Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
41 Times People Gave Out “Health Tips” So Dumb And Weird It Actually Left Their Doctors Stunned
I always thought the advice to pull an aching tooth by tying a strong string to it and attaching the other end to the door (and then yanking the door open) was something out of a “Tom and Jerry” cartoon or some strange old fairy tale. That was until my daughter received the same piece of advice from an elderly neighbor a few years ago.
Yep, centuries of education and hundreds of clever books and TV shows seem to mean nothing when some random guy decides to "bless" us with yet another "wise" health tip, which, in reality, won't bring us any healing - and luckily, won't cause any harm.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Not a medic but, 'vaccines cause autism' must be the sorry winner of this game.
RELATED:
#2
I was interning at a hospital and observing a pap smear of a 16 year old girl when the doctor said she had a yeast infection. The mother, who was in the room at the time, told the girl to just soak in bleach. when the doctor explained to the mother why this was bad, she refused to listen and got super upset. So we left them and went to lunch. Dumb. A*s. People.
Teutonic Disaster 1 month ago (edited)
What is this stupid obsession with bleach as a cure-all for every other illness?! These idiots whine on and on about the preservatives in vaccines or freak out about ibuprofen now but think spraying friggin bleach on your nether regions or effin drinking it is just fine? W T F?!
#3
Being out in the cold does not f*****g make you sick you idiots. Viral and bacterial infections make you sick.
There's a popular thread online where the topic starter, user u/Blotman, asks netizens: "What is the dumbest health advice you've heard people give out?" The author's original target audience was doctors and nurses, but it turned out that ordinary people with no connection to medicine had also witnessed incredibly strange "medical" advice.
Today, we present to you a selection of four dozen such pieces of advice, from the simply ridiculous to the downright harmful, so please feel free to scroll this list to the very end, and make sure to never follow any of the tips listed here!
#4
This is probably too late to be seen, but we had some volunteers that were leading a diabetes education class for low-income / uninsured patients at a free clinic.
The volunteers were not health professionals, but were given worksheets and a clear list of talking points. They were also told that if they didn't know the answer to a question, they should have the patient submit it via e-mail where one of the volunteer nurses or physicians would answer it.
The worksheet basically walked them through diet and exercise advice, how to measure blood sugar levels appropriately during the day, what kind of follow up care (podiatrist, opthamologist, etc) is important, what symptoms of worsening disease to watch for, that kind of thing.
Anyway, 2 months ago, one of the nurses had some free time and was able to sit in on one of these sessions. The volunteer, who had been there for a little over a year at this point, was telling type 2 diabetics to go on juice cleanses.
This bears repeating; a volunteer at a free clinic, who is going to come across as a health expert to these patients who generally have low health literacy, is telling glucose intolerant individuals to eat nothing but sugar as a diet strategy.
The nurse asked her for a quick word outside, and then told her she wouldn't be leading those sessions anymore.
#5
Not necessarily a "tip" that's given out, but rather ignorance/misinformation. Out of med school I worked at a women's clinic in an inner city area. Very often someone would be treated for an STD, and contract the STD again because their partner was not treated. Often times the reasoning was that "the antibiotics gave me immunity to the STD". This is exactly why enhanced and accurate s*x education is so crucial - especially in areas with high STD and teen pregnancy rates.
Similarly, natural remedies that involve sticking a garlic clove/parsley/cilantro into the v****a are guaranteed to end in disaster.
veryvenasaur 1 month ago
There are VERY few things that go in the holes down there. If a licensed doctor didn’t tell you to do it, it’s not a official $ex toy or you know a Peni$, and it’s not an official period hygiene product, IT DOES NOT GO DOWN THERE. I’m sure there are a few niche exceptions I missed but please people stop sticking random stuff in your holes.
#6
Not so much advice but I had a patient who was having an asthma attack. We arrived at her house and she was smoking a cigarette. I try not to be a d**k to people, but I explained to her that next time she's having an asthma attack, smoking might not be the best idea. Her response was incredible.
"Nah, it's all good. I switched to menthol.".
Billo66 1 month ago
Folks, I worked for a medical supply company specifically setting up oxygen customers. Even if you turn it off, your clothing is still saturated with more O2 than you would think. I have helped clean several house fires from this. It's sad, you can follow the burn trail the tubing leaves from patient to O2 concentrator.
Perhaps the most offensive thing for doctors is when a patient, after being told in detail what they need to do to cope with a problem, starts extrapolating from someone else's alleged experience to their own experience. That experience, of course, completely devalues the doctor's recommendations.
For example, a heavy smoker, instead of taking the doctor's advice and avoiding lung cancer, begins to recall that one of their distant relatives kinda smoked several packs a day - and that this didn't prevent them from living to 100. If this semi-mythical guy could do it, why can't I, such a patient thinks.
#7
As a registered dietitian in a hospital, I'd say a solid 90% of my job entails hearing people's b******t. So eating a tablespoon or so of cinnamon each day is going to control your blood sugar, no need to follow a meal plan or take your meds? Dr. Oz says that tumeric/cumin/whatever random spice will speed up your metabolism so you don't need to change any of your habits to lose weight? Outstanding.
Glen Ellyn 1 month ago
Dr Oz is a fraud - except apparently he knows about cardiac surgery. The rest of his spiels are pure bunk.
#8
Paramedic and CPR instructor here.
I was teaching CPR to a room full of cops and we were talking about AED use. After I finished the Lt. comes to the front and explains to his officers that each police issued taser can be used in place of an AED by shocking directly over the heart! I was dumbfounded. I quickly told everyone that was NOT true and the act could get them in a LOT of trouble. The Lt. was visibly mad that I corrected him in front of everyone and he ended up calling my supervisor.
EDIT: Hey guys thanks for all the replies. I figured I should clear some things up. I did instruct the class that this was not appropriate conduct. Honestly most of them already knew what that their Lt was spouting BS. The PD and FD in my area (like most) take CPR/AED every year even though their AHA license is good for two years. Most of these guys are very smart and learn well.
I went on to explain that the only "shockable" heart rhythms you can be in are Ventricle Tachycardia and Ventricle Fibrillation. Both require "just the right amount" of electricity to restart the heart. The wrong "dose" of electricity can stop the heart which is even worse than VT and VF. The Lt had been implying that if no AED was available or coming soon he would "with good intent" shock the patients chest with his taser. I told him he no longer can say good intent because now he knows the medical truth.
#9
School nurse here so people automatically assume I'm an idiot. I had someone tell me that insulin makes their sugar go up, and it's just like that in some people. I've also been told that it's best to keep drinking diet sodas because stopping abruptly can make you very sick. "My doctor told me I need to drink diet cokes or I may end up in the hospital." And don't get me started on the best treatments for lice! Btw, don't put gasoline on a child's hair...
Another example of this line of thinking are the recent deaths of Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan, and the many similar reactions online. For example, if one led an extremely unhealthy lifestyle for most of his life, and the other was the gym frequenter, yet still lived less than Ozzy, then why even bother with sports?
This, of course, ignores the number of injuries, large and small, Hogan sustained during his wrestling career, and that Ozzy's body was a de facto medical phenomenon, precisely because of its superhuman endurance. After all, many rockers who led the same kind of lives in their youth didn't even live to be forty.
But this cynical dichotomy has already gone viral, and some folks will inevitably take it as a guide to living... Unfortunately, thereby putting their own health at risk.
#10
Anytime someone tries to predict their outcome based on some relationship.
Doctor: "sir, you had a heart attack, you aren't out of the woods yet and we need to talk about some serious lifestyle changes going forward. "
Patient: " Dr. My wife's mother's cousin had like 4 heart attacks and lived to be 99 years old and he smoked and ate bacon and eggs twice a day until he died, I'll be fine."
In that same vein when a Doctor makes a recommendation for treatment or surgery and the person whips out webmd and tries to one up the doctor.
LizzieBoredom 1 month ago (edited)
When I whip it out, the Doctor always asks me to put it away.
#11
Pharmacy tech here,really grinds my gears when I hear people recommending to friends to switch to gluten free.
Good lord woman(Yes it's ALWAYS women) if you were intolerant of gluten you would be s******g from holes you didn't know you had.
arthbach 1 month ago
This is not true. There are people who most definitely should be on a gluten-free diet, but don't have the typical symptoms of constipation and or diarrhea. Going gluten-free should be an evidence based decision, made on the recommendation of your doctor. I have Coelic Disease, and would not wish a gluten-free diet on anyone, unless it's part of their medical treatment. Then, it's utterly wonderful, and gives you back your life. It's glorious, and bring so many health benefit. But only if you **NEED** to be gluten-free.
#12
Nurse here.
Any and everything relating to Dr. Oz. I go into fits of rage the second he's mentioned. Unless you're getting advice from him on Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Also, people thinking you need to hold someone down who's having a seizure so they don't get hurt. That's how we break bones. Just move furniture and what not out of the way and call appropriate help. Grabbing the arms and legs of a thrashing person is bad juju.
Uncle Panda 1 month ago (edited)
I used to attend to people having seizures and they'll hurt themselves on the bed and the wall if you let them thrash uncontrolled. We used to 'ride it out' with one aide or nurse on each limb, dampening the motion but never trying to stop it. I recall one tiny birdlike lady throwing all four of us back and forth until the seizure abated. The power available in that tiny body is what they show in super hero cartoons.
It's partly understandable why some people are prone to giving out strange health advice, but why do so many of us believe it? In fact, it's all because many people fail to grasp how complex the modern world is, and subconsciously seek "simple" solutions. They actually embrace so-called "magical thinking."
In fact, it's not just a lack of proper education. "Less education is certainly a factor, but higher education does not, on its own, inoculate people from conspiracy thinking," Ralph Lewis, M.D. writes in his article for Psychology Today. "People who believe in one conspiracy theory are more likely to believe in other conspiracy theories."
#13
A patient's brother came in to visit after his bro had a seizure. He said to me "So I was reading about seizures online. Next time I see my brother having a seizure, I'll put a spoon in my brother's mouth and hold his head still." ???????
My response..."Absolutely not. Do not stick ANYTHING in his mouth, and do not hold his head unless you want to break his neck. Get him a pillow and set it under his head, and move objects out of the way so he won't hurt himself."
Scary.
Billo66 1 month ago
A neighbor was over playing Mario Bros. years ago and I guess the blinking lights of the game made him seize. His wife told me to hold his tongue down with a spoon so I did as told. I didn't know. Anyway a couple days later he comes over and says he feels fine except for some reason had a very sore throat. Sorry dude.
#14
I've got an ex whose parents believe that a trip to the chiropractor will fix EVERYTHING.
Sinus infection? Chiro. Yeast infection? Chiro. Depression? Chiro. Pneumonia? Chiro. Diabetes? Chiro. Asthma flare ups? Chiro. Iron deficiency? Chiro. Stomach flu? Chiro. Ear infection? Chiro.
Going to the doctor? Nothin. Can't trust them.
#15
Not a nurse, but had to add this - my aunt just tried to tell me that taping a cut onion to the bottom of your foot will cleanse your blood of toxins. :/.
LizzieBoredom 1 month ago
And don't forget to tape a tomato to the other foot if you're going Salsa dancing.
According to this article published on the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMCV) website, ever-increasing stress and anxiety, and a growing distrust of institutions, literally drive people to believe various weird health recommendations. Hence the attempts to explain complex mechanisms with "simple things."
“You want a simple story to explain why the world feels messed up, or an easy fix for a chronic health condition. A lot of it comes down to powerlessness,” the AAMC website quotes Abbie Richards, a research fellow at The Accelerationism Research Consortium (ARC). In fact, the more complex the world around us becomes, the more people, unfortunately, begin to believe all sorts of dubious theories…
#16
People who offer to "share" antibiotics with their friends. A) You shouldn't really have any after YOUR course of treatment; B) They expire; C) Yours may not work for what someone else has.
#17
Paediatric nurse here. Wrapping someone with a high fever up to let them "sweat it out" is not a good idea. Warming something that is too warm does not make it cooler. Rapid escalation i
n body temperature can leave to convulsions, especially in children.
Jaya 1 month ago (edited)
This is what we were taught in the 80s and 90s. "You need to keep your clothes and duvet on, your body is trying to heat up for a reason". I'm happy they don't recommend that anymore (or maybe the health professionals never did, maybe it was just the general population who taught this to each other).
#18
Paramedic here.
This isn't really a health tip I've heard, but rather witnessed. If I respond to a seizure call or an unresponsive party, about one in ten will have a bag of frozen vegetables in their pants. For some reason the people in the city I serve think frozen vegetables will fix anything.
Well, we offer you just over forty stories about different people here, but you should never take this “advice” at face value. Just read, appreciate the depth of human weirdness, and feel free to share your own stories in the comments, if you have some under your belt.
#19
When someone says to put butter on a burn. This is the 21 century people! We should know better!
#20
A lot of older women who were in their hayday during the 50s and 60s swear by douching with cleaning liquids such as hexol and Lysol. No amount of warnings, yeast infections, research, or logic will make them change their minds either.
Jennifer Chaffin 1 month ago
lysol advertised this directly earlier in the last century; was used as an abortifacant
#21
I had a woman come into the ER with very heavy post-partum bleeding. As I was setting up an IV for normal saline so freaked asking if it would affect her breast milk. I assured her it wouldn't and she then asked if the IV pole could go outside. When I asked why she was asking she said she needed to go out for a smoke...
#22
Tilt your head back with a bleeding nose.
This is stupid. Because instead of having the blood run out (OH NO YOUR CLOTHES/FLOOR WILL BE SO COVERED IT'LL BE UNCLEANABLE!) or throw up and have blood go down your throat.. This doesnt mean hang upside down with your nose pointed to the ground, just forward a bit.
#23
I once heard a diabetes educator tell a insulin dependent diabetic to drink fruit juice as a serving of fruit. Holy mother of god.
#24
Try these weight loss pills and you wont need to work out and can eat whatever you want.
Glen Ellyn 1 month ago
The emaciated look is now in! OMG-68f72d...2cdaea.jpg 
#25
The parents of a child with cerebral palsy who told me they stopped her anti seizure medications, but they justified that it was okay because they were giving her lots of MonaVie.
Serena Myers 1 month ago
An "innovative blend of 19 fruits, including the acai berry" The American multi-level marketing company is now defunct. No judgement, just information.
#26
Nursing Student Here - I once heard a nurse from the Philippines say that this patient who had a stroke should be eating as much leafy greens as possible when they get home.
The reason why this is stupid is because we give people who have strokes [anticoagulant medication] for treatment at home because it's easier then injecting themselves daily. Vitamin K (found very commonly in leafy greens) is the direct antidote for this medication & promotes blood clotting, leading to another stroke.
Lets just say that when the MRP found out this nurse was in deep s**t...
keyboardtek 1 month ago
Dark leafy greens contain nitrates which act to dilate the blood vessels. Maybe this person though that dilation of the blood vessels would help after a stroke.
#27
Not a Doctor or Nurse, but Paramedic.
Each month, I get a pregnant woman who has the worst case of indigestion and diarrhea of their life. Why? Someone told them to drink Castor Oil and eat spicy foods to bring on labor. In all reality, it just makes you s**t your brains out and your a*s feels like an inferno due to the spicy foods.
The Bayer commercials k**l me. The ones that say 'take an Aspirin, save yourself from a heart attack.' No...just no. An Aspirin alone will not save you. In conjunction with a CABG/Stent placement, strong anti-platelets, and other fun d***s, Aspirin helps. It is not the magic pill of life.
#28
I was told to roll up a piece of paper into a funnel and then put the smaller end in my ear and light the larger end on fire to remove water from my ear.
#29
This won't be seen, but I really liked it.
I used to be a paramedic. When my team got to a car-crash victim with a broken leg, witnesses were very busy bringing him a glass of milk from a nearby restaurant "because milk is so good for your bones!".
#30
Watched a Facebook pity-party morph into a "Curing cancer by bathing in hydrogen peroxide and quitting chemo" discussion.
BookFanatic 1 month ago
I have an aunt who swears up and down that eating oranges cured her breast cancer. TBF she's 20+ yrs in remission. But chemo and radiation may have something to do with that. Maybe.
#31
I had a mother put coffee grounds in her son's scalp laceration. She said it helps stop the bleeding. It took some effort to scrub out the coffee so we could suture the wound.
#32
Medical malpractice defense attorney here. I read through all the records and depositions of plaintiffs (patients) and doctors/nurses (defendants). One plaintiff, in sworn deposition testimony, said that a doctor told him to alleviate constipation by eating cheeseburgers.
No. That does not work. The doctor apparently broke out laughing when he learned of this testimony. Plaintiffs (and to an admittedly much lesser extent, caregivers) make s**t up all the time to win cases.
Not a main issue of the case, but funny made up medical advice anyway. If you're having trouble pooing, eat all food groups but vegetables and fruits!
arthbach 1 month ago
I don't think that last sentence means what the person who wrote it thinks it means! constipation is often a sign the person doesn't have enough dietary fibre. It can be helped by increasing the amount of veggies and fruits the person eats. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/constipation/ Drink water, eat veggies!
#33
"Put a spoon or your finger in a persons mouth if they start seizing or else they swallow their tongue."
How stupid do you have to be to think of something like that?
Knew a guy who tried the finger thing and yeah..that didnt end well. Also, you cant swallow your tongue.
It can just fall back and block the airway if you're limp.
#34
I'm not a med professional, but while I was living in Ecuador, the lady I was living with made me wear a potato necklace (like sliced, raw potatoes helped up to my neck with a towel tied in the back) to "suck out the infection" from my throat (I had a very slight cold, just a tiny scratchy throat, really).
I didn't know enough spanish at the time to understand her logic and so I went with it. People are strange.
#35
Paramedic here. Once heard a man suggest to his friend with third degree burns that he should put toothpaste on the burned area because "the mint will help cool it and then you can scrub it off.".
#36
Put some Windex on it.
#38
I'm not one but I heard some people say the hospitals keep the temperature so low so it'll make you more sick.
#39
I'm not in the health field, but my BFF has a degree in nutrition. She was telling me that one of her friends told her that if you drank water when you are scared you'll get diabetes.
Maria Maria 1 month ago
Reminds me of a childhood friend who said she had heard that men can give birth through their legs. She was like 7.
#40
If your hand is bigger than your face, you have cancer.
BookFanatic 1 month ago
And when the person holds their hand up in front of their face to check, you hit their hand so they smack themselves in the face. Pulled that all the time when I was a (stupid) kid.
#41
Not a nurse yet, working my way through nursing school. But I used to work with a guy who would always say " I drink nothing but Red Bulls and Coke and smoke two packs a day, but that's okay, because if your blood pressure is zero that means you're dead, so I'm trying to keep my blood pressure as far away from zero as possible, so I won't die.".
Con O Cuinn 1 month ago
I very much doubt he was being serious. That sounds like some snarky comment I might make when people tell me smoking is bad for me, as if that isn't something every smoker is acutely aware of.
What do you think ?
Chich the witch 1 month ago
Got chatting with a gas station attendant once. She refused to get a flu shot because it gave you the flu and refused the HPV vaccine for her daughter because it made young girls pregnant. Thought she was joking but no, dead serious.
WindySwede 1 month ago
I presume a theist? cause anything like sexed, condomes and also hpv vaccine leads to immoral behaviour? 🤷♂️
Load More Replies... WindySwede 1 month ago
Now we're just waiting for some panda to point out "But these posts are 12y old...!" 🙃
Chich the witch 1 month ago
Got chatting with a gas station attendant once. She refused to get a flu shot because it gave you the flu and refused the HPV vaccine for her daughter because it made young girls pregnant. Thought she was joking but no, dead serious.
WindySwede 1 month ago
I presume a theist? cause anything like sexed, condomes and also hpv vaccine leads to immoral behaviour? 🤷♂️
Load More Replies... WindySwede 1 month ago
Now we're just waiting for some panda to point out "But these posts are 12y old...!" 🙃
You May Like 50 Times People Decided To Make A Change In Their Lives And Shared Pics Of Their Progress 31 Medical Professionals Share The Most Bizarre Instances When Patients Tried "Self-Treatment"
Ingrida Jasiukevičiūtė
Monika Pašukonytė
Related on Bored Panda
