33 People Thought They Were Just Like Everyone, But All It Took Was A Doctor Visit To Change That

Unique body traits can come from many different sources, and they can even develop over time. Sometimes, they’re present at birth, like a missing rib or an abnormally high kneecap. These kinds of differences are actually far more common than you might think. According to researchers, in the United States alone, critical birth defects affect 1 in every 33 babies.

Some less dangerous conditions can go unnoticed for years — or until you undergo a test that finally finds them. Issues like a missing tailbone are often downright undiscovered, even if they cause issues down the line. After all, most congenital birth defects are present at birth, but they just aren't discovered until later.

Other times, these traits are genetic. Conditions like hypermobility or muscular dystrophy are some of the most common inherited disorders, often passed down from parents or grandparents (so, you know who to thank for that). But that doesn’t always mean they’re harmless or purely cosmetic. In some cases, they can be a sign of more serious issues down the line.

Take keratoconus, for example. Doctors believe it is partly genetic, but it’s also a progressive eye disorder that can cause a range of vision-related problems, including distorted vision, astigmatism, and extreme light sensitivity. In more advanced stages, it can even lead to severe vision loss and the need for a corneal transplant. So it’s not just a minor condition that means you’ll need glasses.

Finding out that your body is a bit different, whether it’s spots on your bones or an extra kidney, can actually be kind of fascinating. It can make you feel unique, give you a story to tell, and become something to embrace if it doesn’t cause pain or discomfort. But psychologically, there may be a reason why some of these traits are only discovered years later.

Experts say that people often experience what is known as “illness denial,” meaning they downplay or ignore unusual symptoms in favor of normalcy, or as a way to avoid medical attention. On top of that, the cost of healthcare, whether private systems or, in places like the U.S., in insurance-based systems, can be enough to discourage people from seeing a doctor in the first place.

Of course, we can’t ignore the role doctors play in the discovery of these issues either, and yes, I’m talking about medical negligence. Misdiagnoses and delayed diagnoses happen every single day, to no one’s surprise. One U.K. study found that around 8,000 claims were made against NHS Trusts for misdiagnosis, with 40% of those cases resulting in serious harm or complications.

That said, doctors are only human, and humans make mistakes. Ultimately, it also depends on the healthcare system in each country. In places like Japan and South Korea, employers are often required to provide annual health screenings for workers, and full-body examinations are relatively common, with the hope of catching conditions earlier. This is far less common in Europe and the United States.

This isn't to say that you need to run to your doctor immediately to check if there's anything wrong with you or your body. After all, health anxiety, formerly known as hypochondria, is a very real phenomenon that psychologists note has only gotten worse during the world pandemic, and through propaganda hailing from social media fear-induced videos. And we don't want to worsen that.

We all should, however, stay on top of our health and continuously go to regular checkups as a precaution. During one of these visits, though, have you ever discovered something unusual about yourself and your body? Let us know all about your own little quirks in the comments below.