A medical myth persists that the B vitamin thiamine is a systemic insect repellent that wards off mosquitoes when taken orally. But scientists have disproven this mistaken belief again and again.
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Articles on Medical myths
Displaying 1 - 20 of 111 articles
Did vampires ever really exist? The myth is likely related to a medical condition with symptoms that may explain many elements of centuries-old vampire folklore.
There’s no shortage of myths, scams and spurious claims circulating about coronavirus.
Pregnant women often get medical information from social media and websites, many of which contain misleading and false information about vaccination. Could OB-GYNs help educate them better?
Some parents think their four-year-old boy’s emotional outbursts and aggressive behaviour can be blamed on their hormones. Here’s why that’s a myth.
There are lots of tall tales about mosquitoes and how malaria is transmitted. Here are sturdy facts on the disease.
Common warts can be hard to treat. No wonder people turn to home remedies, like duct tape and vinegar. But do they really work?
Losing weight is hard enough to do without myths interfering in the process. Information based on evidence, not legend, is important. Doctors aren’t enough. Friends, family, media need to be on board.
Myths about vaccines have resurfaced once again. Here is why you shouldn’t believe them.
Those buying and selling human breast milk online could be spreading disease without reaping any of the supposed health benefits.
Studies show that the more familiar we become with false information, the more likely we are to later remember it as fact.
Beep….beep……….beep……….beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. “We’re losing him. Out of my way, nurse!” The quick-thinking young doctor charges the defibrillator paddles and places them on the chest of the lifeless…
This winter, most of us will catch a cold. Our kids will probably catch at least two or three. We all know you are supposed to feed a cold and starve a fever. But does it really make any difference if…
Of all the cultural beliefs about health and illness that saturate the developed world, there is none so pervasive and deeply held as the idea that you can “battle” an illness by sheer force of will. We…
We’ve long known that too much excess weight increases your likelihood of dying prematurely. Or does it? A large review of the evidence published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA…
Despite most parents ultimately just wishing for a healthy baby, there are many cultural and social factors that can drive the desire for a baby of a particular sex. The medical technology for sex selection…
Vaginal thrush, or “vulvovaginal candidiasis” is a common condition, with around three-quarters of women experiencing an episode in their lifetime. Many readers may be familiar with the unpleasant symptoms…
As the weather starts to cool down and winter clothes enter rotation in our wardrobes, some peculiar combinations emerge: shorts and scarves; thongs and jackets; T-shirts and beanies. The last is often…
Almost everyone crosses their legs, whether it’s conscious or unconscious, for custom, for comfort, for effect, to stop your legs splaying, to take pressure off a foot, or for no reason at all. But is…
In an evolutionary sense, memory of pain serves an important purpose. Pain indicates a threat to our safety or our life, and human survival depends on us avoiding things that are going to kill us. Historically…
Top contributors
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Conjoint Clinical Associate Professor, Deakin University School of Medicine and Specialist Pain Medicine Physician, Deakin University
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Professor of Medicine, Monash University
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Associate Professor, Deakin University
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Specialist General Practitioner, and Conjoint Senior Lecturer, UNSW Sydney
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Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle
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NHMRC Early Career Fellow, Telethon Kids Institute
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Professor, School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University
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Professorial Research Fellow. School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide
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Foundation Director of Optometry Studies, Deakin University
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Professor, Chair of Population Oral Health + Head of School, Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University
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General Manager at Button Food Science & Nutrition
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Endocrinologist, Jean Hailes & Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Monash University
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Professor of Psychology, Flinders University
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Head of Urology at Monash Medical Centre and Associate Professor of Surgery, Monash University
