Some of these unexplained symptoms are rare, difficult to make diagnoses, but the vast majority are transient, harmless, “junk” symptoms we all experience which eventually disappear.

Think: “…that stomach ache, was it the sashimi from yesterday?” Or “how did I sleep last night, my neck is killing me!”

Key thing for GPs to do in vast majority of cases is make sure there are no “red flags” suggesting something dangerous (eg. early cancer) and then provide reassurance, offer symptom relief, and get out of the way of the body doing its thing.

Lastly, also need to take others symptoms and suffering seriously… just because it’s not medically explainable doesn’t mean it isn’t affecting someone. Make sure to offer to revisit if things change or worsen, and show you care. If things persist, think harder and get another opinion.