Can Selfies save lives? 4 health problems that they could help identify



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Although sufferers have a significant share of their disadvantages, selfies have also helped identify important symptoms of medical conditions important enough to save lives. Here are four examples where they have proven useful from a health perspective.

1. Stroke

63-year-old Juanita Branch recently recalled how she suffered a stroke in August. While trying to take pictures of herself to post on Facebook, she noticed something unusual. One side of her face had begun to fall, a sign that seemed to get worse with every selfie she took.

After being transported to the hospital, the doctors looked at the timestamp of her photos and realized that there was enough time to administer a clot drug called Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA). .

"If we give the TPA more than three hours, it could be dangerous, it can cause bleeding in the brain and put life at risk," said Dr. Jason Muir, an emergency physician affiliated with Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals.

2. Melanoma

For early detection of skin cancer, the ABCDE rule highlights moles that are multicolored, asymmetrical, larger than a pea, have an irregular border, or have evolved in any way.

Cloe Jordan, 21, was born with a mole on her stomach that began to grow and change color. While rejecting the symptoms at first, she later decided to consult a doctor about the mole's removal, as she had begun to "hobble" her selfies in a bikini.

After a few tests, she was diagnosed with melanoma and her mole was surgically removed. In addition to knowing the symptoms of skin cancer, Jordan also stressed the importance of protecting against UV rays, whether it's wearing sunscreen outdoors or avoiding tanning beds harmful.

3. depression

In a study conducted in 2017 by Harvard University and the University of Vermont, researchers analyzed Instagram feeds of 166 volunteers who also revealed their mental health history.

They identified some visual markers in the messages of people with depression: the tendency to use darker tones of blue or gray, fewer people in the photos (perhaps indicating more selfies and fewer photos of group) and a preference for the inkwell filter compared to healthy people. The program had a 70% success rate in locating depressed people.

But a sense of caution is important, especially for the parents concerned. (After all, some of us just like the color blue.) Instead, we can consider looking for other signs of depression.

4. parasite

Taking selfies helped a 32-year-old woman document a lump that seemed to move on her face as she was crossing a rural area in Russia. The case study, published in 2018, revealed that the hump was a parasitic worm.

The photos proved to be important because the lump can disappear and reappear, which leads the patient to wonder if he imagines it.

"Doctors who do not know about the disease do not believe … patients.That's why I asked the patient to do selfies," said Dr. Vladimir Kartashev, who treated the patient .

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