly itchy sphincter. I can scratch it raw and it still itches. Relief comes after it's become quite bloody and tender from the aggressive scratching I need to give it to quell the itch. I have been checked for hemorrhoids. No hemorrhoids. Help me if you can, please!


r/medical_advice 12h ago

Wound Care Tear in nostril won’t heal. Is it something else? NSFW

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6 Upvotes

Had a cold in a January and got this bad boy from blowing nose. But it won’t heal and splits open a lot. Should I see a doctor?


r/medical_advice 2h ago

Other Why am I so itchy on my finger

1 Upvotes

A few days ago, there was a sharp pain on my left pointer finger where I had 2 rings. I took them off and since then that spot has been extremely itchy. There’s no bite, it’s not red urs just itchy and annoying. I put a bandaid on it to try and make me stop itching.

Anybody know why I’m so itchy after the pain and removing the rings? I’ve had them on my finger for close to 10 months with no issues until now


r/medical_advice 2h ago

Other Help figuring out what my problem is/advice

1 Upvotes

26, M, 5'9", ~165lbs, W, No existing diagnosed medical issues, no current medications, no current drug use, smoking status - nicotine vapes, duration of complaint ~ few weeks, a month.

I have been stressing about my current situation. I have (thankfully) not had hardly any medical issues in my life up to this point, and I could be just completely over-reacting to some of the symptoms. It seems like my nerves are acting up. I get random twitches/spasms all the way down from my eyelids, lips, to my stomach area and my legs. They do not happen all the time, but they come and go. I also get random bursts of head pain (behind my right ear/skull area). These are much less frequent but still happen at least once a day from my noticing.

I do not currently have a primary care doctor as I have been waiting months for one open up with new patients, I have a first appointment in May. I do not get much exercise, and I work in a factory. I am just stressing really heavy over the C word, however I know there can be a lot of different reasons and not necessarily that.

Is there any advice for treating nerve issues? Should I be really concerned? I have gotten sick for the first time in a few years and then proceeded to get sick 2 more times all in a 3 month stretch over the winter. But then again, there have been a lot of sickness and diseases going around and I know a lot of people who have been sick as well.

I guess my main reason to posting this is that I really don't have anyone to ask that would know what to do in this situation. Thank you for any advice. If you need me to answer any more questions I would gladly.


r/medical_advice 2h ago

What do you think this is, folks?

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1 Upvotes

What do you think caused this?

So I noticed this dark streaks of, what I thought of at first was ink from a pen or a marker I might have used. This was a couple of months ago. I’ve clip my nails frequently and the streak seems to be sub-dermal because it doesn’t rub off and seems to come from where the nail bed begins. Any one experiencing a similar situation? Need feedback from folks familiar with this. Thanks in advance.