Look, you have to realize that most people posting here are just laypeople. I can give you a general idea of what kind of condition we might be talking about, but don't go expecting anyone to hand you a formal diagnosis on a silver platter.
For instance, a girl recently started a thread because she noticed her stools were black. What am I supposed to say? If I tell her it was just something I ate, and she takes my word for it, she could end up bleeding out because she actually had an ulcer or some internal bleeding in her upper GI tract.
And let’s be clear: I’m not advocating for running to the doctor for every little thing. I deal with chronic health issues myself, and honestly, I could be spending half my life in a waiting room at the Mayo Clinic, but I don't.
Susan Anderson77 said:Could it be puberty hormones? I don't think I ever actually liked salt, but now I can't even stand the stuff..
Yeah, hormones could definitely do it. I've noticed that during my period, I crave way more salty food than usual, even though normally I hate anything overly salty or heavily seasoned.
I deal with thyroid issues myself, and my hair used to fall out like crazy because of it. But it wasn't happening in patches or circles. I mean, hormones can definitely cause thinning, though I guess that’s less common.
She absolutely needs to see a dermatologist. They’re the experts; they'll figure out what's going on and send her for the right tests.
If she caught whatever the cat has, then that little furball is going to need a trip to the vet too.
Maybe her sister is just looking for a referral to a dermatologist, so she's running some searches. It could be anything, really—hormonal issues, a fungal infection, or maybe even heavy metal poisoning.
It’s not cat scratch fever if your lymph nodes aren't swollen. That disease is pretty much defined by a massive, swollen node right where you got bit or scratched.
I’ve dealt with this three times now. One of my cats clearly carries the bacteria in her saliva, and every single time she nips me, my lymph nodes flare up. I've had swelling in my neck, under my armpit, and even in my groin—it just depends on where the bite happened.
As for toxoplasmosis, I don't think cats actually die from it. They pick it up from eating infected raw meat, and then humans catch it from their litter boxes.
Emily Mitchell80 said:😂 I’m not saying anything. Like I said, I just walk out. You wash your hands, turn off the water, grab the door handle—and don't give me that crap about always having a paper towel to touch the handle or turn the faucet. You end up with dirty hands again while thinking they're clean. Or you use your elbow to turn the water off (as if your elbow isn't part of your body or something). Anyway, I’ve never dealt with warts, fungus, or any other crap, which is plenty of proof enough for me that my routine works. If it didn't, I would've caught something by now on the subway, the bus, grocery store carts, elevators... When someone leaves a restroom and grabs the faucet with their hands—hands they just used to wipe themselves—it doesn't even cross my mind to touch that same faucet right after them. I just wash my hands. Unless there's a sensor faucet like you see in some malls or fancy coffee shops, then that's it. If you want to touch everything, go ahead. When you're riding the subway or a bus and have to hit the stop button or pull the lever to open the doors, you can pick up all sorts of germs there too. Or when you're pushing a cart at Target... what, do you have a paper towel to hold the cart with, or do you disinfect it first? Of course not. So when I get home, I wash my hands thoroughly, especially between my fingers. Again, I haven't caught anything, and I'm constantly on the bus, the subway, pushing carts through the store, hitting buttons in elevators...
What kind of person walks out of a bathroom and doesn't touch a single thing until they get home? 🤷
If you're at a cafe, you're probably touching the glass you're drinking from, the table, the chairs, etc.
Look, I'm not some hygiene freak, but man, I wash my hands after using the restroom. And I always carry wipes with me just in case I need to use them.
Besides, like I said, you can buy hand sanitizer. If you won't wash your hands because you're grossed out by the handle or the faucet, at least wipe down with some sanitizer.
Damn, looks like I'll have to start carrying a bottle of Purell with me everywhere. It's obvious people skip washing their hands way more often than I thought.
Nah, maybe like $20. I picked some up at Walgreens last year when they had a sale for $5.00.
One of them—God bless his soul—bit my palm yesterday. 😠 Now it’s itching and burning at the same time, which is driving me insane. The absolute worst is when they get you on your soles, your palms, or your eyelids.
Emily Mitchell80 said:I wash my hands constantly, too, but I’m honestly shocked you guys are talking about skipping them after using the restroom. When I’m at a coffee shop or a restaurant, I almost never wash my hands because the idea of touching the faucet or the soap dispenser—even if it’s just a pump—is revolting. Then there's the door handle. I can't stop thinking about how the person before me used those exact same surfaces with their dirty hands, and then I touch them and pretend I'm clean? That logic is broken. Sure, my hands feel gross after using the bathroom, but I'd much rather deal with my own mess than touch a communal faucet, soap dispenser, or door handle that some stranger just handled. If you know what I mean! And The absolute best feeling is grabbing a paper towel just to pull the door handle so I don't have to touch anything else. There isn't really a fix for this. Maybe the best move is just holding it until I get home.
As for sitting on the toilet seat, I won't even sit down at my own house if someone who doesn't live here—like a friend, a neighbor, or a brother's buddy—was in there right before me. And don't even get me started on why I wouldn't sit anywhere without a thick layer of toilet paper covering the seat first!!!!! Whenever someone visits and uses my bathroom, I make sure to spray the seat with disinfectant once they leave. Just like some of you mentioned, I feel like it's the only right way to do it.
And then you go around touching everything with filthy hands, spreading whatever germs you've picked up to everyone else.
If you're really that disgusted by everything, you can find high-grade hand sanitizer online that actually works. You just wipe your hands with it right after leaving the stall and you're good to go. It's basically the same stuff used in hospitals for sanitizing, so it's legit.
I have no idea what kind of mosquitoes are out there right now, but they are bloodsuckers like nothing I've ever seen. At first, I actually thought I’d developed some weird allergy to bites because the welts were so massive, and even when I didn't scratch them, they stayed huge. But then I started looking at the people around me and realized everyone is dealing with the exact same thing. I can't tell if it's because of all those heavy-duty pesticides they spray every few days around here, or if some new species has moved into the neighborhood, but the itching is driving me insane and the swelling is ridiculous.
I ended up buying some Off!—even though I absolutely hate coating myself in those chemicals—and now whenever I head out, I make sure I'm covered. Does anyone know if they're particularly bad down by the Mississippi River? It feels totally abnormal.
Anthony Walker5 said:I’ve got two cats and a dog, but they are 100% flea-free... plus, I usually don't notice new bites until the next morning... yesterday, I spent half the night swatting mosquitoes in my room 🤣 I honestly have no idea where they're coming from; my window was shut tight... it's not even like there are a ton of them, but every time I hear that one buzzing near my ear... 🙂 One of my family members ended up with similar little spots too, though they were smaller and mostly on their leg... I can't think of anything else it could be besides mosquitoes.🤷 What should I use to treat these "spots" so they clear up faster?
How can you be sure your pets don't have fleas? Look, I have three cats. They never even go outside the apartment, yet somehow we bring fleas in on our shoes or clothes. I treat them with those topical drops, but after a while, they always come back.
If you're getting bites all over one specific area, then it's definitely fleas. One time I used the drops on mine, and my little pig-faced cat slept on my bed, so the fleas just jumped off him and ate me all night long. I woke up in the morning looking at whatever the hell was on my leg—it was itching and stinging like crazy—and then I realized my little guy had passed his tenants onto me.😁
Anyway, I've noticed the mosquitoes this year are absolute bloodsuckers. They leave these huge welts behind. I usually just rub some Benadryl cream or some calendula ointment on the bite to take the edge off the itching.
You seriously need to go see a doctor. I know a girl who went through the exact same thing, and her father had it too—both of them were dealing with thrombocytopenia. It basically means they didn't have enough platelets in their system, so even a minor injury could trigger some serious bleeding.
My ophthalmologist put me on Cornere Gel, and honestly? It’s lightyears ahead of any of those standard drops I’ve wasted money on before. I’m dealing with the exact same dry eye syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)
Having your own personal issues doesn't give you a free pass to act out and start insulting people. We all have our own baggage to deal with, but that isn't an excuse to take it out on everyone else here.
People were actually trying to help you. If you don't like the way they phrased things, that's on you. You asked a question and you got answers. Now what? We couldn't care less about your attitude, but there's zero reason to be abusive.
Honestly, this thread should just be locked. It’s gone nowhere.
People were being pretty nice to you, there’s no need to be a jerk about it. Look, if you're actually ready to head to prison over some damn medication just because an old lady was taking it, then fine, go for it. But don't come at people who are genuinely trying to help you with insults.
Paul Jackson61 said:I had a similar experience when a coworker had to pay back money they accidentally overpaid 🙄—I assume the bank has some internal way of covering those kinds of blunders 🤷 (maybe they don't), because I doubt it's their first time... and that teller (or whoever) refused to tell me the credit balance for someone I was co-signing for over the phone (which resulted in me getting warnings that I'd be on the hook) just because I didn't have "authorized access." She could have easily checked her screen and helped me out without making a scene, but she wouldn't. 😉 So, there's my take: I wouldn't give them the money back. Call me selfish, dishonest, or immoral if you want, but I can't stand their "business model." And clearly, that employee won't tell her manager that their communication with clients is terrible.☕ Oh, and regarding the ID and phone thing... I once turned in a wallet that had no cash, just documents, at a precinct in Chicago, and I almost got treated like a thief myself. 😲 I spent four hours acting like an idiot at the station trying to explain the situation, only to have them write down all my info. If I had found a wallet with cash and turned it in, and then the owner told me, "Keep the money," I'd look like a fool. No thanks. Next time I find a wallet, I'm just kicking it into a dumpster to avoid another "fun" afternoon with the police.
And because of that bolded part, she could get fired. Sure, she can see the balance, but she also has a specific login ID, and she isn't allowed to just poke around in someone else's account because every single access is logged. You want to take that risk? Risking that her boss finds out, or that someone blabs that she gave out private account info?
fadedmarlin402 said:It’s an undeniable fact that pathogens are the direct cause of various respiratory inflammations, but science hasn't definitively proven that being chilled doesn't trigger that inflammation. In fact, plenty of studies show a link exists, even if we haven't nailed down the exact mechanism yet. Most likely, losing body heat puts the system into a sort of shock state; the body pours all its energy into trying to get warm again, which simultaneously weakens the immune response. That creates a window for infections—pathogens that were already sitting there waiting for a chance—to take hold. I'm not sure how much sitting on a cold stone bench actually matters, but it’s certain that the body loses heat at the same rate it's being stolen. I just want to point out that this common sense shouldn't be dismissed as primitive.
I watched a documentary once that explained exactly what you're saying. It said that blood vessels constrict, especially in the nose (and we all know colds start in the nose and mouth), so the blood delivers fewer leukocytes and other stuff needed to fight off viruses and bacteria.