Should you take antibiotics immediately if you have pneumonia? Can't eat frozen steamed bread? Here comes the list of scientific rumors in November 2024 →

1. If you get pneumonia, do you need to take antibiotics immediately?

Rumor: Pneumonia is an inflammation and requires the use of anti-inflammatory drugs (antibiotics) to reduce inflammation. You can first take some common antibiotics such as amoxicillin, penicillin, cephalosporin, etc.

The truth: Don't do this. You must first determine the type and pathogen of pneumonia before deciding whether antibiotics are needed and which one to use. Blind use will delay treatment. There are many causes of pneumonia, and bacterial infection is only one of them. In addition, there are viral pneumonia, fungal pneumonia, and so on. For pneumonia caused by non-bacterial infections, the use of antibiotics not only has no therapeutic effect, but may also lead to the production of drug-resistant bacteria, posing a greater threat to the patient's health. In addition, pneumonia caused by physical and chemical factors is not an infection, and antibiotics are not needed. Symptoms need to be alleviated according to specific circumstances. Therefore, when you suspect you have pneumonia, do not blindly use antibiotics at home for treatment. See a doctor in time and use the medicine under the guidance of a doctor. Do not use antibiotics at will.

Source: People's Daily Health Client

2. Wearing hearing aids will cause hearing loss, so why not wear them if you can?

Rumor: Older people with hearing loss should use hearing aids with caution, otherwise their hearing loss will occur faster.

The truth: This is a serious misunderstanding. Studies have shown that the incidence of hearing loss in people aged 65-84 is as high as 43%. This is the result of the natural aging of cochlear tissue with age and has no direct correlation with whether or not hearing aids are used. A hearing aid is essentially a sound amplification device. As long as it is professionally fitted and used within a safe volume range, it will not cause damage to hearing. Moreover, the early use of hearing aids can prevent the degeneration of the brain's auditory center due to insufficient auditory stimulation. However, it is worth noting that improper use of hearing aids may indeed bring risks, such as not having professional fitting, neglecting the treatment of underlying ear diseases, or using hearing aids with too loud volume for a long time. Therefore, choosing a regular medical institution for fitting, regular review, and timely debugging is the scientific way to use hearing aids.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

3. Can drinking soda water lower uric acid and treat gout?

Rumor: Drinking more soda water on a daily basis can significantly reduce uric acid levels in the body and thus cure gout.

The truth: Drinking soda water cannot lower uric acid, nor can it cure gout, and long-term and large-scale drinking may have negative effects on health. Uric acid is a product of purine metabolism in the body. The root cause of gout is excessive uric acid, which is usually caused by excessive uric acid production or poor excretion. The sodium bicarbonate in soda water is an alkaline substance, which can theoretically increase the alkalinity of urine and promote uric acid excretion. However, the amount of sodium bicarbonate contained in commercially available soda water is far lower than the dose required to treat gout. In addition, soda water contains sodium salt, and long-term excessive intake may increase the risk of high blood pressure. Therefore, blindly relying on soda water to treat hyperuricemia is not only ineffective, but may also endanger health. Maintaining adequate water intake is the best way to help uric acid excretion and prevent gout. Gout patients should follow their doctor's advice instead of relying on unverified drinks.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

4. Is dengue fever cured as long as the fever goes down?

Rumor: After being infected with dengue fever, fever is the most common and main symptom, and as long as the fever goes away, it means the disease is cured.

The truth: This is not the case. After the fever subsides, it may be the most dangerous time for dengue fever infected people. The course of dengue fever can be divided into acute fever period, extreme period and recovery period. The acute fever period usually lasts for 3-7 days. First, high fever appears. Some patients will have a second fever after the fever subsides, accompanied by three pains (headache, orbital pain, muscle and joint pain), three reds (red face, red neck, chest flushing), rash, bleeding, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea and other symptoms. Most patients with mild symptoms enter the recovery period after the fever subsides, and the symptoms gradually subside and the condition improves. However, in the course of 4-8 days, some patients may enter the extreme period, which is prone to complications, such as severe abdominal pain, continuous vomiting and bleeding caused by thrombocytopenia, and even liver, kidney, heart, brain and other organ damage. Therefore, vigilance cannot be relaxed after the fever subsides. It is necessary to ensure that the patient takes in enough water, avoid strenuous activities, closely monitor the changes in the condition, and immediately treat the symptoms if there is any abnormality.

Source: People's Daily Health Client

5. Can ibuprofen or aspirin be used to reduce fever caused by dengue fever?

Rumor: Patients who have a fever after being infected with dengue fever should reduce the fever quickly. Common antipyretic drugs at home, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, can be used.

The truth: Dengue patients should avoid using ibuprofen and aspirin to reduce fever! The "Dengue Fever Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines (2024)" recommends that physical cooling be used as the main method when suffering from dengue fever, such as sponging with warm water, and emphasizes that patients with persistent high fever can use antipyretic drugs such as acetaminophen, and use aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with caution to avoid aggravating gastritis or bleeding. In addition, patients with underlying heart disease or cerebrovascular disease who have been taking clopidogrel, ticagrelor, warfarin, rivaroxaban, dabigatran etexilate, and heparin and other drugs that affect coagulation function for a long time should consult a doctor in time and use the medicine under the doctor's guidance to avoid causing bleeding. Patients with a history of favism should inform the doctor in time when seeing a doctor to avoid inducing hemolysis due to improper use of antipyretic and analgesic drugs.

Source: People's Daily Health Client

6. Frozen steamed bread cannot be eaten. Will it produce aflatoxin if it is kept for more than two days?

Rumor: A recent study by a certain university stated that "aflatoxin will be produced if steamed buns are frozen for more than 2 days."

The truth: This statement is not credible. First of all, the so-called "latest research from a certain university" does not have specific references, and the online reports have never disclosed key information such as researcher information and test methods. The university mentioned in the rumor has also responded positively that there is no such research. Secondly, the production of aflatoxin is conditional. Generally, aflatoxin will grow and produce toxins when the temperature is 25℃-35℃ and the humidity is 80%-90%. The temperature of the refrigerator freezer is -18℃. Therefore, as long as the steamed buns are not moldy when placed in the freezer, the possibility of mold in just 2 days is very small. Thirdly, even if repeated freezing and thawing may cause mold growth, the appearance and sensory perception of the steamed buns are no longer suitable for consumption. There are many types of mold contamination in food storage. Although they can cause corruption, they do not directly endanger health. In short, the risk of aflatoxin in frozen steamed buns is exaggerated and is not worth worrying about at all.

Source: Tencent

About the Science Rumors List

Released by the China Association for Science and Technology, the list is reviewed by experts every month. Based on criteria such as timeliness and harmfulness, hot rumors are selected for special interpretation and pushed across the entire network.

Jointly published: Scientific rumor-busting platform, China Internet Joint Rumor-busting Platform, "Study to Strengthen the Country" learning platform

Supported platforms: Weibo rumor refutation, Toutiao rumor refutation, Tencent Jiuzhen, NetEase Health, Toutiao Health, Baidu Knows, Douyin

Scientific rumor debunking: Sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the State Administration for Market Regulation and other ministries and commissions, guided by the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, and jointly created by national societies, authoritative media, social organizations and scientific and technological workers, it aims to effectively improve the dissemination, guidance and influence of rumor debunking information, so that rumors can stop at the wise and let science outrun rumors.

List of review experts (in order of the number of strokes of surnames)

Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Ji Gang, deputy chief physician of orthopedics, the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University

Zhang Yu, researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention/PhD, national health science expert

Chen Peng, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Nankai University

Hu Qiwen, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University

This article is produced by "Science Facts" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting.