You never know what people’s bodies are going through, and some health issues are not what they seem. Recently, Reddit community members were asked to share medical issues that people often think of as “minor” but actually have a huge impact on their daily lives, and it was pretty insightful:
1. “Sleep apnea. Now, it’s not just something that makes you snore. Your airways collapse and you stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night. Because of this, your body gets less oxygen and you get next to no REM sleep each night. This has a snowball effect on your health and every aspect of your daily life—far beyond the most obvious symptom of a complete lack of energy (because you don’t get any REM sleep). Sleep is so damn important. If you think you might have sleep apnea, talk to your doctor. Sleep testing is super easy.”
Eva Katalin/Getty Images
—casual_creator
2. “Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often joked about, but if you actually have it, it can be absolutely debilitating.”
—Soloplayer_YT
3. “Chronic vertigo can be life-changing. Sometimes you can’t drive, walk, concentrate, etc.”
——Beach Coconut
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4. “Low back pain. People don’t realize how it affects every movement you make. Every time you stand up, sit down and lift something it’s like rolling the dice to see if it’s going to get worse.”
——Citation
5. “Toothache is another pain, second only to any type of pelvic pain. It’s two pains you can’t ignore and seep into your every move. Absolutely excruciating.”
—Mancap_Manzerek
“I was infected with MRSA due to a caesarean section. They had to remove my stitches and wrap the wound with gauze. The gauze had to be replaced and the wound had to be cleaned twice a day. It was very torturous. I was hospitalized for a month and it took me three and a half months to fully recover. After that, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the toothache became more severe.”
——Fukuov
6. “Rheumatoid arthritis. It’s not the same as osteoarthritis; it’s an autoimmune disease, and people always act like it’s a small thing because I’m 27 and look fine, but I’m not. A lot of people say, ‘When you get to my age, you’ll know real pain.'”
—pexchybaby
7. “Irritable Bowel Syndrome.”
——Hispanic white man
“Exactly. People think you’re going to be bloated and have a little bit of an upset tummy. What they don’t realize is that people can confuse a ruptured appendix with IBS cramps, which are excruciating enough pain that labor is well tolerated, plus the physical toll of ‘potty’ issues that require surgery. There’s more to the swelling than just irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) cramps. Oh honey I ate too muchwhich is actually swelling of your intestines as a systemic reaction to food. It’s debilitating. “
—Standard_Summer_180
8. “ADHD. It’s so underrated and affects almost every aspect of my life in extraordinary ways.”
——Miss Cary
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9. “Chronic migraines. No, it’s not just ‘headaches.'”
Tanya Ivanova/Getty Images
——Naranjim
10. “Tinnitus. Tinnitus. Tinnitus. If you must ask why, you’re probably one of the blessed ones.”
—Western Magician 575
11. “Anemia and iron deficiency. You feel cold, tired, dizzy, faint easily, have cold sweats, etc.”
——Tamandua time
12. “Keratoconus. This is the thinning of the cornea, causing the eye to become a little pointy. It sounds minor, but your vision slowly deteriorates over time and nothing can fix it. It’s basically astigmatism on steroids. Reading a computer screen becomes difficult because letters can overlap. Glasses didn’t help either. I had a procedure called corneal cross-linking and I had severe pain and couldn’t look at the computer (I still had to go to work, though) and now I have to use eye drops and sunglasses if I want to see anything outside without pain.”
——Adam Kees
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13. “Living with a gluten allergy. It’s a double-edged sword. While the gluten-free ‘trend’ of the recent past has significantly increased options, it has also led to people not taking it seriously. As if it’s not an allergy, it can ruin your life if you’re not careful.”
——ChironXII
14. “Acid reflux. I didn’t get help sooner and ended up developing severe gastroesophageal reflux disease.”
——Little Miss
15. “Hypothyroidism is very common and can cause fatigue and weight gain. Generally, everyone thinks you’re lazy, but it’s really your thyroid that can’t cope. Unfortunately, many people are misdiagnosed or diagnosed late.”
—— Lunakar 199
16. “anxiety.”
—Frosty-Promotion4249
“Being absolutely terrified all day, every day for no reason. It’s not fun.”
-_universe_
17. “Psoriasis. I only get flare-ups when I’m really sick, but oh boy, do they cover my entire body. I feel tired, I worry about whether I can keep it under control, and I worry about looking like a leper in front of people. It was a recovery period of several months of anxiety and paranoia that eroded my patience and self-image. Ironically, my psoriasis helped me meet some really kind people in my life, who checked in and made sure I was okay.”
——Phantom Bowie
18. “Type 1 diabetes. You deal with the work of the pancreas 24/7. That in itself is exhausting. Then you get debilitating lows, exasperating highs and long-term complications. New technology helps, but only up to a point. Since 1980, a cure has only taken ‘five years.'”
—— Ximenash
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19. “Anal pain is horrific: fissures, fistulas, hemorrhoids. Every trip to the toilet results in burning, debilitating pain and bleeding that is reignited the next time you go to the toilet.”
——Hyard
20. “Plantar fasciitis. It makes you walk like you’re in your 80s. Whenever I have a flare-up, I want one of those walkers you can find in a nursing home. Sometimes, both of my feet get sick. I can go to the gym, run on the treadmill, lift weights, and be generally strong, but plantar fasciitis just turns me into an 85-year-old man limping around.”
—InsightsfulInsights
twenty one. Finally: eczema. Many people actually experience this condition at some point in their lives, but it’s usually very mild and goes away over time. I have had eczema since I was a child and still struggle with it. There are certain times in my life where it’s great because I can control it, but sometimes, something randomly triggers my eczema and it flares up badly. As eczema affects your appearance, it can also affect your mental health. “
——Lilkia
What is a medical issue that others consider “minor” but has a significant impact on your daily life? Let us know in the comments, or you can submit your stories and experiences anonymously using the form below.
NOTE: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
And Kindness: My husband and I are separated. When we reunited 14 years later, I was surprised by what happened.
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