Strangest Cases for Doctors

On July 1, we celebrate International Doctors Day. We are ever thankful for their service, and this month, we will look at some of the most bizarre medical cases that doctors encountered and diagnosed or treated successfully. Apples, move aside... these people really need doctors!

Never a worm this long!

Tapeworm infections aren't rare. However, a Chinese man had a tapeworm growing in his intestines for two years after he consumed uncooked meat. When he complained of stomach pain, doctors identified the culprit based on a fragment of the worm in his stools. It turned out that the worm had comfortably grown to a length of six metres (about the size of four humans)! It took an antibiotic to flush the monstrous worm out of his body.

Sudoku + Avalanche = Seizures

Love solving Sudoku puzzles? Good. Just don't overdo it like this guy from Germany. He was once trapped in an avalanche, and after 15 minutes without oxygen, he experienced muscle twitches. Weeks later, when he tried to solve Sudoku puzzles, he developed seizures. The doctors he consulted also observed that his seizures stopped immediately after he stopped trying to solve the puzzles. Brain scans and tests revealed that the culprit was an overstimulated brain triggered by external stimuli (in this case Sudoku). Having stopped solving them, the patient was free of seizures!

Beware of dares

People do silly things when their friends dare them to, as it happened with a guy who swigged nearly a litre of soy sauce! A dash of soy sauce makes chow mein and fried rice taste yummy, but drinking a whole lot of it is a different matter altogether. A litre of soy sauce can contain 150 grams of sodium (or 25 teaspoons of salt). A team of doctors used around six litres of sugar water and spent five hours bringing his sodium levels back to normal.

Generous to a pathological fault

A woman detected a strange change in her husband's personality. He started giving away money and bought candies to give to children on the street. Since he had never been that way before, and was about to give all his money away and become bankrupt, his wife wisely rushed him to the doctors. After analyzing his medical records, the doctors discovered something astounding - a stroke he had suffered recently had disturbed his brain activity and caused a condition of persistent and excessive generosity!

When food deceives you....

Sure, food has a way with us. Who doesn't feel dizzy with joy seeing a plate of hot biryani or the cheesy goodness of a pizza? For a woman it took a twisted turn indeed. She suffered from delusions occasionally. Doctors discovered that she also experienced weight loss and other health issues that appeared to indicate Celiac disease that affects the intestines. It turned out that gluten food was the culprit! When she stopped eating gluten food, her delusions vanished.

The Red Sea emergency

Who would have thought that a swim in the Red Sea could turn out to be problematic? A tourist collided with a school of fish while swimming and thought nothing of it, until he developed a droopy eyelid soon afterwards. Doctors who operated on him removed tube-like structures from his eye and were mystified. On checking with a biologist, it turned out that they were the jawbones of a halfbeak fish (from the aforementioned school of fish that the man collided with in the sea).

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Since a few weeks ago thoughts of becoming an IPS officer

I am a student of Class 8 and from the beginning my aim was to become a doctor. But since a few weeks ago thoughts of becoming an IPS officer have also arisen in my mind. What would be a better choice?

Officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS) provide senior level leadership to police forces both in the States and at the Centre. The selection for IPS is through UPSC Civil Services Exam which is conducted every year. Candidates who take the exam will be allotted to IPS depending on their abilities, determination and their rank in the final merit list. Eligibility is graduation in any stream.

To become a doctor, you need to take PCB in 10+2 and then appear for NEET or other entrance exams for selection to a medical college. These two are totally different fields. Keep exploring; you still have four years before you decide for your future career.

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I want to be a doctor and a scientist

I'm in Class 8 and I want to be a doctor and a scientist but I don't know what to do after my higher secondary school exams. Please guide me.

To become a doctor, you should go for MBBS, for which you should have Physics, Chemistry and Biology in 10+2. To become a scientist, you should any science subjects in 10+2, and after that go for go for graduation and postgraduation.

Since you're still in Class 8, at present focus on studying well and for the next two years and check if you really like studying science subjects. Accordingly, choose your stream in 10+2.

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I want to be a doctor



I am a student of class 11 (PCS). I want to be a doctor. In which line of medicine is there scope nowadays?



Market demands keep on fluctuating and in my opinion, should not form the basis of selecting your branch. Many doctors are doing well in branches like pathology, anatomy and microbiology which are not very much sought after in India, and at the same time there are people in so-called “popular branches” and still struggling with the practice. So it is all hype; the ground realities are different...and one must choose a branch keeping in mind family background, place of practice and the lifestyle one wants to lead. Any branch where you have skill and knowledge with aptitude will have scope for you.



 



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I love Chemistry but I don’t know which courses I should do for a research programme in Chemistry



I am studying in Std X. I love Chemistry but I don’t know which courses I should do for a research programme in Chemistry. Besides this I have another problem; I always feel that I should become a doctor which is our hereditary occupation. My parents always say: “We have such a big hospital for you, if you don’t become a doctor what will happen?” What should I do?



In order to do research, a Ph.D. is generally needed. For that, first complete 10+2, then go for B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry followed by M.Sc. M.Phil. and then Ph.D., a minimum of 10-12 years of more study.



If you enter into medicine, you still have to study for 9-10 years. Your parents wish for your happiness. After completing your studies in medicine, you need not go out and look for a job, rather join them and help in running the hospital. You still have two more years to decide whether to go for medicine or specialized study in Chemistry.



 



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I want to become a doctor.



I am a student of Std XI (PCB). I want to become a doctor. In which line of medicine is there scope? Is there scope as a radiologist? If not, then which field should I do?



The medicine sector offers the widest range of opportunities for well-qualified individuals. MBBS is an extremely dynamic field in the medicine sector. You should not worry about employment in any of the fields in medicine, but the nature of the work and satisfaction differs. Go for something you like for lifetime as we have no retirement in medicine.



The career and job opportunities in the field of radiography are very extensive. The demand for radiographers has increased recently with the development in technologies in medical science creating a new and wide scope in radiology.



 



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