Common myths about health

Hello friends,

Yesterday I had a terrible toothache. And I felt awful. I didn’t have a chance to see a dentist that day. So I was looking for fast and effective relief on various blogs. I’ve found numerous ways of how to get rid of tooth pain. Some of them seem to be weird.

Throughout the centuries, many health myths have arisen. Some are tried, tested, and taken as fact, but others are nothing more than fantasy.

Health-related myths are common and arise for a variety of reasons.

Some may be “old wives' tales” that have been passed from generation to generation.

Other times, it can be that old but previously accepted science — such as the results of studies from the mid-20th century — is found by modern scientific methods to be less accurate than originally thought.

In this lesson, we take a look at 9 of the most common health myths.

But before we start, let’s revise some of the health problems that people meet.

Complete the health problems in the comments with the words from the box.

1. Ouch! That looks like a nasty injury!

2. Don’t give Kate any of those nuts – she has an allergy!

3. I feel terrible – I think I’ve got a virus.

4. I love going for country walks, but my hay fever sometimes spoils it.

5. Make sure you wash that cut. You don’t want to get an infection.

6. Oh…I’ve bumped my head seriously. I hope I didn’t get a concussion.

7. I ate some fresh fish, but I was sick as soon as I got home. Perhaps, I had food poisoning.

8. I go to bed tired, but I lie awake for hours. I have an insomnia.

9. In the summer when I go outside, I have itchy eyes and a runny nose.

10. Last week I had a high temperature. Finally, I came down with the flu.

So, here we go…

Myth #1. Put your head back if you have a nose bleed.

The myth: In the past, people said that you had to put your head back to stop the blood.

Why it’s wrong: The blood can go down your throat and you might be sick.

What you should do: Sit down, put your head down and hold your nose. In about ten minutes the nosebleed will stop.

2. If you drink poison, make yourself sick to get it out.

The myth: In the past people thought that if you had swallowed poison by mistake, you had to be sick to get the poison out of your body.

Why it’s wrong: It can be more damage when it comes back up, and it might burn your throat.

What you should do: Every poison is different, so contact a doctor immediately.

3. Put butter on a burn.

The myth: When I was little, my grandmother told me I had to put butter on my skin If I burnt it.

Why it’s wrong: It can give you an infection and make the injury worse!

What you should do: Put the burn under cold water for a few minutes, then put a bandage on it to protect the burnt area and stop infection.

4. If someone has concussion, don’t let them sleep.

The myth: I watched a TV programme recently where a man hit his head and his friend told him that he shouldn’t fall asleep or he might not wake up again.

Why it’s wrong: You might have concussion and one of the symptoms is feeling tired. If you are awake and can speak and walk, rest is actually one of the best ways to treat concussion. But if you are worried you have a head injury, see your doctor.

What you should do: Get some rest!

5. Wear warm clothes in winter so that you don’t come down with the flu.

The myth: Cold weather causes the flu.

Why it’s wrong: It’s a good idea to prepare for cold weather by wearing warm clothes, but the cold temperature doesn’t cause the flu.

The only thing that can cause the flu is the flu virus. If you already have this virus, then the flu symptoms can get worse.

What you should do: Eat healthily and do exercise to stay strong.

6. You can get warts from frogs if you pick them up.

The myth: Toads and frogs spread warts.

Why it’s wrong: People often thought toads spread warts because a lot of toads have a skin that looks warty. Actually warts are spread from human to human via the Human Papilloma Virus. It's not particularly infectious although some people are more prone to it than others.

There used to be all kinds of so called cures e.g. rubbing the wart with a cabbage leaf or potato skin then burying it and when the object rotted away the wart would disappear. There's absolutely no truth to this. Warts often spontaneously disappear when the immune system defeats the virus.

What you should do: Just wash well with soap and water to kill any germs.

7. You have to eat a lot when you get a cold or the flu.

The myth: Some people believe that you have to eat twice more than usual if you caught a cold to get better sooner.

Why it’s wrong: Of course, good nutrition is a must to help your immune system fight this virus. But if you eat a lot of heavy food, your body has to waste half of its energy on digesting it. So when your body battles flu symptoms for days or even weeks, your diet becomes even more key to helping you get better.

What you should do: When you’ve got the flu, the only true cure is rest and time – there’s no food or drink that will magically make your symptoms go away.

8. Drink 8 glasses of water a day

The myth: It has become accepted wisdom: "Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day!"

Why it’s wrong: While water is essential to keep you hydrated, there is no need to drink minimally 8 glasses a day. This is because water is not the only source of hydration – our body gets its hydration from the water found in fruits, vegetables, and even in juice and coffee.

What you should do: The best measure of how much water to drink is simply to drink as and when you feel thirsty.

9. Eating late night makes you fat.

Myth: Eating late at night causes a person to become fat.

Why it’s wrong: The fact is that it doesn't matter which time you eat but only the quantity and the quality you take matters. So far, you are burning away the calories you are consuming every day, it doesn't matter at what time you eat. However, having meals on time is a healthy practice.

What you should do: To avoid becoming fat, the best way to consume only the needed calories and burn the excess calories every day.

Match the pictures with the myths.

Read/Listen to the article again. Mark the sentences True or False.

1. It’s not cold weather that causes the flu, but it can make it worse.

2. You must drink as much water as you can daily.

3. You shouldn’t do anything after swallowing poison until you’ve spoken to a doctor.

4. If you have a nosebleed you should make yourself sick to get the blood out of your throat.

5. The man in the TV programme fell asleep and didn’t wake up again.

6. You should put a toad on a burn.

Answer the following questions. Use no more than 4 words!

1. After putting your head down, what should you do to stop a nosebleed?

2. What might poison do if you make yourself sick?

3. What might you get, if you put butter on a burn?

4. What must you be able to do for it to be OK to sleep with concussion?

5. What causes the flu?

6. What other sources of hydration does our body have?

7. What does really matter for not becoming fat?

8. When do warts disappear?

We've all been confused with the common myths about health at some point in our lives.

What should we do? – Just be careful!