Mythical old wives tales such as hair of the dog – and why you can die from a broken heart

Summer’s a sensational season, isn’t it? Barbecues in the back garden, swims in the sea, socialising in the sun with friends.

But what do you do when something goes wrong – when you burn yourself, get stung by a jellyfish (the heatwave has led to hundreds of purple jellyfish swarming the warm shallows of Southend in Essex), or suffer an almighty hangover?

Some of us reach straight for the Savlon to sort minor injuries, while others turn to folk remedies passed down through generations, methods our ancestors relied on.

But are any of these old wives’ tales valid in the 21st Century?

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“There’s often a grain of truth in medical folklore,” says Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox Pharmacy.

“But while some of these cures work, others could definitely do more harm than good.”

Here is Dr Lee’s verdict on five common old wives’ tales…

Put butter on a burn

A burn is damage to your body’s tissues. Often very painful, they cause red, peeling skin and blisters.

Does the old wives’ tale work?

“Absolutely definitely not,” says Dr Lee. “Putting butter on a burn may actually make it worse, because the fat will slow down the release of heat from the skin, causing more damage from the retained heat.”

“Soothe a burn by running it under cold water for at least 20 minutes to help cool the area and prevent the skin from continuing to burn.”

“Then apply Vaseline and cover it with a non-adhesive, sterile bandage. The NHS says burns can be covered with cling film while you wait for medical attention.”

Verdict: False.

Pee on a jellyfish sting to reduce pain

Tentacles trailing from a jellyfish can inject venom from microscopic barbed stingers when in contact with skin.

They cause burning, prickling or throbbing pain and a red, itchy rash.

Does the old wives’ tale work? This old wives’ tale may have gained new fans when it featured in an episode of Friends and Chandler peed on Monica’s sting.

But experts say this could actually cause more pain. “Urine is largely made up of water and is far too diluted to have any therapeutic effect,” says Dr Lee.

“The force of a stream of urine could also agitate any barbs from the sting still stuck in the skin and make the pain worse.”

“It’s better to wash the area in seawater and apply a local anaesthetic gel. Soaking the area in hot water for 20 minutes also helps.”

Verdict: False.

Hair of the dog cures your hangover

Dehydration, banging headache, broken sleep… Most of us are well aware of what a hangover feels like!

Does the old wives’ tale work? The ‘hair of the dog’ saying, referring to alcohol that is consumed with the aim of lessening the effects of a hangover, has been used – and followed – for centuries. But does it actually work?

“It may help you temporarily, as you’re taking in more liquid but really you’re just delaying the inevitable,” says Dr Lee.

“The best way to get over a hangover is to drink plenty of water to help your digestive system recover and take a painkiller to ease a headache.”

Verdict: False.

Starve a cold, feed a fever

There are more than 200 different cold viruses but common colds don’t usually cause a fever (a temperature above 38°C in adults).

Does the old wives’ tale work?

“Your body needs more calories when it has a cold or a fever, as it needs energy to boost the immune system to fight off the virus,” says

Dr Lee. “If you don’t feel like food, keep your fluid and calorie intake up with drinks that contain calories, such as coconut water, sports

drinks or fresh fruit smoothies. It’s important to stay hydrated.”

Verdict: False.

Cover a wart to cure it

A wart is caused by a strain of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which triggers keratin to build up into a benign growth. They’re usually found on hands and feet.

Does the old wives’ tale work?

“Actually, it might. In a study, researchers treated patients’ warts by sticking duct tape over them for up to eight weeks.”

“Other warts were treated with cryotherapy, where the wart is frozen off.”

“They found 85% of the duct tape patients were wart-free, compared with 60% of the cryotherapy group.”

“Scientists believe the tape stimulates the immune system, kick-starting the healing process.”

Verdict: True.

3 ‘myths’ that are actually true

You can die of a broken heart

It may sound like something out of a romantic novel but dying of a broken heart is possible. In the first six months after the loss of a partner, the risk of death for the surviving loved one increases by 40%.

“Broken heart syndrome can be triggered when an extreme emotional or traumatic event causes a surge of stress hormones,” says Dr Lee.

“These can put you in potentially fatal short-term heart failure.”

“There’s also a condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, when a sudden surge of emotion causes the heart’s left ventricle to stop pumping, resulting in acute heart failure.”

Eating cheese at bedtime gives you nightmares

Cheese is full of fat, which means your digestive system works extra-hard to digest it.

“It makes you stay in the REM (rapid eye movement) state of sleep for longer. This is where you have lots more vivid dreams,” says Dr Lee.

“Why nightmares? Cheese contains several compounds believed to influence the brain’s chemical systems.”

“It also contains large amounts of vitamin B, which may increase levels of the happy hormone, serotonin. This may be why eating cheese leads to, if not nightmares, definitely vivid dreams.”

You can die of boredom

Boredom alone won’t kill you but it does make it more likely something else will.

A group of 33 to 55-year-olds were asked how bored they were at work and how physically active they were.

Those who were most bored were less active and rated their health as worse.

In the follow-up study, 20 years later, the people who had felt bored at work were more likely to have died and more than twice as likely to have had a fatal heart disease.

“Researchers believe people who are bored might be less motivated to take care of their health,” says Dr Lee.