Something is brewing on TikTok — and it could be the result of your morning cup of coffee.
“A ‘ghost poop’ is a term used to describe when one’s stool sinks to the bottom of the toilet and seemingly vanishes without a trace,” gut health expert and registered dietician Julie Balsamo told The Post in an email on Tuesday.
In other words, if you’ve ever gone to the bathroom and then looked into the toilet, only to see your feces disappear, it means that you’ve experienced the elusive “ghost poop” — and the same thing goes if you’ve wiped and there’s nothing on the toilet paper.
People ignore symptoms when they’re sick for several reasons. Some are simply in denial or scared of what a diagnosis could mean for their lives. They’d rather pretend nothing is wrong than face the truth. And then there are those who just don’t realize how serious their symptoms are. They brush them off as minor annoyances that will go away on their own.
Our busy lives also come into play. We’re so caught up in work and other responsibilities that we put our health on the back burner. It’s like we convince ourselves that we don’t have time to deal with it, hoping the symptoms will magically disappear. Plus, the cost of healthcare can be a huge deterrent. People worry about the financial burden of doctor visits, tests, and treatments, so they choose to tough it out instead.
Talker, a research company, along with OnePoll on behalf of Mucinex, conducted a poll of 2,000 people that revealed the top symptoms people ignore when they are sick. According to their study, around 48 percent of those surveyed brush off symptoms like cold sweats or chills. About 46 percent of people ignore a fever, while the study also revealed that 21 percent of people don’t even acknowledge the presence of green mucus.
Also found in this study is that even though people experience these obvious signs like body aches (46 percent) or a serious cough (19 percent), it takes them two whole days before they finally admit that something might be wrong with them. Interestingly, almost three in five people use the excuse of “it’s just allergies” to explain away their symptoms.
It turns out, one-third would write off a sore or scratchy throat as just allergies, while only 16 percent would acknowledge that they might be sick. Another 14 percent would even go as far as blaming the weather for their discomfort.
“We want to remind people that taking care of their health should always be a top priority, and that includes taking the time to rest and recover when necessary,” Albert So, marketing director of Mucinex, said. “It’s important to understand your body and your symptoms so you can choose the right medication to address your needs.”
Take a look at the complete study here.
These are 5 surprising symptoms people ignore when they’re sick.