The human body is disgusting. We all like to pretend we’re perfect, with our Instagram filters and superfood smoothies, and that we are exquisite specimens of health. However, our bodies are like old cars: liable to fail and go wrong at no notice. You may find yourself suffering from the common cold, chesty cough, or the flu. On the flip side, you may develop a truly embarrassing health problem that you don’t want to reveal to even your nearest and dearest. We outline six such problems below and give you suggestions on how you can solve them.
- Adult Acne
If you are 13, acne is acceptable. If you are 33, it is not. However, it is surprisingly common. Women at least can rely on makeup to cover up their acne, though there are other treatments. Doctors may prescribe products containing Benzoyl peroxide or even antibiotics, depending on the severity of your problem, and Dr. Axe recommends more natural remedies such as modifying your diet.
- Bad Breath
Nobody wants to see somebody shrink from themas they draw near, and nobody wants people to think they have bad breath. Bad breath, or if we want to be fancy halitosis, is often caused by poor dental hygiene, so in the main if you fix this your breath will smell fresher. Scrape your tongue, mouthwash, and avoid problem foods like onion and garlic, and your breath will be minty fresh.
- Hemorrhoids
These are very common, with about 3/4of adults suffering from them at some point. However, they are not often a topic of polite conversation at the dinner table. They can also be painful and can have a profound impact on your quality of life. There are a variety of ways to solve this health issue, from eating a diet that is high in fiber, to using over-the-counter medications such as suppositories that will reduce the itching, to surgery in extreme cases.
- Hair loss in women
Hair loss can be extremely embarrassing, particularly in women, and there are whole industries devoted to providing products for those who have suffered from hair loss. Hair loss can be caused by an underlying problem, by a condition like Alopecia, or it may be stress-related. However, we recommend that, if you are suffering from unexplained hair loss that is not the result of male pattern baldness, you should consult a medical professional to obtain tests to rule out any problems.
- Sexually transmitted diseases
Sexually transmitted diseases are one of those rare things: a taboo subject that is also extremely common. There are millions of cases every year in the US, and it is something that is not discussed, a case of ‘the love that dare not speak its name’. Again, the advice here is to visit your doctor where you can be tested for an STI. The treatment will then range from a simple antibiotic for Chlamydia to much more intensive treatment for other STIs.
- Private problems
Our sense of decorum even goes as far as the title to this section. Our ‘family jewels’ can cause us a bewildering array of problems, but probably none is so embarrassing as having a curved penis. You may have Peyronie’s disease, which is caused by repeated injuries to your penis, or it may have a natural curvature. However, in either of these cases, this will be embarrassing and potentially harmful. Luckily there is a device called a medical penis stretcher that will get you on the straight and narrow.
This article is an attempt to offer you advice that you probably will not want to seek from your friends. If you suffer from any of these embarrassing health problems, just rest assured that they are extremely common (in fact, probably some of that same friends are probably suffering from them) and that they are very treatable. And don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.
Nicola is a health writer, specializing in writing about embarrassing and underrepresented physical and mental health problems that affect people from all walks of life, all over the world.