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20 health myths not to pass on to your children

20 health myths not to pass on to your children
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16) Infections should be treated with antibiotics

False! Antibiotics are not automatic! Antibiotics work to destroy or prevent the growth of bacteria, meaning that only bacterial infections -not viral infections -should be treated with antibiotics.

17) You can stop taking an antibiotic as soon as you start to feel better

The first signs of improvement from an illness are often seen after 48 hours of taking an antibiotic, and many people tend to stop taking it at that point, believing it is better to take less medication.

Big mistake! Not finishing a course of antibiotics can cause higher resistance to the bacteria and make them ineffective the next time you need to take them.

18) Stress increases risk of cancer

Stress on its own cannot cause cancer, which is a multifactorial disease (caused by several factors). However, with certain cancers, stress can be a risk factor for recurrence.

19) The hymen can close up again

Some people believe that the hymen can grow back when we abstain from sex for a long time. This is not at all true. The hymen is a membrane situated at the entry to the vagina. Once it has been broken, it cannot grow back again, even in the absence of sex.

20) We only use 10% of our brains’ capacity

Movies have a tendency to propagate certain health myths, such as that which claims we use only 10% of our cerebral capacities.

Thanks to MRI scans, we now know that over 10% of our brain is active at any given time. Each area has its own functions, and although we may not reach 80% or 90% usage (which scientists nowadays believe to be impossible), we certainly use more than 10%.

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