We live in an age where information is instant. A quick Google search can bring up millions of results in seconds. But along with solid facts, plenty of outdated or misleading ideas keep getting recycled, and far too many people accept them without a second thought.
So when a Reddit user asked doctors to share the medical myths they still hear often, plenty of responses came in. And it’s concerning, because believing the wrong thing about your health can have serious consequences.
Keep reading to see what they had to say—just remember, for real medical advice, always consult a qualified healthcare professional directly.
#1
Biggest myth....that Kennedy knows what he is talking about and will make American healthy again.
#2
YOU DONT NEED ANTIBIOTICS FOR YOUR VIRAL COLD.
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#3
I'm not a Doctor but I work in end of life care.
So many people think hospice workers are just waiting to k**l their loved ones with morphine.
I've even heard they think we get a bonus if their loved one dies more quickly. This belief is very prevalent amongst older people.
It's incredibly insulting and hurtful.
I've heard it repeated so many times that I have lost my patience with it and have to bite my tongue.
No one is recommending morphine because they want your loved one to die, it's because they can't swallow their pain pills anymore and they're suffering.
End of story.
Image credits: MissSassifras1977
#4
You know what's unnatural? Eyeglasses. You know what is natural? Being chased down by predators you notice too late.
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#5
Essentially everything RFK says.
#6
"Natural" supplements are better and safer than proven medications. Have seen people die with treatable cancer, heart disease, liver failure- or get very sick from these untested products. And they cost a lot. Please be careful.
Image credits: Spiritual-Editor-459
#7
"Women have been having babies for thousands of years" as a rationale to dismiss risks.
Child birth has incredible risks, most of which are carpet swept under the joy of having kids, and leads to a lot of shock during pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Every would-be parent should be assessing the risks before getting pregnant. Not as a deterrent, but as a way to be fully informed as various things can unfold, and how to be ready for them.
Image credits: Suitable_cataclysm
#8
That vaccines do more harm than good.
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#9
As a friend of mine once said, "Even arsenic is all natural".
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#10
“The doctor told me I had 6 months to live.” Not that I can blame people for possibly misunderstanding the details of a cancer diagnosis. What the doctor actually is saying is that the median survival is 6 months. Half live more than 6 months and half live less.
This might seem trivial to some of you, but I think this misunderstanding hurts trust in doctors at the exact time they need it most. How many times have you heard something like “The doctor gave me one year to live and I’m still alive 3 years later.” The implication for some being that doctors don’t know what they are talking about.
I have seen too many people forgo effective treatment to do something crazy like smoke marijuana instead of having a bone marrow transplant for their leukemia. And misunderstandings like this are partly to blame.
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#11
You can catch a cold by being outside in the cold and wet without a jacket on. Or catch a cold just by sitting around in wet clothes.
Image credits: MiekerBeaker
#12
ICU nurse here. This is a new one I just heard today. A patient’s family member asked me if the blood we were giving the patient had been screened to make sure it wasn’t high pressure blood. I didn’t delve into what they meant by that .
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#13
Not a doctor; that the cervix doesn't have nerves and thus can't feel any pain. I think the overwhelming amount of women who say getting an IUD inserted hurts enough that many have passed out beg to differ.
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#14
Wearing reading glasses with make your near vision worse. No, aging makes your near vision worse.
“My eyes can’t be dry, they’re watering all the time.” Watering is in fact a symptom of dry eye disease.
Eating carrots makes your eyesight better. Nope. Carrots contain vitamin A which is important for vision, and vitamin A deficiency can definitely result in vision problems. But more carrots does not equal better vision.
Image credits: Ophththth
#15
The ivermectin is better for cancer than standard therapies myth is growing. And whenever a patient shows data it’s always cell culture data.
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#16
**Myth 1**: going to bed with your hair wet will make you sick.
It doesn’t. It can lead to hair damage and headaches, but it doesn’t make you sick.
**Myth 2**: you don’t need to take your whole antibiotic regimen, you can stop when your symptoms stop.
For the love of god, please don’t do this. Please always finish your entire antibiotic regimen as directed, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
#17
"Vaccines cause autism.".
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#18
That MSG is in some form toxic- nope. That was powered by racism and xenophobia. There’s been no study to show MSG causing any of the side effects previously attributed to it.
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#19
You need to drink 8 cups/2 liters/whatever of water a day to be healthy. There is no such evidence-based recommendation. The best science says to drink to your thirst.
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#20
PEE. IS. NOT. STERILE.
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#21
Less a myth. More a lack of education. Hydrogen peroxide is decent for using at initial wound cleansing. Repeated use actually resets the healing process. Most don’t know this.
Image credits: Own-Illustrator7980
#22
‘Circumcision is necessary’.
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#23
Not in the U.S. but I've done some conferences there and have heard some colleagues claim that different races/s*x naturally have different pain tolerance levels.
While it's true that people have different pain tolerance levels, I've seen no evidence suggesting there's any correlation to race or s*x.
#24
Teeth are luxury bones and that's why insurance doesn't cover them. Teeth are not just cosmetic they are also needed. Without teeth the ability to chew food properly diminishes, leading to potential nutritional deficiencies and digestive problems. Not having teeth also causes bone loss in the jaw and speech problems. Not to mention all the trouble that comes with an infected tooth. They can and will k**l you without treatment.
#25
That I get rich from vaccines.
Vaccines don’t reimburse s**t. Kids don’t reimburse for s**t. I drive a used Honda and save thousands of more lives than the neurosurgeon in the Maserati. I’m fine with that. Just stop saying I’m rich because vaccines. No. I’m doing okay. But many many more kids are alive who wouldn’t be.
#26
“They just want to take their organs!” I can promise you the doctors and nurses taking care of you get zero dollars in bonus for anyone donating organs.
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#27
“You’re too young to be experiencing menopausal or hormonal symptoms.”
Perimenopause starts as early as 35 for some, some women go through ovarian failure before 40. HRT is incredibly important and helpful. Hormonal issues are a big concern for cardiovascular, osteoporosis, metabolic risks, shorter life expectancy and weight issues. Autoimmune disorders should also be considered alongside diagnosis.
HRT does not cause any higher likelihood of blood clots or cancers than Birth Control does. Rx the HRT as it bypasses the liver and has fewer potential side effects. Do not let your patients suffer please. Refer out to a specialist if you’re not well versed in endocrine concerns. Birth Control is not safer than HRT and HRT is absolutely necessary with POF until at least age 55.
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#28
Dragonflies sting.
They don’t.
I’m a doctor of Entomology.
#29
Insurance covers it.
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#30
Catching a viral illness because it's cold outside.
Sugar feeds cancer
"Nipping" a bronchitis in the bud by taking antibiotics.
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#31
That you have to take the bullet out.
You don’t.
The holes the bullet made are the problem. Just taking the bullet out doesn’t fix anything. Hard eye roll every time I see this in movies.
Image credits: DianeMadeMe
#32
Not a doctor, but the person who believed a myth from TV: that autopsies are commonly performed. The doctor told me that in the state only about 2% of deaths are autopsied.
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#33
Glasses make your eyes weak or lazy. Glasses solve a optics problem.
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#34
Vaccine-skepticism. They are one of the simplest, most-effective interventions we have ever created.
#35
The number of doctors that have extreme bias is super scary. Won't listen to someone based on racism, sexism, or classism... common. Causes a lot of issues, you have a group of people who are convinced from a very young age that they are too smart to have bias, and simultaneously told they are smarter than anyone else, rolling their eyes at all manner of sickness, like MANY believe people are faking, if they dont have a quick diagnostic tool to confirm, and the patient is not the type of person the doctor considers competent enough to describe or even experience illness. I have a friend who is teaching doc at a major hospital, and he is like the most challenging part is getting some of the bias and arrogance out of young doctors, many of whom have no frame of reference for other cultures and are astounded to learn many patients have had damaging experiences with doctors, based on mythology and bias doctors are engrained with.
#36
Whenever someone has a concussion and we send them home after a normal CT scan, I always get asked how often they need woken up and checked on.
Image credits: Bravemanafish
#37
Vitamin C cures/prevents a cold.
#38
Not a doctor but I was told that giving birth on my back was the best most natural position. This is very much not true.
#39
Not a doctor, but extremely frustrated that my parents seem to think that the medical industry is not designed to cure you, but keep you sick and dependent on them forever so they make boatloads of money off of you.
Also they seem to think that all medicines or vaccines or whatever just gives you whatever it’s supposed to be helping.
Needless to say my Dad didn’t like me saying that maybe the insulin he takes is what’s giving him diabetes after he told me that Covid tests give you Covid.
#40
You can be sure that if there is ANY value in a compound, some pharma megacorp will have it locked under patent. So when someone claims you can just take some random supplements or mix up some cure all concoction they are pushing snake oil.
#41
Pediatrician here. I’ve gotten the “vaccines cause autism” myth twice in the past month alone. It’s frustrating and a bit sad.
#42
Not a Doctor, but still AMAZED at how deeply people hold the outdated idea that taking huge doses of Vitamin C when sick or “feeling like you are coming down with something” will have a major effect or otherwise prevent the full severity of the cold or whatever. Vitamin C is of course necessary for good functioning of the immune system, but no, it isn’t some kind of miracle cure or supercharges your immune system.
#43
Former speech therapist here, who dealt with adults with difficulty swallowing. So many people think that if you are choking, you should raise your hands above your head to dislodge the food.
Image credits: PastyDoughboy
#44
That babies/toddlers dont have kneecaps….they have kneecaps they are just cartilage so you cant see them on xray. Take a peek at a xray of a toddler/baby foot or hand and it would look like they have no bones at all.
Image credits: ohKilo13
#45
Wet hair will give you a cold if you leave the house.
#46
That black people are more tolerant of pain than white people.
#47
That we can, or would want to, sort by COVID vaccinated and non-vaccinated blood. Usually comes up every few months, and used to be almost weekly. .
Image credits: Crows_reading_books
#48
“Stroke level” blood pressure. As if there’s a certain blood pressure at which point you will absolutely have a stroke. High blood pressure is a chronic problem. Stroke is a consequence of long term high blood pressure, not a one off day of high blood pressure.
ETA: high blood pressure in pregnancy is more a concern for seizure and not stroke. That said, please follow your OB/Gyn’s guidelines regarding blood pressure in pregnancy.
#49
“You are only prescribing me a medicine because you get paid for each prescription you write.” False.
#50
Am GI doctor focusing on IBD pts (I myself have Crohn's). I see/hear a lot of bad advice or outdated myths. "Just eat less processed foods," "IBD inflammation is mostly dietary related," etc. It's increased in recent years, due to the focus on "gut health" in alt-right crunchy rhetoric. A persistently nefarious one is exaggerated claims about how dangerous biologics really are. There are risks, but risk assessment is a basic part of treatment management.
A pretty harmless myth that persists is "nuts,seeds,popcorn cause diverticulitis." It used to be standard advice, but there's actually no significant evidence that they inflame diverticula more than other foods. I don't care if someone wants to avoid them, though, bc it isn't actually *harmful* like some of the above myths.
#51
Not a doctor but when I worked in Emergency, I saw a man poisoned by WD40. He sprayed it on his arthritic knees.
PS....it doesn't work AND don't do it!! He was lucky though, we caught it before his kidneys died.
#52
I am a patient. I have idiopathic intracranial hypertension, also known as IIH, or pseudotumor cerebri.
It's basically too much cerebral spinal fluid in your skull, crushing your brain.
Often, it also crushes your optic nerves - causing blindness. It's called pappillademia.
So, doctors use pappillademia to measure the severity of IIH.
Here's the thing. IIH without pappillademia exists. It doesn't necessarily cause eye issues for everyone.
There are a surprising amount of doctors around who insist "your eyes are fine so your brain is fine."
I went thru five specialists till I found one that believed me. The normal pressure is 5-15. Mine was 40. They ignored that I had other classic symptoms because my eyes were okay.
I run the IIH discord and it's an issue that pops up CONSTANTLY.
The fact that ophthalmologists, neuro-opthomologists, and neurologists can't get it thru their heads that pappillademia is a sign that IIH exists, that pappillademia healing is a sign it's getting better - but if it doesn't exist doesn't mean the patient doesn't have IIH. They're actively hurting patients.
They need to go back to school for this illness. They're massively under trained.
#53
That being admitted into hospice means you’re signing your own death certificate. No, you will receive treatment and care up until the point that your body can no longer take it.
People “graduate” from hospice all the time because they no longer need it and the people who really do need it often don’t want to be in it.
#54
I have had multiple patients concerned about operating on their non-metastatic cancer because they are certain that if air touches the tumor it will metastasize.
#55
Nurse practitioner but: having a high BMI alone automatically makes you unhealthy. Losing weight is hard, but eating a balanced diet and exercising can definitely help lower your risk for high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. even if the scale doesn't budge. Don't give up!
#56
Not a doctor but a med student
Carrots are good for the eyes. Propaganda so good that people still believe it 80+ years later.
#57
Electroconvulsive therapy is t*****e and will destroy your brain. When in reality it's the most effective treatment we have for certain mental health disorders like depression and catatonia.
#58
I’ve personally witnessed my three children born. I can without a doubt verify that s**t ain’t no walk in the park.
#59
If you can move it (referring to any body part), it's not broken.
#60
Doctors make money from prescriptions or vaccines. Simply false.
#61
If alternative medicine really worked, it would be called…. medicine.
#62
Veterinary edition: that the temperature of a dog’s nose is an excellent indicator of their health.
#63
That you can’t combine acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Also the long standing nursing myth that you can’t give febrile patients a blanket. That s**t is just cruel.
#64
Doctors get kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. Not since the 90’s, grandpa!
#65
Not a doctor but I can’t let this go. Health teacher and later college anatomy teacher drove into us hard that using condoms will not safeguard you from all STD’s and you still need to be tested. I still see everywhere and get argued with that you just have to wrap it and you can’t get anything.
#66
Not a doctor but a physiotherapist - if you have a hip/knee replacement you shouldn't get out of bed and barely move for a week at least. I mean you can, but enjoy having reduced mobility in that joint going forward.
#67
Vitamin K levels increase to normal levels at day 8 of life. Nope, baby is still at risk for spontaneous bleeding without intramuscular vitamin K.
#68
"Stroke-level blood pressure".
There is no such thing. I've seen people survive in the 210s for years without a stroke or heart attack. Were they lucky? Sure. Should you let yours stay that high for that long? No.
It is important for you to have regular BP checks as part of normal preventative screenings/physical exams. If you have high BP, it is important that you take your meds and have it monitored more closely. Do not go to the ER for high blood pressure. If you are having stroke or heart attack symptoms, go to the ER now, no need to check your BP first.
#69
1. The flu shot DOES NOT cause the flu.
2. “low grade fever”
3. “I have a high pain tolerance” (“pain tolerance” is insanely multi factorial… but this usually means they have a lower-than-average pain tolerance)
4. The need for antibiotics for bronchitis.
5. Body/Brain getting “tolerance” or “used to” an antidepressants after a few years. Look we don’t even know why these pills work in the first place, okay? But the serotonin levels in the brain rise hours after taking an SSRI… but they take weeks to take effect. .
#70
Doctors are still pushing low fat as diet advice, even though it’s been proven wrong.
#71
Lateral hip pain is bursitis. It's been known for 2 and a half decades that it is not.
#72
RN, not a doctor. But we see a lot of “dry drowning” as chief complaint un the summers IN the ER.
