Today is Health and Family Tuesday and I will be talking about medical myth.
Are medical myths really based on ignorance of the rural people or they are based on some experiences, which, if really examined carefully would be proven true in some cases. I am talking about the local beliefs such as: sleeping on wet hair causes blindness, a fall can lead to fever; running just after eating may cause appendicitis, and many more.
In one article published in local health magazine, Dr. Antonio Protacio, a fellow of the American, French and Philippine Colleges of Chest Physicians, dismisses outrightly those myths as false, without considering that there might be some truth in it. Let us not discount the fact that before advance medicines developed, people rely on traditional medical practices that really worked. Today, many recognized that acupuncture, herbal medicines, and physical therapy are actually helpful.
Now, let’s consider some particular case. A fall per se may not cause fever but viral infection. But a fall that causes fracture may lead to a complication that causes fever. On this case, the fall is the culprit and the myth is true. Running after eating may increase the chances of having unwanted stomach tensions and illnesses. Well, I don’t believe that the myth points specifically to appendicitis, because there was no way the old fashioned folks know the disease before. Nevertheless, it is highly probable especially depending on the type of food eaten prior to the action.
I am not touching on this issue for argumentations sake. My point here is these myths, if taken seriously could be of help in preventing the occurrence of common illness and in diagnosing minor illness. For the rural folks that lack the funds and limited accessibility to advance medicines, these myths are helpful than doing nothing at all.