We live in an age where medicine has grown by leaps and bounds. But even with such advancements numerous medical myths are still circulating among people who just don’t take the time to think about it or research about it to find out if what they believe in is true or not. Below are some popular medical myths that you may actually even think is true.
Health myth # 1: Drinking eight glasses of water everyday
We often hear this advice from people whenever the subject of taking care of one’s health is discussed. The exact origins of this particular myth could actually be traced to the information provided by a government agency in 1945. In that piece of information, the agency cited that our body needs about eight glasses of fluid a day. As you will notice, the word ‘fluid’ was used, which would refer to any kind of fluid we intake during the course of a day – this includes not just water but also coffee, tea, juices, etc. For some reason, ‘fluid’ changed into ‘water’ and thus birthed this particular myth.
Health myth # 2: Arthritis can result from periodically cracking your knuckles
The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is made by the bursting gas bubble that forms when joints move apart in the act of cracking it. This is a myth that is commonly heard especially when a person cracks his knuckles within the vicinity of a person who knows of the myth. It is usually given as a warning. The truth is that knuckle-cracking is not going to cause arthritis. What it could result in though is the weakening of the joints if it becomes a regular habit.
Health myth # 3: A teething baby will get a fever
The myth here is that teething will result in a fever for your baby. An extension of this myth is that teething causes diarrhea. Both are not true. Studies had been made about this and so far no correlation has been found between teething and fevers or diarrhea. If your baby gets a fever while he’s teething consult your doctor to find out the real cause, and monitor him closely for other symptoms. Fever and diarrhea could also be a sign of more serious conditions such as rotavirus.
Health myth # 4: Midnight snacking will make you fat
You will often hear people telling you not take snacks at night because it will make you fat. But this is a complete myth. The time when you eat is not important as much as the amount of food you eat that you can burn each day. For example, if you burn more calories than you eat then you will lose weight. The reverse is also true – if you eat more calories than you burn then you will gain weight. In other words, eating snacks in the afternoon or midmorning is no different from eating snacks at midnight.
Health myth # 5: Giving kids sugar will make them hyperactive
This is another myth that has been debunked by scientific studies. According to a detailed study conducted at the Riley Hospital for Children, there was no correlation between the amount of sugar a child takes and his level of activity. It doesn’t even matter if the sugar is natural or artificial.
Photo by Joost Nelissen