Back in the day (aka my
childhood), mothers and older people I knew usually relied on personal
experience and information gotten from their parents and other well-meaning
people to cure common illnesses. The thing is, because there wasn’t Google
then, people had no way of verifying—without seeing a doctor—if those passed-on
information were true. And because they believe the information to be true,
they usually spread on the misconceptions.
Below are some of the medical conditions I heard people around me told lies about at one time or another while I was growing up.
Note: Not an illness, but I'd like to include this here.
Freckles
The lie: If you eat dukot (the burnt bottom portion of cooked rice that usually sticks to the pot) on the day during Holy Week when the Christ has just died or is dead, you'll get freckles. They didn't explain how and I didn't ask.
Below are some of the medical conditions I heard people around me told lies about at one time or another while I was growing up.
Liar!
1. Piskat (Sore eyes)
The lie: You
catch it by making direct eye contact with a person with sore eyes.
The fact: Piskat is caused by different factors such as airborne irritants, exposure to chemicals, inadequate lubrication of the eyes by tears, and even too much sun. Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is also a common cause of sore eyes. It can be caused by a virus or bacteria; it can also be an allergic reaction.
The conclusion: You cannot get sore eyes by staring a person with sore eyes right in the eyes. It's another matter entirely if you have a staring contest with said person and you don't blink, in which case your eyes don't get enough lubrication, thus leading to irritation and sore eyes. If the cause is a virus or a bacterium, you still won't catch sore eyes by staring. You will catch it if you touch the person's eye (or if you get in contact with the liquid from the affected eye) and touch your eyes without washing your hands first.
2. Bwinggit (Stye or Chalazion)
The lie: Bwinggit is a punishment for being a Peeping Tom. Because of this lie, a stigma is attached to this medical condition. If you have a bwinggit, expect to be teased mercilessly and accused of being a pervert.
The fact: A stye is an infection (usually bacterial) of the glands on the margin of the eyelid while a chalazion is a cyst that forms when the glands located at the rim of the eyelids are blocked.
The conclusion: Even if you're a Peeping Tom (which you shouldn't be if you have any shame at all), you won't get a bwinggit if your meibomian sebaceous glands don't get blocked or your eyelids apocrine sweat glands don’t get infected. Of course, if you do your dastardly act where there are a lot of bacteria, then you can expect to get eye infection from being a Peeping Tom.
3. Alap-ap/Ap-ap (Tinea flava/Tinea versicolor)
The lie: Chalk can cause ap-ap.
The fact: Ap-ap is a non-contagious fungal infection. The fungi are normally present on the skin but they don't cause problems if they are kept in check and the conditions are not favorable to them. Oily skin, hot climate, excessive sweating, and weak immune system can result to ap-ap.
The conclusion: If you are prone to ap-ap, it's not because you're always handling chalk for some reasons or other but because of fungus. Keep your personal hygiene impeccable and you'll have nothing to worry about. Also, ap-ap is not an incurable condition, so even if you have a white spot or two, it won’t be the end of your world.
4. Aguroy (Hangnail)
The lie: If you trim your nails on a certain day (my mother said Tuesday), you'll get hangnails.
The fact: Incorrect use of nail clipper and/or cuticle nipper and damage to the nail bed can cause hangnail to develop, not trimming your nail on a Tuesday (or whatever day it is you're told would be a bad day to trim nails).
The conclusion: You won't get hangnails if you trim your nail on a Tuesday, or any day of the week, really. But if you're not careful, you'll develop hangnails even if you do it on the day your horoscope says is your luckiest. Take care of your nails properly to avoid getting hangnails.
Quick question: Why do you think Cebuanos call this condition "aguroy"? Is it because it's so painful even if it seems very insignificant? Or maybe because an onomatopoetic Cebuano gave it that name because we usually exclaim "Aguroooy" (notice the prolonged enunciation of the last syllable) when we cut hangnails and the name stuck?
The fact: Piskat is caused by different factors such as airborne irritants, exposure to chemicals, inadequate lubrication of the eyes by tears, and even too much sun. Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is also a common cause of sore eyes. It can be caused by a virus or bacteria; it can also be an allergic reaction.
The conclusion: You cannot get sore eyes by staring a person with sore eyes right in the eyes. It's another matter entirely if you have a staring contest with said person and you don't blink, in which case your eyes don't get enough lubrication, thus leading to irritation and sore eyes. If the cause is a virus or a bacterium, you still won't catch sore eyes by staring. You will catch it if you touch the person's eye (or if you get in contact with the liquid from the affected eye) and touch your eyes without washing your hands first.
2. Bwinggit (Stye or Chalazion)
The lie: Bwinggit is a punishment for being a Peeping Tom. Because of this lie, a stigma is attached to this medical condition. If you have a bwinggit, expect to be teased mercilessly and accused of being a pervert.
The fact: A stye is an infection (usually bacterial) of the glands on the margin of the eyelid while a chalazion is a cyst that forms when the glands located at the rim of the eyelids are blocked.
The conclusion: Even if you're a Peeping Tom (which you shouldn't be if you have any shame at all), you won't get a bwinggit if your meibomian sebaceous glands don't get blocked or your eyelids apocrine sweat glands don’t get infected. Of course, if you do your dastardly act where there are a lot of bacteria, then you can expect to get eye infection from being a Peeping Tom.
3. Alap-ap/Ap-ap (Tinea flava/Tinea versicolor)
The lie: Chalk can cause ap-ap.
The fact: Ap-ap is a non-contagious fungal infection. The fungi are normally present on the skin but they don't cause problems if they are kept in check and the conditions are not favorable to them. Oily skin, hot climate, excessive sweating, and weak immune system can result to ap-ap.
The conclusion: If you are prone to ap-ap, it's not because you're always handling chalk for some reasons or other but because of fungus. Keep your personal hygiene impeccable and you'll have nothing to worry about. Also, ap-ap is not an incurable condition, so even if you have a white spot or two, it won’t be the end of your world.
4. Aguroy (Hangnail)
The lie: If you trim your nails on a certain day (my mother said Tuesday), you'll get hangnails.
The fact: Incorrect use of nail clipper and/or cuticle nipper and damage to the nail bed can cause hangnail to develop, not trimming your nail on a Tuesday (or whatever day it is you're told would be a bad day to trim nails).
The conclusion: You won't get hangnails if you trim your nail on a Tuesday, or any day of the week, really. But if you're not careful, you'll develop hangnails even if you do it on the day your horoscope says is your luckiest. Take care of your nails properly to avoid getting hangnails.
Quick question: Why do you think Cebuanos call this condition "aguroy"? Is it because it's so painful even if it seems very insignificant? Or maybe because an onomatopoetic Cebuano gave it that name because we usually exclaim "Aguroooy" (notice the prolonged enunciation of the last syllable) when we cut hangnails and the name stuck?
So true.
5. Kalunggo/Kunggo (Wart)
The lie: You'll get kalunggo from touching frogs.
The fact: Wart is a viral infection caused by a type of human papillomavirus (HPV). It is contagious and enters the body through a broken skin.
The conclusion: Unless the frog is host to the type of HPV that causes wart, you're not in danger of becoming a human tree from touching it. Just don't go touching any frog you see, because even if you can't get wart from them you may still get something else.
6. Bayook (Mumps)
The lie: You get mumps if you blow on something too hard.
The lie: You'll get kalunggo from touching frogs.
The fact: Wart is a viral infection caused by a type of human papillomavirus (HPV). It is contagious and enters the body through a broken skin.
The conclusion: Unless the frog is host to the type of HPV that causes wart, you're not in danger of becoming a human tree from touching it. Just don't go touching any frog you see, because even if you can't get wart from them you may still get something else.
6. Bayook (Mumps)
The lie: You get mumps if you blow on something too hard.
The fact:
Mumps is a childhood disease caused by a virus.
The conclusion: Although mumps is uncommon now, it was quite common before. Among the toys kids in my time played with were balloons that we had to manually inflate by transferring into it half of the air from our lungs. After blowing hard and for some time, you'd feel a funny tingling sensation on the part of your jaw just below the ears. This feeling can also be felt at the onset of mumps, and thus people automatically think they are having the disease when they feel it.
7. Appendicitis
The lie: You get appendicitis if you jump or run around after eating.
The conclusion: Although mumps is uncommon now, it was quite common before. Among the toys kids in my time played with were balloons that we had to manually inflate by transferring into it half of the air from our lungs. After blowing hard and for some time, you'd feel a funny tingling sensation on the part of your jaw just below the ears. This feeling can also be felt at the onset of mumps, and thus people automatically think they are having the disease when they feel it.
7. Appendicitis
The lie: You get appendicitis if you jump or run around after eating.
The fact: Appendicitis
can be caused by a virus, parasite, or tumor. They could cause the organ to
swell, inflame, and be filled with pus.
The conclusion: If you have appendicitis, it’s probably because your appendix has a viral or bacterial infection. But although you’re not likely to get appendix infection if you compete in a triathlon right after eating, it’s still prudent to rest for a few minutes after you ate. Use the time to talk and share a laugh or two with your eating buddies. It’s better rest the body while they are starting to digest the food you just ate.
The conclusion: If you have appendicitis, it’s probably because your appendix has a viral or bacterial infection. But although you’re not likely to get appendix infection if you compete in a triathlon right after eating, it’s still prudent to rest for a few minutes after you ate. Use the time to talk and share a laugh or two with your eating buddies. It’s better rest the body while they are starting to digest the food you just ate.
Note: Not an illness, but I'd like to include this here.
Freckles
The lie: If you eat dukot (the burnt bottom portion of cooked rice that usually sticks to the pot) on the day during Holy Week when the Christ has just died or is dead, you'll get freckles. They didn't explain how and I didn't ask.
The fact:
Freckles are not a type of skin disorder. They are caused by overproduction of
melanin granules that change the coloration of the skin, especially if you stay
too long under the sun.
The
conclusion: Personally, I think freckles are cute. I'd do
anything to have some freckles on the bridge of my nose and across my cheeks.
But, alas, I was not allowed to eat dukot
on a Holy Week when I was a kid. No freckles for me, then. But that okay. In
lieu of a picture of me that I would have posted here if I had freckles, here’s
Jensen Ackles and his lovely freckles.
Jensen Ackles, making freckles look cool since the 1970s.
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