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7 symptoms that inspire terror: debunking the myths

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Published: 2012-10-18 19:09

Traveling through the boundless expanses of the Internet, people often come across information about a particular disease and often "try on" its symptoms for themselves. Sometimes the frightening forecasts are so impressive that a person can't find a place for himself from worrying about his own health. Let's figure out what is worth listening to and what there is no need to pay attention to.

Joint crunching

Sometimes, when walking or doing sports, you can hear a sound that resembles a crunch. This sound scares some people so much that they immediately diagnose themselves: “This must be the first sign of arthrosis!” But, most likely, these sounds are caused by air bubbles getting into the synovial fluid, and we hear a crunch when these bubbles burst.

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Black toenails

Of course, this can be frightening. However, this condition of the nails can be a consequence of stress on the feet, such as running, combined with tight shoes. With constant friction of the toes against the front wall of the shoe, subungual hemorrhage occurs. Often blackened nails can be found in runners who cover long distances. To avoid an unaesthetic appearance of nails, do not wear too narrow or tight shoes, monitor the size of the nail plates and tighten the laces well so that your feet do not dangle in the shoes.

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Shaking muscles

Sometimes this is caused by increasing the load or a new set of exercises. This is not a cause for concern, it is just that your muscle fibers need time to synchronize.

Eyelid twitching

Involuntary pulsating movements of the upper or lower eyelid can be very irritating, but in fact, they are completely harmless. In medical language, this phenomenon is called "myokymia." The cause of twitching is often fatigue, lack of sleep, or stress. Another matter is if, together with the contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle, twitching of the facial muscles occurs. This may indicate nervous diseases. In this case, you need to consult a specialist.

Hand tremors

If there are no accompanying symptoms that accompany the tremor, then perhaps this is a consequence of physical overexertion, which will disappear when the body recovers. Another possible cause of hand tremors may be emotional shock. If the tremors cannot be stopped, even when in a relaxed state, then it is worth contacting a specialist who will identify the exact cause of these symptoms.

Onychorrhexis or brittle nails

This is not always a sign of any disease. Sometimes splitting of the nail plate can be associated with damage to the nail caused by mechanical impact. If you notice that the nail has changed color or has become deformed, this may be a symptom of something more serious.

Dots before the eyes

Spots in front of the eyes are common in nearsighted people and are usually not a cause for concern if they occur suddenly and disappear just as suddenly. These are usually age-related changes that occur due to changes in the vitreous humor, the jelly-like substance that fills the cavity of the eye between the retina and the lens. Over time, these manifestations may decrease.


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