When it comes to our health, many of us have tons of questions and concerns. We all want to live as long as we possibly can and do so in a way where we are thriving. However, we have tons of beliefs and questions about whether or not we are taking care of ourselves in the best way possible. While we may have strong beliefs about what is best for us, professionals know what is best for us.
Fortunately, doctors and nurses are here to share their expert knowledge with us all so that we can no longer question what’s right or wrong. They are the ones who are experts in health and wellness.
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If you don’t finish your antibiotics, you can get sick again
“When prescribed a course of antibiotics, it is NOT okay to stop them when you feel better. At this point, you probably feel better because most of the bacteria has been killed, except for a few which are naturally stronger. If you don’t finish your full course, these will then multiply and you will have an even worse infection which is much harder to get rid of,” said cimd09.
Mental illness is a disease, just one you cannot “see”
MounaBowa shared that mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, are absolutely diseases. Many don’t consider them diseases because the symptoms are not always physical — although they can be. Seeking help is just as important for mental illnesses as it is for physical conditions.
Douching can cause infections
“A lot of females seem to think its ok to douche and its really not, the pH of the vagina is extremely sensitive and differs from person to person so feminine hygiene products and using stuff like vinegar or whatever are a waste of money and damaging to your lady regions. If anything they are more likely to cause infections than prevent them,” shared Squid-bear.
Grapefruit can actually be dangerous
Oznog99 shared that grapefruit and grapefruit juice can have major drug interactions. A small amount can shut down the CYP3A4 liver enzyme for up to 24 hours. Therefore, they explained that when you take your next dose, you can actually double up on your doses, which can be very dangerous to the body.
Your doctor isn’t judging you on your recreational activities, but they do need to know them
“When we are taking your history, we do not give TWO SH*TS if you just drank a 40oz, snorted a couple lines of coke, popped a couple vicodin, and shot up a little heroin for good measure right before walking in the door to see us. You NEED TO TELL US. We really, truly, from the bottom of our hearts, do not care that you did it, but if we don’t know-we cannot properly assess you or your situation. You may get misdiagnosed, or have unnecessary tests done, or given a drug that could KILL you.
We need to know what is in your system, AND/OR if you drink or do drugs on a regular basis. We will not judge you, but we cannot do our job if we don’t know. Of course we care about you as a person, we wish you wouldn’t drink or do drugs. We might give you a little lecture about how it is negatively impacting your health, but that is because we DO care. Just don’t lie,” explained PixieNurse.
Wearing high heels can cause long-lasting foot problems
upvoter222 said that wearing high heels can damage your feet because of your weight distribution when you wear them. It can be damaging to your heels because you are putting a lot of pressure unevenly along your feet. Sneakers and other flat shoes can help this in the long run. However, if you wear heels for too long, it will be hard to reverse.
Lactose intolerance and milk allergies are totally different
dylmlong explained that being lactose intolerant means your body cannot digest the lactose enzyme. This causes stomach aches and sometimes extra trips to the bathroom. Being allergic to milk is a completely different ball game. Those who have a milk allergy can actually go into anaphylactic shock and die from having something with milk.
Pregnancy risk is cumulative
“The numbers you see about the effectiveness of various kinds of contraception are usually just for the first year. If you want to know the effectiveness over time, multiply the effectiveness times for each year.
For example, pulling out is 78% effective each year (varying slightly depending on your source). So over five years, that’s 0.78 x 0.78 x 0.78 x 0.78 x 0.78 = 0.29. So if you pull out as your only form of contraception for five years, you typically have a 71% chance of getting pregnant,” shared whatalamename.
Not all kids need a trip to the emergency room
“If your kid falls and hits their head, you probably don’t need to go to the ER – unless they passed out or have some horrible external damage. If they cried immediately, that’s actually good news. Yes, they’ve suffered head trauma, but they’ll be fine. Kids bounce,” wrote imanedrn.
Never “sweat a fever out” by cranking up the heat
DeathGodBob explained that when you layer up and put the heat on when someone already has a fever, you put them at severe risk for their temperature getting way too high and causing a seizure or making it too hot for their brain to physically handle.
Instead, give someone a Tylonel or Advil and put them in a room temperature bath to cool their body down.
The flu shot is just one strand of the flu
“Getting a flu shot does not prevent you from getting a different strand of flu active in the season not in the vaccine. It also does not protect against viral illnesses. I have seen too many people come in coughing/snotty/etc claiming they shouldn’t be sick because they got their flu shot. Influenza vaccines do not work how the majority of people think they work,” said vitani.
Being outside during the wintertime won’t give you a cold
AlmightyRoerbakmix explained that many people say that you get a cold from being outside, meaning cold weather causes the common cold.
It is the difference that cold weather can weaken your immune system. Therefore you can only get a cold if you are around others who already have the cold, and the cold weather has weakened your immune system.
Just because your teeth don’t hurt doesn’t mean they are healthy
Metalyellow revealed that you can have significant tooth decay and be a precursor for diseases, even if you don’t have a toothache.
Taking care of your teeth such as brushing and flossing twice a day can decrease this issue tenfold. Not to mention, it costs a ton of money to treat your teeth when they need dental work.
Getting discharged from the hospital after surgery can be better
lexydust said that many people are confused when patients get discharged “quite soon” after surgery. They explained that so many people have a misconception that the hospital is a “sterile” environment where they can heal faster — however, patients are much more likely to get sick as hospitals have far more germs.
Hydrogen peroxide isn’t the remedy we think it is
“Using hydrogen peroxide on cuts isn’t an effective way to clean wounds. The best thing to do is just wash the cut with water and possibly put some topical antibacterial (e.g. Neosporin) for a few days to prevent infection. Also, applying some Aquaphor or some ointment to keep the wound moist helps it to heal faster,” explained kindafunny.
TV doesn’t show the reality of medical devices
“A defibrillator isn’t used to restart a heart that has stopped beating. It is used to stop the fibrillation of the heart and will ‘reset’ it to its normal rhythm. Thanks to TV shows and movies a lot of people have this misconception about what the device will do and what it’s meant for,” shared Reqol.
You can actually prevent hearing loss
“Longterm exposure to moderately-loud steady-state noise (think highway driving with windows down, personal music players, musical instruments, working at a pub or night club) without even the most minimal hearing protection will not only cause as much hearing loss as short impulse sounds like gun shots over time, but it will also speed up the progress of any age-related hearing loss you were predisposed to have.” AuDBallBag said.
