Misconceptions about Getting Sick - mental_floss on YouTube (Ep. 11)

Hi, I'm Elliot, and this is Mental Floss on YouTube

Today, I'm going to talk to you about some misconceptions about getting sick

Misconception number one, vitamin C can prevent or treat colds. In 2007, researchers compared 29 studies containing a total of 11,306 subjects

to determine whether vitamin C was an effective way to prevent the common cold

All of the trials involved subjects who took more than 0.2 grams of vitamin C daily

as well as comparisons with subjects who took placebos. They found that vitamin C did not reduce

the incidence of common colds, though it's possible that the vitamin may have made the colds last less long

So drink your orange juice, or don't. Misconception number two, you can sweat a cold out

Some believe that when you catch a cold, the way to cure it is by wrapping yourself up in blankets

so you can sweat the germs out of your body. That's not true. As for whether you should exercise

When you have a cold, doctors actually have mixed opinions. It probably won't cure you, but if you're up for it, keep the exercise moderate and you should be just fine

Or you can do what I do and get your exercise in by whining constantly. Misconception number three. You can only get the flu once per season

Usually during a given flu season there are more than one strains of flu going around It quite possible to catch the different types of flu within that season This is why the flu shot protects against multiple strains usually the ones that are expected to be the worst offenders that year

Misconception number four, going out in cold temperatures will make you catch a cold

You've no doubt had someone in your life tell you to bundle up or risk catching a cold, and it sort of makes sense, right

People always seem to get sicker during the winter time. Still, we all know that the common cold comes from a virus, so what's the deal

In 2005, the Common Cold Center in Cardiff, UK, tested this by putting the feet of 90 students in cold water for 20 minutes

Within five days, this group had twice as many colds than the people in a control group

Lucky test subjects. But the researchers believe that it wasn't the cold water that made their subjects catch the common cold

Instead, these people probably already had the virus present in their nose, and the cold water hindered their immune system

Then the symptoms started to show. So the next time you're wanting an ice-cold foot bath, don't

Misconception number five, stomach flu equals influenza. When a person is experiencing nausea or vomiting or diarrhea

they tend to say that they have the stomach flu. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

these can occur if you have influenza, but they're also symptoms of other viruses

Usually the flu will give more respiratory problems as opposed to stomach issues

Misconception number six if you have food poisoning the last thing you ate is to blame It might be but it also might not be Every pathogen is different so before you write that nasty Yelp review think back a little further than the past few hours

It's possible that what made you sick could have been something you ate up to three days ago. It also may not have come from food at all

You can pick up these bugs from a contaminated surface like a counter. I got food poisoning earlier this year

from a Super Bowl party, proving that I'm even terrible at watching sports. Misconception number seven

Vaccines are dangerous. Mark, do I really have to talk about this

It's kind of more of like an outlandish rumor. Okay, fine. So according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

the most you're probably risking when you get a vaccine is having a sore arm or a mild fever

More serious symptoms are so rare that the risk can't be accurately determined

but it's in the range of one per thousands to one per millions of doses

The same goes for risk of death. It's so hard to draw a connection between death and vaccines

but they know that the odds are very, very low. Let's compare that with the benefits of vaccination

According to the World Health Organization, immunization prevents 2-3 million deaths annually

Polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, and global measles mortality has decreased 74% since 2000

Misconception number 8. The flu shot isn't worth it because it isn't that effective

I know that shots are scary but unfortunately I have to tell you that it is kind of worth it A 2013 study showed that flu vaccines led to 71 reduction in flu hospitalizations in adults The Center for Disease Control and Prevention

also announced that 90% of children who died of the flu in 2013

had not had the flu shot. It's also helpful for pregnant women. Receiving a flu shot makes it 92% more likely

for infants to avoid hospitalization for the influenza in their first six months of life

Misconception number nine, starve a fever, feed a cold. You should be eating

whether you have a fever or a cold, but it turns out you actually burn more calories

when you have a fever because your body temperature and metabolism are increased

So you should definitely be eating calories to keep up with this change in your system. Doctors do not recommend peanut butter Oreos

dipped in milk, however. I do, though. It's amazing. It's a great snack. Misconception number 10

You must have a weak immune system if you catch a cold. Actually, once you come in contact with the virus

your immune system has little to do with it. A 1992 study put the virus in subjects' noses

and found that over 90% became infected. 75% of those people went on to show symptoms of the cold

Even very healthy people can catch a cold