As much as we'd like to trust the Internet, it doesn't always have all the answers. That goes for social media, as well. A new diet, a new skincare hack, or a booming interest in some form of alternative medicine. Sometimes, certain trends come, and they might seem safe and fun, yet in reality, they're not.
So it's nice when professionals tell us what is really up. We've gathered some of the best tips from nurses, dermatologists, paramedics, surgeons, and even chefs on things they would never do because of their insider knowledge. Never knew it's better not to defrost your food on the counter? Read on and find more nuggets of wisdom that professionals from various fields wish others knew as well!
Bored Panda reached out to two doctors who we are featuring in this list, Dr. Betsy Grunch, a board-certified neurosurgeon, spine specialist, and content creator, and Dr. Raj Arora, NHS general practitioner and medical educator.
Both were kind enough to tell us more about how social media can help medical professionals educate people on health and well-being and how people can know who to trust in digital spaces ripe with misinformation. Read our conversations below!
Dr. Raj Arora: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
Dr. Betsy Grunch: TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube
This post may include affiliate links.
Ever going to a chiropractor again. Last year, there was a 26-year-old woman in Seattle who died after a chiropractor adjusted her neck. The main danger in chiropractors is when they adjust your neck because your spinal cord is lined with your vertebral arteries. You got one on each side. And any amount of like, quick force in that area could cause those arteries to rip apart. And when those arteries rip apart, the blood that's in them tries to clot off to like stop the bleed. And when it does that, it creates a huge stroke. And that stroke goes directly to your brainstem, and brainstem strokes will kill you so fast. We can't even do anything. By the time you get to the hospital, you're screwed. I personally have taken care of two patients that had this exact scenario happen to them. But I have been in neuro ICU when we had five. Don't touch me. Don't touch my neck. Don't do it. I will never go to a chiropractor again in my life.
Those animal chiropractor on internet actually scares he living daylights out of me.. I mean yoo chill!
Bored Panda compiled advice from nine different professionals who shared on TikTok the things they as insiders would never do. The list of professionals includes a medical student, a dermatologist, a doctor of Chinese Medicine, a paramedic, two registered nurses, a professional chef, a neurosurgeon, and a general practitioner.
Two of the content creators, general practitioner Dr. Raj Arora and neurosurgeon Betsy Grunch agreed to tell Bored Panda more about the ethics of sharing healthcare advice on the Internet.
Both Dr. Grunch and Dr. Arora are content creators on social media, using their knowledge and expertise to educate the public about healthcare. Grunch says that it's a great way for medical professionals to demystify their areas of expertise.
"It provides access to a much broader audience and empowers patients to take a more active role in their health. As medical professionals, we can present options that patients may not know to ask about." She says it also helps patients who already have a diagnosis but may want "further clarification" or are just looking to alleviate their fears.
Put my feet on the car dash.
https://e3.365dm.com/20/01/1600x900/skynews-dash-board-xray-skeleton_4901450.jpg?20200125074120
Not wear a seat belt in a car.
Was at work sn on my way to a different location. My coworker, who was driving, got actually insulted when I wanted to put on my seat belt. He said he was a very good driver and always paid attention and I was really safe I his car. Even when I mentioned other people making mistakes or even doing something crazy, he was sure he would be able to outmanoevre it because of his reaction skills. I told him I'd wear my seat belt, or he's going to do the work all by himself.
Dr. Raj Arora also observes that social media acts as a helper to educate people in these times when medical professionals in the system feel overwhelmed. "Clinics are often running late, and there is certainly not enough time to educate patients in the most comprehensive way," she says.
"Online resources and social media platforms allow people to access evidence-based medical information that can empower people to make informed choices or to ask questions that matter to them," she goes on.
I would not take antibiotics for a viral illness. They just won't work. Antibiotics only work on bacteria. They do not work on viruses. Viral illnesses need antivirals, and those will be prescribed by a doctor if deemed necessary. Or, most viral illnesses are self-limiting. If you take antibiotics and they're not needed, you're going to cause more harm than good. Lots of side effects can be associated with medicines like antibiotics. And not just that, antibiotics can also deplete your normal healthy gut bacteria that we need for immunity and for wellness. It's important to ensure that if you don't need antibiotics, don't take them unnecessarily.
I thought this was common knowledge... we literally got taught this in secondary school... prevent bacterial resistance by avoiding unnecessary prescription and all that.
Never leave a knife in the sink. This is something in restaurants that is widely preached, and for good reason. One of my first, actually no, my first kitchen injury was from someone leaving a knife in a sink. They're hard to see, especially if water starts covering things or other things get placed on top, and it can really do some serious damage.
I would never use female hygiene products, we just don't need them. Our womanly parts are self-cleansing. And actually, we can do more harm than good if we're altering the pH by using these over-the-counter cleansers. In addition, I would not be using any perfumed products, any sprays, I would not do any douching in the area. I would just leave it alone, use simple water, and that will be more than good enough.
Who sprays perfume down there? If there's a bad smell, maybe see a doctor.
"Although global literacy rates have generally increased over time, there is a gender gap," Dr. Arora notes. "For those who cannot read, visual information in the form of an informative video in different languages can help to bridge the gap and impart knowledge to people from all different backgrounds."
"Having health professionals put out information and work with bodies like the NHS and World Health Organisation means that we can ensure we are putting out factual information and busting misinformation as much as possible," Dr. Arora says.
I would never have my neck manipulated by a chiropractor.
"you say it hurts here?" "yes" "ok" *proceeds to snap neck like the vampire diaries-*
Motorcycles. Even with a helmet on. I'm telling you right now, you are just asking for it. You could be the safest biker in the world, and I'm telling you right now, you being on a highway, going highway speeds without a closed and circulating object around you is asking to get smashed like a bug.
Slide down a slide with a child in my lap. No seriously, stop doing this. Every year around this time when the weather's nice and people are going to the parks, there is an influx of kiddos rushed to the ER, urgent care, orthopedics office with a particular injury. 'Toddler's fracture,' or a spiral fracture of the tibia, which is the big bone in your lower leg. It can be caused by a twist when walking, but more commonly, it's caused when their foot gets hung between you and the slide when they're sliding down in your lap, or in a sibling's lap. They'll have pain, swelling in the shin, refusal to take a step, or even like a consistent limp. Typically there's not any bruising, and it's really hard to see on X-ray sometimes too. So the feet are out to the side, they will get hung right here and twist backwards.
But here's the catch: how can we know who to trust online? Both doctors advise looking for credentials and qualifications before trusting a person on social media. "If it's a medical professional, you can normally find their credentials or qualifications on their platform," Dr. Arora says.
She notes how certain platforms are taking action to guarantee credibility. "Social media entities like YouTube Health are creating 'health shelves.' These push videos/information from verified health professionals onto the platform ahead of other sources."
If you're at someone's home or staying in a place in which you're unfamiliar, please familiarize yourself with the surroundings. I have seen so many patients that have opened doors thinking that they're walking into the bathroom, but opened doors that are going down into the basement. And we all know how that turns out.
How do other people open doors? With eyes closed and a quick jump forwards as the door opens?
As a skin doctor, I would never use a physical exfoliant scrub such as St. Ives or the ones you can buy over the counter at Boots or Superdrug. Most of them are way too abrasive for your skin and can cause micro tears and early skin aging.
I had very bad acne up to age 29. I had deep scars up to age 65. Then a dermatologist recommended a simple home abrasion thing: once a week use a common dish pan abrasive sponge, the one with the green abrasive side, with a little soap on it, sand my cheeks just for 30 seconds. It has taken three years but 85% of my acne scars are gone and at 69 years old, people tell me I look 50. Just be sure to periodically zapp the sponge for a minute in the microwave to kill any bacteria.
Go to a trampoline park.
I shattered my ankle using a trampoline at a park, and every doctor, tech, and physical therapist had stories about people of all ages who had severely injured themselves. They are bad news.
"Other platforms like NHS Digital are partnering with doctors and health professionals to create and share videos. I am a part of the WHO Fides creator program," Dr. Arora says and tells us more about how it operates.
"Here, the WHO works with health creators and established doctors to ensure that safe, correct, and evidence-based information is put out there when it comes to health content."
I would not rely on Dr. Google. So if you have been given some resources by your doctor or health professional, of course, go ahead, read them, and they may be online, so you may use a search engine to get ahold of them. However, I wouldn't blindly type into a search engine for symptoms because this can come up with lots of different variations, lots of different diagnoses, and most of them will be anxiety-inducing and stressful to read. So if you have symptoms, it's important to go and see your doctor and to get the advice you need from a medical professional.
Dr. Google knew I had endometriosis waaaaayyyyy before doctors believed I did though. :p
I found my own treatment for endometriosis on Google, gave it to my doctor and said “I want to try this!” And it got me better after years of chronic pain. I needed to have the treatment tweaked by another professional to get the full recovery but still, Google stopped the downwards spiral of getting worse. So … yeah…
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Yeah, so Dr Google is kind of important to even see if you need a doctor. Cyst? Make an appointment. Pimple? They'd laugh you out of the office, and you still have to pay. Bones sticking out? ER. Big cut? Urgent care. Small cut? Clean it yourself. Sure, it can't diagnose you or provide care, but in my experience, unless you even know where to start talking, they're not really going to dig. A lot of times they won't order tests unless you ask for them. I'm in the USA, if it matters.
You have to know how to listen to yourself and not believe everything and anything. Whether on Google or with your doctor. In my family, we often found what we had ourselves by searching on the internet, and sometimes even ways to treat ourselves that the doctor didn't know about. On the other hand, between family, friends and acquaintances, I have seen a lot of false diagnoses or doctor responses "no, there is nothing", when there was something... If your instinct is that something is wrong, look it up online, go see your doctor, go see other doctors. Seek and insist
I self-diagnosed walking pneumonia (via Google) and then got it confirmed by a doc. It was helpful to go into the appointment prepared.
This is the way. Do the research then go talk to the doctor.
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When you just have a natural line on your thumb nail, Good old Dr. Google will say that you have 3rd stage Cancer and you're dead in 2 months 💀
I've been dealing with painful "hidradenitis suppurativa" (as I was was said to have) for about 2 years on my inner thighs. Dr. Google and Dr.Instagram said it was actually acne, not hidradenitis suppurativa. Started treating it like acne and it was gone in 2 weeks. I still have flare ups like acne does, but I can manage this quite easy now.
I like to read the studies that have been done by reputable sources (i.e. Mayo Clinic, etc...) and bring it to my doctor to take a look at
They should change the name “WebMD.com” to “YouProbablyHaveCancer.com”
There’s Googling and reading the first Reddit post and panicking yourself into thinking you’re dying. And there’s using Google (or better yet Scholar Google) to RESEARCH and form an educated hypothesis to then discuss with your doctor.
Dr. Google is a commentary on the unaffordability of our healthcare system. This is why people self diagnose as ADHD/Autistic so frequently.
I hope not for diagnosis, but to confirm the significance of their clinical findings, test interpretation and check on any new treatment modalities that may have recently been approved.
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Very true, but you can normally tell from the tone of the site that it leans towards the quack side.
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The problem with Dr google, is that the website it takes you to maybe worse than Facebook there still is an organization called hon or health on the net. Although its use has gotten a lot less common. It basically certified websites as providing accurate Medical information. It was interesting back in the day, and I'm talking over 20 years ago, at what high insights wouldn't pay for it and what ones did. It's not a US company I don't believe. It's International and it's very interesting so if you like reading about medical stuff on the internet look for that it showing symbol and it's still probably more accurate
I mean yeah, I asked Dr Google why my head hurts (I think it was migraine) and was diagnosed with brain AVM =D
Blindly type any set of symptoms into WebMD and you're gonna die. Arm pain after a fall? Heart attack. Headache? Brain tumor. Be your own advocate, but don't be a moron. This is why far too many doctors are jaded and useless for any complex diagnoses--dumb patients with no understanding of basic physiology self-diagnosing.
Doctors are better for it, though there ~are~ websites that can let you self-diagnose fairly well, like the Mayo Clinic Symptom Checker which is run BY the Mayo Clinic, one of the best medical facilities in the world. Just DON'T use a search engine or some useless blog to do it. [ https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptom-checker/select-symptom/itt-20009075 ]
I accidentally typed my symptoms into IMDB and it told me I had Gary Busey.
Google is way powerful if you just add a tweak to it. For example, if you google "blackish mole on my skin itchy" and add "site:mayoclinic.org" to the end of that, you will PROBABLY get the right answer. If however you add "site:truenaturalhealing.com" you will get a load of b******t about crystals and herbs.
Dr Google thinks everything is cancer. Or a weird Amazonian Basin infection that will make your limbs drop off.
I admit I like looking things up a lot, and poking around anatomy descriptions/diagrams a bit did tell me I had a popliteal cyst (doc confirmed, PT was great). The rare "Dr Google is correct" happened with my grandma though (not the one I bring up always). Was staying with her for a week, visiting and for a family thing, and she'd just been put on a second blood pressure medication. Her symptoms were a bit ambiguous until I connected some specific, alarming symptoms and cross-checked with side effects from the BP meds. Googling around, found a match: hyperkalemia. Took three of us to convince her to get the fck into my car and we went to the hospital. Her potassium was critically high, so she stayed overnight with the "poop out the potassium" medication regimen.
I like having more information, generally, but I don't really do anything other than bring theories to my own doctor. I've been wrong enough, and he's great. Every once in a while, Dr Google can be useful, but...yeah nah.
Load More Replies... Search engines and AI are, at best, good at coming up with ideas as to what you _could have_, but are lousy at judging what you _actually have_. I'll tell my health care professionals, "Dr. Google says X, but you're smarter than Dr. Google". They see my concern, and also know that if they disagree, I'm not going to fight them on that.
If you convince yourself you have a specific health problem, you will likely develop that problem.
Whatever you ask Dr Google it's likely to result in a diagnosis of death or serious illness
I had strep throat and google literally said I was going to die I’m not even joking
Defrost food by leaving it on the counter. This is one of the most dangerous ways you can defrost food. It takes so long, and the outside of the food warms up to a dangerous temperature zone for an extended amount of time before the center of the core even defrosts, so the bacteria has a really great chance to grow and thrive. Best way to defrost food is in the fridge overnight. It's safe and takes up no resources. Second-best way is running under cold water, in a bucket filled with water. Yes, it does require running water, but only really, really small drops of water, just used to replace some of the water in the existing bowl and keep the temperature steady. And it's super quick, like defrosting a few chicken breasts only takes about 15 minutes. Super fast when you need it in a pinch.
I have a very good defrost function on my microwave (the inverter type).
"Beauty content is harder to verify as it can encompass influencers and health professionals who may be on two different ends of a platform with regard to their knowledge base."
"I think following an opinion that has experience, states sources and data, and uses evidence-based information but also has a recognized health/beauty qualification is paramount," Dr. Arora concludes.
I would never actually put a laptop on my lap. Prolonged exposure to heat sources like laptops or heating pads can lead to a skin condition called erythema ab igne. It can lead to discoloration that can last for a very long time.
I use a breakfast tray for my laptop. It has extra space for my mouse and it's comfy with the beaded bag underneath.
I would never wax my skin when using retinol, retinoids, or Accutane. Retinoids lead to increased sensitivity of the skin, which could leave you with painful, irritated, almost rug-burn or chemical-like burns after waxing.
NEVER USE ACCUTANE FOR ACNE!!!! I swear, 99% of dermatologists need to have their licenses taken away! And what's infuriating is that dermatologists won't use safer treatments that are more effective in the long run until you've tried accutane, even though it's supposed to be the last option. And they (wisely) won't give you accutane unless you're on birth control medicine and gosh, some people with acne might want to get pregnant. Accutane's manufacturer notified the FDA in 2009 that they will not produce it for acne treatments, so other manufacturers set up shell companies to sell the generic (isotrenoin) so that when the shell companies get sued, they don't run the parent company out of business. The following side-effects are considered VERY COMMON: anemia, thrombocytosis, myalgia, increased triglycerides (which cause heart disease), arthralgia, ... and God help you if you somehow manage to conceive despite the birth-control requirements.
Propane tanks. This one was really solidified this assignment. I have had three, three patients who have had propane tanks explode on them, and it has left them with debilitating burns. And the numbers have got to be wrong, got to be wrong, because I looked it up and the chances of a propane tank exploding on you are literally one in 37 million. But I have had three patients in the last few months that all had propane tanks explode. So yeah, everyone else, everyone else can handle the propane, I will simply not be participating. Simply put, I like having fingers.
Propane tanks are really, really safe, as long as you take some minimal care and replace them when they are past their life span. They usually hold the gas at 125-170 psi, are designed to hold about 360 psi and must have a regulator valve that vents at 200 psi. To make a propane tank blow it must be so decrepit that the steel lost over half his strength, AND have a neglected and malfunctioning valve.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Grunch is on the same page: "I always suggest that people do their research when it comes to sensitive topics like healthcare. Learn more about the person before you trust blindly. Ensure that who you're trusting is an expert in their field and can provide objective facts that can be relied upon."
Trim tree limbs on a ladder. When you cut that branch down, it will fall and it may fall on you.
That's why you only trim branches that are to the side of you and below the resting point of the ladder.
If I'm driving down the road, and a cute little bunny bounces in front of my car, guess what? I'm going to run over the bunny. Never veer off the road trying to dart around an animal.
I would never pop a pimple in the danger triangle. This is the area from the bridge of the nose down to the upper lip, which forms a triangular area. Pop a pimple here, there's a chance that the bacteria from the skin can enter the bloodstream, which has a direct connection to the skull and the brain through something called a cavernous sinus. It can lead to serious infection as well as blindness or even death.
Walk barefoot on cold cement.
Tubing.
This? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubing_(recreation)
Sit with my neck exposed in front of the AC or let cold air hit me directly.
Thank you for this detailed and informative explanation as to why we should not do this.
Be in a cold wet bathing suit for prolonged periods of time.
I would never go to sleep with my hair wet. Sleeping on wet hair can lead to a moist environment, which can be a breeding ground for things like bacteria and fungus. And when hair is wet, it's vulnerable since it's at its weakest state, which can lead to breakage, hair thinning, and damage to the hair follicle.
Use prescription pills to solve my problems as a first resort.
I would never drink fruit juices from concentrate, unless it's been adjusted for. If it's not pure, I don't want it.
"seemingly harmless" has a very different meaning than "harmless".
I'd never fry my food in coconut oil or certain types of sunflower oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the best! Quote me on that.
Some of these are truly dangerous, some common sense… but holy cr***p are we really all living our lives terrified of everything? Life is risky, sometimes it’s dangerous and something is going to take you out, even if you live your life in a padded suit and a bubble. Get a grip people. Live your damn life.
Right, some of these are like " I never use a pen or pencil, you might stab yourself, instead I use finger paints for all my writing needs"
Load More Replies... Half of these are common sense, and the rest is either well known advice or random tidbits of information that are entirely unexplained. But then again this is BP so what do I expect?
Don't drive, don't drink, don't do sport, don't do anything because life is dangerous. 100% chance of diying at some point.
"Don't ever, *ever* get out of bed in the first place! Oh, and hope that the resultant bed sores don't cause an infection that might just end up killing you!" Yeah, right!
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"I will not drink concentrate!" Why? Who hurt you? Is that your kink?being hurt for being stupid? Cause you should look like a plane crash victim with how stupid you are.
There is a certain amount of danger is just being alive but who wants to spend their whole life afraid of everything?
Wearing scarfs on a powered two wheeler. If one end gets trapped in an accident and then it gets pulled things will end badly. Wear a neckwarmer if it's cold.
"incredibly dangerous things that most people think are safe". Horse riding, farming any sort of animal, husbands, every sort of racing, lifting anything heavier than 4 kg.
Folks really reacted to these. I've never seen so many downvotes. The lack of 'why' may have something to do it with. Also, for every 'why', a reverse/opposite 'why' can be found elsewhere.
Putting more than four items on one plug socket, six at most. The basic rule is a maximum 1500 watts per outlet. Just because you ~can~ daisy chain power cords doesn't mean you should. A socket with two plugs provides only a fixed amount of electricity. Overloading, even on new wiring, can cause shorts and blackouts.
I luv how like 2 or 3 of these r kinda obvious stuff like "Do not place your bare genitals within the proximity of an open flame" n then the rest r "If u go outside u may get cut from a blade of grass which could get infected n then YOU WILL DIE So u MUST always wear a layer of bubble wrap wrapped in tin foil before stepping foot outside"
Better yet just don't go outside. But the air inside can be stale, so make sure to always breathe from an oxygen generator.
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NEVER take advice on the internet from random nobodies with no apparent credentials. If one of these affects or concerns you, check with a doctor/someone trustworthy.
BP used to be entertaining and occasionally even somewhat intelligent. Alas, those days are behind us, and the Pandas have censored their own value.
Let kids run with pencils, straws, popsicles or suckers in their mouths, or anything really. One fall forward, that thing has the potential to cut the inside of the mouth requiring stitches OR to straight through the back of the mouth causing to the injury to the carotid artery, which is a serious medical emergency.
Some of these are truly dangerous, some common sense… but holy cr***p are we really all living our lives terrified of everything? Life is risky, sometimes it’s dangerous and something is going to take you out, even if you live your life in a padded suit and a bubble. Get a grip people. Live your damn life.
Right, some of these are like " I never use a pen or pencil, you might stab yourself, instead I use finger paints for all my writing needs"
Load More Replies... Half of these are common sense, and the rest is either well known advice or random tidbits of information that are entirely unexplained. But then again this is BP so what do I expect?
Don't drive, don't drink, don't do sport, don't do anything because life is dangerous. 100% chance of diying at some point.
"Don't ever, *ever* get out of bed in the first place! Oh, and hope that the resultant bed sores don't cause an infection that might just end up killing you!" Yeah, right!
Load More Replies... "I will not drink concentrate!" Why? Who hurt you? Is that your kink?being hurt for being stupid? Cause you should look like a plane crash victim with how stupid you are.
There is a certain amount of danger is just being alive but who wants to spend their whole life afraid of everything?
Wearing scarfs on a powered two wheeler. If one end gets trapped in an accident and then it gets pulled things will end badly. Wear a neckwarmer if it's cold.
"incredibly dangerous things that most people think are safe". Horse riding, farming any sort of animal, husbands, every sort of racing, lifting anything heavier than 4 kg.
Folks really reacted to these. I've never seen so many downvotes. The lack of 'why' may have something to do it with. Also, for every 'why', a reverse/opposite 'why' can be found elsewhere.
Putting more than four items on one plug socket, six at most. The basic rule is a maximum 1500 watts per outlet. Just because you ~can~ daisy chain power cords doesn't mean you should. A socket with two plugs provides only a fixed amount of electricity. Overloading, even on new wiring, can cause shorts and blackouts.
I luv how like 2 or 3 of these r kinda obvious stuff like "Do not place your bare genitals within the proximity of an open flame" n then the rest r "If u go outside u may get cut from a blade of grass which could get infected n then YOU WILL DIE So u MUST always wear a layer of bubble wrap wrapped in tin foil before stepping foot outside"
Better yet just don't go outside. But the air inside can be stale, so make sure to always breathe from an oxygen generator.
Load More Replies... NEVER take advice on the internet from random nobodies with no apparent credentials. If one of these affects or concerns you, check with a doctor/someone trustworthy.
BP used to be entertaining and occasionally even somewhat intelligent. Alas, those days are behind us, and the Pandas have censored their own value.
Let kids run with pencils, straws, popsicles or suckers in their mouths, or anything really. One fall forward, that thing has the potential to cut the inside of the mouth requiring stitches OR to straight through the back of the mouth causing to the injury to the carotid artery, which is a serious medical emergency.
