Ten Top Medical Myths

newsmax.com ^ | May 9, 2008 | Sylvia Booth Hubbard

[kellynla]

Everyone’s heard these medical myths, and your mom (and maybe even your doctor!) may have been guilty of spreading a few of them:

High blood pressure causes headaches. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. Neither does it cause dizziness, although dizziness is a common side effect of treatments for high blood pressure.

Women should examine their breasts. Research shows that routine breast self-examinations aren’t sensitive enough to detect many lumps, and may subject women to increased anxiety.

It’s dangerous to mix alcohol and antibiotics. Alcohol doesn’t interact with antibiotics. Metronidazole (Flagyl) is an exception, however, and can cause vomiting.

Bed rest is useful additional therapy. According to 39 studies of bed rest versus early mobilization, bed rest is usually not beneficial and may, in fact, be harmful.

Hot black coffee will help you sober up. Although caffeine will reduce the sedating effect of alcohol, it will not reduce the amount of alcohol in your system any faster.

Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight. Reading for long periods of time in dim light may cause you to squint and strain your eyes – maybe even triggering a headache – but it won’t hurt your eyes.

We use only 10 percent of our brain. Although this myth has been around for a hundred years, numerous imaging studies have shown that no part of our brain is inactive.

Drink eight glasses of water a day. Drinking so much water is unnecessary since most of us get plenty of water from our food and other drinks, including tea and coffee.

Eating sugar causes diabetes. While eating sugar doesn’t cause diabetes, it does make you fat and that increases your risk for the disease.

Chocolate causes acne. Relax and enjoy a sinful chocolate treat. Hormones, not chocolate,

[Keith in Iowa]

I used to like watching House...and other medical dramas until I lived one. There’s something about being on a ventilator and in a coma for a month or so that changes you...

[Alter Kaker]

Women should examine their breasts. Research shows that routine breast self-examinations aren’t sensitive enough to detect many lumps, and may subject women to increased anxiety.

Maybe the author should consult with a doctor before posting nonsense.

[Yardstick]

Exactly, white bread is basically starch. Wheat bread is starch with the bran and germ remaining. But the germ and bran are only a small part of a wheat grain (guessing maybe 10 percent?), so the difference they make is small. Or at least that’s what I would expect, and my experience seems to bear this out. Both white and wheat bread eaten on an empty stomach can set me up for a sugar “crash”.

I think the benefit of whole grain breads is separate from the sugar issue. I think it’s mainly that compared to white bread they’re higher in fiber and nutrients. It’s kind of like fruit juices versus soft drinks. Fruit juices are much more nutritious but they’re still pretty hard on your pancreas.

[cva66snipe]

High blood pressure causes headaches. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. Neither does it cause dizziness, although dizziness is a common side effect of treatments for high blood pressure.

In some persons it will in fact make them dizzy. That's one way I usually know mine is up. At 170/120 if it gets that high I can't hardly stand up. At 145/100 I get a headache as well. Blood pressure does indeed effect equilibrium. It whoever wrote this doesn't think so let theirs do a sudden drop. Yes I take BP Meds. No they do not cause me dizziness. Bad Inner Ear issues do that much for me.

[word_warrior_bob]

The chocolate gave you a sugar rush, triggering brain stimulus, being a teen-age boy what did your brain think about?? There goes the hormones, and here comes the acne.

So I have scientifically proven that chocolate does cause acne in teenage boys and I cite bill1952 as my peer-reviewed (start reviewing peers) double-blind (I don’t need to look at the keys when I type) case study.

[dangerdoc]

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