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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Huge blood test myth has finally been busted
Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from This week, Dr Zac Turner explores whether or not blood tests are back for you. QUESTION: Dear Dr Zac, I saw a doctor on Instagram saying that getting blood tests can make you more sick, because the more blood you have drawn, it's taking away your immune system? Is that true or just social media pseudoscience? – Amanda, 27, Gold Coast ANSWER: If I had a dollar for every time an 'Instagram doctor' spread weird health advice, I'd be rich enough to launch my own line of overpriced supplements and film it shirtless in a rainforest. Let's get straight to it: The claim that drawing blood somehow removes your immune system is complete nonsense. According to this so-called 'Medical Medium' (who, by the way, says his info comes from a spirit – yes, really), taking blood for tests will make you sicker because it weakens your immune system. That's not just wrong, it's dangerously misleading. Here's why you shouldn't panic if your GP orders a blood test – and why listening to ghost-guided wellness influencers could do more harm than a few millilitres of blood ever could. Blood tests don't drain your immune system – just your TikTok feed. Let's bust the myth first: Your immune system doesn't live in your blood like it's floating around in a tiny lifeboat. Yes, some immune cells are in your bloodstream, but they're constantly being produced by your bone marrow and lymphatic system. Drawing a small amount of blood doesn't cripple your defences, it gives your doctor valuable clues to help strengthen them. Standard blood tests typically take about 5–10ml of blood. That's around two teaspoons. The average adult has five litres of blood. You've probably lost more than squeezing a pimple or stubbing your toe in the dark. Even if you get extensive testing done, say 50ml worth, it's still less than 2 per cent of your total blood volume. Your body replenishes that quickly, usually within 24–48 hours. Unless you're a lizard person (or actively haemorrhaging), you'll be just fine. But what about people who feel worse after blood tests? This is where things get a bit nuanced. Some people do feel faint, dizzy or tired after having blood drawn. But that's more to do with how the blood was taken (and whether you had breakfast) than the blood itself. Feeling queasy is often linked to: Vasovagal response (a fancy way of saying your body freaks out at needles), Low blood sugar, or anxiety. These are temporary reactions, not signs your immune system is crumbling. Where did this bizarre idea come from? The quote in question comes from Anthony William, aka the 'Medical Medium'. He claims to hear health advice from a spirit (who apparently skipped immunology class). He's not a licensed doctor, has no formal medical training, and has previously claimed celery juice can cure everything from anxiety to shingles. He's also built a multimillion-dollar wellness empire promoting unproven health advice, often to people who are desperate and vulnerable. That, in my opinion, is the real sickness. Sure, he throws in the odd disclaimer like 'work with your doctor,' but that's like a car salesman saying 'test the brakes' while handing you a steering wheel held on with duct tape. Here's what you actually should do around blood tests If you're sick or dealing with chronic illness, your doctor might want to order blood work to understand what's going on. That's a good thing. The faster you get the right diagnosis, the faster you can get the right treatment. Some basic tips for a smooth blood test experience: • Drink plenty of water beforehand (it makes veins easier to find) • Don't skip meals unless told to fast • If you get dizzy, let the phlebotomist know, they can take extra care • Rest afterwards if needed, and have a snack That's it. No sage burning or spirit communication required. The only thing scary about blood tests is the fact that some influencers think they're dangerous. Removing 5ml of blood won't wreck your immune system – but believing Instagram pseudoscience just might. Blood tests are safe, essential, and can literally save your life. And if someone tells you otherwise while claiming to get their health info from ghosts, maybe it's time to unfollow. You've got this. Dr Zac Dr Zac Turner is a medical practitioner specialising in preventative health and wellness. He has four health/medical degrees – Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Sydney, Bachelor of Nursing at Central Queensland University, and Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He is a registrar for the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, and is completing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (UNSW). Dr Zac is the medical director for his own holistic wellness medical clinics throughout Australia, Concierge Doctors.

News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Zoom in': Australian celebrities Lisa Wilkinson and Hamish Blake spoof viral ‘kiss cam' drama
A pair of Australian celebrities, Lisa Wilkinson and Hamish Blake, have hilariously spoofed the moment an American tech CEO was caught hugging a woman who was not his wife at a Coldplay concert. Wilkinson and Blake were in the audience for one of the stops on American stand-up comedian Nikki Glaser's tour of Australia. And all individuals involved apparently decided to have some fun. During her set, Glaser offered up her own version of the kiss cam that caught out Andy Byron, CEO of the company Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the business's chief people officer. 'Let's see if we have one more we can find. Can we zoom in?' Glaser asked as the camera focused on Blake and Wilkinson, who were pretending to be intimate. 'Is that ... is that ... is that Hamish and Lisa!? Oooooh, busted! Someone call Zoe right now. What the f***?' Blake is, of course, married to author and entrepreneur Zoe Foster Blake. Wilkinson is married to the former rugby player Peter FitzSimons. The clip of Mr Byron and Ms Cabot enjoying Coldplay's performance together, then ducking for cover upon being shown on the big screen, has gone viral this week. The scandal ended with Mr Byron resigning from his role at Astronomer. 'As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,' the company said in a statement. 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met. 'Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive.' Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is serving as interim CEO. The video of Mr Byron and Ms Cabot quickly went viral after being shared on TikTok. 'Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy,' Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin quipped to the crowd. 'Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI,' Astronomer said. 'While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not. 'We're continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems.' Mr Byron's job reportedly paid him between $717,000 and a million dollars per year, plus performance-based bonuses.


SBS Australia
5 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Second case of rare mpox strain discovered in traveller
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . "The patient has a close family, and that family are isolating at home. He was not contagious on the return journey to Australia from Africa, and those close contacts that he has been in contact including at the emergency ward and other locations are being contact traced right now and identified." That's Queensland's Health Minister Tim Nicholls, confirming a new strain of mpox virus has been detected in a man who's just returned to the south-east of the state from a trip to Africa. He says Mpox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. "Mpox is not easily spread. It is only spread or it can only spread through close or intimate contact. It is particularly spread by close sexual contact and particularly for gay men and people engaging with sex is the primary cause of the contagious spread." Dr Geoffrey Playford is the head of infectious diseases at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Queensland. He says the rare Clade 1 strain of mpox has only been seen once before in Australia, also in a returned traveller. "Over the last year and a half in Queensland, we've had 135 cases in mpox clade 2 - this is the first case of clade 1 and the second time in Australia we've had clade 1. The other case was in New South Wales in May." Mr Nicholls says the public should NOT be concerned. "We think that there are 19 community contacts and 40 staff contacts that have been in contact with the patient. At the moment his symptoms are asymptomatic. They are not showing any signs of the clade 1 mpox, but they are isolating. The family involves children in high school, primary school and childcare centres and the high school, primary school and childcare centres either have been or are in the process of being identified." Dr Playford says authorities are not worried either. He says fortunately in this case the clinical presentation is relatively mild and there are no particular concerns for the patient's health. "And all of our efforts at the moment is to identify contacts using national guidelines to undertake quarantine where the very close contacts have been identified, again in line with the national guidelines." The close contacts will be offered a vaccine that is highly effective against mpox -either preventing or making the disease significantly milder and shorter. Mr Nicholls says over a year ago there were some restrictions on the availability of the vaccine. But now, Queensland has ample supplies - and the vaccine is provided free of charge through sexual health clinics and some GPs [[general practitioners]]. The Queensland government is advising anyone who suspects they may have the virus to seek medical advice from their local doctor, sexual health clinic or public health unit.