10 Harmful Health Myths

By Susan Sulich

By now you're savvy enough to raise an eyebrow at a suspicious health "fact" when you hear one. Tampons contain asbestos? Drinking lemonade will make you lose 10 pounds in five days? You're just not buying it. Unfortunately, some misinformation is only slightly off from the truth, so it's a little trickier to spot. Watch out for these easy-to-fall-for myths.

Myth 1: You only need to worry about cholesterol if you're overweight.
While it's true that women who are overweight are at higher risk for having elevated cholesterol levels, there are also plenty of slender people who have cholesterol problems, says Jo Parrish, vice president of the Society for Women's Health Research. The organization surveyed women and found that 83 percent knew how much they weighed in high school but only 21 percent knew their total cholesterol number.

Unfortunately, weight isn't the only thing that matters when it comes to your cholesterol. Your genes and lifestyle-what you eat, how active you are-also play a role. So be sure to get your cholesterol checked regularly, even if you're at a healthy weight.

Myth 2: It's normal to always be tired.
We all have days when we feel droopy, but if you're dragging for longer than four weeks or have a week or two of feeling so tired you can't keep up with the kids or perform at work, check in with your doctor, says Michelle Lentner Foye, MD, an internist in private practice in Bethel, Connecticut. Fatigue can be a symptom of many conditions, ranging from anemia, thyroid problems and sleep apnea to heart disease. Even if it turns out to be nothing serious, medication or other therapies may help you feel more rested.

Myth 3: Older women don't get STDs.
Just because you can't get pregnant anymore doesn't mean you can cross worrying about safe sex off your list. You're still at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, a recent study found that the number of people 45 and older with STDs has doubled in the past decade.

Since the vaginal wall thins and lubrication decreases with age, postmenopausal women are more likely to get small tears in the vaginal tissue, which ups the risk of STD transmission, says Jennifer Wider, MD, coauthor of The Savvy Woman Patient. So unless you're 100 percent sure that you're in a long-term monogamous relationship with someone who's also STD-free, use condoms.

Myth 4: If you're having a heart attack, you'll feel chest pain.
We all have an image of the classic heart attack victim who clutches his chest and falls to the ground. This is often true: Both men and women tend to experience shooting chest pain that radiates to the left arm and pressure that feels like an elephant sitting on your chest.

But that's not always the case. Some people-women in particular-have shortness of breath that seems to come out of nowhere, or pain in the arms, neck, jaw or back (particularly on the upper left side). Sweating, feeling anxious or extremely tired, and color draining from your face can also be signs that you're having a heart attack, says Jennifer Mieres, MD, a cardiologist at NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

"Never be embarrassed to go to the emergency room and say, 'I think I'm having a heart attack,'" says Dr. Mieres, especially if you have a family history of heart disease or other known risk factors, such as high cholesterol. And don't hesitate to call 911: "Time is crucial. There is a window of six to 12 hours in which treatment can save the heart muscle. After that, the damage may be irreversible."

Myth 5: Colon cancer is primarily a man's disease.
We're not sure how this notion got started, because the lifetime risk is only a smidge higher for men. In fact, colon cancer is the third most common cancer in women. That's why everyone should get screened starting at age 50, such as with a colonoscopy every 10 years. (If you have a family history or other risk factors, you may need to be screened earlier and/or more often.) "If colon cancer is caught early, it has a very good prognosis," says Dr. Wider.

Understandably, no one looks forward to a colonoscopy, but it's probably not as bad as you think (the prep is usually the worst part). You shouldn't have pain or bleeding afterward; if you do for some reason, call your doctor right away.

Myth 6: For vaginal itching, just use an OTC yeast treatment.
Self-treating is probably OK for women who've been previously diagnosed with a yeast infection by a doctor. But if this is the first time you've had itching, burning and pain, call your ob-gyn ASAP.

"So many women have these symptoms and assume it's a yeast infection, but they can also be signs of something more serious, like a urinary tract infection, bacterial vaginosis, or even an STD like herpes, chlamydia or gonorrhea," says Kim Alumbaugh, MD, an obgyn at Total Woman in Louisville, Kentucky.

Myth 7: With OTC meds, taking more than the recommended dose will help it work faster/better.
Many OTC drugs-like Zantac and Zyrtec-started out as Rx remedies, and all medications have potential side effects. Yet 44 percent of people surveyed by the National Consumers League admitted to taking more than the recommended dosage of OTC pain relievers. Your liver and kidneys (which break down and eliminate toxins) can only process a certain amount of medication at once, so if you overdo it, you could end up with organ damage. And some OTC drugs, like certain cold medicines, can make your blood pressure and heart rate dangerously high if you take too much. Automatically using a yeast infection cream without checking in with a doctor delays getting an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment-which may make symptoms worse. Dr. Alumbaugh cautions that women who have had previous yeast infections should see their doctor if the OTC remedy doesn't help clear things up within two to three days.

Myth 8: You don't need to see a gynecologist every year.
True, the latest guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that most women ages 21 to 29 can get a Pap smear every two years, and that women 30 and older can get one every three years (assuming they've had three normal test results in a row). But a Pap isn't the only reason to go to your gynecologist, says Dr. Alumbaugh. During an annual checkup, she should be physically examining your entire reproductive system (including your breasts, ovaries and vulva). Even women who've had a hysterectomy should get this annual exam.

Myth 9: Supplements aren't as potent as "real" drugs.
You don't need a prescription from a doctor to get dietary supplements and herbal remedies, and they're not classified as over-the-counter drugs, but that doesn't mean they're harmless.

"People forget that prescription drugs are often derived from natural sources," and that some supplements can affect your body in the same way that a prescription drug can, according to Tim Davis, pharmacist and owner of Beaver Health Mart Pharmacy in Beaver, Pennsylvania. That means that supplements (including herbs and vitamins) can definitely have side effects and potentially interact with any medication, food or other supplements you're taking.

That's why it's always smart to talk to your doctor before taking any supplement-especially if you're also on any OTC or prescription medications. For example, you may be using ginkgo biloba to boost your memory, but this herb also thins the blood, so combining it with a prescription blood thinner like Coumadin would be very dangerous. don't believe it! Continued

Another issue: Herbal remedies aren't closely regulated by the FDA, so there's no way of knowing exactly what each bottle contains, Davis explains. There could be more or less of the active ingredient and even other fillers. Your doctor can point you in the direction of reputable brands and help you keep an eye out for side effects.

Myth 10: If my doctor doesn't call with test results, everything must be fine.
Don't assume no news is good news. "Things can get lost in fax heaven, or one person in the office may assume that someone else has already contacted you," says Dr. Lentner Foye.

It's particularly easy for communication to break down if your doctor sends you elsewhere for tests and the results have to be sent to her office. "If more than two weeks have gone by and you haven't received test results, call and ask for them," says Dr. Lentner Foye. It doesn't matter whether you had standard blood work or a biopsy. You don't want to risk valuable time if you end up needing further treatment or evaluation.

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