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Topics: Health, Cancer, Twitter, Reddit, Social Media
Ella Scott
Topics: Health, Cancer, Twitter, Reddit, Social Media
Experts claim that when they hear a ten-word phrase from their patients, they know a ‘serious illness’ diagnosis is probably going to take place.
Due to the rise of TikTok, Instagram and other video-sharing social media platforms, it’s never been easier to access medical advice and professional opinions.
And while these expert-fronted clips aren’t a substitute for booking a physical appointment with your General Practitioner (GP), they can sometimes offer some sage advice and point out warning signs and symptoms you’ve been experiencing.
Previously, doctors have taken to Reddit and X, formerly known as Twitter, to reveal a sentence they’ve often heard that can spell disaster for their patients.
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One particular medic described their insight as being a 'clinical pearl' when they posted it on the popular r/medicine thread.
The Reddit area, described as a 'subreddit for medical professionals', saw the doctor explaining the one thing they can hear that gives them a 'positive predictive value for serious illness that is close to 100%'.
Such diagnoses that have come after hearing the phrase have allegedly included myocardial infarction (MI), better known as a heart attack, and cancer, according to others on the Reddit thread.
The sentence in question? Well, it’s surprising.
"I feel fine, but my wife made me come in,” is the ten-word phrase that immediately pricks a doctor’s ears.
This piece of advice has been echoed by emergency room doctor and Twitter user Sam Ghali, who uses his social media platform to teach people about medical emergencies.
Dr Ghali agreed in 2023 that hearing a patient say 'My wife made me come in' is an indication that 'something is really f**king wrong until proven otherwise'.
"Trust me on this one," he added in his short yet powerful post.
But while that's one sentence that indicates a red flag to doctors, it's not the only phrase that can cause concerns.
In the aforementioned Reddit thread, another medic responded: "Along the same lines: beware the sweet little old lady who 'Doesn't want to be a bother, but...'"
A second added: "Once took a phone consultation in GP from an old lady with hours of chest pain. She said she just ‘Didn’t want us to worry’…"
Other indications of bad news can come from a 'mother's intuition', medics claimed on the Reddit thread.
One poster explained: "Last week was the last time I questioned a mothers intuition.” (Sic)
"She said her college-aged child with no preexisting conditions just seemed to be off. Child showed no signs of depression or suicidal ideation and just as we were about to discharge them he stroked."
You should always seek help if you're having issues with your health, but if your wife or mom tells you to do so, it sounds like you better listen.