Health@Heart Fake medical info

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

SENIORS need less sleep

Studies show that seniors need the same amount of sleep as other adults (7-9 hours each night), although they tend to wake up earlier because they go to sleep earlier. A restful sleep is essential to health. Those with impaired sleep might need a Sleep Study to rule in or out Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) which could effectively be managed with the use of a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device, the gold standard of care for OSA. Untreated, OSA could lead to a host of illnesses, like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer. Hence, endangering longevity.

Kissing pets is safe Kissing pets or allowing pets to kiss you is dangerous. Pets lick their anus and their saliva could have various bugs like Salmonella, E. Coli, Clostridia and Campylobacteria which could cause intestinal diseases in humans. People getting ill from licking (with) their pets results from oral contact with fecal residue in the pets’ mouth. Obviously, allowing pets to lick your face is also unhealthy.

Shrimp-Vit C combo poisonous

Social media posts claiming eating shrimp and taking Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) leads to arsenic poisoning are false. This fake news, like countless others in social media, are irresponsible disinformation that could hurt people. The great potential of social media in benefiting mankind as a whole is there to be harnessed. Let’s all use this modern venue of social interaction to make our world, and our life, everyone’s life, better.

COVID-19 is a hoax

The one who posted this in social media must have been under the influence of a mind-altering condition called stupidity! Other claims that exploded in social media included the following: Vaccines caused infertility; COVID-19 was caused by 5G technology; the vaccines kill more people than they saved; masks activate the coronavirus; hydrochloroquine was effective against the virus; dangerous shortcut was taken in the development of the mRNA vaccines, and many others.

Cannabis cures cancer

Claims that cannabis cures cancer abound but scientific evidence points to the contrary. Cannabis does not cure cancer. Cannabis contains about 540 chemical substances. The name “marijuana” refers to parts of cannabis that contains tetrahydro cannabinol (THC). Cannabidiol (CBD) compound is found in marijuana. None of these compounds cure cancer. Some studies even showed that THC may not be effective as a neuro-pain killer either.

Vaccines kill

False. Vaccines in general, and COVID-19 vaccines in particular, do not cause deaths, contrary to some fake news. Fact-checking it, via SciCheck Digest and current available scientific data, reveals this: “Preschool vaccines and other required vaccines have saved billions of lives over the past several decades. COVID-19 vaccines, which have also saved billions, significantly reduced the risk of dying from SARSCoV2 virus. Most of the deaths occurred before the vaccines were developed. Serious side-effects were rare. Excess deaths among working-age adults in 20212022 were driven (caused) by COVID-19 itself and other factors, not vaccination. Faulty logic underlies claims that vaccines caused mass disability and economic harm.” Some people had allergic reactions to the vaccines and successfully treated for them. But there was no evidence that the vaccines directly caused any deaths.

Metformin: A bad drug

French physician Jean Sterne was the first to pursue the glucose-lowering effect of metformin for diabetes in 1957. This drug was first approved in Canada in 1972, and subsequently in the U.S. in 1995, for Type 2 diabetes mellitus. There were more than 93 million prescriptions for metformin in the United States in 2020. This wonder drug has been used effectively for T2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and polycystic ovary syndrome. There are various brand names for metformin. Besides these, metformin has been found to improve fertility among women having trouble getting pregnant, prevent complications in pregnancy, help control obesity, slow down cognitive decline, prevent age-related illnesses, and aid in slowing aging. Definitely not a bad drug!

Ginger better than chemo

Only a malicious, illintentioned mind could spread such dangerous falsehood in any media, victimizing suffering cancer patients on chemo, confusing them to opt for ginger instead of chemo. That is criminal! Other items touted as “better than chemo” are papaya leaf juice, okra, herbs, thyme, jasmine, etc. This could deprive an unsuspecting patient the possible benefits from chemo. While the freedom of speech is sacred and must be preserved for all, the First Amendment was not established to help promote lies and disinformation. There ought to be a law against purveyors of falsehood to hold them accountable and liable, and enforced to its fullest!

One cigarette a day is safe

A poison, no matter how minimal, is still a poison. One stick of cigarette a day will have the same harmful effects on the throat, lungs, and cardiovascular system. It might take the damage a longer time to develop but it is guaranteed to cause the injury eventually. If one is able to reduce this unhealthy (potentially deadly) habit to one stick a day, totally abstaining from smoking is evidently achievable.

Marijuana is not addictive

Against conventional wisdom, marijuana is addictive. As the tolerance to the substance becomes more intense, the amount required to feel the effect increases. There are many hooked on marijuana who find it hard to quit. The best is obviously not to start the unhealthy use of the drug for recreational purposes at all.

Use of marijuana increases the risk for memory illness, stroke, heart and other diseases, anxiety, paranoia, depression. Some of the health benefits of quitting marijuana are: Improvement in respiratory health; improved mental clarity and greater cognitive function; lesser vulnerability