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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Is running barefoot healthier for your feet?

Some time ago, the barefoot running movement started, claiming that it is more natural and reduces chronic pain. Has there been some research on it since then? A lot of people claim that it helped them, but it may be confirmation bias (only those…
M.K.
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Is warm water more effective than cold water for washing one's hands?

When washing my hands, I was always told to use warm soapy water. However, is there any chemical or biological reason why warm soapy water is more effective to cold soapy water when trying to sanitise your hands? For example, a reason given for…
Richard Stelling
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Do THC or other cannabis compounds cure/slow cancer?

I see this popping up on my Facebook feed quite a lot (to be fair, it's usually the same 3 people): Claims that evidence has shown that marijuana/cannabis/THC/other cannabinoids can have a positive effect in cancer treatment. I wonder what the truth…
Damon
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Pirates with a prosthetic hook: Lore or Truth?

Was it common practice for pirates to replace a lost hand with a prosthetic hook? Or was this lore perpetrated by fiction and Hollywood? It does seem like a reasonable choice, since a hook is a rather cheap and simple to make prosthesis. But is…
Oliver_C
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Can locally produced honey help to build an immunity to hayfever?

I suffer quite badly in the summer months with hayfever and I've been told by numerous people that eating a spoonful of locally produced honey a day in the months leading up to summer will help me become immune to the local pollen that causes my…
Hayley Stevens
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Brushing your teeth multiple times per day

Is there evidence that suggests that your teeth will be more healthy if you brush them multiple times per day than when you brush them once per day?
Christian
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Does Havana Syndrome exist?

The US House of Representatives recently passed a bill to help diplomats and officials that have been impacted by 'Havana Syndrome'. This legislation has already passed the Senate, and since signed into law by Biden. According to The NY…
Chris Fernandez
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Was Eddie Van Halen's tongue cancer caused by metal guitar picks?

Eddie Van Halen was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2000. He attributed the cancer to his habit of holding metal guitar picks, made from brass and copper, in his mouth. He was declared cancer-free in 2002 but then was later diagnosed with throat…
ewanc
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Do people carry around up to 20 lbs (9 kg) of poop?

The claim from this site: It’s been said that the average American carries around between 5-20 extra pounds of poop in their intestines. It's hard to believe it's true. Is there a medical evidence that proves this claim? Losing 20 lbs (9 kg) by…
Grasper
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Are EpiPens still effective past expiration date?

Heard a bunch of people claiming that there was a study that EpiPens were found to be medically effective well past their expiration date. Is the claim true, and if so how sound is the study?
user5341
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Does an "apple a day keep the doctor away"?

Is there anything special about apples that gives them particular health benefits to justify this statement we all know from childhood? Specifically: Is eating an apple more healthy than any standard fruit serving? Are there long-term…
Nicole
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Is cancer a man-made disease?

Not too long ago a story about a study examining mummies for the prevalence of cancer caused a flurry of articles in the media claiming that cancer is a man-made disease. The researchers claim that cancer was very rare in ancient egypt compared to…
Mad Scientist
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Can people tell the difference between sea salt and table salt in food?

Sea salt has been getting much more popular lately due to a perception that it tastes better than regular salt. Since it has negligible amounts of iodine, and tends to replace iodized salt in our diet, I understand that some…
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In the USA, is AIDS most prevalent in the gay male population?

Back in the early 1980s, AIDS was originally named Gay-related Immune Deficiency (GRID). Researchers renamed the disease as they became aware of the spread of the disease in other demographics. For the non-USA population that may not be aware of…
user1873
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Do Asian (esp. Japanese) people have longer intestines than people of European descent?

It appears to be a common strain of folk wisdom in Asia (or at least in Japan) that Asian people traditionally have had diets based on plants while Westerners have had diets based on meat, and therefore Asians have longer intestines that are suited…
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