Medical Myth Busting - by Dr. Steve Sainsbury

 

2012 Columns

 

 

September, 2012      Eight Common Tobacco Myths

 

When it comes to society's vices, we frequently delude ourselves into believing that things are not quite as bad as they appear. Tobacco is no exception, as smokers imagine that their addictions are no worse than a predilection for chocolate. If only it were true. Here are a few of the cherished myths about tobacco.

 

August, 2012            Immunization Myths

 

The millions of lives saved since the advent and worldwide utilization of immunizations is nothing short of miraculous. Whether administered to a Masai warrior roaming the Serengeti Plain or the golden child of a Hollywood mogul, vaccines protect us all from an expanding list of life-threatening and disabling illnesses. Yet amazingly, many people refuse vaccinations, putting themselves, their families, and others around them at risk.

 

July, 2012                The Heart of Darkness Re-visited    

 

The look on the patient's face, even weeks later, will haunt me. Her anguished eyes, avoiding contact with the men in the room, dart rapidly back and forth. She winces at every perceived movement. Her voice, barely audible, utters monosyllabic responses. Despite having worked in emergency medicine for over 20 years, I have never seen a patient display such unspoken suffering and torment.

 

June, 2012               Myth Busting: Sugar and Hyperactivity    

 

As you pick up your six-year-old twins from kindergarten, you notice that they are unusually excited. They run far ahead of you down the sidewalk to your car, and can barely stay still long enough for you to buckle them into their car seats.

 

May, 2012                Myth: You Must Have Chest Pain To Be Having A Heart Attack   

 

Heart attacks are definitely one of our biggest fears. We have become a nation of joggers, dieters, and pill takers, much of this behavior directed towards avoiding "the big one." Yet many myths surround heart attacks, not the least of which is that in order to be having a heart attack, you have to feel crushing chest pain -- "Doctor, I feel like there is an elephant sitting on my chest.".

 

April 2012                 Poison Oak and Poison Ivy - the Myths Abound    

 

Here on the Central Coast, poison oak is rampant. It grows like a weed, and can be found along stream beds and hiking paths, on hillsides, and even in your own backyard. Poison oak's cousins, found farther east, are poison ivy and poison summac—few of us have escaped its wrath.

 

March, 2012             Vision Myths    

 

Once again, a warning. Myth-busting is dangerous work. We love our myths, and hold on to them tighter than a winning lottery ticket. But ultimately, you will find that discerning fact from fiction is empowering, and frees us up for bigger and better things—like potty-training.  

 

February, 2012         Swallowed Foreign Bodies    

 

Small children are like human vacuum cleaners. Everything goes in their mouths - toys, coins, paper, plastic (along with some objects too disgusting to mention). I have often felt that if my own home vacuum was ever broken, I could just take any 1-2 year old toddler, hold him up by both legs, and scour my floors clean by walking him throughout the house.

 

January, 2012           Gun Ownership Myths    

 

Advance warning: I am certain that this column will annoy many who cherish their guns, and their right to own and use them. Nonetheless, consider the following facts. And please, don't shoot the messenger - no pun intended.

 

                                                                                       

 

                                                                              Go to Medical Myth Busting 2011, 2010 and 2009