Don't Cross Your Eyes...They'll Get Stuck That Way!: And 75 Other Health Myths Debunked (35 page)

grapefruit

green mucus

G-spot

The G-Spot: And Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality
(Perry, Whipple, Ladas)

H1N1 influenza (swine flu)

airplane travel risk for

handshaking linked to

hair, wet

hair blow-dryer, lice infection from

hair dye

hairbrush, lice contamination of

handshake

handwashing

cold virus deterred by

household contagion avoided by

soap or alcohol-based cleaner for

head lice

Healthy Marriage Initiative

heart problems

apples causing fewer

marriage and

sex as risk for

sneezing causing

stress causing

HEPA.
See
high efficiency particulate air

hepatitis B

herbal supplements.
See also
vitamin supplements

herpes

high blood pressure

high cholesterol

high efficiency particulate air (HEPA)

hip bone density

HIV-infected patients

handshaking with

oral sex with

pregnant

home, contagion within

honey

allergy prevention with

cold remedy of vinegar and

hot peppers

hot steam

as cold remedy

saunas

HPV.
See
human papillomavirus

human papillomavirus (HPV)

humidification

hydrogen peroxide

hypothalamus

ibuprofen

ice water, amputated part in

immune system

cold susceptibility indicating weakened

sex influencing

sleep and strong

stress impacting

vaccination influencing

inflammation, chicken soup for

insomnia

interleukin-1

ipecac

Journal of Family Practice

Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery

Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand

Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Journal of Trauma

Kellogg, John Harvey

Knight-McDowell, Victoria

lactose intolerance

Ladas, Alice Kahn

lice

liver cancer

lung cancer

marriage

masturbation

McDowell, Thomas John

measles

medical myths

men

masturbation linked to blindness in

penis enlargement

penis reattachment

sex and immune system of

meningitis

menopause

mercury

metal fillings (teeth)

milk.
See also
dairy products

acne from

lactose intolerance

mucus from

as sleep aid

mother, health ideas of

mucus

dairy products causing

decongestants

green

muscle

less exercise and loss of

protein ingestion for

myeloperoxidase

myths, medical

nasal irrigation

National Cancer Institute

National Center for Health Statistics

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

neck injury

negative calories

Neisseria meningitidis

neti pot

neuroblastoma

neutrophils

New England Journal of Medicine

NHANES.
See
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

N-methyl-D-aspartate

nosebleed

Nurse’s Health Study

office buildings

oral sex

over-the-counter cold medicines

overweight

oysters

paper towels

parasites

Parker-Pope, Tara

partial thickness burns

pears

Pediatrics

penis

enlargement

reattachment of

Perry, John

phenolics

pillowcase, lice contamination of

pinkeye

pneumonia

poison

pregnancy

emergencies involving

fish consumption causing birth defects

hair dye causing birth defects

sex during

protein

quercetin

radiation exposure

resistant bacteria

respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

RSV.
See
respiratory syncytial virus

rubbing alcohol

saccharin

saline mist

saliva

droplet flocculation

wound licking

salmonella

sauna

scabies

scars

science, practice based on

sebum

seizures

first aid for

high temperature causing

sex

brain as sexual organ

garlic as deterrent to

G-spot

as heart risk

immune system linked to

masturbation

oysters as aphrodisiac

penis enlargement

pre-game

pregnancy and

sexually transmitted disease (STD)

herpes

HIV patient

oral sex with

shampoo, anti-lice

shoulder injury

sick air.
See also
air flow pattern

sinus infection

sit-ups

skin cancer

skin infection

sleep

immune system strength from

warm milk aiding

sneezing

aerosolized cold viruses

in confined spaces

heart beating and

snow, urinary infection from

soap

alcohol-based cleaner compared to

handwashing with

soda bubbles

sponges

Staphylococcus aureus

STD.
See
sexually transmitted disease

steam

as cold remedy

saunas

stomach flattening

stomach ulcers

strawberries

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Streptococcus pyogenes

stress

acne linked to

flu linked to

heart disease from

high blood pressure from

immune system influenced by

marriage causing

stretching, pre-exercise

sugar

Surgery Today

sweat lodge

swine flu

teeth

television

thermal sensation

throat.
See also
cold remedy

sore

strep

toads

tobacco

toilet seat

gonorrhea from

illness from touching

towels, lice contamination of

trains

tryptophan

tuberculosis

Tylenol.
See
acetaminophen

ulcers

upper respiratory infection (URI).
See also
colds

cold weather and

croup

day care facility contagion risk

green mucus

household transmission of

URI.
See
upper respiratory infection

urinary tract infection

vaccination

flu shot

during illness

immune system weakened by

vagina

viruses.
See also
colds

airplane travel risk of

antibiotics for

chickenpox

cold

croup

green mucus from

HPV

as immunity weakness

measles

respiratory syncytial

vision.
See
eyes

vitamin supplements

cancer research on

as cold remedy

vitamin A

vitamin B
6

vitamin B
12

vitamin C

vitamin E

vomiting

warts

wet hair

Whipple, Beverly

wine

women.
See also
pregnancy

acupuncture for childbirth

allergy prevention in

breast cancer

G-spot

urinary tract infection in

Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study

wounds

airing out overnight

hydrogen peroxide for

licking of

marriage and healing of

zinc

About the Authors

Aaron E. Carroll, MD, MS, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He has earned a BA in Chemistry from Amherst College, an MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and a master’s degree in Health Services from the University of Washington. He loves to read, ski, watch TV, collect comic books, build Legos, play video games, blog, talk on the radio, eat good food, drink good alcohol, and lose to his children at Monopoly. He lives with his wife and three children in Carmel, Indiana.

Rachel C. Vreeman, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Children’s Health Services Research Group at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Co-Director of Pediatric Research for the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) in Kenya. She has earned a BA in English from Cornell University, an MD from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, and a master’s degree in Clinical Research from Indiana University. She is a voracious reader who occasionally relinquishes her bookworm ways to explore new cities, play the piano, blog, ride her bicycle, take photographs, and laugh with the people she loves. She divides her time between Indianapolis, Indiana, and Eldoret, Kenya.

Aaron and Rachel are the co-authors of
Don’t Swallow Your Gum!: Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health
.

ALSO BY

Dr. Aaron E. Carroll and Dr. Rachel C. Vreeman

Don’t Swallow Your Gum!: Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health

DON’T CROSS YOUR EYES … THEY’LL GET STUCK THAT WAY!
Copyright © 2011 by Dr. Aaron Carroll and Dr. Rachel C. Vreeman. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

ISBN 978-0-312-68187-6

First Edition: July 2011

eISBN 978-1-4299-6995-6

First St. Martin’s Griffin eBook Edition: July 2011