Health 'Facts' You Only Thought You Knew

[flashl]

NY Times

By JANE E. BRODY
Published: July 22, 2008

Lately a number of medical writers have taken on these commonplaces and old wives’ tales.

Last year, Anahad O’Connor, who does so every week in his “Really?” column for Science Times, published “Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In” (Times Books).

Now, Dr. Nancy L. Snyderman, a surgical oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania and a medical correspondent for NBC News, has a new book, “Medical Myths That Can Kill You — And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend, and Improve Your Life” (Crown).

...

How well informed are you?

DRINK EIGHT GLASSES OF WATER A DAY The Institute of Medicine recently noted that you can meet your body’s need for liquids in many ways, including drinking coffee and tea (with or without caffeine) and eating fruits and vegetables with a high water content.

POISON IVY IS CONTAGIOUS The rash of poison ivy cannot be spread from person to person or even to another part of the body unless the plant’s resin is still on your hands or clothes.

USE COTTON SWABS TO CLEAN YOUR EARS Bellybuttons, perhaps, but not ears.
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COLON CLEANSING WASHES OUT POISONS Colonics, as the practice is called, has no known medical value and risks damage to the rectum or bowel.
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NATURAL IS SAFER THAN MAN-MADE Many important medications are derived from natural substances that not only have druglike actions but also druglike side effects.

Complete list

[Warpy]

1. Thanks for posting this

It's been posted back in the deep and distant past, but this is one thing that bears repeating frequently.

All the points are very good ones. However, the one about painkillers needs to be viewed with a little caution when they're narcotic painkillers. While they work best if taken before pain becomes severe, they shouldn't be taken to prevent pain in the absence of a known pain trigger like physical exertion. A lot of people who have run into trouble with narcotics have done so because they've become so afraid of pain that they've taken the drugs around the clock to try to prevent it. Dependence occurs very quickly in that case and the painkillers stop working at the prescribed dosage.

Other than that caveat, it's a great list. Were it in my power, I'd have it posted inside every medicine cabinet in the country.