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Local doctor weighs in on medical myths once thought to be true

Posted at 7:06 AM, Jul 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-29 11:46:15-04

Ever have your doctor tell you to do something, only to have that advice change later on?

Medicine is constantly changing because studies and research are always teaching us more.

It's the case for ten medical myths the New York Times just put out an article about with research debunking old theories. Here's what the latest studies show:

  • Exposing a child to peanuts before age 3 doesn't help to avoid peanut allergies
  • Fish oil doesn't lower the risk of heart disease
  • Carrying a life-like doll doesn't keep teens from getting pregnant
  • Ginkgo biloba supplements have no impact when it comes to memory loss and dementia
  • A dose of opioids doesn't relieve pain better than Tylenol and Ibuprofen
  • Testosterone levels do not help older men have a better memory
  • Dust mites, mice and cockroaches in your home don't make your asthma worse
  • People using step counters and calorie counters don't lose more weight
  • Physical therapy can help with knee miniscus tears as much as surgery
  • When a pregnant woman's water breaks, it doesn't mean immediate baby delivery

"When you look at it [evidence-based medicine] changes every day and it changes every week and every month," said Dr. Ryan Light, News 3's Medical Expert and a physician with TPMG Greenbrier. "We have to change how we practice and sometimes it's hard to keep up with everything that's changing."

Dr. Light says when he gives his own patients medical direction, he lets them know it could change down the road.