Do you Overreact to Symptoms?

Sun Tzu · 12-16-2009, 10:08 AM

I do occasionally. Now I'm not a germaphobe, or someone with OCD in the slightest bit. If anything I'm a bit too laid back...just ask the old lady. However every once in a while I'll have a sore throat, or stiff joints, or a stiff/sore neck, and I'll think FUCK I'M GOING TO DIE. It doesn't help that if you go anywhere online now and punch in "stiff neck symptoms" that it will tell you that you have either Bacterial Meningitis or Cancer. In fact I blame the internet for making people such worry warts about silly little things that shouldn't even raise an eyebrow. Anyways, I was just wondering if there are any others out there who will go off the deep end every now and again over what turns out to be nothing at all.

MikeVic · 12-16-2009, 10:22 AM

Yes, and I blame the internet too. The most recent was a lump on my lymph node. When I did a search for it, I was convinced I had cancer. The doctor said they're sometimes swollen when fighting off infection so don't worry about it.

Honolulu_Blue · 12-16-2009, 10:27 AM

I tend to under react more often than not. The only thing I overreact to is eye pain. Over the last 10 years or so, I have had iritis about 4-5 times. It's horribly painful and really irritating.

Once I had it so bad that they actually had to give me a shot of hormones into my eyeball (the needle sort of went on a downward angle through my eyelid and into my eye). Ever since that particularly bad case, my left eye often irritates me, so whenever it hurts, feels itchy, burns slightly, I almost always begin to panic about another potential bout of iritis.

Mustang · 12-16-2009, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

IOnce I had it so bad that they actually had to give me a shot of hormones into my eyeball

Unfortunately, I never heard of iritis, but after seeing this I'm sure every eye twinge I have with make me remember this.

Thanks

Lathum · 12-16-2009, 10:30 AM

I tend to under react. I have been having chest pains for about a year now and I am finally going to get an EKG.

LloydLungs · 12-16-2009, 11:03 AM

I underreact, big time. I assume everything will just fix itself. So far everything has, which just encourages me to continue to think so. So yeah, I'll probably die prematurely, but I'm saving myself some doctor visits in the meantime.

JediKooter · 12-16-2009, 11:21 AM

I under react as well. My pinky and ring finger on my left hand have been numb (well, they feel like they are asleep) for about two weeks now. I figure it will go away eventually.

aran · 12-16-2009, 12:10 PM

The problem isn't the internet, it's irresponsible sites on the internet that try to give out medical advice based on no real information. It's also the people that put too much stock in what they read about their own medical health from sites that know nothing about them.

Lathum · 12-16-2009, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediKooter

I under react as well. My pinky and ring finger on my left hand have been numb (well, they feel like they are asleep) for about two weeks now. I figure it will go away eventually.

I have had that happen. Mu uncle, who is a doctor, told me you can bang your elbow on something or sleep funny and it will effect the nerves all the way down there.

spleen1015 · 12-16-2009, 12:24 PM

I underreact when it is serious and overreact when it's not.

Pumpy Tudors · 12-16-2009, 12:27 PM

No. I don't.

Maple Leafs · 12-16-2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

It doesn't help that if you go anywhere online now and punch in "stiff neck symptoms" that it will tell you that you have either Bacterial Meningitis or Cancer.

Not to mention that for all the really bad cancers, there are no early symptoms. So you're sitting there going "No symptoms? Shit, that's me! I'm dying!"

EagleFan · 12-16-2009, 01:45 PM

It depends on what it is. I tend to under-react to chest pains. I have had them before and the causes are never anything bad. I know that is a problem due to my condition (for which I am told that I should over-react to any potential chest pain). I am just hoping that I don't end up having the chest pains that could be a very bad thing because of my condition and am banking on them being so severe that I will know I need to do something.

Things that I am not sure of I over-react if I lose will power and look it up online. Had the flu recently and a follow up infection. During this time I had a problem with blood work. I looked the problem up online and most everything it said was either off the wall things that I knew I didn't have (due to the other symptoms) or deadly.

Went to my doctor for a follow up and she said "probably due to the infection and the medication you are taking, nothing to worry about".

Why the hell wasn't that even mentioned as a possibility on webmd?

The new webmd slogan - Oh shit, you're going to die!!!

Karlifornia · 12-16-2009, 03:11 PM

A few years ago, I suddenly got this pulsating pain in my head. I thought I had an aneurysm, and was gonna die before anyone could find me. Then, it went away.

Ever since then, I don't really worry too much about anything. I assume it will pass. If it doesn't, then I'm dead!

INDalltheway · 12-16-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Yes, and I blame the internet too. The most recent was a lump on my lymph node. When I did a search for it, I was convinced I had cancer. The doctor said they're sometimes swollen when fighting off infection so don't worry about it.

My roommate had a swollen lymph node so the first thing he did was go to web MD.. This convinced him that he was having an aneurysm. It has pretty much been the butt of all our jokes since then.

terpkristin · 12-16-2009, 05:31 PM

Depends what it is and what I've already done.

If I get a headache and it doesn't go away even after a day of taking decongestants and advil, I start to worry (and overworry) that it's an anyeurism, since I had a teacher in high school die when she had a wicked headache that didn't go away with taking Advil, etc. I haven't overworried yet to the point that I go see somebody about it, I just get very nervous/stressed.

With my genetic disorder, my ligaments and tendons are utter crap, so I tend to go to the orthopod when I sprain them (whereas in the past I didn't, would just "live with the pain"), to try to treat them with kid gloves, since I'm only 30 and have had more than enough surgeries and treatments to deal with joint issues and most of my previously-injured joints still hurt...I'd like the rest of them to not hurt. Of course, that's why I'm in a splint, 5 weeks after spraining my thumb (was casted for the first 4 weeks), and will continue to be in a splint for another 3....

Also, I've had some women-type issues that have caused concern in the past, so I worry a bit over them if they come back. But, my doctor is over an hour away, so at most I usually call if I've got concerns.

/tk

CU Tiger · 12-16-2009, 07:11 PM

Yeah, dern...kinda thought I was alone here.
Ever since my best friend got cancer and subsequently died that started as a bump on his cheek, now anything especially around the head and neck makes me crazy.

A few years ago I even went and had a MRI and cat scan done at my cost because I was convinced I had brain cancer...

Fun times

12-16-2009, 10:27 AM	#3
Honolulu_Blue Hockey Boy Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Royal Oak, MI	I tend to under react more often than not. The only thing I overreact to is eye pain. Over the last 10 years or so, I have had iritis about 4-5 times. It's horribly painful and really irritating. Once I had it so bad that they actually had to give me a shot of hormones into my eyeball (the needle sort of went on a downward angle through my eyelid and into my eye). Ever since that particularly bad case, my left eye often irritates me, so whenever it hurts, feels itchy, burns slightly, I almost always begin to panic about another potential bout of iritis. __________________ *Steve Yzerman*: 1,755 points in 1,514 regular season games. 185 points in 196 postseason games. A First-Team All-Star, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Selke Trophy winner, Masterton Trophy winner, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Olympic gold medallist, and a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. Longest serving captain of one team in the history of the NHL (19 seasons).

12-16-2009, 11:21 AM	#7
JediKooter Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Diego via Sausalito via San Jose via San Diego	I under react as well. My pinky and ring finger on my left hand have been numb (well, they feel like they are asleep) for about two weeks now. I figure it will go away eventually. __________________ I'm no longer a Chargers fan, they are dead to me Coming this summer to a movie theater near you: The Adventures of Jedikooter: Part 4

12-16-2009, 12:24 PM	#10
spleen1015 Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2003	I underreact when it is serious and overreact when it's not. __________________ Why choose failure when success is an option?

12-16-2009, 12:27 PM	#11
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	No. I don't. __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor.

12-16-2009, 03:11 PM	#14
Karlifornia Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: San Jose, CA	A few years ago, I suddenly got this pulsating pain in my head. I thought I had an aneurysm, and was gonna die before anyone could find me. Then, it went away. Ever since then, I don't really worry too much about anything. I assume it will pass. If it doesn't, then I'm dead! __________________ Look into the mind of a crazy man (NSFW) http://www.whitepowerupdate.wordpress.com

12-16-2009, 10:22 AM	#2
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	Yes, and I blame the internet too. The most recent was a lump on my lymph node. When I did a search for it, I was convinced I had cancer. The doctor said they're sometimes swollen when fighting off infection so don't worry about it.

12-16-2009, 10:30 AM	#5
Lathum Favored Bitch #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: homeless in NJ	I tend to under react. I have been having chest pains for about a year now and I am finally going to get an EKG.

12-16-2009, 11:03 AM	#6
LloydLungs College Prospect Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ponchatoula, LA	I underreact, big time. I assume everything will just fix itself. So far everything has, which just encourages me to continue to think so. So yeah, I'll probably die prematurely, but I'm saving myself some doctor visits in the meantime.

12-16-2009, 12:10 PM	#8
aran High School Varsity Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Jersey, USA	The problem isn't the internet, it's irresponsible sites on the internet that try to give out medical advice based on no real information. It's also the people that put too much stock in what they read about their own medical health from sites that know nothing about them.

12-16-2009, 01:45 PM	#13
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	It depends on what it is. I tend to under-react to chest pains. I have had them before and the causes are never anything bad. I know that is a problem due to my condition (for which I am told that I should over-react to any potential chest pain). I am just hoping that I don't end up having the chest pains that could be a very bad thing because of my condition and am banking on them being so severe that I will know I need to do something. Things that I am not sure of I over-react if I lose will power and look it up online. Had the flu recently and a follow up infection. During this time I had a problem with blood work. I looked the problem up online and most everything it said was either off the wall things that I knew I didn't have (due to the other symptoms) or deadly. Went to my doctor for a follow up and she said "probably due to the infection and the medication you are taking, nothing to worry about". Why the hell wasn't that even mentioned as a possibility on webmd? The new webmd slogan - Oh shit, you're going to die!!!

12-16-2009, 05:31 PM	#16
terpkristin Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ashburn, VA	Depends what it is and what I've already done. If I get a headache and it doesn't go away even after a day of taking decongestants and advil, I start to worry (and overworry) that it's an anyeurism, since I had a teacher in high school die when she had a wicked headache that didn't go away with taking Advil, etc. I haven't overworried yet to the point that I go see somebody about it, I just get very nervous/stressed. With my genetic disorder, my ligaments and tendons are utter crap, so I tend to go to the orthopod when I sprain them (whereas in the past I didn't, would just "live with the pain"), to try to treat them with kid gloves, since I'm only 30 and have had more than enough surgeries and treatments to deal with joint issues and most of my previously-injured joints still hurt...I'd like the rest of them to not hurt. Of course, that's why I'm in a splint, 5 weeks after spraining my thumb (was casted for the first 4 weeks), and will continue to be in a splint for another 3.... Also, I've had some women-type issues that have caused concern in the past, so I worry a bit over them if they come back. But, my doctor is over an hour away, so at most I usually call if I've got concerns. /tk __________________ GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin

12-16-2009, 07:11 PM	#17
CU Tiger Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Backwoods, SC	Yeah, dern...kinda thought I was alone here. Ever since my best friend got cancer and subsequently died that started as a bump on his cheek, now anything especially around the head and neck makes me crazy. A few years ago I even went and had a MRI and cat scan done at my cost because I was convinced I had brain cancer... Fun times

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