Exposing The Twenty Medical Myths

Despite intense political focus and debate for the past 10 years, Americans remain deeply worried about the availability and affordability of health care for themselves and their families. In clear and accessible prose, journalist Ryan Holeywell and medical doctor and health policy expert Arthur Garson provide Americans with the tools we need to have an honest, unbiased view of the state of health care policy in America. By fact checking 20 enduring health care myths they move the debate beyond Obamacare v. repeal and replace and give citizens the tools they need to evaluate the major policy issues confronting our health care system.

This book provides an honest, unbiased view of the state of health care policy in America. By fact checking 20 enduring health care myths, Garson and Holeywell give citizens the tools they need to evaluate the major policy issues confronting our health care system.

It can be dangerous to navigate the world of health advice in the information age we live in, where truth and fiction frequently blend together. There are many different types of medical myths, ranging from anecdotal stories passed down through the generations to viral misinformation propagated through social media platforms. These myths can have serious effects on both public health and individual health. Fundamentally, medical myths are theories or methods that have either been refuted by thorough research or have not been supported by science. These myths endure despite their disbelief and have the power to affect people's actions, choices, and even medical interventions. Medical myths may be the result of intentional disinformation, cultural traditions, or misconceptions. Either way, they can seriously endanger people's health and jeopardize public health initiatives. One of the most widespread misconceptions is the idea that "natural remedies are always safe." Although natural products have advantages, assuming their safety without conducting adequate research can have negative consequences. Another dangerous myth that is often spread is the idea that "you don't need vaccinations if you're healthy." Vaccinations are crucial for protecting vulnerable populations and preventing infectious diseases.

In his discussion of the art of healing, Ralph Twentyman places the problems of modern medicine in the context of the evolution of consciousness and the modern crisis of selfhood and community. He relates this to today's all-too-common experience of loneliness in relation to the experience of individuality. By contrast, Twentyman points to the dawning vision of humankind as a "true being" it itself--a living organism. The illnesses that characterize our time are looked at within the context of these birth pangs of a new era of evolution and consciousness.

Do you know what’s really good for you? In this age of countless miracle cures, it’s vital to separate the myths that endanger your health from the medical facts you need. FACT: Unfiltered coffee can clog your arteries. FACT: Donating blood may lower your risk of heart disease. FACT: You don’t really need eight glasses of water a day. FACT: Coughing won’t help if you’re having a heart attack. (But aspirin will!) We’ve become a nation of cyberchondriacs, diagnosing ourselves with false information and half-truths found on sketchy websites. In Medical Myths That Can Kill You, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, chief medical editor for NBC News, provides clear, practical, scientifically proven advice that can lead you to a healthier, happier life. Discover the simple, everyday things that affect well-being, and get the information you need to revitalize your body, maintain your longevity, manage your care, and possibly even save a life–yours.

A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2018 A straightforward appraisal of why health myths exist, dispelling many of them, and teaching readers how to navigate the labyrinth of health advice and the science and misinformation behind it. Hype is Dr. Nina Shapiro's engaging and informative look at the real science behind our most common beliefs and assumptions in the health sphere. There is a lot of misinformation thrown around these days, especially online. Headlines tell us to do this, not that—all in the name of living longer, better, thinner, younger. Dr. Shapiro wants to distinguish between the falsehoods and the evidence-backed truth. In her work at Harvard and UCLA, with more than twenty years of experience in both clinical and academic medicine, she helps patients make important health decisions every day. She's bringing those lessons to life here with a blend of personal storytelling and science to discuss her dramatic new definition of “a healthy life.” Hype covers everything from exercise to supplements, alternative medicine to vaccines, and medical testing to media coverage. Shapiro tackles popular misconceptions such as toxic sugar and the importance of drinking eight glasses of water a day. She provides simple solutions anyone can implement, such as drinking 2% milk instead of fat free and using SPF 30 sunscreen instead of SPF 100. This book is as much for single individuals in the prime of their lives as it is for parents with young children and the elderly. Never has there been a greater need for this reassuring, and scientifically backed reality check.

The American health care system is terminally ill. It is astonishingly expensive, remarkably variable in quality, and incapable of stemming the rising tide of chronic illness in our population. Yet, the majority of Americans believe it is the best system in the world and cling to the belief that, far from ailing, it delivers care superior to those of countries across the globe. The system has obliged us by providing an elaborate set of myths and misconceptions about American health care that significantly shape our beliefs. These myths keep us blissfully ignorant about the true quality, safety, and value of the care we receive. This ignorance has a price: it leads us to draw erroneous conclusions about our conditions, fail to properly evaluate potential treatment options, and rarely question our providers’ competency. The Myths of Modern Medicine looks at the real issues contributing to the dysfunction of our healthcare system and how these issues affect the care we receive. The book, based upon John Leifer’s 30 years of immersion in the healthcare industry, challenges some of our most commonly held misperceptions about this vitally important industry. Leifer strips away the elaborately constructed myths that conceal the ugly underbelly of healthcare and lays bare the truth about an industry that serves special interest groups far better than it serves its patients. A survival guide for anyone entering the healthcare system, this timely work helps consumers better research provider competency; ask the right questions to evaluate potential treatment options; and communicate the information that will help yield the right treatment decisions. Several studies have shown patients today have only about a 50 percent chance of getting the generally accepted best treatment for their conditions. This book helps consumers increase these odds with step-by-step directions on how to interact more productively with their doctors and become true partners in making what may be the most crucial decisions of their lives.

This book examines the relationship between medicine and the media in 1960's Britain, when the first wave of heart transplants were as much media as medical events and marked a decisive period in post-war history. Public trust in their doctors was significantly undermined, and medicine was held publicly to account as never before.