Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [disease]

Questions about pathology; impairments of health or a condition of abnormal bodily functions.

  1. An abnormal condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, inflammation, environmental factors, or genetic defect, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs, symptoms, or both.
  2. A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful.
56 questions
4
votes
0 answers

Can this Ayurvedic concoction reduce chances of swine flu?

The Indian Government is openly distributing an Ayurvedic Kadha ( concoction) that claims to reduce the chances of contracting Swine Flu. They're doing this along with the sale of vaccines for Swine Flu. This concoction has the following…
Satyajeet Kanetkar
  • 41
  • 2
4
votes
2 answers

Is Lyme Disease endemic in Australia?

The New South Wales state government's Health department has a fact sheet about Lyme disease: Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, sore muscles and joints, and a…
Oddthinking
  • 140,378
  • 46
  • 548
  • 638
3
votes
1 answer

Can avoiding certain foods reduce inflammation? (Gluten, sugar...)

Lots of articles and books claim from moderate (help reduce inflammation) to miraculous (cure or completely eliminate symptoms of autoimmune disorders) claims about doing strict diets that avoid specific types of food. Some of them also claim things…
D1X
  • 159
  • 3
3
votes
0 answers

"For generations it was considered improper to die of cancer"?

In On the Accuracy of Economic Observations (1963, 2e, p. 23), Oskar Morgenstern claims that for generations it was considered improper to die of cancer, hence little mention of this disease. I found this claim novel and surprising. Was this ever…
user17967
3
votes
0 answers

Is there any correlation between temperature and illness?

How many times did you hear your mother tell you, "Put on a jacket or you're going to catch a cold!" or "Come in out of the rain before you catch cold!" It's also a fairly common trope in Jane Austen-esque type movies that someone will be out in the…
Scottie
  • 661
  • 6
  • 9
3
votes
2 answers

Have chronic conditions such as heart disease, prostate cancer, infertility ever been linked to everyday exposures to chemicals in food?

Claim: http://www.ewg.org/research/mens-health "There has been significant research in recent decades showing that chronic conditions such as heart disease, prostate cancer, infertility may be linked to everyday exposures to chemicals in water,…
Oleksiy
  • 81
  • 7
3
votes
1 answer

Are sharks immune to almost all known diseases?

According to Did You Know.org: Sharks are the only animals that almost never get sick: they are immune to almost every known disease. Is this true or is it a myth?
Hari Nandha
  • 465
  • 4
  • 11
2
votes
0 answers

Do saturated fats cause heart diseases?

Possible Duplicate: Are saturated fats unhealthy? Based on the answers posted on this earlier question and the recent video that I saw on youtube that claims that Fat does NOT cause heart diseases (IMDB link to the documentary called FatHead), I…
Lelouch Lamperouge
  • 692
  • 6
  • 11
2
votes
0 answers

Do an estimated 1 in 3 Americans have an undiagnosed thyroid disease?

I came across an advertisement for the movie The Thyroid Secret, which claims (sic caps): [Shocking] 1 in 3 Americans Have Thyroid Disease And Are Often Told That They are Crazy, Fat or Lazy, When In Fact They Are Just Sick. A 34-Year-Old Rebel…
Hendy
  • 21,665
  • 17
  • 116
  • 179
2
votes
1 answer

Can teasel root cure Lyme?

I do not have Lyme disease but get bitten by ticks several times a year so it does have my interest. I read some claims that a 'tincture of teasel root extracts' or similar can be used to cure Lyme disease (i.e. infection with Borrelia Burgdorferi)…
stijn
  • 347
  • 3
  • 8
1
vote
1 answer

Does Aloe Vera cure diseases?

Many sites claim that Aloe Vera can cure diseases and sicknesses such as Arthritis and prevent diseases such as cancer. Is there any scientific merit at all to all those claims? Example sites: Natural News How Stuff Works A simple Google search…
user19164
  • 11
  • 1
1 2 3
4