Ears need to be cleaned regularly by removing the wax

*Wax is not dirt and does not need to be cleaned out. Don’t put anything inside the ear, even buds, as an infection or perforation can result. In fact while cleaning, people usually push the wax in deeper, so it's counterproductive anyway. Ears should be cleaned only when there is excessive secretion of wax, as in about 5-10 per cent  of cases. Even in such cases, a trained person should clean the ear.

Snoring needs no treatment
*Snoring could be a symptom of sleep apnea, in which a person stops breathing for a few seconds several times during the night, resulting in a disturbed sleep. This causes daytime drowsiness. Worse, 'sleep apnea can also result in a decrease in oxygen to the brain and this can give rise to medical problems.

Oil can be used  inside the ear for  relieving pain
*In fact, oil should never be used as a pain-reliever. It can be put inside the ear in other circumstances, and 'only if the eardrum is intact.'

Hearing loss in kids after a cold need not be treated
*Hearing loss after a cold can lead to serious consequences due to fluid build-up in the ear. It's a condition (Otitis media with effusion), which may need to be operated upon.

If a child's speech is delayed it is not serious
*If a child does not start speaking in time, it could be a sign that he is hard of hearing. It is better that a doctor checks the child. In developed countries all newborns undergo a test for hearing.

Calamine lotion and oatmeal baths cure poison ivy
*Calamine lotion (the "pink stuff") makes a mess and does not relieve itching. Oatmeal baths just produce a ring around the tub and do not cure the rash. Anti-itch lotions such as Calaldryl or Benadryl cream occasionally can cause an allergic rash and are not recommended. Benadryl pills and other antihistamines, can reduce the itchiness, but do not shorten the rash's duration. 

Shingles are contagious
*You cannot catch shingles from another person. Shingles are painful blisters that result from an old chicken pox infection years before. After the chicken pox rash clears, the pox virus remains dormant in nerve roots and can re-emerge years later with painful blisters. The blisters do contain chicken pox virus which could be contagious for anyone who has not been vaccinated against chicken pox.  Most adults, however, have had chicken pox and do not have to worry because they are immune. To be safe, avoid touching the blisters until they have scabbed and are no longer contagious. Coming in contact with someone who has shingles cannot cause you to develop shingles. Stress, illness and advanced age are triggers that can activate the dormant pox virus in the nerve roots causing shingles to erupt.

You shouldn't go swimming or bathe right after eating
*You can go in the pool or ocean and also take bath after eating and do not need to wait any length of time. As a child you probably were told to wait 30 minutes or an hour before taking a plunge or bathing after lunch. It may make sense to delay very strenuous activities for a short period after a large meal to avoid some abdominal cramping- but it is not dangerous. Endurance athletes commonly ingest foods during exercise without problems.

Alternative therapies are safer than allopathic medicine
*This is a general belief held by most consumers of alternative therapies, but this myth might be as dangerous as or more so than the myth that pharmaceuticals are always effective against disease. Herbal therapies are believed to be safer because they come from "natural sources." Homoeopathic remedies are considered safe due to the process used to make them, resulting in dilutions of the main ingredient to seemingly sub therapeutic concentrations. But in both cases, we are talking about substances with real or potential biological activity.

Diet can correct poor eyesight
*Some people believe poor eyesight can be corrected by taking certain diets or vitamin supplements. This is true only if your problem is caused by a vitamin deficiency. Vitamin A, for instance, is needed for night vision. People who lack this vitamin - which is found in dark green leafy and yellow vegetables and fruits - can't see well in dim light because of night blindness. But gorging on carrots and other sources of vitamin A won't spare you the trouble of wearing eyeglasses. Poor eyesight, which is helped by wearing eyeglasses, has nothing to do with nutrition.

Reading in dim light harm your eyes
*Of course not! This is another myth that refuses to die. Reading in the dark, in a moving car or in bed won't damage your eyes. The worst you can expect is a headache.

This comes from strained muscles which have to work harder since you're reading in an awkward position. People who read in bed generally do so in positions which demand an almost impossible adjustment not from the eye or its lens but from the muscles which govern its movement. None of the eye muscles, however, will be damaged that way. So there's no need to worry that you'll go blind.

Sitting close to the TV ruins your eyes
*It's time we put those myths to rest. TV won't do any lasting harm to your eyes even if you sit close to it. Kids, like to be as close to the set as possible but nothing bad will come out of this habit. That's because their eyes can easily focus whether the object is far or two inches or less away from them.

The author is a senior consultant in ENT, Apollo Hospitals and can be contacted at 99002 36819.