Файл: Medical_Myths_Lies_and_Half-Truths_guidebook.pdf

Table of Contents

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LECTURE 10

Vaccination Bene

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 ts—How Well Vaccines Work  .............................37

LECTURE 11

Vaccination Risks—Real and Imagined  ...........................................40

LECTURE 12

Antibiotics, Germs, and Hygiene  .....................................................44

LECTURE 13

Vague Symptoms and Fuzzy Diagnoses  .........................................47

LECTURE 14

Herbalism and Herbal Medicines .....................................................50

LECTURE 15

Homeopathy—One Giant Myth  .......................................................53

LECTURE 16

Facts about Toxins and Myths about Detox  .....................................57

LECTURE 17

Myths about Acupuncture’s Past and Bene

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 ts  ................................61

LECTURE 18

Myths about Magnets, Microwaves, Cell Phones  ............................65

LECTURE 19

All about Hypnosis  ...........................................................................69

LECTURE 20

Myths about Coma and Consciousness  ..........................................72

LECTURE 21

What Placebos Can and Cannot Do

................................................76

LECTURE 22

Myths about Pregnancy  ...................................................................79

Table of Contents

v

LECTURE 23

Medical Myths from around the World  .............................................83

LECTURE 24

Roundup—Decluttering Our Mental Closet  .....................................87

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

Glossary ...........................................................................................91
Bibliography ....................................................................................109

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This series of lectures is intended to increase your ability to recognize medical 
misinformation and make use of reliable, evidence-based information when 
making health-related choices. These lectures are not designed for use as 
medical references to diagnose, treat, or prevent medical illnesses or trauma. 
Neither The Great Courses nor Dr. Steven Novella is responsible for your use 
of this educational material or its consequences. If you have questions about 
the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a medical condition or illness, you 
should consult a quali

¿

 ed physician.

Disclaimer

1

Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths:

What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us

Scope:

T

rue or false: Eight glasses of water a day are mandatory for staying 
hydrated. Vitamin C protects you from catching a cold. Frequent 
snacking is the quickest way to bust your diet. Natural foods are 

always better for you.

You hear advice like this all the time. But what do these would-be nuggets 
of medical wisdom have in common? They’re all myths, half-truths, and 
misconceptions—pieces of information so familiar that we take them for 
granted without considering the scienti

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 c truth about them.

In today’s information age, when supposedly accurate medical advice and 
diagnoses can be found online with the click of a computer mouse, medical 
myths are all around us. Using them to make decisions about your health—
whether it’s how to treat the symptoms of the common cold or how to care 
for a child or aging relative—can be harmful, even deadly.

Because you are ultimately responsible for your own health, it’s critical to 
understand the accuracy of medical information—to break down the growing 
body of misinformation and discover the truth about everyday health and 
well-being. These 24 lectures are an empowering learning experience that 
will give you evidence-based guidelines for good health, will enhance 
your ability to be better informed about common medical myths, and 
will strengthen your skills at assessing the scienti

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 c truth behind medical 

information and advice. 

Ŷ

2

Lecture 1: Medical Knowledge versus Misinformation

Medical Knowledge versus Misinformation

Lecture 1

There are hundreds of cancer cures promoted on the Internet. There 
are all kinds of concoctions and unusual or bizarre treatments that will 
sell themselves because of claims that there’s a conspiracy of silence in 
the medical community—that the government and physicians are all in 
on it for some reason. But, at the end of the day, what they’re trying to 
do is sell you on a myth of the hidden or secret cancer cure.

W

e are all responsible for our own health and health care and for 
that of our children. Yes, there are healing professionals who are 
there to help, advise, and perform technical procedures—like 

surgery—that we can’t do ourselves. But, ultimately, we make our own 
decisions. We live in the age of information, where we can simply go on 
the Internet and get access to all the information that professionals have 
access to. Being armed with accurate information can help us make the 
best health decisions for ourselves and our families. But the 

À

 ip side is that 

being confused by myths and misinformation can be dangerous—sometimes 
even deadly.

On the Internet and elsewhere, there are rumors, urban legends, and myths 
that are spread as fact. There are many ideological groups spreading 
misinformation to promote their particular worldview. There are also plenty 
of people who are trying to separate you from your money by making false 
or misleading marketing claims or using hype rather than real information to 
promote a product. 

The best source of reliable information is still health-care professionals. 
Your physicians are there primarily to advise you. Don’t be afraid to ask 
questions: When you have a visit with a physician or other health-care 
professional, come prepared. If you are going to do some research on your 
own, do it before you go in, and bring your speci

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 c questions. Bring a friend 

or family member, because the more people that are in the room hearing the 
information, the more you will remember. Also, don’t be shy about seeking 
second opinions; it’s pretty much par for the course these days.