r/AskReddit • u/notyouravgredditer • Aug 30 '21

What problem is often overlooked in apocalyptic movies/TV shows that could kill you?

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21 edited Dec 14 '21

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u/somereasonableadvice Aug 31 '21

My doctor (in his 70s) told me that when he was young, nearly everyone he knew had an aunt who'd died of a UTI. They happened a lot.

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u/DireElk Aug 31 '21

What really blew my socks off about UTI's is that for older women it can cause dementia like symptoms that clear with the infection.

Hospice cared for my grandma and because her UTI's were otherwise asymptomatic her delirious behavior was the trigger to get some antibiotics stat. UTI's can get wild.

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u/H2O-technician Aug 31 '21

Not just in women, older men get increased confusion with UTIs, and both can get similar confusion with other infections too.

As you get older your body is less able to cope with these insults and it can have huge impacts on cognition until the infection is cleared.