Don't Cross Your Eyes...They'll Get Stuck That Way!: And 75 Other Health Myths Debunked (30 page)

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Marriage makes you healthy

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Masturbation will make you go blind

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Macintyre, B. “Birthday of One Mighty Flake … And a Cereal Too.”
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Shaw, J. “Masturbation Myths.”
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Silverberg, C. “100 Years of Fighting Masturbation, One Spoonful at a Time.”
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Witmer, D. “Masturbation Myths.”
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Your amalgam or metal fillings will make you sick

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Edlich, R. F., C. L. Cross, C. A. Wack, W. B. Long III, and A. T. Newkirk. “The Food and Drug Administration Agrees to Classify Mercury Fillings.”
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Gardner, R. M., J. F. Nyland, I. A. Silva, A. M. Ventura, J. M. de Souza, and E. K. Silbergeld. “Mercury Exposure, Serum Antinuclear/Antinucleolar Antibodies, and Serum Cytokine Levels in Mining Populations in Amazonian Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study.”
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Magruder, M. “Mercury Amalgam Fillings Issue Continues to Generate Controversy.”
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McGrath, Peta. “Sick to the Back Teeth.”
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Weidenhammer, W., C. Hausteiner, T. Zilker, D. Melchart, and S. Bornschein. “Does a Specific Dental Amalgam Syndrome Exist? A Comparative Study.”
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Eating fish while you are pregnant will give your baby birth defects

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“General Information on the Risk of Eating Fish.” Texas Department of State Health Services,
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Mozaffarian, D., and E. B. Rimm. “Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health: Evaluating the Risks and the Benefits.”
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A glass of warm milk will put you to sleep

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Hudson, C., S. P. Hudson, T. Hecht, and J. MacKenzie. “Protein Source Tryptophan Versus Pharmaceutical Grade Tryptophan as an Efficacious Treatment for Chronic Insomnia.”
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Morgenthaler, T. “Are There Any Foods That Help You Sleep Better?”
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Morrow, J. “Insomnia Prevention and Treatment Options.”
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Ringdahl, E. N., S. L. Pereira, and J. E. Delzell, Jr. “Treatment of Primary Insomnia.”
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Sproule, B. A., U. E. Busto, C. Buckle, N. Herrmann, and S. Bowles. “The Use of Non-Prescription Sleep Products in the Elderly.”
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“Which Technique Is Best for Treating Insomnia?”
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I have just the thing for that cold … Neti Pots

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Oz, M. “The Best of Dr. Oz.”
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Rabago, D., T. Pasic, A. Zgierska, M. Mundt, B. Barrett, and R. Maberry. “The Efficacy of Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation for Chronic Sinonasal Symptoms.”
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Rabago, D., and A. Zgierska. “Saline Nasal Irrigation for Upper Respiratory Conditions.”
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Rabago, D., A. Zgierska, M. Mundt, B. Barrett, J. Bobula, and R. Maberry. “Efficacy of Daily Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation Among Patients with Sinusitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.”
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Tilt your head back to stop a nosebleed

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Dowshen, S. “Nosebleeds.”
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Lyden, J. “Stopping Nose Bleeds.”
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O’Connor, A. “The Claim: Tilt Your Head Back to Treat a Nosebleed.”
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You can’t get a sexually transmitted disease from oral sex

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Oysters are an aphrodisiac

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“Pearly Wisdom: Oysters Are an Aphrodisiac”
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Shulman, M. “The Science of Aphrodisiacs” U.S. News & World Report (2010),
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“Top 10 Aphrodisiacs.”
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You can make your penis bigger without surgery

Aghamir, M. K., R. Hosseini, and F. Alizadeh. “A Vacuum Device for Penile Elongation: Fact or Fiction?”
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Kwak, T. I., M. Oh, J. J. Kim, and D. G. Moon. “The Effects of Penile Girth Enhancement Using Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Gel, a Filler.”
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“Penis-Enlargement Scams: You’re More Normal than You Think.”
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Marks, S. “Penis Enlargement: Myths and Facts.”
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Nikoobakht, M., A. Shahnazari, M. Rezaeidanesh, A. Mehrsai, and G. Pourmand. “Effect of Penile-Extender Device in Increasing Penile Size in Men with Shortened Penis: Preliminary Results.”
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Nugteren, H. M., G. T. Balkema, A. L. Pascal, W. C. Schultz, J. M. Nijman, and M. F. van Driel. “Penile Enlargement: From Medication to Surgery.”
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Park, S. W., C. H. Lee, D. H. Shin, N. S. Bang, and S. M. Lee. “Effect of Sa1, a Herbal Formulation, on Sexual Behavior and Penile Erection.”
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“Penis Myths Debunked.”
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If you swallow something poisonous, you need to vomit as soon as possible

Bond, G. R. “Home Syrup of Ipecac Use Does Not Reduce Emergency Department Use or Improve Outcome.”
Pediatrics
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“Drain Cleaners.”
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“Poison First Aid: What to Do if Poisoned.” Minnesota Poison Control,
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“Poisoning: When to Induce Vomiting.”
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