Health & WellnessMAR 11, 2024

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe

As much as we'd like to trust the Internet, it doesn't always have all the answers. That goes for social media, as well. A new diet, a new skincare hack, or a booming interest in some form of alternative medicine. Sometimes, certain trends come, and they might seem safe and fun, yet in reality, they're not.

So it's nice when professionals tell us what is really up. We've gathered some of the best tips from nurses, dermatologists, paramedics, surgeons, and even chefs on things they would never do because of their insider knowledge. Never knew it's better not to defrost your food on the counter? Read on and find more nuggets of wisdom that professionals from various fields wish others knew as well!

Bored Panda reached out to two doctors who we are featuring in this list, Dr. Betsy Grunch, a board-certified neurosurgeon, spine specialist, and content creator, and Dr. Raj Arora, NHS general practitioner and medical educator.

Both were kind enough to tell us more about how social media can help medical professionals educate people on health and well-being and how people can know who to trust in digital spaces ripe with misinformation. Read our conversations below!

Dr. Raj Arora: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

#1

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe

Ever going to a chiropractor again. Last year, there was a 26-year-old woman in Seattle who died after a chiropractor adjusted her neck. The main danger in chiropractors is when they adjust your neck because your spinal cord is lined with your vertebral arteries. You got one on each side. And any amount of like, quick force in that area could cause those arteries to rip apart. And when those arteries rip apart, the blood that's in them tries to clot off to like stop the bleed. And when it does that, it creates a huge stroke. And that stroke goes directly to your brainstem, and brainstem strokes will kill you so fast. We can't even do anything. By the time you get to the hospital, you're screwed. I personally have taken care of two patients that had this exact scenario happen to them. But I have been in neuro ICU when we had five. Don't touch me. Don't touch my neck. Don't do it. I will never go to a chiropractor again in my life.

travelingnurse, Karolina Grabowska

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155points

Bored Panda compiled advice from nine different professionals who shared on TikTok the things they as insiders would never do. The list of professionals includes a medical student, a dermatologist, a doctor of Chinese Medicine, a paramedic, two registered nurses, a professional chef, a neurosurgeon, and a general practitioner.

Two of the content creators, general practitioner Dr. Raj Arora and neurosurgeon Betsy Grunch agreed to tell Bored Panda more about the ethics of sharing healthcare advice on the Internet.

Both Dr. Grunch and Dr. Arora are content creators on social media, using their knowledge and expertise to educate the public about healthcare. Grunch says that it's a great way for medical professionals to demystify their areas of expertise.

"It provides access to a much broader audience and empowers patients to take a more active role in their health. As medical professionals, we can present options that patients may not know to ask about." She says it also helps patients who already have a diagnosis but may want "further clarification" or are just looking to alleviate their fears.

#2

Put my feet on the car dash.

zemparamedic, Ljupche Vasilev

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145points

#3

Not wear a seat belt in a car.

zemparamedic, Kelly

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139points

Dr. Raj Arora also observes that social media acts as a helper to educate people in these times when medical professionals in the system feel overwhelmed. "Clinics are often running late, and there is certainly not enough time to educate patients in the most comprehensive way," she says.

"Online resources and social media platforms allow people to access evidence-based medical information that can empower people to make informed choices or to ask questions that matter to them," she goes on.

#4

I would not take antibiotics for a viral illness. They just won't work. Antibiotics only work on bacteria. They do not work on viruses. Viral illnesses need antivirals, and those will be prescribed by a doctor if deemed necessary. Or, most viral illnesses are self-limiting. If you take antibiotics and they're not needed, you're going to cause more harm than good. Lots of side effects can be associated with medicines like antibiotics. And not just that, antibiotics can also deplete your normal healthy gut bacteria that we need for immunity and for wellness. It's important to ensure that if you don't need antibiotics, don't take them unnecessarily.

drrajarora, Volodymyr Hryshchenko

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120points

#5

Never leave a knife in the sink. This is something in restaurants that is widely preached, and for good reason. One of my first, actually no, my first kitchen injury was from someone leaving a knife in a sink. They're hard to see, especially if water starts covering things or other things get placed on top, and it can really do some serious damage.

alihooke, Los Muertos Crew

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104points

#6

I would never use female hygiene products, we just don't need them. Our womanly parts are self-cleansing. And actually, we can do more harm than good if we're altering the pH by using these over-the-counter cleansers. In addition, I would not be using any perfumed products, any sprays, I would not do any douching in the area. I would just leave it alone, use simple water, and that will be more than good enough.

drrajarora, Photoholgic

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101points

"Although global literacy rates have generally increased over time, there is a gender gap," Dr. Arora notes. "For those who cannot read, visual information in the form of an informative video in different languages can help to bridge the gap and impart knowledge to people from all different backgrounds."

"Having health professionals put out information and work with bodies like the NHS and World Health Organisation means that we can ensure we are putting out factual information and busting misinformation as much as possible," Dr. Arora says.

#7

I would never have my neck manipulated by a chiropractor.

ladyspinedoc, Toa Heftiba

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90points

#8

Slide down a slide with a child in my lap. No seriously, stop doing this. Every year around this time when the weather's nice and people are going to the parks, there is an influx of kiddos rushed to the ER, urgent care, orthopedics office with a particular injury. 'Toddler's fracture,' or a spiral fracture of the tibia, which is the big bone in your lower leg. It can be caused by a twist when walking, but more commonly, it's caused when their foot gets hung between you and the slide when they're sliding down in your lap, or in a sibling's lap. They'll have pain, swelling in the shin, refusal to take a step, or even like a consistent limp. Typically there's not any bruising, and it's really hard to see on X-ray sometimes too. So the feet are out to the side, they will get hung right here and twist backwards.

the.funny.nurse, Power Lai

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86points

#9

Motorcycles. Even with a helmet on. I'm telling you right now, you are just asking for it. You could be the safest biker in the world, and I'm telling you right now, you being on a highway, going highway speeds without a closed and circulating object around you is asking to get smashed like a bug.

travelingnurse, Sreenadh TC

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85points

But here's the catch: how can we know who to trust online? Both doctors advise looking for credentials and qualifications before trusting a person on social media. "If it's a medical professional, you can normally find their credentials or qualifications on their platform," Dr. Arora says.

She notes how certain platforms are taking action to guarantee credibility. "Social media entities like YouTube Health are creating 'health shelves.' These push videos/information from verified health professionals onto the platform ahead of other sources."

#10

If you're at someone's home or staying in a place in which you're unfamiliar, please familiarize yourself with the surroundings. I have seen so many patients that have opened doors thinking that they're walking into the bathroom, but opened doors that are going down into the basement. And we all know how that turns out.

ladyspinedoc, Michal Balog

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53points

#11

Go to a trampoline park.

zemparamedic

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50points

#12

As a skin doctor, I would never use a physical exfoliant scrub such as St. Ives or the ones you can buy over the counter at Boots or Superdrug. Most of them are way too abrasive for your skin and can cause micro tears and early skin aging.

drrajarora, Matheus Costa

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50points

"Other platforms like NHS Digital are partnering with doctors and health professionals to create and share videos. I am a part of the WHO Fides creator program," Dr. Arora says and tells us more about how it operates.

"Here, the WHO works with health creators and established doctors to ensure that safe, correct, and evidence-based information is put out there when it comes to health content."

#13

Defrost food by leaving it on the counter. This is one of the most dangerous ways you can defrost food. It takes so long, and the outside of the food warms up to a dangerous temperature zone for an extended amount of time before the center of the core even defrosts, so the bacteria has a really great chance to grow and thrive. Best way to defrost food is in the fridge overnight. It's safe and takes up no resources. Second-best way is running under cold water, in a bucket filled with water. Yes, it does require running water, but only really, really small drops of water, just used to replace some of the water in the existing bowl and keep the temperature steady. And it's super quick, like defrosting a few chicken breasts only takes about 15 minutes. Super fast when you need it in a pinch.

alihooke, Bozhin Karaivanov

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42points

#14

I would not rely on Dr. Google. So if you have been given some resources by your doctor or health professional, of course, go ahead, read them, and they may be online, so you may use a search engine to get ahold of them. However, I wouldn't blindly type into a search engine for symptoms because this can come up with lots of different variations, lots of different diagnoses, and most of them will be anxiety-inducing and stressful to read. So if you have symptoms, it's important to go and see your doctor and to get the advice you need from a medical professional.

drrajarora, Valeri Mak

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41points

#15

I would never participate in CrossFit.

ladyspinedoc, Victor Freitas

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40points

"Beauty content is harder to verify as it can encompass influencers and health professionals who may be on two different ends of a platform with regard to their knowledge base."

"I think following an opinion that has experience, states sources and data, and uses evidence-based information but also has a recognized health/beauty qualification is paramount," Dr. Arora concludes.

#16

I would never actually put a laptop on my lap. Prolonged exposure to heat sources like laptops or heating pads can lead to a skin condition called erythema ab igne. It can lead to discoloration that can last for a very long time.

dermguru, Kaleidico

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40points

#17

I would never wax my skin when using retinol, retinoids, or Accutane. Retinoids lead to increased sensitivity of the skin, which could leave you with painful, irritated, almost rug-burn or chemical-like burns after waxing.

dermguru, No Revisions

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38points

#18

Propane tanks. This one was really solidified this assignment. I have had three, three patients who have had propane tanks explode on them, and it has left them with debilitating burns. And the numbers have got to be wrong, got to be wrong, because I looked it up and the chances of a propane tank exploding on you are literally one in 37 million. But I have had three patients in the last few months that all had propane tanks explode. So yeah, everyone else, everyone else can handle the propane, I will simply not be participating. Simply put, I like having fingers.

travelingnurse, Isaac Moore

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30points

Neurosurgeon Dr. Grunch is on the same page: "I always suggest that people do their research when it comes to sensitive topics like healthcare. Learn more about the person before you trust blindly. Ensure that who you're trusting is an expert in their field and can provide objective facts that can be relied upon."

#19

Trim tree limbs on a ladder. When you cut that branch down, it will fall and it may fall on you.

ladyspinedoc, Chris F

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28points

#20

If I'm driving down the road, and a cute little bunny bounces in front of my car, guess what? I'm going to run over the bunny. Never veer off the road trying to dart around an animal.

ladyspinedoc, Michael Yantis

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25points