Health advice - Doctors vs Mums

If you turn to your mum instead of your doctor when you get sick, you could be putting your health at risk

New research by Panadol shows we're more likely to go to our mum before doctors, pharmacists or the internet because we trust her advice and she's always on call.¹

While turning to mum means less time spent in the doctor's waiting room leafing through last year's dog-eared magazines, some inherited health advice can be more science fiction, than medical fact.

Two thirds of us believe we can become immune to a painkiller, if we always take the same type. More than a third us feed a cold and starve a fever, and one in six lathers toothpaste on love-bites to avoid weeks of wearing roll-necks in the summer.²

But how much of this hand-me-down health advice should we be following? iVillage.co.uk caught up with resident expert Dr Sarah Brewer to find out.

'If you take painkillers regularly you can become immune to them'

Dr Sarah Brewer: This is not true for the majority of painkillers. While tolerance may develop with some of the opioid painkillers (e.g. codeine) this is not true for painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen.

This myth is something that people worry about and try to 'ration' their painkillers, thus putting themselves at discomfort for no reason. It's better to follow the instructions given by your doctor or pharmacist.