Embarrassing Bodies

 Social media has many advantages and good uses - but of course, I would say that wouldn't I, using it as I am for this blog. However it is not without it's problems and in a medical context, some people seem happy to share intimate details of their health issues in a way that one might not expect. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised given the popularity of TV reality shows like "Embarrassing Bodies" shown in the UK on Channel 4 and running to nine seasons.


However, I still find it extraordinary that people are prepared to send me graphic content of their nether regions, especially anal, to demonstrate the severity of their haemorrhoids or other problems. Fortunately I have a cast-iron stomach so receiving a picture of someone's prolapsed piles whilst eating my breakfast does not phase me unduly. Mind you, it is not just confined to social media - I was doing my weekly shop in Tesco on the Isle of Man many years ago when someone shouted across the busy aisles -"Hey doc, how are you doing? You sorted my piles out a while ago!"  It brought to mind an old advertisement for a washing-up liquid (Fairy, I think) with the tagline - "For hands that do dishes" Maybe mine should be "For hands that do haemorrhoids". The other interesting aspect of the pictures or, in some cases, videos is how the person manages to capture the location. Do they do it themselves with some contortionism or do they use a trusted third party? 

I do sometimes wonder what would be made of my phone if it was ever reviewed by a law enforcement agency, peppered as it is with a large variety of medical images many of which would raise some eyebrows. I do try to housekeep the most bizarre ones, but that merely results in moving them off my phone and into the collection on my computer. However, without these I wouldn't be able to present these cases so I have included an example of what I receive below, namely some blood-stained fluid that was removed from the chest of a patient recently- enjoy!




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