Five health myths doctors wish would go away

From “starve a fever, feed a cold” to “drink eight glasses of water a day,” old wives’ tales and false medical advice run rampant in our everyday lives. Even the soundest medical advice can struggle to stand up against some of the myths we hold as truth. Can you tell fact from fiction? Check out five myths that doctors debunk regularly below.

Starve a fever, feed a cold.

According to the medical experts at Cedars-Sinai, this is fiction. Cold or flu, your immune system needs energy and nutrients to do its job, so eating and getting enough fluids is essential. Researchers at Harvard Medical School agree, saying that there’s no need to eat more or less than usual if you have a cold or flu.  

You need to drink eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.

Many people grew up hearing that drinking eight glasses of water is what’s needed to be properly hydrated. The truth is that many studies state that thirst is the best indicator of how much water you need to drink.

Going out with wet hair will make you sick.

It turns out that running out of the house without drying your hair won’t make you sick. Going out with wet hair can definitely make you colder, but it can’t make you sick. Studies do show that if you already have the virus in your body, going out with wet hair can cause the symptoms to begin showing.

Stress leads to high blood pressure.

Your stress levels aren’t as tied to your blood pressure levels as you think. Stress can temporarily raise your blood pressure, but chronic high blood pressure isn’t a direct outcome of stress.

Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.

Although cracking your knuckles isn’t good for you, it isn’t particularly harmful either. The long running rumor that this habit will cause arthritis is false.