Carol Roberts59 said:What does it mean if there's a high amount of squamous epithelium in my urine sample? Is it dangerous? What could it indicate—and does it have anything to do with the menstrual cycle or the timing of the test? Thanks!
In principle, no—you'll see this in a perfectly normal urinalysis. Are we talking "high" levels specifically? It’s just epithelial cells—basically surface cells from the bladder, urethra, or vaginal tract that contaminated the sample during collection.
briskstag13 said:What counts as "normal"? My lab results show 21/42, while the reference range in parentheses is 10/24. Does that mean it should be 10/24? What do those two numbers actually signify—one over the other? Am I dealing with some kind of fake inflammation? I read somewhere that birth control can bump these numbers up, too...
Here’s the deal—ESR (mm/h) is roughly calculated as age plus 10 for women, then divided by two.
If you're, say, 20 years old, your upper limit for sedimentation would be:
20 + 10 / 2 = 15 (mm/h)
But generally speaking, most adult women up to age 50 fall within a 0 to 20 range.
Sedimentation rates naturally climb as you get older—plus, if you're dealing with anemia, things tend to trend higher.
It’s a totally normal reaction—we've all been there, staring at our own feet or tripping over our words. You care about this girl, plain and simple, and that makes you feel jittery and unsure.
It's just your sympathetic nervous system kicking in when things get high-stakes. Your body goes into fight-or-flight mode: sweating, racing heart, shallow breathing, tight muscles, maybe a flush in your cheeks or that weird knot in your stomach... looks like yours hits the gut a little harder than most.
Don't sweat it too much. When that wave hits again, just take a few slow, deep breaths. Try to relax. Force a laugh if you can. Grab some water if it's nearby.
The best way to kill the nerves? Just talk to her. It’s not a life-or-death situation—she isn't going to bite. 😁
Were you actually stuck in bed dealing with some illness, or was it more of a "just couldn't be bothered" kind of situation where you were just totally inactive?
It sounds like you’re dealing with esophageal inflammation and GERD—basically acid reflux where stomach acid creeps back up and irritates the lining of your esophagus.
That scratchy feeling in your throat? Could be anything from smoking irritation or a mild cold to allergies—but heartburn is a prime suspect here.
Your best bet is to hit up a primary care physician; they can write you a prescription for Microsoft (those pills that dial down your stomach acid production). For some quick relief, try mixing a teaspoon of baking soda into some water—you can grab a box at any grocery store—or pick up some Tums over the counter at a drugstore. Stick to drinking plenty of plain water, maybe 1.5 to 2 liters spread out through the day, especially before you eat. You also need to watch what you put in your mouth: steer clear of greasy foods, tomatoes, chocolate, coffee, soda, deli meats, chips, fried chicken, fries, fast food, pizza, and anything loaded with garlic or onions. When you turn in for the night, try sleeping with your head elevated, and make sure your last meal is at least two hours before you hit the pillow.
As for that shortness of breath—have you been stuck in bed lately due to an injury or some other illness? Are you on any medications, like blood pressure pills or birth control? How long has this breathing issue been going on?
Jeremy Sanders12 said:What are the actual odds of someone (in this case, a friend) catching HIV just because two drops splashed onto her face—and she washed it off immediately? (She works in a lab).
I need realistic answers here. How much exposure is actually required for infection to happen?
Thanks for the input!
Zero. She can relax. (Unless she had an open wound right where it hit, her immune system was compromised by some chronic illness or an organ transplant, and that drop came from someone who isn't just HIV positive but is in full-blown viremia—basically AIDS—then maybe you're looking at a 0.1% chance). 😁
Sandra Martin72 said:Honestly, this is the first time I’ve heard anyone claim transmission risk during sex is actually that low—clearly, every single doctor who taught me medicine was just talking out of their ass.🙄
Go read some actual medical literature. If nothing else, pick up an infectious disease textbook. 😉
HCV is primarily spread through blood-to-blood contact—think transfusions or shared needles—so the odds of catching it from a partner are incredibly slim. While sexual transmission is technically possible on paper, it’s extremely rare—and usually only becomes a real factor if the person with HCV is also dealing with another STI, like HIV.
Tonsils—or whatever you want to call them—are just lymph tissue acting as your body's frontline defense against infection. Think of them as little biological "pendants" hanging off both sides of your throat when you open wide. 😛
They hit their peak size during puberty, but after that, they start to shrink and atrophy.
It’s not that you weren't born with them; it's more likely that the doctor and her assistant simply couldn't get a clear look because yours have shriveled up significantly. 😁 I'm guessing you're an older guy—maybe north of 16?
analoggull7 said:Look, I’ve been dealing with this absolute nightmare for about six months now—my nails are constantly peeling, they feel incredibly brittle, and frankly, they look like a total disaster. I actually went through two full rounds of B-vitamin supplements, thinking that would fix things, but absolutely nothing worked. I even tried those specialized strengthening treatments you find at places like Walgreens to stop the peeling, but again, zero results. Does anyone have any actual advice? Honestly, I’m feeling pretty self-conscious about it; I’m almost embarrassed to let anyone even glance at my hands.😲
Hmm, could be a vitamin deficiency.
How old are you, and what do you do for a living—generally speaking, what kind of job or maybe any hobbies you have?
Have you been on any medications over the last year?
Linda Williams97 said:Sedimentation of what? just realized I missed the question here... I had my blood drawn and checked my CRP at an urgent care clinic—specifically one that does finger-prick tests since I have a massive phobia of blood draws. It’s not even the needles; it’s just the whole process. So, all I have is what I already mentioned.
That marker is called the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR (basically, how fast your red blood cells settle).
It’s usually ordered alongside a standard blood panel. It indicates inflammation, but unlike CRP—which reacts in a matter of hours—it takes much longer for the ESR to climb.
Look, honestly, it doesn't matter that much. Even if the CRP is slightly elevated, it isn't a huge deal, especially since your white blood cell count is within the normal range. If you aren't feeling wiped out, shivering, or running a fever, that’s a good sign. :
Anyway, here's an easy way to remember it: pneumonia generally hits with three main things:
a cough (either dry or productive) fever (usually hitting above 100.4 F) and intense fatigue.
The blood work looks fine, though we’re missing the ESR. Your CRP is elevated, but nothing crazy—CRP is just a marker for acute inflammation that fluctuates every 6 to 10 hours. A single reading doesn't tell the whole story; all it says is that there was some active inflammation at the exact moment the lab was drawn.
How can you say your fever isn't dropping when it went from over 100.4 down to under 99.5? That counts. It won't just plummet straight to a normal 98.6 overnight.
Basically, if the infection is bacterial, the fever should start trending down within 24 to 48 hours of starting antibiotics—that's how you know they picked the right one.
Any other symptoms popping up? Coughing? Pain in your ribs or under the sternum? Joint aches?
If you’re feeling generally better—meaning no chills, no shaking, and the fever isn't climbing back up past what you mentioned—then the antibiotic is doing its job.
Did the doctor actually diagnose you with pneumonia or just bronchitis? I'm a bit unclear on that.
When is your follow-up appointment?
Don't go pacing around the house too much. Just stay in bed, rest up, and keep drinking fluids—water, tea, whatever. Then head to your check-up.
If you’re still feeling wiped out, coughing, and the fever keeps dragging on, you might need a chest X-ray and a different antibiotic. At that point, we have to rule out pneumonia.
A phlebolith is just a calcification in the vein wall—basically a non-issue.
MCL just refers to the axis used for the liver imaging. If your mom’s liver measures 16.5 cm at that cross-section, and the standard range is roughly 13.5 ± 1.7 cm, then her liver is slightly enlarged. This could be due to inflammation or, as you mentioned, fatty liver disease.
It’s also possible there’s a significant amount of sediment or gallstones present.
Liver enzyme levels can spike simply because of medications she’s currently taking.
Is your mom carrying some extra weight? Based on the urinalysis and the ultrasound, it looks like it. She really needs to lose some weight and overhaul her diet: cut out anything fried or sautéed in oil, excessive butter, processed deli meats, sausages, hard cheeses, prosciutto, and creamy desserts—switch to chicken, turkey, fish, green veggies, fruit, and foods boiled in water. You can add a bit of oil (preferably olive oil) at the very end. And most importantly, she needs to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of plain water a day.
Fat-burning supplements might help, but they won't do much without the dietary changes and proper hydration.
Hannah Davis10 said:Yeah, I actually asked if my treatment plan should be changed, but my doctor insists this is the best way to handle the intrusive thoughts I've been dealing with. I brought up combining it with other meds, but he’s dead set on me sticking strictly to Haldol.
Look, I'm no psychiatrist—so I can't tell you what the "right" move is. But seriously, watch your Haldol dosage closely; as you can see, the side effects are pretty brutal.
Just monitor how you're feeling for a while. If the side effects start outweighing any actual benefits, go back to the clinic. If your current doctor isn't listening to your concerns about those side effects, feel free to get a second opinion from someone else.
David Jackson79 said:Hey everyone, can someone help me make sense of these mammogram results? The glandular tissue is centrally located, mostly concentrated in the upper outer quadrants—predominantly striated structures with slightly higher density in those upper quadrants. The subcutaneous fat layer and the prepectoral fat tissue underneath look normal. In the glandular structure of the right breast, there's a nodular structure in the upper outer quadrant—some edges are sharp, others are blurred due to overlapping tissue. In the left breast, there's a small hypodense nodule high up near the axilla (armpit area).
Ultrasound: Skin and subcutaneous tissue look normal in structure and thickness. It’s a mixed-density breast type, quite fatty/lipomatous on both sides. In the right breast, where the outer quadrants meet, there's a hypo-zone measuring about 5mm, which appears benign.
Context: My mom had her uterus and one ovary removed about 18 months ago because of fibroids and a cyst. She’s feeling fine overall and has a good appetite—the only thing bothering her is this burning sensation in her breast. It isn't constant; it kind of migrates—sometimes it's near the shoulder, sometimes in the ribs, sometimes above or below the breast. Is there anything here to worry about? Thanks a lot for any insight.
Was your mom on hormone therapy recently, or maybe before the surgery?
The ultrasound mentions a small shadow on the right side described as a "nodular" structure with sharp edges, and another little lump in the left breast near the armpit. That definitely needs follow-up. Most likely, the doctor will want to monitor it—probably with another mammogram down the road.
On the bright side, having sharp edges is usually a good sign—cancer typically doesn't have clean borders; it tends to spread out in a star-like pattern into the surrounding tissue.
Is this hematuria dangerous? She’s also dealing with pain under her right rib cage, bloating, and nausea. The urine culture came back sterile.
There’s inflammation—basically, the blood and white cells in the urine are just markers for that. She really needs to check the blood work alongside these results to get the full picture.
Based on this, she could be looking at cystitis (bladder infection) or maybe pyelonephritis (kidney infection).
That pain under the right rib cage? Could be anything from gallbladder inflammation to gallstones or even hepatitis... It's impossible to guess blindly. Does she have a fever, and how long has the pain been going on?
Both Haldol and Cogentin can trigger side effects.
Haldol: insomnia, restlessness, anxiety—that general sense of unease or dread—euphoria, drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, seizures, hallucinations... just a few of them.
Some issues also stem from how Haldol interacts with Cogentin.
Bottom line: you have to keep a close eye on the Haldol dosage to ensure it isn't too high and find that sweet spot.
Do you really need to be on Haldol? Is it actually doing anything for you?
David Jackson79 said:Hey, can someone who isn't losing weight be certain they don't have cancer?? thanks in advance
Not necessarily—weight loss is just one symptom among many, not a definitive diagnostic tool.
Weight loss in cancer patients is common, but it’s far from universal. It all depends on the specific type of cancer, how far it's progressed, and the patient's overall health.
To avoid unnecessary panic: we're talking about drastic weight loss here, not just dropping a few pounds. We mean something like 20 or 30 pounds in a matter of months—say, within a six-month window. That's the kind of scale we're looking at.
If someone hasn't changed their diet or lifestyle—meaning they haven't started a marathon training program or taken up intense manual labor—and they suddenly drop significant weight in a short period, it's a red flag that something is wrong. But again, it doesn't automatically mean cancer.
It could easily be hyperthyroidism, diabetes, anemia, or several other medical issues.
Bottom line: massive weight loss over roughly six months without a calorie deficit or increased activity isn't a guaranteed cancer diagnosis, but it definitely warrants a trip to the doctor to find out why.