Debunking Common Health Myths & Misconceptions

We are living in an age of information explosion. We can now effortlessly access any type of information regarding any topic from anywhere. While the availability of abundance of knowledge is an invaluable part of life, it can sometimes lead to misinformation resulting in non-deliberately spreading the wrong message and causing information confusion.

Although a large proportion of inaccurate information can seem harmless at times, some types of information simply cannot be ignored, especially when they are health-related. This is because misinformation can cloud our basic understanding of important health topics and cause misjudgement which can lead us to engage in wrong action and develop unhealthy habits.

Below is a list of ten common health myths and misconceptions that continue to circulate until this day, with the aim of separating facts from fiction and to clear the ambiguity that surrounds them:

This is one of the most popular health-related debates which is why it took the number one position. We are all aware that viral infections affecting the respiratory tract, such as the common cold or flu, tend to be more common during winter. It definitely has something to do with the low temperature, but the reality is actually more complicated than that.

According to research and contrary to popular belief, it is not the cold weather itself that causes the illness, because a viral illness obviously needs the virus to be present. It is rather due to a number of factors associated with the cold temperature that make it more likely for us to fall ill with a cold, especially when the virus is already present inside the body.

The predisposing factors that cause viral respiratory tract infections during winter include:

Spending longer periods indoors which makes it generally easier for viruses to spread from one person to another.

Cold and dry winter conditions that allow some viruses responsible for causing the common cold and flu to survive and thrive better.

Weakened defence mechanisms often caused by the winter conditions that render the immune system less efficient in fighting off microbes. This is mainly due to breathing colder, drier air which can disrupt the antimicrobial function of the mucus and cilia found in the nose and parts of the respiratory tract, thus making it more likely for a virus to evade the primary defences and cause an infection.

Furthermore, the cold temperature has a tendency to exacerbate certain pre-existing respiratory conditions e.g. asthma or COPD.

Direct contact with a virus is necessary for getting a viral infection.

The human body has a remarkable ability to adapt to both the internal and external environments. While it is a well-known fact that drinking an adequate amount of water is very important for the overall health and wellbeing, it is certainly not necessary to count the number of cups or measure the precise volume of water consumed every day. It is also important to note that many of the foods and drinks we consume as part of our daily diet already contain fluids to varying degrees, and so are considered as additional sources of water.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no clear-cut guideline to say how much plain water one must drink in a single day. However, it is generally recommended that the 'daily total fluid' consumption - which includes water consumed from foods, plain drinking water, and other beverages - should be about 2.7 litres for women and 3.7 litres for men.

Not having a precise quantity for water consumption set for all people is due to the fact that the amount of adequate water needed is highly variable from person to person, and depends on a number of factors - from age and gender to level of activity and climate, therefore the level of water consumption must in fact be adjusted accordingly.

In any case, our bodies are good at letting us know when it is time to drink water in order to stay hydrated and healthy, without having to keep a log of when we must take a sip of water next. When the body starts becoming dehydrated, there are several early signs that can make you aware of this:

Feeling thirsty.

Having more concentrated urine.

Decreased frequency of urination.

Feeling lethargic and/ or light-headed.

Having dry lips, mouth and tongue.

For the recommended daily water consumption, there is no one-size-fits-all answer because this must be personalised.

A quite common habit among many people, cracking the finger joints is not considered particularly good and may even lead to swelling and pain in the fingers and hands, especially if done in a vigorous or prolonged manner.

That distinctive sound created by a cracked finger joint is not due to joints or bones rubbing together, but is in fact caused by the compression and bursting of bubbles formed in the synovial fluid surrounding the joint as a result of it becoming over-stretched.

There is no evidence suggesting that the action of knuckle-cracking causes arthritis.

There has been quite a long-standing concern that the prolonged use of underarm deodorants and anti-perspirants can potentially lead to the development of cancer, particularly breast cancer. This notion exists because of the proximity to the absorbed chemicals through the skin of the underarm which can have oestrogen-like effects and therefore raise the risk of developing breast cancer.

However, according to the National Cancer Institute, studies have found no link between skin exposure to certain chemicals (e.g. aluminium-based compounds and parabens) found in deodorants and anti-perspirants and the development of cancer.

Chemicals found in deodorants and anti-perspirants have no link to cancer.

It is a well-known fact that exercise is crucial for our health and wellbeing. Numerous benefits are attributed to regular physical exercise - from improving cardiac function and mental health to strengthening muscles and bones and stress management. However, when it comes to weight loss, it is unfortunately not so straightforward. This is because to effectively lose weight, it is necessary to add a calorie-restricted diet to the plan.

Diet is an important element for achieving a more sustainable result as it helps decrease rates of 'rebound weight gain' which can happen when the calorific value undeliberately increases to compensate for the higher energy output that comes with exercise. Therefore, it is essential to combine regular physical exercise with a healthy diet that is low in calories for an overall more effective weight control in the long term.

Weight loss is insignificant with the intervention of exercise alone without caloric restriction.

The belief that we use only 10% of our brains has existed for a very long time and even until this day despite significant advances in the area of neuroscience. Although the source of this belief is still unclear, the concept behind it is certainly false. Numerous studies aimed at examining and analysing different brain functions found that we definitely use much more than the claimed 10% of our brain capacities.

Brain activity is highly organised and is carried out by a complex series of signals that assign different tasks to specific regions of the brain. Virtually every part of the brain is used, and almost the whole brain is active almost all the time, with some areas being more active than others at any one time. Therefore, even when we are resting and it seems that we are not doing or thinking of anything, no area of the brain is completely silent or inactive - unless in the case of severe brain damage.

Detailed research of the brain has failed to identify the “non-functioning” 90%.

Reading your favourite book in a poorly-lit room may cause focusing to become difficult or result in temporary negative effects to eyesight, such as eye strain and dryness. However, according to experts in the field as well as extensive research, those effects are certainly non-persistent and resolve following a short period after stopping reading, without causing any long-term harm to the eyes.

Reading in dim light does not damage the eyes or eyesight.

Another surprisingly common belief is that shaving hair could be beneficial if one is aiming to have thicker and stronger new hair. While this could be a desirable outcome for many people, unfortunately, it is far from reality.

Research has proven that there is no effect of shaving on regrowth of hair in terms of thickness or rate. A probable explanation of why new hair appears coarser following a shave is that unshaven hair tends to have a fine taper on the ends therefore giving the impression that they are originally finer. Additionally, the newly grown hair has not yet been adequately exposed to either the sun or certain chemicals that could cause a lightened effect therefore causing it to appear darker than what it was originally.

Shaving hair does not make it grow back faster, darker, or coarser.

It is easy to imagine why anyone would want to stifle a sneeze. A sneeze sounds bizarre, often arrives with no to little prior warning, and is often badly-timed. This, in addition to, of course, the fact that a sneeze can travel at an average speed of 120 to 160 km/ hour and contains forcefully-expelled microbe-laden droplets from the mouth and nose. All of those reasons can make any person want to try their best to stop it.

A sneeze is one out of many natural defence mechanisms in our bodies, and is created when the nose's delicate lining senses a foreign substance causing a reaction that leads to a significant amount of air pressure build-up in the lungs followed by the forceful expulsion of a mixture containing water, mucus, and air out from the nose and mouth in attempt to clear out the foreign invader.

In the event that the sneeze is deliberately held in, the highly pressurized air would be forced back inside which could sometimes lead to serious health conditions such as:

Middle and inner ear damage, including ruptured ear drum.

Middle ear infection.

Diaphragmatic injury.

Ruptured blood vessels in the eyes and nose.

Brain aneurysm.

Ruptured oesophagus.

Avoid the things that could trigger the sneeze whenever possible and - most importantly - let the body sneeze when it needs to.

Sweating is a natural response for the regulation of body temperature. This happens when the sweat is released from sweat glands through the skin and its subsequent evaporation which helps in cooling down the body.

The composition of sweat largely depends on diet, hydration status, metabolic rate, state of health, body area, and whether or not on medication. However, in general, sweat mainly contains water along with small quantities of minerals (including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium), metabolites (including lactate, ammonia, and urea), and little amounts of unmetabolized pharmaceutical drugs (if applicable). Therefore, sweat is not made up of toxins from the body, and the belief that detoxifying the body through sweat is simply false. Instead, toxins are eliminated by the liver, kidneys and intestines.

Detoxification of the body does not take place through sweating.

Health-related myths are common and arise for many reasons. They have existed for a long time and the same ones are circulating in many parts of the world until this day. While some health myths may contain little truth, a large proportion remains completely inaccurate and not backed by any form of scientific or medical evidence. Attempting to find the various sources of these myths and the reasons behind each one of them may be important and somewhat interesting, however, dispelling health myths and separating facts from fiction are vital for the spread of accurate information and putting health beliefs and facts into their right context.

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