When you’re young (and a little naive), it’s normal to feel invincible when it comes to your body. Staying up late, maybe partying too much, working out with incorrect form – you might not feel some of these right now, but boy, they’re catching up. While these examples might seem obvious, people in this Reddit thread are sharing things that seemed minor in the moment, but ended up having lasting effects on their bodies in the long run. Here’s what some have shared:
Note: Some of these answers have been edited for length and/or clarity.
1. “I was a college athlete. We were told the pain was temporary, but the pride was forever. I had three orthopedic surgeries, one of which was unsuccessful and left me septic. I was diagnosed with arthritis before I was 20. My knees were shot. I have more cracks, pops and stiffness than I have. And it comes with compound interest.”
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—OptmstcExstntlst
2. “Acne. I thought it was something that would go away after adolescence, but it’s still wreaking havoc on my face a decade later and nothing seems to work. It’s most likely genetic because the other women in my family still have it. Even if there was a cure, I still have the permanent scars because dark skin tends to scar worse than light skin.”
— empress butterflies
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3. “Listening to music way too loud with headphones on when he’s younger. Definitely leads to hearing loss and hearing aids.”
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-plytime18
4. “Obstructive sleep apnea. When you already know you have some mental issues, you think that explains the sleepiness and low mood, and you don’t look for more problems. Not only does it hurt your cardiovascular system; it can slowly destroy your life. If you snore at night and/or feel sleepy all day, see your doctor.”
—Cyb_30
5. “I had breast implants removed after decades. It left a slightly concave space because over time the ribs deform from the pressure of the implants.”
—SnooFloofs9030
6. – I don’t sleep enough.
Oleg Breslavtsev / Getty Images
—84OrcButholes
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7. “Bad position, shoulders rounded to minimize my chest. Now I have neck pain, shoulder pain and back pain, ugh.”
—Enough-Berry-827
8. “Pregnancy. I had twins. I was HUGE in my belly. I had babies and it left this belly that wouldn’t go away. Fast forward; twins are 8. I’m 7 weeks post diastasis recti surgery. You know that lower center line abs? Mine had split. belly I kept punishing myself for, the baby fat I couldn’t lose? Those were my digestive organs.
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— LucidianQuill
9. “I’ve had my brows stuck to the same thin shape for 20 years.”
-LV4Q
10. “Regular drinker. I’m 7 months pregnant and it’s amazing how much weight I’ve lost and how drastic my face looks in pictures. I’m not going back to drinking after giving birth.”
— Delicious cheesyrollup
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11. “Wearing tight shoes every day gave me goosebumps, but I didn’t realize the cause until years later.”
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—Pitiful-Bake5470
12. “A few years of Crossfit left me with permanent knee and shoulder pain. Heavy weights shouldn’t be lifted over time; your form inevitably goes to hell and you set yourself up for joint injuries.”
— Mr. Lumbergh
13. “Being 100% out of the sun as a kid. I wasn’t given vitamin D supplements either, so my bones are pretty fragile and break easily, and my enamel is delicate and breaks if my teeth close too hard. My body didn’t sequester calcium properly as a kid, and there’s nothing I can do about it as an adult. Fractures and bad teeth.”
—kyreannightblood
14. “My parents had the kids do a lot of manual labor, starting when I was only 5 or 6 years old. It wasn’t just helping in the yard, it was real landscaping work. My brother and I once had to lift rocks in those 10kg buckets from a dumpster to the exit windows 300 meters away. We had back, shoulder, knee and neck pain and arthritis symptoms We are only 21 and 26 now, it drives me crazy that I got hurt so young doing a job that should have been done by adults.
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— pastries with blackberries
15. “It burns. I was so afraid of losing everything that I stretched myself until I literally collapsed. Five years later, I still feel the damage to my brain from that time in my life and I still lost everything and had to start all over again. If I could give any advice to people out there – if you’re burning out with no projected relief in sight, do yourself a favor and rest. time and losses.”
—AlpharoTheUnlimited
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16. “Smoked for almost 10 years. Obviously I knew smoking would do nothing but hurt my lungs. But it’s been almost two years since I smoked and I still have terrible lung capacity. It’s not like I learned healthy exercise habits when I was younger. I wish my parents would make me exercise even though I hate it. Now it’s hard for me to breathe while I focus on moving my body properly.
-thenissancube
17. “Working at night changes your internal sleep cycle. If your body gets used to it, you get a boost of passive energy at night and vice versa during daytime hours, even if you have regular sleep patterns.”
— LeagueOfLindemann
18. “Psychiatric drugs. It’s terrible how easily they are prescribed and how doctors don’t explain the side effects.”
Trevor Williams/Getty Images
– word 91
Anything else you could add to this list? If so, share it with me in the comments below!
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