25 Biggest Body Myths And Why You Need To Stop Believing Them (5 of 5)

All healthcare providers can help you get healthy

While visiting your doctor is a good first step that ensures you can get your underlying health conditions treated, it is always a good thing to get different opinions before you make any important decisions. E. Gaylon McCollough, MD and plastic surgeon points out that not all healthcare providers are going to be equal. Therefore, it is important to take the time to do some research, ask follow-up queries, and make sure that the healthcare provider you go for is experienced in handling your health issue in the best possible manner.

Not having regular bowel movements isn’t a health issue

If you have a hard time remembering the last time when you took a dump, you may have a serious health problem. According to Nibber, you should be having at least two to three bowel movements every single day if your digestive system is in order – not once every alternate day.

Good quality, regular bowel movement with no strain, undigested food, blood, well-formed log, or mucous – is a healthy sign that your digestive system is in the best possible condition.

By ignoring your irregular bowel movements, you are increasing the risk of hormonal imbalance, heart diseases, inflammation, and diabetes.

Heart attack means chest pain

One of the most common misconceptions people have about heart attacks is that if someone is having it, he or she is supposed to grab their chest and collapse on the floor.

While it may look ‘real’ in movies, it isn’t the same in reality. Symptoms of heart attack can be quite vague, adds Cydney Vandyke, stroke coordinator based in Utah. People often face dizziness, nausea, shoulder pain, back pain, jaw pain, and sometimes even abdominal pain during a heart attack.

With such rather common symptoms, people often ignore these signs and that often ends up getting them in trouble – especially because of the fact that these earlier signs are much easier to diagnose, adds Vandyke.

Flu shot is not that helpful

A lot of people avoid taking the annual flu shot because they feel the flu is not something they should be worried about. Well, that is not the right way to approach the flu as it is quite a serious health problem. Every year, thousands of people die from influenza and many more are hospitalized. In fact, during the 2018-19 flu season, CDC reports suggest that over 34,000 people died from influenza. So, the next time you think of skipping your yearly flu shot, keep this data in mind!

Flu shot will make you catch flu

This trumps all the myths and is deservedly on the first spot on our list. A lot of people think that they will get the flu simply because the vaccine contains it, which cannot be further from the truth. All the vaccines contain inactivated forms of the virus, which means they are nothing but proteins. If you are feeling lethargic after taking a flu shot, that is completely normal – it is your body’s immune response doing its work.