Mythbusters

Here are some of the most common myths related to health and fertility and the associated facts.

Chances of pregnancy increase if you have intercourse on a daily basis.: Chances of pregnancy increase during ovulation and not based on the number of times the couple gets physically intimate.
Stress affects fertility only in women and not in men.: Stress can affect both female and male fertility. In men, it can affect the quality and quantity of sperms.
Those who have delivered a baby once cannot be infertile.: Many women have secondary infertility, and the factors affecting this situation are age, lifestyle after the first birth, etc.
Infertility is hereditary.: Infertility is not hereditary, but certain medical conditions are genetic & may interfere with the ability to have a baby.
It is completely OK to self-medicate for minor problems like irregular periods.: If a woman plans to start a family, she should avoid self-medication as it can affect her chances of conceiving by interfering with ovulation and her periods.
Your face shape and fullness during pregnancy can predict the baby's gender.: Your face shape and skin condition during pregnancy are influenced by a number of other factors, like diet and genetics. This can't reveal a baby's gender.
Spice during pregnancy causes blindness in babies.: Eating spicy foods during pregnancy is perfectly safe but may lead to heartburn and indigestion while expecting.
Exercising during pregnancy can hurt the unborn baby: Doctors advise women to exercise during pregnancy as it helps in the easy delivery of a child and strengthens the pelvic muscles. It does not hurt the baby.
Heartburn is related to hair growth in babies.: Pregnant women face heartburn issues, which can arise from factors like hormonal imbalance and indigestion.
Premature ejaculation is a psychological problem.: The common cause of PE is stress or anxiety. But it can also be a result of infections, neurological disorders or thyroid hyperfunctions.
All PCOS patients are obese.: Only around 50% of PCOS patients are obese. Slimmer PCOS patients do have other symptoms like thyroid, excess hair growth, irregular periods etc.
PCOS patients have only irregular menstruation.: Menstrual disturbance in PCOS could range from absent menstrual cycles, decreased flow during menses, delayed menarche or heavy and irregular periods.
If you're not trying to get pregnant, you don't have to worry about PCOS: PCOS doesn't affect just a woman's fertility; it can impact her long-term wellness and is linked with diabetes and other issues. Getting treated is critical for a woman's healthy future.
Menopause happens only after 40: The most common age for menopause is between 45 and 55, but it's possible to have it as early as your 30s.
Menopause starts after your periods stop.: You're not technically in menopause until you haven't had a period for 12 months in a row. You'll likely go through some time with irregular periods first, before that.
Menopause is an illness.: Nope, nope, and nope. It's a very natural transition that every woman will go through, just like adolescence.
Age isn't a factor in male fertility: People assume that men can father children at any age. But the quality and quantity of sperms decline with age and affect male fertility.
Taking supplemental testosterone can enhance a man's fertility.: Taking supplemental testosterone can improve a man's libido and energy levels, but it suppresses the body's synthesis of natural testosterone, which affects sperm production.
Smoking and alcohol do not affect male fertility: There is strong evidence that smoking and alcohol consumption unfavorably affects male fertility. It reduces the semen volumes; sperm counts and percentage of motile sperm.
Heat from laptops is not linked with male infertility: Heat from your laptop, unfortunately, has been shown to damage sperm count, according to research. It may also cause DNA damage and less motility in sperm.
A woman can get pregnant only on a particular day of ovulation.: The fertile window is the six days that end on the day of ovulation. Pregnancy is most likely to occur with unprotected sex within the three days before ovulation.
Irregular menstrual cycle is a big sign of infertility: Having an irregular period means a woman may have a harder time predicting ovulation. It does not always mean that she is infertile.
A woman's menstrual cycle is for 28 days.: Normal menstrual cycle ranges anywhere from 21 to 36 days.
Infertility is caused due to excessive stress.: Ovulation can get delayed due to hormonal imbalance, but infertility does not occur due to stress.
Infertility occurs only after 30 years of age.: Peak fertility phase in a woman's life is 20, and this might continue until the late 30s. Fertility issues might even arrive at a younger age due to various factors like PCOS, thyroid, etc.
You will not get pregnant if you have intercourse during periods.: While it's unlikely for an individual to get pregnant if they have unprotected sex during her period, it's not impossible. Pregnancy is possible with unprotected sex, be it any time.
Periods can't be irregular due to stress or illness: One reason why periods can be irregular on our list of menstruation facts is stress. Any stress on the body, be it physical or mental, can upset the natural balance of other hormones.
Birth control pills are not an effective solution to regulate irregular periods.: Birth control pills can often help regulate your menstrual cycle so you can experience lighter, more regular periods.
Hormone Replacement Treatment is not for women who enter menopause early.: Some women experience early menopause, and for these women, HRT may help reduce the risk of heart disease and protect against osteoporosis.
A woman no longer produces estrogen or progesterone during menopause because she is no longer releasing any eggs.: Women do not ever stop making sex hormones, but levels drop during menopause naturally.
It's easy to diagnose and treat the thyroid disease.: Thyroid disease is a very complex and multi-faceted condition that requires a variety of approaches to diagnose and treat.
Exercising at night ruins your sleep.: It's just not true for everyone. Night-time exercise may have no impact on your sleep quality, and for some people, exercising before bed can even result in better sleep.
Eating eggs causes high cholesterol: Eggs have almost no effect on your blood cholesterol. Eating eggs can improve your heart health.
10,000 steps a day is the key to getting healthy: Walking is fantastic exercise. However, walking 10,000 steps a day is not sufficient to stay healthy. A balanced diet and drinking enough glasses of water are needed to stay healthy.
Natural sugars are good for you than refined sugar: Coconut sugar, natural honey, 'unprocessed' sugar, palm sugar, cane sugar - these are all sugar. They just sound healthier because they have cool names. But sugar is sugar!
Breakfast is the important meal of the day: You won't have any harmful impact if you skip breakfast. Actually, the science behind intermittent fasting suggests that skipping breakfast could benefit you more than eating it.
Everyone needs eight hours of sleep: Everyone has a unique circadian rhythm that determines how much sleep is optimal for them. 7 to 9 hours is still the standard recommendation for adults.
Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis: It has nothing to do with your risk of arthritis -- usually, it's just the harmless release of gases from synovial fluid, the fluid that lubricates your joints.
Nicotine is the major toxic ingredient in cigarettes: Nicotine is the addictive drug in cigarettes, but it is the other substances that cause the most harm.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is as harmful as smoking: NRT (patch, gum, lozenge, inhalator, mouth spray) is always much safer than smoking.
It is too late to quit smoking. The damage is done: The damage from smoking improves quickly after quitting at any age.
Drinking is always safe in moderation.: Moderate alcohol consumption may have some health benefits. However, that doesn't mean it's risk-free. For some people, the risks might outweigh the possible benefits.
Drinking once in a while is perfectly OK!: You do not need to drink daily to have health issues caused by alcohol. Heavy drinking is marked by how much you consume in a day or in a week.
Calories in, calories out - is everything that matters when it comes to weight loss.: Hormonal imbalances, hypothyroidism, and genetics are just some of the factors that may make weight loss difficult for some people, even when they're on a strict diet.
You need to eat small, frequent meals for optimal health: It is a method used by many people to boost metabolism and weight loss. However, the frequency of your meals does not matter if your energy requirements are met.
Men are at greater risk from a heart attack than women: We tend to think of heart disease as a male problem—but it's the number one killer of both men and women. Also, women are more vulnerable than men after the first attack.
You don't need to complete the full course of antibiotics if you're feeling better: Stopping the antibiotics too soon can allow the infection to reoccur, as well as trigger the growth of bacteria that can resist the antibiotic that was used earlier.
Migraines are just a bad headache: Migraine is far bigger than a headache, meaning it includes nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and functional impairment. It's important to get it treated ASAP.
Yoga can fix any pain: Yoga can be a creative form of exercise for many conditions like low back pain, arthritis etc., but it is not appropriate for everyone. Always consult a doctor before you start yoga.
Eating less helps you lose weight: When you're on a weight-loss plan, it would seem to make sense just to eat less, but this could hinder your attempts at getting healthy. Consult a dietician for healthier results.