Questions tagged [medicine]
NOTE: For professional medical advice, please contact your physician.
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When do dietary supplements need a hechsher?
I am looking to purchase a probiotic supplement (ingredients) and was wondering if it requires a hechsher.
What are the criteria for a drug/supplement that would render it automatically kosher - or ...
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Do drugs need to be kosher? [duplicate]
Specifically, does it matter if medication comes in gelatin capsules? Is there a difference what the medication is?
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Loshon hara to a therapist
Is saying things that would otherwise be considered loshon hara permitted in the context of mental health therapy?
I am not familiar with the details of therapeutic schools, but I understand that ...
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Does one say a beracha on medication?
Does one say a beracha on medication? Does it matter whether it tastes nice or not? Is there a difference between pills and liquid medicine?
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Is a doctor halachically required to inform you about side effects related to the meds that he prescribes you?
Information about a prescribed drug's side effects is usually in an insert of the drug's packaging. Much of the information is not easily understood to an average patient. (OK, I'm a bit "above ...
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Converting to Judaism and circumcision [duplicate]
I am converting to Judaism after living Jewishly for half my life. I am 27 and there was simply no way to convert for years (and I was a minor when I first sought conversion). Now I have had a Beit ...
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Transgender erva
Men's Health magazine has been in the news lately because of a contest in which people can vote on who will be on the magazine's cover. Currently leading in the voting is a transgender person who was ...
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Does one need a new toothbrush for Pesach or can he scrub his current toothbrush in Listerine?
Must one necessarily use a new toothbrush for Pesach on can he soak the toothbrush and scrub it in Listerine?
AFAIK, Listerine is KP, based on what I saw fairly recently, on I think, Star-K site. ...
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Do the rules of chametz apply to IV nutrition?
Does chametz apply only to what is eaten orally or to any type of nutrition / food regardless of how it is ingested?
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The Seder & diabetes
Those that suffer from type 2 diabetes are told to limit their intake of carbohydrates. This is normally doable. However comes the Seder night, with 4 cups of wine and significant Matza intake one is ...
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Antibiotics, Strep and Taanit Esther
Can someone with a bacterial infection, such as strep throat, but can not swallow the antibiotics dry or with minimal water, take the medicine using a full glass of water and/or dissolving the ...
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Alternative treatment/medicines
what does the Torah, Talmud and other scriptures (commentators) say about alternative treatments and medicines (yoga, accupuncture, ayurveda, haptonomy etc.)? Is it ok to get this kind of healthcare? ...
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Why should you be seeking medical attention?
From what I understand, all sicknesses and injuries fall upon a person because either G-d wants to wake him up to repent or to punish him.
With that being the case, by seeking healing the person is ...
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What are the opinions on carrying medicine/medical devices on Shabbat?
Specifically, I'm curious about situations where it's not immediately apparent that it'll be necessary. For example: you don't know whether or not you'll need an epipen when you leave the house, but ...
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Where does the Tiferes Yisroel discuss Edward Jenner and smallpox?
I've heard repeatedly that the Tiferes Yisroel describes Dr. Edward Jenner as a righteous gentile for developing the smallpox inoculation -- where is that quote, please?
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Pidyon in the case of Siamese birth
Let's say that two boys came out co-joined. There is technically no single "first born" since they both exited together.
If they remain co-joined for 30 days, do they both get redeemed?
If they were ...
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How to handle cadavers which are highly likely to be Jewish
This question How to handle cadavers asked what should be done where a student had to handle cadavers in their medical (dentistry) classes.
A comment took the view that outside of Israel, the ...
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Are there any sources that prohibit childhood vaccinations?
The consequences of depressed childhood vaccination rates in some American communities, in the form of a building measles outbreak, have been in the news lately.
All public schools and most private ...
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Is there a prayer for seeing an ambulance?
Every once in a while, you'll see an ambulance drive by, sirens wailing and everything. You stop, and wonder to yourself if everything will be okay. (especially if the ambulance belongs to Hatzalah)
...
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Should I make a bracha on spice infused nasal spray?
My otolaryngologist (a.k.a. - ENT) uses a mint infused nasal spray to lubricate my nose. I once asked him to show me the spray bottle and the ingredients includes peppermint. Similarly, one of my ...
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Doctor recommends pacemaker. Does the patient have to listen?
Suppose a doctor recommends a patient receive a pacemaker, both improve the quality of life and extend the patients life. However, the patient has no interest in getting one. Does Halacha compel the ...
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Seven months pregnancy [duplicate]
There are places where it mentions a seven month full term pregnancy such as the Mishna Yevamos 100a. In modern day science is there such a concept as a seven month pregnancy that is considered full ...
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Experimental drug testing (e.g. for cancer)
Are there any sources discussing (both l'kula and l'chumra) experimental drug studies? Two reasons this would be halachically problematic:
Drugs assigned based on animal studies have a small chance ...
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Is there an obligation to reattach a severed body part?
If a part of a person's body is severed for whatever reason, is there an obligation on the person who lost it to reattach it?
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Contact lenses during conversion immersion
If a convert wore contact lenses during the mikvah immersion, is the conversion still valid? Does it depend on whether the contact lenses are disposable (not the one you wear for more than 30 days)?
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Rinse with baking soda and water on Shabbos?
Are you allowed to mix a pinch of baking soda with water and rinse your mouth with it instead of using mouthwash?
Also there are two way to mix it: place some baking soda on your finger/hand and ...
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Is a homosexual male obligated to try everything to change his orientation?
Given that homosexual relations is a biblical sin, I would like to know if a Jewish male homosexual has an obligation to try to change his sexual orientation (as opposed to just not acting on his ...
user6641
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Are you allowed to take pills with gelatin [duplicate]
According to Halacha, are you allowed to take pills that are covered with gelatin?
It's an antibiotic for acne.
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Is human placenta kosher?
There is, apparently, something called placenta encapsulation which means making pills out of a placenta postpartum for the purpose of digesting placenta. People claim that these pills offer unique ...
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How is the sex of a baby born with unclear genitalia determined?
A baby may be born with a penis but no testicle. The hospital would do genetic tests to determine whether the baby was genetically female or male. In the case of a genetic female born with a penis the ...
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On Shabbat, if one can't sleep, may one consume valerian tea? Valerian root powder? Other non-prescription remedies?
Occasionally, on Shabbat, I've had trouble sleeping.
The Doctors Book of Home Remedies (20th anniversary edition) (Rodale, 2010) includes a section about insomnia, which includes a long list of home ...
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Medicinal etc. Sections of Talmud
Every now and then, then Gemara will go off on a tangent and discuss medical practices (such as towards the end of Gittin and scattered throughout maseches shabbos) or practical safety advice ...
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How does Judaism treat depression?
Other than through music are there any recommendations in Tanach, the gemarah or other commentators which discuss the best ways, meaning most likely to succeed, to treat depression?
user6641
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Can we violate Shabbos to inject a vaccine?
Vaccines save lives. I'm not here to argue about that, take it somewhere else. If you don't agree, for the purposes of this question just imagine I'm talking about some medicine that accomplishes ...
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Sources for the halachos of medical emergencies on Shabbos
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm currently preparing a chabura (presentation) on the laws of medical emergencies on Shabbos.
What sources discuss the halachos of medicine on Shabbos?
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May we violate Shabbos to administer morphine?
Morphine has been widely used as a pain reliever for a very long time (according to Wikipedia, it's been in use at least since 1804!). It's even listed (twice!) on WHO's list of essential medicines. ...
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Can one use a sinus rinse on Shabbat / Yom Tov?
This sinus rinse is manual. You fill the plastic bottle with water and add a small packet of saline powder and mix it. Then, you insert the bottle tip into your nostril and squeeze the bottle so that ...
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Can a person with a disability that causes them to be incontinent put on tefillin? If so, when?
If someone has a disability wherein they suffer from incontinence from time to time are they able to put on tefillin or not? Is there any consideration for psychological or emotional damage that may ...
user3342
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Milah in Hospital
Scenario: a child is born and his parents are not religious. They circumcise him in the hospital as part of neonatal care.
If he becomes religious later in life, or if his parents become religious ...
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May I intentionally generate saliva on Yom Kippur
By swishing my tongue around my mouth, I can trick my glands into exuding saliva. I can then swallow this and trick my body into thinking it has drank.
Is this saliva Nolad for the purpose of Shabbos ...
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Making a Berachah on Medicine
I heard from someone that medicine does not require a berachah.
What is the source for this?
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If Consuming Blood is Prohibited Can Jews Accept Blood Transfusions?
According to Leviticus 7:26-27 Jews shouldn't consume blood. So why can Jews accept blood transfusions in non-life threatening situations? Is the act of inserting blood via arm not considered "...
anon
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What side does someone with Situs inversus bang
For tachanun, al cheit, twice in selach lanu etc, we bang on our heart. My question is: if someone has Situs inversus, a condition where the heart is on the right side of the body instead of the left, ...
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Why go to the doctor?
According to Jewish belief, God gives you sicknesses and God gives you cures.
If you are sick it's because God wants you to be sick. Once he deems that you no longer need the disease you are then ...
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Taking a pill on Yom Kippur
What factors go into determining the permissibility of taking a pill on Yom Kippur when there is no chance the patient will die if they fail to take the pill for 25 hours?
The case here is not one of ...
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Halachot of IVF
Does anyone know of any good teshuvas or sefers giving an overview of the halacha of in-vitro fertilization IVF? (Feel free to also give overviews in your answers, but I'd appreciate links to the ...
user5540
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May a male use a female for massage or vice versa?
There is a related question In a non-life-threatening emergency, can a female doctor do a hospital procedure on a male or vice versa?. The answer to that question, addresses limited situations, and I ...
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What is the Orthodox Jewish position regarding a criminal ban on abortion?
I know that many Orthodox Jews oppose abortion - presumably because they see this as a religious requirement - but does Orthodox Judaism see it as required or preferable to support a secular law ...
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Halachically dead & Yibum
From organ donation discussions I learned that some don't view brain death as death and only view the cessation of the heart's beating to be death.
According to that, if someone's heart was stopped ...
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Why do we have an appendix according to Torah sources?
Is there any significance in Torah literature, attributed to the appendix and its function in the body?
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