medical myths

Lifeguards For Life

Lifeguards For Life

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in class the other day, we were talking about "medical facts" we were told as kids, that we now know are completely false. (i hope that i am not the only one on here who has been told these:unsure:)

-when unoxygenated, your blood is blue
- people say "god bless you" after a sneeze, because your heart stops when you sneeze
-your intestines are long enough to encircle the earth

So what else were you guys told as a small child in school,(or even things you've heard in your EMS education) that seems completely ridiculous now?
 
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You get colds from being in the cold. Complete B.S.
 
Drinking coffee will help to sober you up.

It is best to starve a fever and feed a cold.

You can determine the sex of your baby by the way you are "carrying."

Putting butter on a burn will ease the pain.
 
Lifeguards For Life said:
in class the other day, we were talking about "medical facts" we were told as kids, that we now know are completely false. (i hope that i am not the only one on here who has been told these:unsure:)

-when unoxygenated, your blood is blue
- people say "god bless you" after a sneeze, because your heart stops when you sneeze
-your intestines are long enough to encircle the earth

So what else were you guys told as a small child in school,(or even things you've heard in your EMS education) that seems completely ridiculous now?
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WarDance said:
You get colds from being in the cold. Complete B.S.
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All of these for me. Also the you get sick from having wet hair.
 
VentMedic said:
Drinking coffee will help to sober you up.

It is best to starve a fever and feed a cold.

You can determine the sex of your baby by the way you are "carrying."

Putting butter on a burn will ease the pain.
Click to expand...

Lifeguards For Life said:
i also remember that i shouldn't swallow bubble gum, because it takes 7 years to digest!
Click to expand...

Yes, yes!!

I was also told repeatedly if you lifted your arms over your head while pregnant you'd strangle the baby with its cord.
 
Lifeguards For Life said:
people say "god bless you" after a sneeze, because your heart stops when you sneeze
Click to expand...

Funny thread. Dig a little deeper and you will see this habit originated due to the belief that your soul exited your body when you sneezed and someone quickly blessed you until you took your next breath and inhaled your soul back in to prevent evil spirits from slipping in while your soul was temporarily out.

Kind of ironic and hypocritical that this still goes on today...
 
Seaglass said:
I heard the same thing, except about fingernails and hair...
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God.. I went through a phase when I was a child where I chewed on my hair. My granny used to tell me a monster in my stomach would grab my hair and pull me inside out if I didnt stop. :ph34r:
 
Ear lobe creases are prevelant in people with coronary artery disease.

Patients with heat stroke do not sweat.

Better dead than Levophed.
 
Cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis.
Eating late at night causes weight gain.
You only use 10% of your brain.
Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
Chocolate and fried foods give you acne.
The rash you get from poison ivy is contagious.
Keep someone awake if they have a recent concussion.
Sugar makes kids hyperactive.
 
If you look down the outhouse hole, you will get a sty in your eye

A bruise is worse than a cut because the bad blood can't get out..


(My mother is Finnish and doesn't speak english - so these are probably different from yours.. :glare:)
 
bunkie said:
All of these for me. Also the you get sick from having wet hair.
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My parents still believe all of these myths especially this one! Every time I return home for the holidays there is a battle over this one. If you go outside with wet hair you WILL get pneumonia and die!
 
Most of these are really familiar. The only one I can think to add is that acne is a sign of someone who doesn't bathe...

bunkie said:
God.. I went through a phase when I was a child where I chewed on my hair. My granny used to tell me a monster in my stomach would grab my hair and pull me inside out if I didnt stop. :ph34r:
Click to expand...

It was nailbiting for me. Getting into animal rescue, which can get kinda nasty, stopped that real fast.
 
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