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Topics: Health, NHS, Social Media
Rhianna Benson
When asked about the 'tell-tale signs' that a patient is suffering from a 'serious illness', a set of doctors have recently noted that many are guilty are uttering the same dreaded sentence.
According to said medics, the phrase is often dubbed a 'clinical pearl' by those in the profession, and can almost certainly guarantee that something sinister is occurring behind the scenes - even the likes of heart attacks and cancer.
And apparently, it's mostly married men - or men in relationships - that make the admission.
The revelation was made recently by Dr Sam Ghali, an American emergency doctor boasting almost 700,000 followers on social media, who said of the phrase: "[It's an indication that something is really f*****g wrong until proven otherwise."
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"Trust me on this one," he added on the discussion forum Reddit.
According to Ghali, the 10-word sentence, 'I feel fine, but my wife made me come in' is both a huge red flag in the healthcare industry, and an almightily accurate indicator of poor wellbeing.
A number of fellow doctors went on to comment on Ghali's post, sharing their experiences giving serious diagnoses to patients who've confessed to a similar sentiment.
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"Along the same lines, beware the sweet old lady who 'Doesn't want to be a bother, but...,'" one wrote, claiming such a statement has frequently been followed up by some unfortunate news.
Another wrote: "I 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..."
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In a similar way, another doctor claimed they often issue devastating diagnoses in cases where a child has been brought into a GP surgery because of their 'mother's intuition.'
They recalled the harrowing story: "Last week was the last time I questioned a mother's intuition.
"She said her college-aged child with no pre-existing conditions just seemed to be off.
"Her child showed no signs of depression or suicidal ideation and just as we were about to discharge them he stroked."
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Of course, it goes without saying that you should see your GP if something feels wrong.
The NHS notes that an appointment should be booked if you feel that symptoms are persistent, or you have concerns that something isn't improving with self-care.
They add that noticing changes in your body that worry you, is another reason to see a GP.