7 Common Medical Myths Debunked
Researchers Say There's No Evidence for Some Widely Held Beliefs
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
Dec. 20, 2007 -- Can you separate medical myth from fact? A new report may help you do just that.
Take a look at these seven medical myths, noted in BMJ (formerly called the British Medical Journal).
The debunkers include Rachel Vreeman, MD, a fellow in children's health services research at Indiana University's medical school in Indianapolis.
1. Medical Myth: Drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
Reality: There's no evidence that you have to drink that much water to assure adequate fluid intake -- and drinking too much water can be unhealthy.
2. Medical Myth: We use only 10% of our brains.
Reality: Most of the brain isn't loafing. Detailed brain studies haven't found the "non-functioning" 90% of the brain.
3. Medical Myth: Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
Reality: Hair and fingernails don't keep growing after death. But it may seem that way because dehydration can make the skin shrink back from hair and nails, making them look longer.
4. Medical Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
Reality: Dim light isn't great for focusing, but it's "unlikely to cause a permanent change in the function or structure of the eyes," Vreeman's team writes.
5. Medical Myth: Shaving causes hair to grow back faster or coarser.
Reality: "Shaving does not affect the thickness or rate of hair regrowth," write Vreeman and colleagues. But shaved hair doesn't have the fine taper of unshaved hair, making it seem coarser.
6. Medical Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.
Reality: "Rigorous testing in Europe found minimal interference and only at distances of less than one meter [about 3.28 feet]," write the researchers. But that may be a point of controversy. In September, Dutch doctors reported that cell phones may interfere with critical care equipment and shouldn't be used within a meter of medical equipment or hospital beds.
7. Medical Myth: Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy.
Reality: Turkey isn't all that rich in tryptophan, the chemical linked to sleepiness after eating turkey. But eating a big, decadent meal can cause sleepiness, even if turkey isn't on the menu.
SOURCES: Vreeman, R. BMJ, Dec. 22-29, 2007; vol 335: pp 1288-1289. WebMD Medical News: "Turn Off Cell Phones in Hospital Rooms."
www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp
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Researchers Say There's No Evidence for Some Widely Held Beliefs
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
Dec. 20, 2007 -- Can you separate medical myth from fact? A new report may help you do just that.
Take a look at these seven medical myths, noted in BMJ (formerly called the British Medical Journal).
The debunkers include Rachel Vreeman, MD, a fellow in children's health services research at Indiana University's medical school in Indianapolis.
1. Medical Myth: Drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
Reality: There's no evidence that you have to drink that much water to assure adequate fluid intake -- and drinking too much water can be unhealthy.
2. Medical Myth: We use only 10% of our brains.
Reality: Most of the brain isn't loafing. Detailed brain studies haven't found the "non-functioning" 90% of the brain.
3. Medical Myth: Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
Reality: Hair and fingernails don't keep growing after death. But it may seem that way because dehydration can make the skin shrink back from hair and nails, making them look longer.
4. Medical Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
Reality: Dim light isn't great for focusing, but it's "unlikely to cause a permanent change in the function or structure of the eyes," Vreeman's team writes.
5. Medical Myth: Shaving causes hair to grow back faster or coarser.
Reality: "Shaving does not affect the thickness or rate of hair regrowth," write Vreeman and colleagues. But shaved hair doesn't have the fine taper of unshaved hair, making it seem coarser.
6. Medical Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.
Reality: "Rigorous testing in Europe found minimal interference and only at distances of less than one meter [about 3.28 feet]," write the researchers. But that may be a point of controversy. In September, Dutch doctors reported that cell phones may interfere with critical care equipment and shouldn't be used within a meter of medical equipment or hospital beds.
7. Medical Myth: Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy.
Reality: Turkey isn't all that rich in tryptophan, the chemical linked to sleepiness after eating turkey. But eating a big, decadent meal can cause sleepiness, even if turkey isn't on the menu.
SOURCES: Vreeman, R. BMJ, Dec. 22-29, 2007; vol 335: pp 1288-1289. WebMD Medical News: "Turn Off Cell Phones in Hospital Rooms."
www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp
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Unsu...
Re: 7 Common Medical Myths Debunked
Sat, December 29, 2007 - 8:19 PMI'm just going to point out about the water:
The reality is that many people, arguably most, DON'T get adequate water, whatever the "adequate" amount is. Most of us are dehydrated to some degree, particularly those of us who consume a lot of coffee, tea, or soda daily.
Also, saying that drinking too much water is dangerous is misleading without qualifying that statement with the details. Yes, there is a point at which you experience water intoxication (sometimes called water poisoning). But most people would have to be going well out of their way to reach that level of excessive water intake. it's not something you generally have to worry about if you happen to drink a lot of water, unless by a "lot" you mean, I dunno, several gallons at once. I don't actually KNOW at what point a person has consumed enough water to reach the intoxication level, but it's NOT an easy thing to do. It's certainly NOT something to be concerned with if you just happen to drink a lot of water every day. (For most people, a "lot" of water does NOT amount to drinking a gallon in one sitting).
Moreover, the actual problem is salt dilution. It is possible to dilute your body's electrolytes to fatally low levels (sodium and potassium, especially). The primary cause of this is through excessive water intake.
So, again, while it is POSSIBLE to die from overdosing on water, it's not an easy thing to do, and the fact is that most people have the opposite problem. -
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Re: 7 Common Medical Myths Debunked
Sat, December 29, 2007 - 9:00 PMYeah, thanks for saying something because as soon as I posted that, I felt the same way. Dehydration *IS* a problem.
And just because one drinks coffee or tea depends on how much & when they drink it.
It's true that drinking too much water can cause all kinds of problems - a girl died not long ago for drinking too much water over a gallon or 2 - I can't remember how much.
I just did a quick google on - "too much water dangers"
"Hyponatremia, also called water intoxication, is generally the result of drinking excessive amounts of plain water which causes a low concentration of sodium in the blood."
sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hy...ia.htm
"Water intoxication (also known as hyperhydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain function that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits, ironically by that which makes up the majority of it - water."
"Nearly all deaths related to water intoxication in normal individuals have resulted either from water drinking contests, in which individuals attempt to consume several gallons over the course of just a few minutes, or long bouts of intensive exercise during which time electrolytes are not properly replenished, yet massive amounts of fluid are still consumed."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication
but these are clearly extremes
Thanks for commenting...
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