Not every upper abdominal pain is ulcer. Similarly, heart burns does not necessarily mean only acid reflux. There are numerous myths in the minds of people. Often, symptoms are misunderstood and as a result warning signs are ignored and diagnosis delayed.
On Independence Day, ESO (Esophagus Stomach Obesity) India, wanted to bust these myths through a public interaction on — The Common Belief and The Real Truth.
S.M. Chandramohan, founder and president of ESO India, said, “For any symptom, what people think need not be correct. For instance, if a person has an upper abdominal pain, he/she makes a diagnosis of ulcer on their own. They approach medical shops and take over-the-counter medications. However, all upper abdominal pain need not be ulcer. It can sometimes be cancer.”
In fact, people associate heart burns with acid reflux. But, heart attack can mimic an acid reflux, he said. The myths are plenty. As a participant shared an experience of how his father, who had blood in stool, assumed it was piles but was later diagnosed as rectal cancer. Similarly, a woman, who told her husband that her fingers were getting numb but was told not to worry, developed a stroke after 72 hours.
“Now, numbness is described as an early warning sign for stroke. Every disease shows warning signs. Common beliefs need not be correct as same symptom can be present in many diseases. It is important to approach a doctor without wasting time to identify and treat the disease. Do not make your own diagnosis and resort to self-medication,” he said.
About 275 persons, including 100 hearing and speech impaired children, participated. An interpreter was engaged for the children. A total of 110 persons took part in an essay competition organised as part of the awareness initiative. Top three entries received medals and certificates.
Kanagavel, secretary of ESO India, V. Nambi, physician and Thilothammal, neurologist, were present on the occasion.
