Weekly Bet Ya Didn't Know: Putting Butter on a Burn and Other "Old Wives Tales"

While growing up I lived with my grandmother and she had all sorts special remedies for health issues, such as putting butter on a burn and feeding a cold but starving a fever.  I learned long ago that putting butter on a burn is the exact opposite of what you should do.  And now I wonder how many of her other medical theories were "old wives tales," because to this day I worry that I'll catch pneumonia if I don't wear my coat.  Let's see how knowledgeable granny really was...



 1. Never put butter on a burn, or anything else really.  Apparently putting butter on a burn can cause it to get infected.  To me it seems like putting anything on a burn would just keep it warm and continue burning, which sounds like a terrible idea.  I also found that you should not put alcohol or peroxide on an open wound because it kills healthy cells and slows down the healing process.  I had no idea that was wrong too!  The best way to clean wounds for burns, cuts and scrapes, from what I read on the Reader's Digest website, is to run it under cool water.



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2.  Feed a cold and starve a fever is not exactly right.  When you have a fever you most likely won't be very hungry, but having fluids is really important.  So starving yourself is not the way to go.  Drink lots of liquids and if you are hungry, then you should eat.  For me personally, I know it takes a lot more than a little pesky fever to keep me from eating.  If you have a cold, the same rules apply.  You want to drink lots of fluids and eat something if you're hungry.  So simple. 



3.  You should wear your coat even though it does not affect whether you will get pneumonia.  Throughout every winter I would hear "You'll catch pneumonia" over and over again from my grandma.  I assume she was trying to scare me and it worked.  It turns out I was scared for nothing.  Being exposed to the cold or going outside with wet hair will not cause you to get a cold or the flu.  Short periods of time in the cold does not break down your immune system either.  Basically, you just need to stay away from people that have colds or the flu and all of the things that they have touched.  This just further supports my "germaphobe" tendencies.  Thank you very much. 



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 4.  It is not as simple as an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  So upsetting, I know.  This was always one I had hoped would be true.  If only we could solve all of the world's health problems with apples! Apples are still good for you, like most fruits, they just aren't the "cure all."  Apples help reduce the risk of some cancers, diabetes and high blood pressure.  They're also good for your teeth and help boost your immune system.  So at least they can HELP keep the doctor away. 

It looks like my grandma wasn't much of an expert.  But she did live until she was 88, so I guess she was doing something right.  

References: http://www.rd.com/health/7-first-aid-standbys-you-should-never-use/, http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/health_articles/feed_a_cold,  http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/health-myths/an-apple-a-day.htm, http://www.suite101.com/content/common-myths-concerning-pneumonia-a77762