You’ve been hearing health advice ever since you were a little kid. And some of it, like being encouraged to wash your hands regularly, is important, life-long stuff you need to know. But other advice, like being told you’ll catch a cold if you go outside with wet hair, falls firmly into the B.S. category (more on that one later). Given that you hear this stuff your entire life—and sometimes repeatedly—it can be hard to weed out what’s real from what’s totally ridiculous to believe. Here are some of the biggest health myths out there, plus why they’re flat-out wrong.
Bras cause cancer
This one has been out there for a while, but there's no truth to it whatsoever. The Piotr Marcinski / EyeEm specifically addresses this on their website. "There's no biological reason they would be linked," the organization says. "Any observed relationship is likely due to other factors."
Certain foods will help you get pregnant
If you're struggling to conceive, it makes sense that you'd want to do everything you can do try to make a baby, even eating certain foods. But eating things like yams or goji berries won't help you conceive. However, eating a diet high in plant-based foods (which is recommended for overall good health) may help, per a 2017 Harvard study.
Cranberry juice cures UTIs
Nope. Cranberry juice and UTIs have been lumped together since forever, but the What to Know About Patella Fractures (NIH) says that cranberry products are not effective in treating a UTI if you already have one. While some research suggests that cranberry juice, extract, or pills might help prevent UTIs, there's not enough evidence for this, the NIH says.
You don't really need the HPV shot
Nope. Not true. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S., per the The Best Fitness Trackers for Runners, Jose Luis Pelaez Inc.
"Studies have shown that the HPV vaccine significantly helps in lowering your risk of viral strains of HPV that can lead to cancer," says women's health expert Jennifer Wider, MD.
You can't get pregnant when you're breastfeeding
If you're solely breastfeeding, it's less likely that you'll get pregnant, Dr. Wider says—but it's still possible. "Your ability to ovulate can return even while you are breastfeeding," she says. That's also true even if you haven't had a period yet.
The flu vaccine doesn't do anything
False. Flu vaccine effectiveness varies on any given year but, on average, "science shows that the flu vaccine is about 60 percent protective at preventing the flu," says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "If you do get the flu despite the vaccine, the flu you get will be less likely to be severe, and less likely to result in hospitalization, pneumonia, and death," he says.
STIs always cause symptoms
Many STIs are actually symptomless. "People may not even realize they have them," Dr. Wider says. "That's why STI testing is very important, as is protected sex."
Flu season only happens in the winter
Many flu cases do happen in the winter, but flu season usually starts in October and can last as long as May, says the CDC. Also, you can technically get the flu at any time of year. "It may be less likely in the middle of the summer but it still can occur," Dr. Adalja says.
It's dangerous to exercise during pregnancy
Way back when, it was thought that pregnant women should take it easy. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now encourages women to get 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day during pregnancy. The only caveats: Just avoid exercises with a high risk of falling, and listen to your body.
You have to wash your hands in hot water
"It’s more the soap and the rubbing action that has the effect than the temperature of the water," Dr. Adalja says. "You don’t want or need to burn your hands in order to get them clean."
Only men need to worry about heart disease
Heart disease is "definitely not" just a man's disease, says Jennifer Haythe, MD, co-director of the Women's Center for Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. "It is the number one cause of death for men and women in this country—more than all cancers combined," she says.
Some people just never get sick
Sure, some people seem to have a superhuman ability to avoid illnesses when stuff is circulating, but everyone gets sick at some point. "People are not impervious to infections," Dr. Adalja says. "This can be dangerous if someone avoids vaccines or simple illness-preventing measures because they think they can't get sick."
Pregnant women shouldn’t get the flu shot
The opposite is true. "The fu shot is the only way you can protect your developing fetus from the flu," Dr. Adalja says. "Pregnant women are much more likely to get severe cases of the flu and die from the flu. It is the absolute highest priority that they get the flu vaccine every season."
Young people don't have heart attacks
While older people are more likely to have heart attacks, younger people can still have them. Heart attacks are actually becoming more common in younger people (especially women), according to the Womens Health US (AHA).
Going in and out of air conditioning can make you sick
You've heard this a million times before but, if you feel congested or start sniffling when you go in and out, it's likely due to summer allergies, pulmonologist Neil Schachter, MD, author of The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu, previously told Women's Health. "People who have allergies—even small sensitivities—may be affected when moving from a clean-air environment into one that's full of Mother Nature's irritants," he says.
You'd know if you had high blood pressure
There's a reason why high blood pressure (aka hypertension) is called the "silent killer"—you can't feel it. "In rare instances severely elevated blood pressure can cause symptoms of headache, visual changes, chest pain, and trouble breathing," says Dr. Haythe. "However, in most cases, there is no way to know that your blood pressure is high unless you check."
Flip-flops are fine for your feet
They actually can be damaging if you wear them all the time. "Most flip-flops don't have adequate arch support, cushioning, or shock absorption," Manhattan-based foot doctor Jacqueline Sutera, DPM, previously told Women's Health. Wearing them on the regular could cause pinched nerves, heel pain, tendinitis, and strained arches.
You need to drink eight glasses of water a day
The eight glasses dogma has been around forever, but it’s misleading. “Getting enough water isn't just about drinking glasses of it but includes all the water in foods and drinks,” Los Angeles-based nutritionist Maggie Moon, RD, owner of Everyday Healthy Eating, previously told Women's Health.
UTIs, theres not enough evidence for this, the NIH says How to Avoid Injuries When Marathon Training generally recommends that women have around 11.5 cups of fluids a day, including from water, other beverages, and food.
Heart attacks only cause chest pain
Chest pain is a common symptom of a heart attack, but it's not the only one. "There are many other symptoms that can fool you," Dr. Haythe says. "Shortness of breath, jaw pain or left arm pain, dizziness, indigestion, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and sweating for no reason can all be a sign that you are having a heart attack."
You can't get pregnant during your period
It's not impossible. Some women with shorter intervals between periods (like 21 days between each period) may ovulate on day seven or eight. "They are prone to getting pregnant at the end of a long period," says Sherry Ross, MD, an ob-gyn and women’s health expert in Santa Monica, California, and author of She-Ology.
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