Old wives' tales: Scientifically debunked

[Elfdude]

Hey guys so I've been encountering a lot of old wives' tales with regards to several types of treatment for minor injuries. What I was wondering is what other commonly believed tales are also either ineffective or accomplish the opposite of their goal?

1. Snakebite and using suction to extract the venom. This is entirely ineffective in treatment of snake bites. Worse it leaches the blood into the surrounding tissues (like a hickey) causing accelerated necrosis of the wound. The victim may also be prone to infection and the loss of blood is often more concerning than the bite itself. The actor performing first aid may also become poisoned. Shortly after being bitten by a snake your heart has already pumped enough to fairly evenly distribute the venom across your body. Shockingly the US army recommmends this despite no scientific backing and opposition from the medical establishment.

2. Butter on a burn. Not only does this not help the butter can help the burn persist for a longer period. Most people use it because it's thick and usually cool. However the best method for treating minor burns is simply cool water. The sensitivity that persists can then be best dealt with by gradually warming the water to body temperature.

3. Patting someone on the back when they're coughing. Those who have had children are most frequently guilty of this because while children are babies it's important to pat them on the back (using the correct technique) if they are choking. However the same technique is no longer effective once the child cannot be held and inverted with one arm. Ipso facto, hitting someone on the back is only likely to either just annoy them or could even lodge the food into a worse position.

[The Hedge Knight]

Feed a cold and Starve A fever. Do I even need to begin or shall I just let dehydration kill me?

[Vanoi]

Not all old wives tales are not true. Things like gargling salt water for sore throats does work.

[GrnEyedDvl]

I will have to ask my old wife for some more...

[xcorps]

Don't swallow gum because it takes 7 years to digest.

Where a pregnant woman carries her wieght will tell you the sex of the child.


Going out in the cold with wet hair will make you sick.

[Eofor]

Don't swallow gum because it takes 7 years to digest.

Wait is this an old wives' tale that's BS or not?

[Morbius Sire]

Going out in the cold with wet hair will make you sick.

Care to elaborate more?


Because I still believe that will make you sick, especially if there it is a windy cold.

[Psychonaut]

BS. You'll poop it out in a few hours.

[snuggans]

i'd like to get some truth shined on cerumen or ear wax. i've developed the habit of removing it from inside the ear with cotton swabs because i (probably mistakenly) believe it's causing itching.

[Visna]

i'd like to get some truth shined on cerumen or ear wax. i've developed the habit of removing it from inside the ear with cotton swabs because i (probably mistakenly) believe it's causing itching.

Earwax by itself doesn't cause itching. However, too little earwax can cause the ear canal to become dry and irritated, so if you constantly remove it, well, you get the drift.
There can be other causes of the itch though, allergies, skin conditions (psoriasis for example) and fungal infections are probably the most common. You should take it up with a doctor who can take a closer look.

[Phier]

Earwax by itself doesn't cause itching. However, too little earwax can cause the ear canal to become dry and irritated, so if you constantly remove it, well, you get the drift.
There can be other causes of the itch though, allergies, skin conditions (psoriasis for example) and fungal infections are probably the most common. You should take it up with a doctor who can take a closer look.

I disagree. My ears only itch when they need to be cleaned out of wax. Get the wax out the the itch goes away. Just because a few morons managed to stick a q-tip in too deep doesn't mean there isnt some merit to keeping the ear canal clean.

[Visna]

I disagree. My ears only itch when they need to be cleaned out of wax. Get the wax out the the itch goes away. Just because a few morons managed to stick a q-tip in too deep doesn't mean there isnt some merit to keeping the ear canal clean.

Keeping clean =/= keeping spotless. Too much or too little can cause irritation. People with spotless earcanals, swimmers for example, can quite easily build up earcanal issues. Not to mention they have the additional problem of fungal infections because they don't keep it dry. Or rather, keep it too moist.

[Phier]

Keeping clean =/= keeping spotless. Too much or too little can cause irritation. People with spotless earcanals, swimmers for example, can quite easily build up earcanal issues. Not to mention they have the additional problem of fungal infections because they don't keep it dry. Or rather, keep it too moist.

Well the question there is, is the issue the clean part or the wet part. I'm reacting more to the "never stick anything inside your ear" nonsense which is in itself approaching old wife status.

Now on the other hand "ear candles" are nice old wives tales that don't seem to actually do anything.

[Elfdude]

i'd like to get some truth shined on cerumen or ear wax. i've developed the habit of removing it from inside the ear with cotton swabs because i (probably mistakenly) believe it's causing itching.

Ear wax certainly could cause your ear to itch or lack of it could do the same. More commonly the wax isn't causing the itching but rather the hairs in your ears shifting causing the irritation. Your best bet is to simply use hot water to remove the ear wax. If you do it properly there shouldn't be anything to remove with cotton swabs. Human ear canals are sealed to the outside world and getting water in them will not cause ear infections (another old wives tale).

More importantly ear wax is a waxy substance that protects your ear canal from penetration by both microscopic elements to macroscopic bugs and irritants. It has antibiotic properties and if you can leave some extra it's probably good for you. Unfortunately it looks gross when earwax is hanging out of your ears.

When young I was always told that swallowing chewing-gum and seeds is dangerous because they could get stuck in your appendix or something.. Any truth to that?

Well if this were true there'd be much more concerning things to worry about then than gum or just basic seeds. There's tons of things you consume that are tougher, harder to digest and much smaller or grainy. I mean the average human consumes between 200-800 mg of dirt per day include silica or sand. This would pose a much more serious problem if what you said were true.

Ipso facto, undigestable materials such as seeds etc actually contribute to a faster 'transit' time (the time from eating to exiting) which improves bowel health. You're much more likely to suffer from an appendix infection with a long transit time caused by low fiber diets. However there is at least one thing that I've heard of legitimately causing issues with the appendix and that's the kernal shells surrounding popped corn. I've heard of those being wedged into salivary ducts to cutting the insides of your intestines. Which indeed eventually will lead to a bacterial infection.

The most concerning thing about gum is that you can't really digest it well because the gum creates a barrier to further penetration by the acids that would dissolve it. Most often this can cause heartburn though theoretically enough could block a sphincter in your belly but typically that requires you swallow more than you could chew at once so it's usually small children who go to town on a few packs that we worry about with that.

[StealthFox]

“Pay heed to the tales of old wives. It may well be that they alone keep in memory what it was once needful for the wise to know.” -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Certainly many "old wives tales" seem silly or down right ridiculous, but some have some truth in them and others are interesting to ponder their origin. I remember I found a website with origins for many old wives tales, but after a quick google search I can't seem to find it now.

[Nikitn]

Don't swallow gum because it takes 7 years to digest.

Where a pregnant woman carries her wieght will tell you the sex of the child.


Going out in the cold with wet hair will make you sick.

When young I was always told that swallowing chewing-gum and seeds is dangerous because they could get stuck in your appendix or something.. Any truth to that?

[xcorps]

When young I was always told that swallowing chewing-gum and seeds is dangerous because they could get stuck in your appendix or something.. Any truth to that?

Things you swallow do not pass through the appendix. It's possible that something large could get stuck at the opening of the appendix in the bowel, I seriously doubt that seeds or gum have a higher chance of getting stuck there than anything else. Appendicitis is the result of a blockage, but feces are a common cause.

Because I still believe that will make you sick, especially if there it is a windy cold.

You get sick (cold, infections, etc) because of either a virus or bacteria. What about having wet hair in the windy cold air will attract let's say a Rhinovirus (the most common viral infective agent)?

Having wet hair doesn't act like a magnet. It doesn't give birth to new virii. So how does it "make you sick"? I suppose you might possibly make the argument that being cold reduces the ability of your body to produce the necessary immune response, but according to a study in 2011 by the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, acute cold actually stimulates the immune system. Hypothermia does suppress it however, but we aren't talking about being hypothermic, we're talking about being cold.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

The liquid from dock leaves is quite an effective treatment for nettle stings, I think that's a true one.

[Ulyaoth]

2. Butter on a burn. Not only does this not help the butter can help the burn persist for a longer period. Most people use it because it's thick and usually cool. However the best method for treating minor burns is simply cool water. The sensitivity that persists can then be best dealt with by gradually warming the water to body temperature.

I've never heard of butter on burns but the past few years I've been putting olive oil on if I get a sunburn or anything bad enough to bother me more than a minor pain. It seems to work. Feels disgusting.

[Vanoi]

What about peeing on jellyfish stings? Does that work?