MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEDICINE ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT RESOURCES ONLINE, AVAILABLE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS AND UNPROVEN WORD- OF- MOUTH THEORIES.
CRACKING JOINTS CAUSES ARTHRITIS:
The sound might annoy people around you, but that’s about all the harm it does. You may think bones or joints rub together to cause the noise, but that’s not so. It results from a gas bubble that forms between the bones and “pops.” If you enjoy doing it, keep on. Studies show it doesn’t cause or play a role in arthritis. If you feel regular or severe pain when you do it, see your doctor.
READING IN THE DARK DAMAGES YOUR EYES:
If you were an avid reader as a child you must've heard about the dangers of reading in dim light and probably scolded upon too. Luckily there is no evidence or research papers to prove that reading or watching content in the dark can damage your eyes. The fearful idea that reading in dim light could ruin one's eyesight probably has its origins in the physiological experience of eye strain. Suboptimal lighting can create a sensation of having difficulty in focusing. It also decreases the rate of blinking and leads to discomfort from drying particularly in conditions of voluntary squinting. Sustained periods of viewing anything in the dark doesn't cause permanent eye damage although it can surely cause strain with multiple temporary negative effects, so these are worth avoiding. People with Migraines are better off avoiding any unnecessary eye strain that can trigger auras.
WE USE JUST 10% OF OUR BRAINS:
There's a reason that the brain accounts for 3% of the body's weight but uses 20% of its energy. We don't use all parts of our brains throughout the course of everyday. Different parts of the brain perform different tasks and its the connections between those parts that are important to understand. Like the basal ganglia and cerebellum are important for motor processing and enable you to move and balance. Not only that, but thanks to functional magnetic resonance imaging, scientists know that during times when we think we aren't doing anything at all, our brains are still are work. "Default mode network" - that's what our brains are doing when we're not performing a task and "we're pushing the 100% mark even then". Its not as simple as using 100% of brain while doing an activity and 0% otherwise but its more like using 90 - 95% most of the time.
CHEWING GUM STAYS IN YOUR STOMACH FOR 7 YEARS IF INGESTED:
Although it is true that many of the ingredients in gum such as Elastomers, Resins and waxes are indigestible, that does not mean they hang out in your guts for any number of years. Plenty of what you eat, such as fiber is also indigestible. But the digestive system is a robust piece of organic machinery and anything it can't absorb, it moves along. Despite the stickiness and strange consistency of gum 'it passes through the digestive tract and into the toilet'.
THE INFAMOUS 5 - SECOND RULE:
Have you ever seen someone drop a piece of food, pick it straight back up, invoke the '5 - second rule' is a total myth! It doesn't take 5 seconds for bacteria to jump onto dropped food - it happens instantaneously. Also, the chance of your floor having no bacteria is pretty slim. To avoid getting sick, you're better off erring on the side of caution and throwing any dropped food away.
YOU SHOULDN' T USE EXPIRED MEDICATIONS:
This in no way suggests that you should consume expired medications regularly to save a buck BUT If you have a headache, popping in a Saridon or a Paracetamol is the first thing that would come to your mind, but your strip of packet is expired, turns out you can safely use it to your treatment. That's because 'drug manufacturers are mandated by a 1979 law to stamp expiration dates on their bottles and strips of medications'. 'This date represents the date at which the manufacturer will guarantee the full potency of the drug. However, the actual shelf life of the medication may be much longer'. A large study conducted by the FDA for the Department of Defense found that many medications are good for upto an average of 5 years and some even upto 15 years. "Notable exceptions to this include certain medications such as antibiotics or insulin. A good general rule of thumb is to adhere to the expiration date for medications where even a small difference in the dose and potency matters. To conclude, as long as we can avoid taking expired meds we shouldn't but if you're out camping in the woods and an expired strip of paracetamol is your last resort, don't give it a second thought!
ONCE YOU FEEL BETTER, YOU CAN STOP TAKING MEDICATIONS:
If your symptoms are gone but your medications aren't, you may be tempted to stop taking your pills. But if you stop taking your medications earlier than the prescribed duration, it can increase your chance of relapsing into illness. If cost is a factor, it can be worked out. But more often than not this stands true for a class of medications called Antibiotics which pretty sure y'all must've taken at some point in your life. Most of the symptom based medicines can be taken SOS or only when symptoms develop or are present but antibiotics need to be taken for the prescribed course of 3, 5 or 7 days even if your symptoms go away because these medicines act by killing the bacteria and stopping them abruptly allows them to develop a resistance against the medication. Touchwood if you ever have to get admitted for some disease in future being resistant to these antibiotics is probably the last thing we'd want since there're only so many we have at disposal.
HERBAL MEDICINES ARE SAFE BECAUSE THEY ARE 'NATURAL':
Herbal supplements and medications can be dangerous because they are not regulated as drugs by the FDA, and no clinical studies are required to show their safety and effectiveness. In fact, some studies have shown that the active ingredients within the same type of supplement can very by upto 150%. Additionally, some herbal supplements can interact negatively with prescription and nonprescription medicines. Always tell your doctor about any herbal medicines you are taking for any conditions you might have.
IS SNORING A SIGN OF SLEEP APNEA?
Occasional snoring may not be an indication of a serious sleep problem however habitual heavy snoring is most likely a sign of sleep apnea. There are two types of sleep apnea: Obstructive and Central. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type that causes the sleeper to go through a number of involuntary breathing pauses, caused by collapsed tissue around the neck or a naturally small airway. OSA not only affects the body internally but also wreaks havoc on daytime functions. Patients with this condition are advised to first lose weight, try sleeping on their sides and to stay away from alcohol and sedatives in excess.
HERE'S A QUICK LIST OF MYTH vs FACTS:
