One of the upsides to being a nurse is that I can generally tell you WHY you feel a certain way. One of the downsides is that I can generally tell you WHY you feel a certain way, which is why I rarely mention my medical background to people who don't know me. After that one weird time on the train when someone wanted to show me their rash, I'm a little wary.
But you've got some weird symptoms going on, right? And maybe you're scared because you don't know what they mean and you're REALLY hoping you don't end up on an episode of House M.D. Here are some possible reasons for your your bizarre and inexplicable symptoms.
1) Your pee smells strange. There are a LOT of reasons why urine may smell different - the amount of liquid you've been drinking, the food you've ingested (coffee anyone?), or something more like a urinary tract infection. Easiest way to fix funky-smelling urine? Hydrate and see if the smell lessens. If it doesn't, check with your doctor.
2) Your legs cramp up weirdly at night. Mine do this a lot. Turns out? It's nothing serious - it's an electrolyte imbalance, meaning that you're dehydrated or lacking a certain mineral like potassium, calcium, or magnesium. Solution? Rub the cramp out, drink a big glass of water, and make sure you take a multivitamin.
3) Your body jerks you awake as you're falling asleep. This very odd symptom can really freak you out, unless you know what's going on and how harmless it is. These "sleep starts" are caused by misfiring of nerves while your body shifts from waking to sleeping. While it can scare you, these twitches are harmless, and last only a few seconds.
4) When you stand up from sitting or lying down, you feel dizzy and lightheaded. Generally, people with low blood pressure suffer from this condition, called "orthostatic hypotension," but it can also be caused by dehydration. The fix for this one is simple. Stand up slowly, and be extra careful when going from lying down to standing up. Also, to be on the safe side, drink a big ole glass of water.
5) You have white floaters in your eyes. Sometimes, when you're just minding your own business, you find that there are these tiny white specks floating through your line of vision for a couple of moments. While they're annoying, they're often just bits of tissue floating through the liquid inside of each eyeball. Luckily, the body will generally absorb them and they'll disappear on their own.
Have you experienced any of these bizarre symptoms? Do they alarm you?
Image via e-MagineArt/Flickr
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Comments 16
Now, I'm a bit (okay, I'm lying... A heck of a lot) worried because I want to have another baby (three years later) but I got this hanging over me. There is no cure and the chances of it happening again and more severe...not good for me.
But some other random symptoms do crop up. Like, instead of white floaters in the eye, what about random patches in your vision that look like static on a tv? They go away fairly quickly, and seem to have to relation to dehydration or physical activity levels.
Or, breast cramps. They feel like that cramp you get in your side when you're running, but no running, and in the breast.
There are so many little things, its no suprise that you keep your medical background to yourself lol
You'd go crazy with all the questions
I prefer my childhood friends' explanation for #3 ('jumping' in your sleep)... your spirit had gone traveling (hence the dreams), and this "jerk" in your sleep was that spirit returning to your body. It was cool and creepy all at once... what if someone ELSE'S spirit settled in your body while yours was gone???
#4 & #5 combined happen to me a lot, only my vision gets blurry to almost completely black, not really any "floaters" it freaks me out like there is something wrong with me. I hope your theory is right, maybe I am just dehydrated, I rarely drink water, most days I only drink coffee (I know, not good)
#2 sounds familiar to something that happens to me sometimes. I'll lift my ankle up (like I'm wearing a high heeled shoe) and it will suddenly lock in place and pain will radiate up my calf. It takes about ten seconds or so before my ankle will unlock and I can finally bring it down, and my calf will be sore for while. This happen to anyone else?