7 Medical Myths Even DoctorsBelieve

Myth: We use only 10 percent of our brains.

Fact: Physicians and comedians alike, including Jerry Seinfeld,
love to cite this one. It"s sometimes erroneously credited to Albert Einstein.
But MRI scans, PET scans and other imaging studies show no dormant
areas of the brain, and even viewing individual neurons or cells
reveals no inactive areas, the new paper points out. Metabolic studies
of how brain cells process chemicals show no nonfunctioning areas. The
myth probably originated with self-improvement hucksters in the early
1900s who wanted to convince people that they had yet not reached their
full potential, Carroll figures. It also doesn"t jibe with the fact
that our other organ
run at full tilt.The image

Myth: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

Fact: "There is no medical evidence to suggest that you need
that much water," said Dr. Rachel Vreeman, a pediatrics research fellow at theuniversity and co-author of the journal article. Vreeman thinks this
myth can be traced back to a 1945 recommendation from the Nutrition
Council that a person consume the equivalent of 8 glasses (64 ounces)
of fluid a day. Over the years, "fluid" turned to water. But fruits and
vegetables, plus coffee and other liquids, count.


Myth: Fingernails and hair grow after death.

Fact: Most physicians queried on this one initially thought it
wastrue. Upon further reflection, they realized it"s impossible. Here"s
what happens: "As the body"s skin is drying out, soft tissue,
especially skin, is retracting," Vreeman said. "The nails appear much
more prominent as the skin dries out. The same is true, but less
obvious, with hair. As the skin is shrinking back, the hair looks more
prominent or sticks up a bit."


Myth: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker.

Fact: A 1928 clinical trial compared hair growth in shaved
patchesto growth in non-shaved patches. The hair which replaced the shaved
hair was no darker or thicker, and did not grow in faster. More recent
studies have confirmed that one. Here"s the deal: When hair first comes
in after being shaved, it grows with a blunt edge on top, Carroll and
Vreeman explain. Over time, the blunt edge gets worn so it may seem
thicker than it actually is. Hair that"s just emerging can be darker
too, because it hasn"t been bleached by the sun.


Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.

Fact: The researchers found no evidence that reading in dim
lightcauses permanent eye damage. It can cause eye strain and temporarily
decreased acuity, which subsides after rest.

Myth: Eating turkey makes you drowsy.

Fact: Even Carroll and Vreeman believed this one until they
researched it. The thing is, a chemical in turkey
called tryptophan is known to cause drowsiness. But turkey
doesn"t contain any more of it than does chicken or beef. This
mythis fueled by the fact that turkey is often eaten with a colossal
holiday meal, often accompanied by alcohol — both things that will make
you sleepy.


Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.

Fact: There are no known cases of death related to this one.
Cases of less-serious interference with hospital devices seem to be largely
anecdotal, the researchers found. In one real study, mobile phones were
found to interfere with 4 percent of devices, but only when the phone
was within 3 feet of the device. A more recent study, this year, found
no interference in 300 tests in 75 treatment rooms. To the contrary,
when doctors use mobile phones, the improved communication means they
make fewer mistakes.