7 Common Medical Myths

If you leave feeling worse than you did when you arrived, find a new physician

(NEWSER) - Is it time to break up with your doctor? View your next physical the same way you would a date, then decide. Forbes outlines 10 red flags that might indicate "It's over."

1. Your personalities just plain clash.
2. Your doctor doesn't give you enough information about your health and doesn't take the time to explain his or her decisions.
3. You spend way too much time in the waiting room each time you visit, and your doctor doesn't seem concerned when you mention it.

Always seek out a second opinion after these tricky diagnoses

(NEWSER) - When diagnosis is difficult, the procedure is risky, or less-invasive alternatives are available, a second opinion is essential. CNN lists five diagnoses that should send up red flags:

1. Heart-bypass surgery: Alternatives may be better for some patients.
2. Hysterectomy: The uterus isn't always the problem, and when it is, less dramatic alternatives are available.

Hospital and med bills don't have to cost an arm and a leg. Lower your blood pressure with these tips from MSNBC .

(NEWSER) - Avoid financial injury by following these ten tips from MSNBC:

1. Shop for tests. Different labs may vary widely in costs.
2. Negotiate. Hospitals may waive or reduce a co-pay fee if the patient can prove that it's a hardship.
3. Question the necessity of follow-up appointments, X-rays or MRIs.

'Cyberchondriacs' surf around to round out docs' advice

(NEWSER) - More and more people are turning to websites to complement doctor visits, Ars Technica reports. About three-quarters of adults seek out medical info online, a fraction that's held for nearly a decade even as the number of wired adults has soared. That translates to 160 million of what Harris Interactive calls "cyberchondriacs." More»

Biggest breakthrough in a decade may advance prevention, treatment

(NEWSER) - Four newly discovered genes can increase a woman's chance of developing breast cancer by as much as 60%, say scientists who hail the isolation of the genes as the biggest advance in the field since 1994. The breakthrough raises hopes for more advanced treatment and even prevention of breast cancer and for better understanding of other cancers in the future. More»