Cough medicine, antibacterial wipes, whitening toothpaste… These daily necessities that appear in everyone’s home are not worthy of the name, and some are even harmful to health. The daily mail of the United Kingdom takes stock of these common medicines and daily necessities in our lives to see what makes you successful.
British people spend 2.5 billion pounds on over-the-counter drugs and daily necessities in pharmacies and supermarkets every year, and this amount is increasing at a rate of 10% every year. However, more evidence shows that many medicines and daily chemicals are completely useless – some are even harmful to health.
Anthony Cox, a lecturer in clinical pharmacy at the University of Birmingham, said that pharmacists on the high street “deceive” consumers by selling these goods to make profits. “Community pharmacists should stop selling over-the-counter drugs that have little effect.” He published it in the pharmaceutical journal in August.
Even some of the most popular commodities lack scientific evidence to prove their utility. Below, we list some items that look reliable but actually do not have much effect.
cough medicine
Average annual sales: 96 million pounds
What do people do when they cough? Of course they would go out and buy some cough medicine. However, there is little scientific evidence that they will help you recover. Dr. Tim Ballard, vice president of the Royal College of general practitioners, said: “the medical evidence used to prove the effectiveness of cough relief is very weak, and there is no evidence that they can shorten the duration of cough.”
Viral infection is the cause of most coughs. If your cough is caused by viral infection, there is no way to recover quickly. All you can do is wait for the immune system to clear those viruses.
According to some articles, 17 studies covering 2876 adults and 8 studies covering 616 children conducted by Cochrane Collaboration (a global consortium of biomedical experts) in 2008 did not find strong evidence to prove that dextromethorphan or diphenhydramine (the main ingredient of non local cough medicines) can alleviate cough.
Anthony Cox also warned that some expensive cough medicines may be harmful to health: “the compound medicines contained in these medicines may be illogical – for example, expectorants and cough suppressants. The former produces mucus, while the latter inhibits the impulse to discharge mucus. They may bring adverse effects such as dizziness and nausea.”
ear wax remove
Average annual sales: £ 7.8 million
A bottle of pharmacist recommended ear drops may contain ingredients that make you sound very effective, such as glycerin and urea hydrogen peroxide, which can help soften and remove earwax. But according to Cochrane’s ear, nose and throat team, there is no medical and clinical evidence that this is better than putting a water pipe into the ear.
In 2009, Martin Burton, an otolaryngologist at Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, conducted a study showing that normal saline and water are as effective as these over-the-counter drugs, and the former is also cheaper and easier to obtain.
insect-bite creams
Average annual sales: 1.4 million pounds
There are many over-the-counter creams and medicines used to relieve itching and swelling after insect bites, but there is no evidence that they can really work. According to the 2012 article in the Journal of medicine and treatment, the ointment contains analgesics or anesthetics, as well as antihistamines and preservatives, which are only slightly effective, and it is proposed that these chemically synthesized ointment may make the skin more sensitive.
Other products with the same effect include steroid tablets and ointments, such as hydrocortisone. But apart from eczema and other reactive skin diseases, there is no scientific evidence to show their effectiveness.
A can of ordinary disinfectant ointment can relieve children’s insect bite reactions and prevent infection.
antibacterial soap and paper towels
Average annual sales: £ 239 million
It seems common sense that antibacterial soap can protect ourselves and our families from diseases caused by bacteria, but science does not think so.
More than 40 years ago, studies by the food and Drug Administration of the United States and many independent studies showed that there was no evidence that triclosan (an antibacterial ingredient in soaps, wipes and hand sanitizers) brought more health benefits than old-fashioned soaps. One of the most basic problems is that these soaps and wipes target bacteria rather than viruses, but viruses are the main cause of diseases. Science has proven that the most effective antibacterial method is to absorb it regularly with ordinary soap and keep the food clean and hygienic every day.
These antibacterial soaps and wipes can also cause health problems. An article in allergy and clinical immunology in 2012 pointed out that children who have been exposed to triclosan for a long time have a greater chance of developing allergies, including peanut allergy and hay fever. This may be because these children used antibacterial soap boxes and wet wipes, which reduced their contact and adaptation to bacteria. In the process of their growth, it is very important to train their constantly improving immune system to adapt to potential infectious sources and allergens.
whitening toothpaste
Average annual sales: 60 million pounds
More than 40% of people use whitening toothpaste – even this is more than three times more expensive than ordinary toothpaste. This toothpaste whitens by bleaching and rubbing. However, Cochrane’s collaborative oral health team announced that this toothpaste has no clinical research support at all. Some whitening toothpaste claims that they use hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching agent to bleach stains. But Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Organization, said: “toothpaste sold in the EU only contains 0.1% hydrogen peroxide to ensure safety. At this dose, it is almost impossible to achieve the effect of bleaching teeth. You have to brush your teeth at least 30 times to see the effect.”
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