Dr. Nancy Snyderman Says Medical Myths Can Be Deadly

In her new book, “Medical Myths That Can Kill You, TODAY's chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman talks about myths that prevent us from focusing clearly on the real issues and our options.   Nancy says, "two of our greatest enemies in the battle against life-threatening disease are ignorance and the personal beliefs we bring into the doctor's office.”

Are there old wives’ tales you still believe are true?  Being willing to shift your thinking and embrace new ideas may not completely eradicate your disease risk, but it may be the first step toward making changes in your life that will. This book gives you information on how to:

• Get connected to the process of your own health care (yes, there is a process) — what tests, screenings, and vaccinations you need to stay healthy.
• Demand respect and appropriate treatment from a health-care system that isn’t always fair.
• Prevent and treat the three leading causes of death in men and women — heart disease, cancer, and stroke — through awareness, self-care, prevention, and treatment.
• Learn to reverse controllable risk factors and potentially add seven years of healthy living to your life.
• Discover how a healthy mind influences a healthy body, so that you can stay well, remain active, and get the most out of your life.

Understanding medical myths makes you understand there are plenty of health issues over which you have a lot more control than you think. The more you know, the more prepared you are, the better your chances of surviving any medical challenge that comes your way.

 

Comments

[Kathy]

I would like to comment on Nancy's statement on herbs and vitamins. She compares them to arsenic and tobacco. The companies that manufacture them don't put arsenic and toibcco in them. They are natural and aren't regulated by the fda. I use them. I don't take any prescriptions at all, because of the side effects. I was taking 2 prescription blood pressure medications. I read on the internet about the side effects. The side effects are asthma, and hypothyroidism. I have both those conditions. I was prescribed albuterol for asthma. The side effect of that is high blood pressure. That is defeating the blood pressure medication. I think prescription medication is poison to people, and not the herbs and vitamins, that don't have any side effects. I know the companies that make prescription medications, pay for hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses, and medical equipment. If someone doesn't take prescriptions, then the doctor doesn't get paid. The herbs work. Why doesn't she mention the side effects of prescription drugs, and that they can kill a person if taken for the rest of thier lives. I wouldn't want to be treated with chemotherapy and or radiation, if I had cancer, because that poisons the body. I think people die from the treatments and not the cancer. Why are doctors against herbs and vitamins? Why can't they accept that they work? They are not poison, but prescriptions are.