Tag

Medical Misconceptions

All articles tagged with #medical misconceptions

health1 year ago•3 min saved

"Morning Sickness Myths and Misdiagnoses: The Urgent Need for Better Care"

Pregnant women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a severe form of morning sickness, are often dismissed by doctors despite the condition being potentially life-threatening. Geneticist Marlena Fejzo highlights the serious risks associated with HG, including malnutrition and long-term health issues for both mother and child. Fejzo calls for better recognition and treatment of HG, noting that recent studies have identified the hormone GDF15 as a key factor, which could lead to new treatment approaches.

via Daily Mail|

#health #hyperemesis-gravidarum #medical-misconceptions

health1 year ago•2 min saved

"Underused Cheap Treatment for Child Diarrhea Hinders Effective Care"

Despite the availability of a cheap and effective remedy for potentially fatal diarrheal disease in children, a study suggests that oral rehydration salts (ORS) are underprescribed due to misconceptions among healthcare providers. Diarrhea is a leading cause of death among children under 5 worldwide, and ORS is the front-line treatment for this condition. The study found that provider misconceptions and assumptions about patient preferences contribute to the underprescription of ORS, particularly in poorer and rural areas. Addressing these misconceptions and encouraging patients to request ORS could potentially save children's lives and reduce over-prescription of antibiotics, which contributes to antibiotic resistance.

via The Washington Post|

#childrens-health #diarrhea #global-health

health1 year ago•1 min saved

"Debunked: 15 Common Health Myths"

Reddit users discuss and debunk 15 health myths, including the misconception that "all natural" implies healthiness, the belief that cracking knuckles causes arthritis, and the idea that targeted weight-loss is possible. Other debunked myths include the notion that fat makes you fat, the effectiveness of essential oils in curing illnesses, and the idea that addiction is a lack of willpower.

via BuzzFeed|

#addiction #health #health-myths

health2 years ago•7 min saved

"The Flaws of Using BMI as a Health Measure"

The body mass index (BMI) was never intended for individual use and was created by a mathematician, not a physician, to measure the degree of obesity in the general population. It does not account for differences in gender, ethnicity, or body composition, and its use as a measure of individual health has been driven by profit motives from insurance and drug companies. The BMI fails to accurately measure health, as it does not consider factors such as body fat distribution and muscle mass, and its cut-off points for overweight and obese classifications are arbitrary. Therefore, it is not a reliable or meaningful metric for assessing individual health.

via IFLScience|

#bmi #body-image #health