On this exciting episode of Trends connect Our guest, an esteemed medical and health professional Dr Hameed Adediran anchors us on the topic dispelling medical myths for a healthier tomorrow.
In today’s modern society health information is abundant but so are myths sadly believing in these myths can sometimes worsen health outcomes.
Dr Hameed delves into the depth of common misconceptions, debunks myths with evidence based insight to empower you on your journey to optimal wellbeing.
Dr Hameed starts by giving Some background information on the topic.
He says, Where there is information there is a possibility of myth. Everyone serves as a broadcaster. What one person knows ten others might get to know and it continues spreading, of course it has been worsened by the advent of social media however, steps are being made to reduce them if not abolish them.
Dr Hameed also gave us Some common myths and their theories in the medical field such as:
If you sleep under a fan or an air conditioner it could cause pneumonia
There is nothing that medically proves this is possible as pneumonia is caused by bacteria. What people call pneumonia is probably just a common cold.
For women, consuming sugar prior to your menstrual cycle affects how deep your cramps will come or how heavy your flow will get
Dr Hameed debunks this as well. It might affect the intensity of your cramps but it’s not the reason for menstrual cramps and it’s also not the reason for a heavy flow.
Consuming cow skin commonly referred to as ponmo adds no nutrients to the body
Cow skin does have nutrients such as fibre, so this is false as well.
Slimming tea helps greatly to lose weight
He says generally teas are rich in antioxidants and antioxidants have a potential to manage fat but the impact is quite minimal. It will take more than consuming slimming tea to lose weight.
The victimization of women when it comes to childbirth and the child’s gender
The gender of a child is largely contributed by a man, it’s a function of which of the chromosomes x or Y the man donates. If It’s the Y chromosome the child’s gender is a male if it’s the X chromosome the gender will be a female.
In the case of infertility the causes are grouped into four. Statistically from research 30% is a female related issue called female fertility another 30% is a male issue also called male fertility, the last 30% the problem is shared like wrong timing or other factors and the remaining 10% is due to unexplained causes.
Recent medical advances that challenge long standing beliefs or myth
In today’s time of technology and social media, platforms are now being created to pick up rumours and myths, when they are dropped the correct information is added to avoid misleading people.
Beyond that most myths are spread by individuals and people tend to believe it especially when it’s from a medical practitioner some of these medical professionals are bound by culture hence a lot needs to be done in this regard.
The red flags people should look out for when evaluating health information
Firstly, be circumspect about your source of information
secondly is verification, if you have a health service package it’s within your rights to go to your hospital to seek verification when unsure. you’re not only limited to going to the hospital just because you have a health complaint.
Avoid sharing myths especially one you haven’t verified
How cultural or societal beliefs influence the prevalence of myths.
Because we as a nation are highly culturally sensitive people it plays a huge role in most things we do. Wrong practices even take place in medical facilities because it has been passed down through generations and has now become a norm.
How we can make sure the spread of myths and rumours are stopped or avoided
If you see something wrong, speak up, equip yourself with the right information so you’ll know what to say. By sharing the right information on social media platforms there’s a probability the tides can be changed to shut those rumour mongers.
How we can encourage evidence based thinking in healthcare and combat pseudoscience.
People Choose to Believe pseudoscience because it resonates with what they want to hear and sounds trendy. But we as individuals or organizations can help in amplifying things like this.
Hopefully with time the gap between the scientific world and the streets will be breached and these prevalent myths and rumours will become infamous and unpopular.
In Summary, It’s crucial for us as individuals to untangle the webs of misinformation surrounding health and wellness to pave the way for a better and more optimal lifestyle.
