If you got your flu shot you'll probably be fine this winter but there's a new strain out there you need to know about.
It's called "The Man Flu" and it lays men out on the couch, so all they're able to do is watch football on Sunday afternoon.
Believe it not, a new survey shows that 20% of women actually believe that this is a real illness.
But it's not, it's just another medical wives tale.
If your man wasn't at the game, chances are he was at home on the couch, unable to move except to reach for a beer or the remote.
Maybe he was sick with a case, of the man flu.
Dr. Ewald Horwath is the Chairman of Psychiatry at MetroHealth Medical Center.
It doesn't surprise him that a full 20% of women believe that the "man flu" is a real illness...when it's not.
"In the absence of information, I believe we look for an explanation that works for us," said Dr. Ewald Horwath. "Women are pulling their hair out trying to figure out a way to account for this."
So, women...bless their hearts, are just trying to make sense of why so many men turn into couch potato's on the weekend. Someone created the term "man flu" and another medical myth was born.
"These medical myths range from the fairly serious "man flu" to the tales parents tell to get their kids from acting goofy: "If you cross you eyes too long, they'll get stuck," Dr. Ewald Horwath said. "I don't believe it's true, but your mom was trying to get you to do something she didn't want you to do."
In fact, Dr. Horwath loves the myth cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.
"Actually, I have to confess I tell my son this," Dr. Ewald Horwath said.
The doctor says believing all this stuff doesn't mean we're crazy, just uninformed.
MEDICAL MYTHS
Reading in dim light damages your eyes. FALSE
Swallowed gum is harmful to the digestive system. FALSE (and it doesn't stay in there for 7 years either)
We only use 10% of our brains. FALSE (scans reveal 100 percent activity. In the course of a day every part is used)
You should wait an hour after eating before swimming. FALSE (no need to wait unless you're uncomfortably bloated)
Drinking coffee will stunt your growth. FALSE
We lose most of our body heat through out head. FALSE (researchers say while you may "feel" the cold more with your head, covering one part of the body has as much effect as any other)
Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death. FALSE (The skin around hair and nails retracts after death, gives the illusion of growth.)
Touching a toad will give you warts. FALSE
Drinking warm milk makes you sleepy. TRUE (Milk contains tryptophan, a chemical that induces sleep-same with eating turkey)
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