Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [medical-science]

Use this tag for questions about the science of medicine and its practices. Use [medications] for questions about the actual cures that people take, and use [alternative-medicine] for claims about cures and practices which are claimed to be alternative to official medical science

Medical science is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness.

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Does the "sugar high" exist at all?

I've heard numerous times that eating1 a high quantity of sugar will give you a "sugar high" or "sugar buzz" The high one gets after consuming large amounts of sugar. Also called a "sugar rush." Sugar highs cause twitchiness, spasms, and hyper…
Sklivvz
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Is Reiki scientifically valid/proven?

Reiki is a form of alternative medicine which has its origins in Japan. Palm healing and auras are central aspects of Reiki. The practice of Reiki is getting more common, however, I was not able to find credible sources confirming or disputing the…
Lars Ebert
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Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

This question is not about nutrition. I am not asking whether the kinds of foods that people typically have during breakfast (esp. cereals) are healthier than other foods. The claim is often made that the food is somehow digested “better” (more…
Timwi
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During pregnancy, do babies send stem cells to their mothers to repair organ damage?

This picture is floating around the facebooks with no attribution to an original source (not even a source of the image): The image says: During pregnancy, if a mother suffers organ damage, the baby in the womb sends stem cells to repair the…
IQAndreas
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Does the AMA limit the number of doctors to increase current doctors' salaries?

A suggested reason why doctors get paid so much more in the US as opposed to other developed countries is that the American Medical Association (AMA) artificially limits the physician supply in order to drive up salaries. I found this article which…
Xodarap
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Was superglue invented to seal bullet injuries in Vietnam?

I cut myself recently and used superglue to seal the wound. I thought it was normal but when I tell people that act like I'm crazy. Then I tell them this story: Superglue was invented during the Vietnam war to quickly seal bullet wounds without…
Coomie
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Has most peer-reviewed research on homeopathy given positive results?

I was surprised by the following claim from NaturalNews: Most clinical research conducted on homeopathic medicines that has been published in peer-review journals have shown positive clinical results This goes against what I heard "It's always…
user5194
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Do 80 to 90 percent of lifelong smokers never develop lung cancer?

Joshua Hawkins of BGR.com has stated that 80 to 90 percent of lifelong smokers never develop lung cancer. To quote the article: Scientists may have discovered why lifelong smokers never get lung cancer. That sentence probably seems silly,…
Chris Rogers
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Is Adrenochrome an addictive drug only obtained by drinking blood?

One of the core beliefs of QAnon is that some people are addicted to adrenochrome that can only be obtained by drinking the blood of frightened victims. Sean Morgan, author of a QAnon FAQ, talks about Adrenochrome, but admits there is no hard…
Oddthinking
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Is the number of childhood vaccines correlated with infant mortality?

Related Just how inaccurate are vaccine myths? Is it dangerous to have several vaccines at the same time? I was passed along an article reporting that a new study found that despite having the highest number of vaccines in its recommended…
Hendy
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Are many allergies caused by too much hygiene?

One hears it once in a while that many allergies are due to people overly concerned with hygiene. The rationale is that growing up in a near-sterile environment will leave your immune system confused so that you then develop allergies. Is this…
Lagerbaer
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Does wearing prescription eyeglasses weaken your eyes?

I just recently received my first pair of eyeglasses. My eye doctor stated that contrary to popular belief, that wearing the glasses will not weaken my eyes any further. However my sister-in-law went to her eye doctor just last week where her…
Scott
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Did Louis Pasteur keep a gun in the laboratory while developing the rabies vaccine?

Is it true that while developing the vaccine for rabies Louis Pasteur kept a gun in his laboratory and had instructed all his lab assistants to shoot anyone in the head who accidentally got infected with the virus? I could only find this in a Reddit…
baba
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Is it dangerous to have several vaccines at the same time?

As a parent, I often hear people say that they think it's bad for their children to have several vaccines in one go. Some parents pay for some vaccines to be given separately, and I wondered if there is any evidence that it makes a difference.
anansias
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Do condoms have large enough holes for HIV to pass through?

Some people say that holes in latex are large enough for the AIDS-causing HIV and chlamydia to pass through, so that condoms do not protect against these STDs. Others dispute this statement and consider condoms to be effective in blocking HIV…
alpha-mouse
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