Modern medicine is a term we use to describe what is generally considered the best and most advanced form of medical care available. This contrasts with things like ancient Chinese medicine, old-school quackery, and uninformed procedures like lobotomies, trepanations, and the like. But there are a number of treatments doctors still use today that may be a little more old-fashioned and surprising than you might think.
10. Indoor tanning is still prescribed for many medical conditions, despite the risk of cancer.
Some people who want to tan but don't want or can't go out in the sun choose tanning beds. In fact, many still believe it's a safer alternative to the natural sun for tanning. Dermatologists will tell you the exact opposite , that tanning beds are actually more dangerous than the sun and significantly increase exposure to cancer-causing ultraviolet rays.
Despite the risk of multiple forms of skin cancer, there are still cases where a doctor may actually prescribe tanning beds as a treatment. For example, if you have a severe case of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, you may feel depressed and tired in the fall and winter. minutes in the solarium They can actually reverse this condition and help lift mood, and they've often been prescribed as a way to "beat the winter blues," as the saying goes. None of this, of course, counteracts the dangerous effects of radiation.
Other reasons why doctors may prescribe tanning beds include: vitamin D deficiency , fibromyalgia, various skin diseases and much more. One patient said their doctor sent them there to deal with cramps. However, most dermatologists will insist that there is no such thing as a good tan and will never recommend it for anything.
9. Coca-Cola is prescribed to treat gastric obstructions called bezoars.
Bezoars are gastrointestinal obstructions that, over time, can lead to a feeling of fullness, nausea, vomiting, and serious stomach damage. There are many types, and they can consist of various undigested or partially digested food and stomach contents that become lodged in the stomach or intestines and can grow in size over time. These hard lumps can also sometimes cause vomiting, which can be extremely unpleasant, as you're essentially throwing up something that should have been expelled another way.
A large enough bezoar can cause anemia, intestinal obstruction, ulcers, and other complications. Therefore, you need to get rid of them if they appear, and one of the best tools we currently have is Coca-Cola.
Half a liter of Coca-Cola three times a day for 7 days can break up the bezoar so that it can be safely removed or destroyed. It is believed that high content phosphoric acid in carbonated drinks is the active ingredient when it comes to treating them, and surprisingly, Coke works better than Pepsi or any other generic cola.
8. Methamphetamine is prescribed to treat ADHD and obesity.
These days, many medications are prescribed to treat ADHD, including popular ones like Adderall and Ritalin. Many of these drugs are also amphetamines, which are, of course, stimulants. However, when you hear this, you probably think it's not that unusual because it's a medication. It sounds like an illegal drug because it's chemically similar, right? For example, morphine and heroin are quite closely related, but one is used in hospitals, while the other is an illegal street drug, right? Well, not exactly.
One of the drugs used to treat ADHD isn't just amphetamine, it's methamphetamine. It doesn't mean anything else in medical jargon; it's just methamphetamine. Sold under the name Dexosyn , it can also be used for weight loss. However, the Mayo Clinic also notes that methamphetamine has high risk of abuse , In case you didn't know, it should only be used for weight loss if other methods have failed. Please do not use meth to lose weight.
7. The herpes virus is used to treat cancer
Exists more methods More cancer treatments than many people think, the main ones are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But you can also undergo hyperthermia, hormonal therapy, photodynamic therapy, surgery, stem cells, and much more.
Less well known than any of these treatments is herpes. The herpes virus is sometimes used to treat cancer. A form of the herpes simplex virus 1 is injected directly into melanoma skin cancer cells, which either explodes cancer cells directly as they multiply inside the tumor until it bursts, or trigger the body's own immune response to fight the cancer more aggressively.
Research has shown that a number of different types of cancer can be treated this way, and about 25% patients react to it.
6. Horse urine is used in medications to treat menopause.
Hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy are very common treatments for women going through menopause. One commonly prescribed treatment is a medication called Premarin, which can be taken as a pill or used as a topical cream, patch, or injection. It provides estrogen to help balance hormone levels and alleviate some of the symptoms associated with menopause.
A lesser-known fact about Premarin is that it is made from horse urine. Specifically, it is isolated from urine of pregnant mares , hence the name Premarin - Pre gnant Ma re Ur in e. Around 700 farms keep a herd of 80,000 horses to produce urine, but they have to be pregnant to do this, so you can imagine what this can entail in terms of how the animals are treated and what their lives are like.
This drug is used since 1942 , so it has a long history of effectiveness, and frankly, it's not the only animal-based product we use. People are usually a little scared when they hear about it, because it sounds repulsive to us due to social taboos around things like urine and waste, but if it works, it works.
5. Tilapia skin heals severe burns
Treating severe burns is never easy, and often the best outcome is a reduction in scar tissue formation, unlike in severe and disfiguring cases. Skin grafts are sometimes used, often requiring the removal of intact skin from the victim, perhaps from the back or another site where it won't be visible, and using it to replace the worst of the burned tissue.
Another method for treating burns is grafts that don't come from the victim or anyone else for that matter. Tilapia meat has proven to be a reliable source of skin for grafts. The meat contains a large amount of collagen , which is vital for burn healing and accelerates the healing process thanks to the presence of certain non-infectious microorganisms. Furthermore, it helps reduce pain during the healing process.
Doctors in Brazil began using tilapia when they couldn't get human or pig skin, which had previously been the preferred choice. Tilapia was used for treatment animal burns Before testing in Brazil, tilapia turned out to work very well, was also easy to obtain, and was quite economical, since the skin is usually simply thrown away.
4. Thalidomide is still used to treat various diseases.
Thalidomide was widely used back in the 1950s, when it was prescribed for conditions like anxiety and morning sickness. This proved to be a devastating mistake, as it was soon discovered that the drug caused severe birth defects. It was born up to 10,000 babies , many of whom soon died. For survivors there were problems , ranging from heart and eye problems to severe problems with the formation of limbs, resulting in many having short arms, missing hands and fingers.
However, the drug was not completely banned and is still used to treat diseases such as leprosy. It has also proven effective in the treatment of some types of cancer , and is currently being investigated for its ability to treat other diseases. In Brazil back in 2013 children were born with the same birth defects that the drug causes.
3. Crack ointment can treat snake bites
Being bitten by a venomous snake is never an experience you want to experience. Some bites are almost guaranteed to be fatal due to the inability to provide timely treatment and the lack of antivenom, which must be specific to the snake that bit you and is not always readily available or properly identified. The venom of some snakes can be extremely painful and cause severe tissue damage.
Timing is key when it comes to snakebite, and one thing recommended to slow the spread of venom is ointment , which is most often prescribed for the treatment of anal fissures. Nitroglycerin ointment releases nitric oxide into the bloodstream. The proteins in snake venom move slowly through your body, so anything you can do to slow them down could save your life. Nitric oxide constricts lymphatic vessels and slows down the progress of the poison.
In tests to see how well it works, a venom-mimicking substance was injected into a subject's leg. It took 13 minutes to reach the top of the untreated leg, but when the injection site was lubricated with ointment, it took 54 minutes. So, if you ever go hiking in snake country, keep a tube of nitroglycerin ointment in your bag, just in case.
2. Dolphin therapy can treat post-traumatic stress disorder
Amazing 6 out of 10 people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives. In Ukraine, soldiers suffering from PTSD received treatment that included swimming with dolphins . The results were also quite dramatic. In one case, a child who had stopped speaking for several months after his school was shot up was sent to swim with dolphins, and after the first session, he began speaking again. The therapy was also used with wounded soldiers.
Other institutions around the world offer similar experiences and the results were promising for many , although the scientific community appears divided over the methods and results. Some argue that the results prove little, if anything, and there are ethical concerns about the dolphins involved. However, parents of severely traumatized and disabled children report clear and distinct changes after the therapy. Because so little scientific research has been conducted on this topic, there is little reliable data to draw conclusions from.
1. Beer can help treat radiation sickness
There are probably many people in the world who would like a doctor to prescribe beer to them for literally anything. It's sometimes prescribed in hospitals. alcoholics, those experiencing withdrawal symptoms to help them return to sobriety. But this isn't the only medicinal use for beer. You can also use beer as part of a treatment plan. radiation sickness .
This doesn't work for all types of radiation poisoning, but if you've been exposed to tritium, the best treatment is to remove the tritium from your body before it can cause damage and DNA damage that can lead to cancer. Since tritium likes to hang out in water, including body water, you need to flush your system , and drinking beer is a great way to do this.
You can also use wine or tea to get the same effect, basically any drink that works as a diuretic to make you urinate more often.