14 health myths even doctors believe

Creepy, but untrue: after death, the human body dehydrates and skin shrinks, exposing more of the nails and hair. The growth of hair and nails requires a complex hormonal interaction that just isn’t possible after death, according to a study.

Don’t miss these secrets and myths of hair and nails.

No, no, no. Once doctors have ruled out obvious causes for painful sex like an infection or poor vaginal lubrication, they may offer this explanation. But there are many reasons for painful sex, such as vestibulodynia – the most common cause of sexual pain in women under 50. This chronic vulvar pain doesn’t have a clear cause – or cure. Any kind of touch or pressure can trigger discomfort, whether it’s sex, toilet paper or tampons, according to Harvard Medical School. Topical treatments and avoiding tight-fitting clothing can help; the condition can clear up on its own, though it can take months or even years.

According to the Australian Government’s breast cancer risk factors, only about 5 per cent of those diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of the disease. And among those, it’s not just mum that matters: although many doctors were taught to ask about a woman’s mother when calculating breast cancer risk, we now know it’s possible to inherit problematic genes from your father’s or your mother’s DNA.

Experts say these strategies can help prevent breast cancer.

Several landmark studies discovered that people do just as well – or better – when they skip surgery and just do physical therapy. Arthroscopic knee surgery, a commonly performed orthopaedic procedure may only be effective for a narrow group of people with chronic knee pain, according to the results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This adds to earlier research suggesting that the procedure may be unnecessary for most people with knee osteoarthritis.

Sign up here to get Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox!

Source: RD.com