Dr Amir Khan, a familiar face on ITV's Lorraine and other programmes, has explained what five common symptoms could mean and when you should worry. Speaking in a video on TikTok, Dr Khan said: "Let's talk about five really common symptoms that feel totally random, but actually have a proper medical explanation. Get ready to say 'wait, that's me!'"
Eyelid twitching and the post-coffee toilet run
Firstly, he said: "You know when your eyelid starts twitching for no reason, like it's doing its own little dance? That's called myokymia. It's a spontaneous, involuntary muscle contraction, usually of a particular muscle in the eyelid, often triggered by things like caffeine, fatigue, or stress. You don't need to worry. It's benign and self limiting in most cases. But if it does spread beyond the eye or doesn't stop after a few weeks, speak to your GP."
Describing the feeling of needing to go to the toilet immediately after drinking coffee as "really common", Dr Khan said: "Have you ever noticed how coffee goes straight through you, particularly first thing in the morning? That's thanks to your gastrocolic reflex, a natural response where stretching the stomach sends signals to the colon to get moving. Caffeine makes this stronger by stimulating gastrin release, a hormone that promotes digestion, smooth muscle squeezing, or contractions of your bowels, and increases movement in your gut overall. It's especially strong after fasting overnight. It's not diarrhoea, it's just your gut waking up to its clock and doing its job."
Breathlessness and feeling worse at night
"If you do feel short of breath just whilst talking, but are otherwise healthy, it could be a breathing pattern disorder, sometimes called dysfunctional breathing," Dr Khan said. "This means your breathing is shallow, rapid, and mainly upper chest-based instead of coming from the diaphragm. It can be caused by chronic stress or anxiety, habitual over-breathing, or poor posture, or poor vocal use."
Explaining why people with health problems may feel worse later in the evening and at night, Dr Khan said: "That could be stress, anxiety, could be pain as well. Have you ever wondered why these things ramp up at night? Well, here's the science. Your cortisol levels drop in the evening. Cortisol is an anti-inflammatory hormone, so without it, pain and swelling can feel worse. Also, your circadian rhythm shifts, making your body more sensitive to stimuli at night. And your brain has fewer distractions, so it notices every heartbeat, ache, or worry more clearly. This combination makes everything feel louder, but knowing that can help you manage it better."
Nervous sweating and when to see a doctor
Finally, Dr Khan said: "Ever notice your hands, feet, or back start sweating just from nerves or stress? This is emotional sweating. It involves eccrine sweat glands mostly in your palms, soles, and armpits, and is triggered by your parasympathetic nervous system. That's the fight or flight response. Unlike sweating to cool your body, emotional sweating happens due to psychological stress."
Summing up, Dr Khan said: "So all of this isn't your body malfunctioning, it's just doing its thing. Most of these symptoms are completely harmless, but if they're persistent or affecting your quality of life, that's when it's time to speak to your doctor."
