How medical advice differs in other countries. (Lighthearted but perplexing)

[KnopkaPixie]

The other day I was behind a woman in the queue at a pharmacy here in France. She had oral thrush. The pharmacist took quite a while talking to her about her treatment and the various medications she'd been given by the doctor then went into the general advice section of the lecture. The most important thing was not to eat, "Trop salé." (Too salty.)

I thought, "Pardon?" Surely it's the other way around, nothing too sugary and yeasty? It bothered me so I googled and sure enough at least in the English results - sugary and yeasty were to be avoided.

This happens all the time. I've heard an awful lot of strange medical advice in France over the years and the folk remedies of my Russian ex boyfriend for various illnesses were quite bizarre too. Putting your head over the boiling potato water to cure a cold because the vitamin c evaporated into the steam was a good one.

Have you ever been given strange medical advice abroad?

This thread is kind of inspired by the post about the Germans opening their windows all the time for "Luften"

On the other hand, if you're not a Brit, what are our bizarre medical beliefs/practices?

Some a I but managed to quote you as well!

this bit from @user44221 makes it sound like she chose pelvic exams to avoid catheterisation, which is just daft as placing a catheter would only usually be needed for a c-section.

I had 3 children in the US and had I think two or three pelvic exams per pregnancy. Personally, I'd find catheterisation considerably more invasive than my trusted ob/gyn checking the height of my cervix, but I guess that's just me.

we’d all find catheterisation invasive, but why it needs to be compared alongside a pelvic exams confused me. I’d find that invasive too, but catheterisation is more likely to be medically necessary.

You've reminded me of the Chalet School books where everyone got ill if they stood in a doorway for a few seconds.

The thing that makes me laugh in Germany is that feeling dizzy when you get up too quickly is a "circulation collapse" - makes it sound much worse than it is!

Yes I have a great photo of my friend's son and mine at similar ages (around 5 or 6). Hers is wearing a warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves, tightly done up. Mine is wearing a light anorak and no other winter gear. I think it was about 10 degrees that day!

Plenty of fluids and rest is just code for it will get better on its own

My late mother was a life-long hypochondriac who would absolutely harangue the GP for antibiotics every time she had a bad cold. This is despite me (and everyone else!) telling her that antibiotics don't treat viral illnesses.

On the rare occasions she managed to pry a prescription out of the poor man she'd say "See, I am so much better after 10 days on the medication"!🙄😂

isthismylifenow Thank you