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Applying self-treatment methods that spread on social media carries significant risk, according to medical experts and local authorities following multiple reports of misleading health content and alleged fraud.
A clinic in Vĩnh Lộc village, Chuông Dương commune, Hanoi, advertised “cures for many diseases” on social media, drawing large numbers of patients. Observations at the facility reported irregularities in the examination and treatment process, including cupping and bloodletting, alongside the distribution of medicines of unclear origin.
After press reports, the Chuong Duong People’s Committee established an inter-sector inspection team involving health and private pharmacy authorities to examine issues related to the clinic’s operations.
Separately, Hung Yen Province Police’s Investigative Agency issued charges against Nguyen Van Hai (born 1991) and associates for “Lừa đảo chiếm đoạt tài sản” (fraud to appropriate assets).
To build public trust, the group allegedly hired acquaintances to pose as patients, staged filming of examinations and treatments at the clinic “Dong Y Gia Truyen - chuyên điều trị vảy nến, viêm da cơ địa,” and posted the videos on social media. The promotions presented the practitioners as having a “four-generation” lineage and claimed they could completely cure illnesses.
In recent days, online communities shared a case involving a 42-year-old man diagnosed with cancer who died after leaving hospital treatment to follow methods circulated on social media. According to information shared in cancer patient support groups, after diagnosis he did not continue medical treatment and returned home.
He joined groups focused on “healing” and adopted a regimen described as “natural detox,” including drinking large amounts of lemon water daily (about 1 kg of lemons) and sun exposure. Despite family warnings, he continued the routine. A day before his death, he posted that he would keep sun exposure, and he died the next morning.
Dr. Ha Hai Nam, MSc, Deputy Head of Surgical Department 1 at the National Cancer Hospital (Bach Mai, Hanoi), said some patients are drawn to promises of “fast, cheap, convenient, natural” treatment rather than standard medical care. He noted that Vietnam does not have official statistics on the impact of health misinformation on social media, but the trend is increasing.
Medical experts said misdirected treatment can last months or fail, leading patients to return to hospitals only after conditions worsen to late stages. This can reduce treatment effectiveness and increase costs.
Social media has also circulated controversial claims about using urine as a “natural therapy.” An account identified as D.T claimed daily cleansing with urine and massage would “cleanse the skin, soften, relax muscles, relieve fatigue, improve flexibility, and reduce pain,” adding that urine “cleanses the skin and exfoliates better than any soap.” The account further asserted that after 10 years of applying the method, health had not been affected.
Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, a member of the Vietnamese Underwater Medicine and Hyperbaric Oxygen Association, said this is a dangerous trend with no credible scientific evidence that urine therapy can cure diseases or provide health benefits.
Urine is produced by kidney filtration. About 95% is water, while the remainder includes urea, salts, creatinine, electrolytes, and various metabolic products the body must excrete.
Some arguments cite urea found in cosmetics, but experts said the urea used in cosmetics is a purified synthetic form with controlled concentration and impurities. Reusing urine by drinking or applying it to the skin does not provide the same benefit and contradicts the body’s natural excretory physiology.
Urine excreted quickly can decompose bacteria and form ammonia, a caustic substance that can irritate skin and mucous membranes, especially with frequent or high-concentration exposure. Even without infection symptoms, most urine samples may contain bacteria at low densities, including organisms such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus, which can cause conjunctivitis, corneal ulcers, or wound infections if they contact mucous membranes or open skin.
Experts also warned that urine can carry traces of medications or toxins if the user is undergoing treatment. Drinking urine in that context may reintroduce substances the liver and kidneys have already tried to eliminate, increasing the burden on these organs and potentially affecting treatment efficacy.
Dr. Doan Dư Mạnh, of the Vietnamese Society of Vascular Diseases, said trends such as drinking urine, putting lemon juice in the eyes, or self-applying home remedies spread on social media pose significant risks. He added that a lack of medical knowledge can lead people to trust misinformation, resulting in serious health consequences and missed opportunities for proper treatment.
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