There's free medical advice all over TikTok. In fact, a recent survey by CharityRx of 2,000 American adults found that 1 in 5 consults TikTok before talking to their doctor. Some videos have no factual backing but can't hurt you to try, while others can cause more health issues.
One trending video is raising some eyebrows with claims that holding receipts is toxic to your health.
"So, what is this one simple thing that no one told you? Stop handling receipts," is how Dr. Erin Carter's TikTok video begins. She is a verified rheumatologist and professor in Canada. She goes on to say the toxin in receipts is linked to a litany of health issues.
"Infertility, obesity, thyroid problems, kidney problems, there's a huge, long list," she says.
Certainly, alarming but is it true or just clickbait? ABC15 Health Insider Dr. Shad Marvasti says this one registers.
"That one actually happens to have truth to it," said Dr. Shad.
BPA is behind that list of illnesses Dr. Erin rattled off. It's a toxin used in plastics and even banned from some like water bottles and baby bottles, but in the US it's not regulated in thermal paper, which we handle a lot.
"Credit card machines, ATM receipts, boarding passes, movie tickets, prescription labels," said Dr. Shad, who points to studies now saying receipts are our biggest source of BPA exposure. While there are paper options that don't contain BPA's those can be more expensive for retailers. He says to check, scratch your receipt with your fingernail or coin and if it leaves an ink-like mark it has BPA.
Dr. Shad says it's the prolonged exposure to those toxins, just like the carcinogens we breathe in at the gas station, that's putting our health at risk.
His advice is to wash your hands after handling receipts but don't use hand sanitizer.
"It actually opens your skin pores and increases the BPA that goes into your bloodstream by like 100 times," he said.
If your job has you handling countless receipts, consider wearing gloves. As a customer, choose the paperless receipt option as much as possible — many vendors will let you opt for email or text instead.