Shaving does not cause hair to grow back faster, darker or coarser. It is just a method of cutting the hair at the skin’s surface, according to the Dermatology Clinic at UAMS. Shaving has no effect on the part of the hair shaft below the skin surface, which is where growth and pigmentation occur. Although the […]

The belief that taking fish oil will protect you from heart disease and arthritis may just be a fish tale, according to Dr. J. L. Mehta, Stebbins Chair of Cardiology at UAMS. “There is experimental data showing that large amounts of fish oil constituents may reduce the chance of sudden cardiac death but evidence for […]

According to the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UAMS, there is no safe minimum amount of smoking prior to surgery. Research shows patients that smoke have 10 times more surgical complications than a non-smoker. In addition, smokers that smoke between three to nine cigarettes a day have the same risk as those who who […]

There is no evidence that any kind of shock, including being awakened from a sound sleep, can cause diabetes. “We have enough understanding of the means by which both type 1 and type 2 diabetes develop to know that a single episode of stress or fright cannot cause diabetes,” says Dr. Stephen Elbein, a professor […]

You might want to rethink buying that hot tub if you’re planning to have children in the near future. According to Dr. Graham Greene, an associate professor in the UAMS Department of Urology, elevated water temperature can effect spermatogenesis, or the process of sperm formation. “I advise any male interested in fathering a child to […]

People faint for a variety of reasons. Standing, particularly when associated with heat or emotional stress, can cause blood to pool in the lower extremities. “If dehydration is present the situation is worsened,” explains Dr. Richard Nicholas, one of our orthopedic surgeons at UAMS. “The low rate of blood return to the heart in these […]

There is some level of truth to this myth, although the chances of it occurring are slim. Toxoplasmosis is an infection that can be bad for a pregnancy if the fetus gets infected. The organism is carried in the feces of cats and other similar animals. Therefore, cats that are out in the wild, who […]

This question has been discussed by everyone from college students to respected scientists, probably for generations. Like many medical myths there is some “truth” to this notion. However, UAMS’ Department of Emergency Medicine says it’s important to know that coffee cannot reverse the effects of alcohol. Coffee cannot ‘sober you up.’ It does not get […]

Everyone has heard that we should drink eight glasses of water a day but there’s no way to determine where this belief originated nor has there ever been a scientific study to support it, explains Dr. Alex Finkbeiner, chairman of the UAMS Department of Urology. “Interestingly, one of my colleagues also questioned whether such a […]

In ovarian cancer, the likelihood of developing the disease is reduced with each pregnancy, says Dr. Alexander Burnett, chief of UAMS’ Division of Gynecologic Oncology. “Also, if a woman takes birth control pills for at least five years during her reproductive life, she will have a reduced chance of developing ovarian cancer. It appears that […]