10 fun facts about health care in Germany: From home remedies to house doctors | Meet the Germans

Have you ever heard of "Biowetter" or homeopathic "Globuli"? Rachel Stewart examines the German approach to health.
Rachel is on a mission to investigate the quirks and idiosyncrasies of daily life in Germany. Every two weeks she explores a new topic - from beer to nudity to complicated grammar - and heads out to get some tips from the Germans themselves.
Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. You'll find more from Meet the Germans on KZbin or at dw.com/MeettheGermans.
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[@sebastianholz5436]

Fun fact: You can call an ambulance without risking your whole life savings

[@KeKe-dw9gf]

its cost about 450€ calling an ambulance and the paramedic will get the money from you or the health insurance. someone always gotta pay.

[@marl9543]

Its 10 Euros, as everyone is insured ;)

[@KeKe-dw9gf]

@@marl9543its not. stupid. The health insurance pays it. And where do they get their money?? insurances always win.

[@greyler7895]

@@KeKe-dw9gf actually you do have to pay 10 euros

[@KeKe-dw9gf]

@@greyler7895 thats only the fee ......

[@BrambleBeeRose]

You forgot the Hühnersuppe... Chicken soup? It is magical when you are sick 😂

[@curry5136]

Hühnersuppe hilft gegen alles xD

[@drharnsaft1005]

Hühnersuppe, oder auch "das jüdische Penicilin".

[@Krackerlack]

it is true magic

[@tiefensucht]

mittlerweile wirkt es sogar wegen dem vielen Antibiotika im Fleisch^^

[@michel1060]

wegen die ganze Antibiotika die die Fiecher zu fressen kriegen ;)

[@jamesclarke3501]

Without fail every German's suggestion when you're feeling sick: "drink some tea"

[@dweuromaxx]

There is even a German saying "Abwarten und Tee trinken" (literally "wait and drink tea"), meaning "Wait and see!"

[@robenglish416]

Thought that was the UK!?

[@manufactotum6064]

Rob English from a German living in the uk: you can’t get those teas in the uk, in Germany every supermarket and drugstore has those healthcare teas, there is a herb for anything! In the Uk you usually do not find that variety in the shelfs

[@robenglish416]

@@manufactotum6064 well the video only said drink some tea, and that is what you do in the UK for everything! Car accident: don't worry, tea coming! Not herbal tea as in Deutschland but black tea, with milk!

[@afrarunduml1170]

The Germans prefer coffee. Tea is just for beeing sick (herbal teas). Or in winter time with flavored fruit teas.

[@teecana3977]

Me, German, currently wearing a scarf while watching this video: "I have never felt so offended by something I can 100% agree with"

[@mahpeetakoda1290]

Als alter Motoradfahrer kann ich dir sagen, du kannst ganz nackt fahren, aber immer ein Schal um Hals :)

[@karencarpenter5845]

A britgal living in sunny California i have 1000s of scarfs, wear one everyday.💜😎💜🇬🇧

[@mijp]

@@mahpeetakoda1290 und um die Nieren.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Deer Whip

[@RikoScouse]

Her: Biting into a raw potato Me, a German: So you have chosen death.

[@Wernerkp1]

So I'm german and I'm doing it all the time. But all my friends legit hate me for it and even pointing it out every fucking time xD

[@imissrengoku271]

Bwahahaha-!

[@Kittren22]

I am hungarian, but I was eating raw potatoes weekly, and a lot :D never had a problem.

[@user-yw4jd6bf7c]

@@Kittren22 I'm German and I also eat them very often

[@CourtneySchwartz]

Actually… Raw (green) potatoes CAN make you sick due to solanine. Deadly nightshade is one of its many poisonous relatives. Raw kidney beans are dangerous, too. Not green beans, though; they’re fine. :)

[@randyzhu9705]

At least their health costs won't cost an arm and a leg.

[@desgbtv5733]

Subscriber Dayanat Education System on KZbin plz

[@peter_meyer]

@kingsmeadow Well, bad, but because it isn't 50%, i'm fine. And i'm german. It's not f**ing 50%. Get your numbers right.

[@arvedludwig3584]

@kingsmeadow not even a billions has 50% income tax rate. The highest rate is at 42%. As a typical middle class citizens with an average income you are by far lower but that also depends on you personal situation (disabled, married, second income)

[@crappiefisher1331]

@kingsmeadow again with the 50% income tax.. at least get your facts right before you post your uneducated bullshit. it gets even worse that you claim that just the income tax is 50% ... 1: the average income tax in germany is about 20%.. so the vast majority of people don't even reach 50% if you include all other costs like church tax or health care. so your braindead babble about income tax being 50% is utterly nonsense. are you american by any chance? would explain a lot.... 2: the second highest income tax is 42% and you have to earn about 60k euro per year to reach such high taxes. also, even if you reach these high taxes not all of your income is taxed with 42% but only the amount that is above these 60k. so if you have 62k per year only 2k will be taxed with 42%... btw the average gross income in germany is about 36k per year, if you include all workers (part time e.g.). if you only look at full time workers its about 48k gross income.. so yeah the vast majority in nowhere close to 42%. 3: the highest income tax is 45% to reach that amount of taxes you must earn at least 251k per year (or double in case you are married). and again like with the 42% only the amount of money which is above 251k will be taxed with 45%... conclusions: 1 you lack the knowledge to make the kind of statement you made, but i guess you dont care. thats something all idiots on the internet have in common. 2. the average german income tax is far below 50% and more like 20% 3. even with health care and other taxes included, like church tax e.g, the vast majority of germans are nowhere near these high tax rates of 42% or 45% 4. if you earn enough to actually pay these rates you will still have more than enough money to live a very good life even after you paid your taxes. not to mention that most of these high earners also find ways to get parts of their paid taxes back...

[@andywalker2077]

Health insurance is about 7% of Gross income. If you have a low income. For higher incomes it is less. For higher incomes it becomes complicated as you are no longer required to use the public health insurance but can use private insurance. So the euphemism. In practice when you are no longer required to then you also have no right to it. So when you immigrate and you are not required by law to enter public health insurance you have no right to enter public healrh insurance and have to use private insurance which is about €500 per month, per person in your household. When you are 50. No upper limit. And no way back to public health insurance, as punishment for choosing private health insurance. Germany - Vorschriften, Euphemisms, Verbote, Punishments. Better get a lawyer. Need a Rechtsschutzversicherung (insurance to protect you from the laws).

[@staytiny94]

Können wir mal anmerken, das unsere Krankenversicherung so gut wie nichts kostet, selbst wenn du arbeitslos bist noch Krankenversichert bist und immer zu jedem Arzt gehen kannst egal wann und wie oft :))

[@vanessas2454]

Wo lebst du denn? Die Krankenversicherung kostet einen Haufen Geld. Als Angestellter merkt man das nicht so, weil es automatisch abgezogen wird und man nicht aktiv zahlt, aber frage mal einen Selbständigen oder Freiberufler.

[@staytiny94]

Deutschland, wenn du dir das Video angeschaut hättest, wüsstest du, um welches Land es hier geht, Klugscheisser. Selbst dann, leben wir in Deutschland, was Krankenkassen angeht, auf höherem Niveau und viel angenehmer als andere Länder.

[@vanessas2454]

@@staytiny94 Warum so aggressiv? Um welches Land es hier geht, war klar. Dass du in Deutschland wohnst, war auch klar, da "*unsere* Krankenversicherung". Meine (rein rhetorische) Frage zielte eher darauf ab, wie man - eben gerade in Deutschland - zu der Einschätzung kommen kann, dass unsere Krankenversicherung so gut wie nichts kostet. Was du eigentlich meintest, war, dass Arztbesuche so gut wie nichts kosten. Und das geht, gerade weil wir durch unsere sehr hohen Krankenkassenbeiträge diese Dinge schon bezahlt haben. Es ist ein (mehr oder weniger) solidarisches Umlageprinzip, das wir aber sehr wohl und sehr teuer bezahlen.

[@danbo967]

@@vanessas2454 Also wen es ums zahlen geht schauen wir mal auf Amerika. Mein Halbbruder lebt in Virgina, Richmond. Er hat eine Ehefrau und ein 3 jähriges kind. Er zahlt jeden Monat $400 Versicherung pro person also $1200 pro Monat für die ganze Familie. Seine Versicherung ist so ziemlich eine der besten Versicherung in Amerika. Normaler weise kostet sie mehr aber er bekommt eine Ermäßigung weil er ein Beamter ist. Er leidet unter der Crohn Krankheit. Er braucht lebenswichtige Medikamente die er aber selbst bezahlen muss den die Versicherung zahlt nur 60% für sein $1000 teures Medikament pro Monat. Zudem wurde er 2 mal operiert um ein stück von seinem toten Darms zu entfernen. Die Versicherung zahlt wieder einmal nur teilweise die OP und über den letzten 5 Jahren musste er einen 10-15 tausend dollar Kredit aufnehmen um für die anderen Kosten aufzukommen. Bei jeder Beschwerde darf er nicht direkt zum Spezialisten sonst must zum haus Arzt erst der nicht einmal ein richtiger Arzt ist sonder ein Nurse Practitioner (eine Krankenschwester mit ein paar Semestern Medizin Studium).

[@generaldurchbruchmuller7284]

@@vanessas2454 Also ich bin Privatversichert, ich kann mich nicht beschweren

[@Bageera63]

My mother is German. Her home remedies work. The cold towels do work to reduce fever. Chamomile tea as an eye wash cured my conjunctivitis as a child. And as for onions, she made a special cough syrup made with onions, honey, & other ingredients. She has other remedies too. This was a fun video to watch. Thanks DW & Rachel!

[@merveefe6526]

Hot Jägermeister always helps as well

[@lechevalnoir8892]

Does your mom have a cure for back pain? Would need one now

[@Bageera63]

@@merveefe6526 I keep mine in the freezer. The cold soothes my throat. I will give the warm a try. Thanks!

[@Bageera63]

@@lechevalnoir8892 A heating pad.

[@dweuromaxx]

Thanks for your comment. We're glad you like the video! :)

[@fraserseifert]

You forgot the magical teas! There's a specific tea to cure every ailment.

[@leavoda3791]

Especiall ginger tea against a sore throat or a cold 😃 It was a revelation for me and my family.

[@danielholowaty2648]

Hals-Tee, Bauchweh-Tee, Mach-mich-reich-Tee, Guten Morgen-Tee,... 😂😂

[@WillKemp]

@@danielholowaty2648 does that mean "make me rich tea"? Does it work? I need some of that!

[@danielholowaty2648]

@@WillKemp It sure exists in some weird tea shop. I think it makes the owners rich

[@kiliipower355]

Salt sticks and cola! Sounds funny at first. But with diarrhoea the electrolyte balance is often disturbed afterwards. Which can be dangerous for children. And salt sticks and Cola means to supply the body quick salts and sugar in a sufficient amount of liquid....and it tastes!

[@ynk1611]

Most salts you need to take in are mere minors in salt sticks so it isn't the best option. Eating apples or bananas would be more effective, but eating unhealthy when you're sick is curing for the soul.

[@frlolz]

ich hab immer elektrolytlösung aus der apotheke zu hause für sowas :P

[@Jehty21]

No no no. Don't drink cola if you are ill. Way to much sugar and caffeine in it.

[@swanpride]

One doesn't preclude the other. When I was a child I caught a bug which cased me to throw up and I just couldn't stop. Nearly landed me in the hospital, because it lead to a lack of salt in my body. Salt sticks, apples and bananas was pretty much the recommended diet by my doctor. Cola on the other hand isn't really a good idea on an upset stomach. Tea is better. The only advantage cola has is that the combination of sugar and caffeine might serve as a good push for your circulation once you feel a little bit better. In short, the salt stick part is true and actually helpful (especially since those things are easier on the stomach than apples, though apples are really good against diarrhoea specifically), the Cola part, that is more for the soul and the placebo effect.

[@ducklingscap897]

tastes good. Man kann auf englisch nicht sagen: it tastes für es schmeckt gut. It tastes bedeutet nur, dass es nach irgendetwas schmeckt.

[@mathildewesendonck7225]

We even do many of these „health tricks“ at hospital! Like salt sticks, we have supplies of them on every ward for patients with low sodium level. And it works! Oh, and you forgot to mention Zwieback and camomile tea for gastroenteritis!! We also have Zwieback on every ward at hospital. And we do „Wadenwickel“ even on ICU to bring down fever.

[@rcsfjo207]

I love this woman! Keep her content on youtube please and no one else.

[@prateekkumar3233]

I love her too, but don't know why.

[@Ottts22]

I don´t love her, as she is not informed but simply looking nose down on Germany, I wished I could have laughed once...

[@yesyoarrocket4301]

@@Ottts22 actually she is informed. I can relate with most of the facts she gives about Germany.

[@ContinuumGaming]

@@yesyoarrocket4301 Really? I never even heard of that onion thing... what the heck? Und mal ehrlich... was soll da eine Zwiebel auch bringen? Ist doch völliger Quatsch. Und sich warm halten bei schlechtem Wetter oder wenn Du krank bist? Natürlich ist das gut und das hat nichts mit komischem Verhalten zu tun. Das ist in praktisch jedem Land so. Und Globoli... also ja es gibt Leute, die auf so einen Plazeboo-Quatsch reinfallen, aber das ist WEIT weg von der Mehrheit der Leute. Was mich gewundert hat: Es gibt eigentlich jedes mal bei solchen Videos das "Wind/Zug macht krank"-Klischee... hier nicht?

[@yesyoarrocket4301]

Continuum Gaming das liegt daran, dass es für die Angst vor Wind und Zug von deutschen ein eigenes Video gibt 🤪 Ich kannte auch nicht alle von den “Hausmitteln” - aber nicht jeder benutzt die selben Dinge, weiß die selben Dinge und hat eigene Vorlieben. Du siehst doch, dass viele gesagt haben, dass sie tatsächlich diese Hausmittel benutzen. Und ja, ich habe quasi JEDES Video von ihr gesehen und meistens ist sie sehr gut informiert und stellt das ganze einfach witzig dar. Man kann auch mal über sich selbst, sein Volk oder Land lachen, ohne direkt “mimimi” zu machen. Kein Wunder, dass die halbe Welt denkt, wir hätten keinen Humor :D

[@leavoda3791]

So the scarf thing actually does make sence. You don't just wrap your neck with it, but the upper back too. This results in warming up the upper back and neck area. The blood vessels get more relaxed and opened, circulation is better and the whole area gets warmer. This can eliviate the symptoms of headache, neck soreness, shoulder and upper back pain and sore throat. Ingwertee or ginger tea is a wonderfull remedy against sore throat or a cold. Just wash and grate a small peace of ginger root, pour hot water over it and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Drink with lemon juice and honey or straight. Works wonders and warms up the whole body. It has a fruity and spicy flavour. I allso find german way of carefully giving out painkillers or antibiotics more than ideal. For example, I come from Croatia and every time my child would have ear pains, he would be perscribed an antibiotic. When we moved to Germany, my boy woke me up one sunday night howling with pain in his ear. We quickly rushed him to the hospital and the kind female doctor checked him up. She asked me if we gave him any medications prior to coming to hospital. I said no, because I wasn't sure how this type of thing was handeld here and explained how we allways got antibiotics in Croatia. She explained to me that he only needs pain medication because he does not have a fever or swelling of the eardrum. She allso made sure to be very clear that if he should develop fever or further pain, we should visit his Pediatrist. Turns out he had earpains because of a pressure change in the surrounding air (it was a warm night and the window was tilted open) that made the pressure in his eardrum spike suddenly (he was 3 y.o. and his ear canals were still developing). He didn't need any subsequent medication or visits to the doctor. It schocked me that that kind of an option was never even considered in Croatia. Edit: grammar and one more story 😅

[@florianluo8131]

that was an interesting read! thanks f that!

[@jrdelrey]

In my culture, Ibuprofen works pretty well too.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

So not only no need for painkillers or antibiotics, but sensitive to weather. Sounds like someone is already adjusted to Germany.

[@chiral8857]

U forgot “Salbei” 🙈

[@NoSkillDwnload]

Fenchel-Anis-Kümmeltee

[@HadaChaos]

My dad always made us gurgle with sage-tea. He even found some very potent plants in an old 'lost place' church in Croatia, dug them out and brought them back with him... cold sage-tea or salt-water

[@asiamarill]

@@NoSkillDwnload but it works for digestion problems, thats why children get that tea too

[@hkkhgffh3613]

For real!

[@nevsclowntown]

everytime there is a cold coming up i do really wrap myself into a scarf and even wear it to bed. It does work! magical healing powers

[@marcuszaja6589]

Yes, when I was young my mother the calf wraps when I had a fever. Another thing I know is "Zwiebelhonig" (onion honey) that helps against a cough. Cut an onion into little cubes put them in a glas jar, put three spoons of honey on top of it and seal it for 12 hours. Strain it through a sieve. After that you can drink it.

[@911fletcher]

Punkt 1: Da sind wir höflich und schon ist das ein "Fun fact". Komische Welt.

[@johaquila]

Ist halt anderswo anders. In der Gemeinschaftspraxis in Neukölln, zu der ich immer gehe, gibt es mehr türkische Patienten als deutsche. Die sind generell sehr freundlich, aber in der Praxis grüßt niemand im Wartezimmer. Wozu allerdings sicher auch die offene Gestaltung beiträgt. Es könnte also auch damit zu tun haben, dass deutsche Arztpraxen oft erkennbar umfunktionierte Wohnungen sind.

[@Goldzwiebel]

Ich hab bei dem Punkt direkt erwartet, dass sie nun erklärt, dass wir uns so weit wie möglich von Anderen weg setzen und weiter nicht mit den Personen sprechen. Immerhin könnte man sich ja anstecken! Die Begrüßung ist überall normal, aber eben nicht, dass wir danach stark distanziert sind. Vielleicht wurde hier komisch geschnitten und der eigentliche Fun fact ist deshalb weg gefallen. Anders kann ich es mir nicht erklären.

[@johaquila]

@@Goldzwiebel Die Begrüßung ist zumindest in England glaub ich nicht üblich, und distanziert ist man da sowieso. Wenn es in den USA ähnlich sein sollte, dann gilt das Nicht-Grüßen im englischen Sprachraum halt schnell als normal.

[@RachelStewart04]

@@Goldzwiebel When talking to people who have moved to Germany from other countries, this often comes up in conversation - we are surprised when Germans greet us in the doctor's waiting room or in an elevator 😋

[@noaoah3662]

I, as one who goes to Germany quite often, and am fluent in German, can confirm that the draft is the ultimate enemy of the German

[@sternenstars2080]

"ES ZIEHT"

[@viomouse]

only of half the germans who believe in the evil draft. The other half (including me and my family) rather sits next to an open window in winter for fresh air. Until a person screams "close the window, the draft!!"

[@mathildewesendonck7225]

Noaoah 😂😂😂

[@MsDanny1973]

Lol. Especially bad, a potential killer according to every German mother, is going outside with wet hair. I am going on 50 and still feel a little guilty when doing it. ☺

[@Schwuffie96]

@@MsDanny1973 or sitting down on a cold Stone as a girl.

[@Marlene55M]

Fun fact 11: We do not have to produce and sell crystal meth when we get seriously ill. ;)

[@lwwells]

I've been living in Germany for four years (American). My god I love this channel. I always learn new things.

[@touficjammoul4482]

we actually put Garlic in the ears when there's some kind of headache caused by a flue, due to its anti-inflammatory ingredients. but that's fun to watch how other cultures deals with such situations at home.

[@SRBOMBONICA86]

Yes ,we do it in my country as well

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

I can see how one leads to another.

[@dariamathes4852]

I live in Germany and had a bad knee injury while skiing. I was advised by my doctor to smear quark (a kind of yogurt/sour cream dairy product ) all over my knee and wrap it in a towel to draw the fluid out of the knee. It was a bit messy and I'm not sure if the quark or just time helped with the swelling, but I did it!

[@hiwakoo]

Very good medial advice, I always recomed it

[@j.werfuchs3975]

Got that recommendation from every doctor (and other health professionals) I went to with my knee injury (from diagnostics, through all the steps you need to prepare for surgery, through rehabilitating the knee). They were all convinced that Quark drew the swelling out if the knee (all those bad substances that accumulate there?) and even if that WERE hocus-pocus (you see, I wasn't convinced and pressed pretty hard with my questions), it would help against the swelling because it was far more effective at cooling the injury down than cold water bottles or cooling pads... And cooling would definitely help against the swelling XD

[@ant7936]

All I know is, they're way ahead of UK. In 1982, I went to the doctor at 7.30 a.m. By noon, I'd had a barium meal, X-ray (which I was given to take back to my doctor) and been prescribed medication. And that was on the cheapest health insurance. Here, in UK today, a blood test or X- ray would take around 3 weeks for a result -- after waiting 3 weeks for an appointment.

[@indahooddererste]

not different from germany. medication costs are raising and raising. less doctors for a specicality especially psychologists you can wait for a year.

[@API-Beast]

You are making the wrong assumption that health care gets better over time. Quite the opposite. By now you also have to wait weeks for an appointment, even with a general practitioner.

[@johaquila]

In many German regions we now have similar problems. The difference is that British politicians inflict them on their population by withholding money from the NHS and increasing its expenses through privatisation, and German politicians do it by simply not accrediting enough doctors, especially specialists, and most particularly psychologists and psychiatrists.

[@Diana_L.]

And I had to see a neurologist 2 years ago and it took 6 months to get an apointment. A cardiologist took 4 months.

[@Neyjina]

Wadenwickel works. You even learn how to do them in Nursing School. They are great to lower a mild fever without medication.

[@daan6763]

why would you want to lower a fever?! it's there to fight whatever virus is trying to kill you...

[@FiveOClockTea]

@@daan6763 when fever reaches a certain temperature or stays high for too long it's important to lower the fever.

[@althelas]

my grandma would feed us hot beer with sugar when we had a cold. since the beer was boiled, the alcohol was mostly gone and it helped and her cough medizine was 3 chopped onions boiled with 750ml water and a lot of rock sugar. Let it boil for a minute and then turn down the heat to let the mixture simmer until it is syrupy. Sip one or two tablespoons of the syrup twice a day. I still do that and it still works. not every home remedy from the old days is hocus pocus. ;)

[@LythaWausW]

I don't want to live upstairs from your grandmother who is boiling beer and onions!

[@christabelrewe2811]

In Kenya when you get a headache, your mom blames your phone😂

[@shimanopetermann9068]

I do believe that mothers all around the world do that 🤣 and not only for headaches. According to my mother the phone is also the source of stomach issues, allergies, broken legs and even if I got decapitated her explanation for the phenomenon would be "That happens when you're always looking at your phone." 🤣

[@Wolfboy2012]

Same with Mexican Moms

[@HundkatzeFisch]

In Germany many people think, although scientifically disproved, that you get a cold when you go outside in winter after swimming with wet hair. Some beans are actually not to be eaten raw, because of the phasin they contain. Phasin causes the red blood cells in the human body to stick together. The transport of oxygen in the blood is hindered. Headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea can result. Children are particularly at risk because of their low body weight. Just five to six raw beans are enough to cause these symptoms in children.

[@Cocktailkatze]

Cola and Salzstangen was actually prescribed to me by my doctor !!! In general doctors also prescribe home remedies and natural medicine on top of the regular one.

[@mercedeslb237]

Merci beaucoup pour cette émission.Merci DW 😙

[@desgbtv5733]

Subscriber Dayanat Education System on KZbin plz

[@bernardsanke4876]

😍😀❤ As usual, Rachel; so much fun to watch and listening to. Yes, us Germans are very suspicious when it comes down to our health. Medication is a no-go because of all the side effects, and home-remedies are the holy grail in every German family as they are handed over from generation to generation. However, I would like to highlight a few facts, or differences if you like. Seeing a doctor in the UK usually concludes after about three minutes with a prescription of Co-codamol or antibiotics. Also, when comparing surgeries between the two countries, one will notice that a British surgery looks rather untidy, run down, and not very professional. Moreover, once one is lucky to get a doctor's appointment in time, the actual time spent with the doctor is like the treatment or consultation itself, pointless and ineffective. In comparison, a German doctor and his or her surgery are very clinical and professional. A German doctor WILL listen while trying to find the best way to help you. Much more important though is the fact, that a German doctor will treat you at his/her surgery whenever they can, while the transfer to a specialist is taking hours or days compared to months and years in the UK. Please, I do not want to appear negative. But I am still too much a German when it comes down to the British health system, which I liken to compare to Third World standards.

[@jandy8911]

Hi, I am from Czech Republic and my mom used put warm potatoes wrapped in cloth on my belly when I was a child. And it really worked to lower my body temperature and reduce coughing. And to this day I use garlic and honey for coughing.

[@Hermetic_]

1:51 lol “because....hump day?”

[@gluteusmaximus1657]

Every Wednesday. It divides the week and is humpday ! ;-)

[@HBoff]

@@gluteusmaximus1657 Yes, and they are closed because the Doctors closed, too

[@fionamacleod30]

I love the low level sarcasm that you bring to this video.😆 👍

[@annabella7285]

Another delightful episode! Danke!

[@RachelStewart04]

Minh Carter bitte 😁

[@movingshapes]

You are such a great show hostess. Love the fun expressions you throw here and there. :)

[@leejay2418]

Rachel is very informative and engaging. I could watch her videos for hours!

[@TheRealAssix]

Rachel macht mich mit jedem neuen Video einfach happy :)

[@dweuromaxx]

Uns auch! 😉

[@RachelStewart04]

Das freut mich 😊

[@hannahl8164]

THE SCARF WORKS! Its amazing and anyone getting ill in winter after going outside without a scarf will regret it

[@sandraaslanoglu5596]

I missed Klosterfrau Melissengeist, Kamillosan and Wick. Chicken soup and the advice to keep your kidneys warm 😂. I live in Ireland for about 13 years now and miss the German healthcare system a lot.

[@christophmensch3945]

Whenever "Meet the Germans" pops up on KZbin, I must watch right away and get my short, informative, educational, amusing and entertaining crash course on whatever topic!

[@msultan5194]

Wondering why Germany is not playing bigger role internationally, they have all it takes to be a super power country, science, economy and industry. Very quiet country!

[@Bloeckchenbauer1]

It went wrong the last time.😬 Nationalism in Germany is still a difficult topic, that‘s why we‘re not being a global player openly. But regarding science and technology we definitely are, at least from my point of view.

[@oskarwagner5897]

M Sultan well Germany has the 4th strongest economy on the globe and is the biggest exporter world wide

[@afarhan21]

WWII maybe the reason. It's also true for Japan.

[@annaandre9131]

Well, they do play a huge role in EU politically. And their economy is one of the biggest in the world. But they play a more subtle role in world affairs, due to...well you know...wwii, they try not to be aggressive.

[@romansongen6284]

We tried several times :P

[@mambofornasa]

I find Rachel's way of presenting these facts very interesting. I love the German system. Continue with these videos

[@christophdro6251]

Onions on the ear i havent ever done. But Wadenwickel ( cold towels ) i have done with great efficiency.

[@09ashcraft]

Thank you for your videos, they are really helpful prior going germany. 😊

[@The_Irate_Penguin]

Spent a few years doing graduate work in Germany, some of this time near the German-French border. The above 10 facts are all more or less true, but near the French border you need to combine all of these remedies with the delivery method of choice: suppositories. I'm not sure if this also applies to the onion-in-the-ear remedy, though I wouldn't be surprised.

[@sanholo3114]

That with Globuli isn't true we make fun of it and the few people who use it rather than take it

[@SilverFoxGPC]

Still too many and the lobby is strong. Public health care is still allowed to pay for homeopathy, but is not required to pay for actually effective things like glasses or proper composite fillings.

[@ichmageisify]

Well, the Placebo effect is pretty powerfull. If you believe in sth, it might help. So, let people take it and placebo will do it's trick (obviously not if somebody has cancer or anything really serious.)

[@_SpamMe]

It's embarrassing, but Germany is one of the biggest market for this crap (and other related crap).

[@DonKuanWP]

Well ... the "few people who use it" are about 60% of our population ...

[@tintentoaster4494]

@@ichmageisify I'd rather not have people waste their money on the only type of medication that does not have to be proven to work to be sold as medicine.

[@rwandaforever6744]

It might sound funny to put a bag of minced and slightly heated onions on your ear when you have an ear infection, but it IS working. There is even scientific proof of how it works. Most pain in the ear is based on bacterial infections. Onions have several ingredients that act as an antibiotic. Yes, you smell like onion for some time, but that smell - due to sulphuric components - is what helps killing the bacteria. Also, it's warm and heat usually makes you feel better (enhanced circulation leading to better supply with blood and thus leucocytes fighting bacteria or other blood components relieving pain). The wet cold towels around the calfs are also working quite well (as is a cold towel in the neck with nose bleed or a cold towel on your forehead when you have a fever). It's effectively cooling your body down. You could, in theory, sit in a tub with cold water, but that would be a bit too much and could be dangerous for your health, if you do it for a longer time. And it puts additional stress on your body already taxed with the ailment you have to combat. Wrapped around the calfs (sometimes also the upper arms), you can to this while lying in bed. It works better the smaller the person, hence it usually is used for children. Remember those crazy people chewing willow bark against headaches? Yes, they were also right and today we have acetylsalicylic acid and it works quite well...derived from the Latin word salix for willow. Just because something seems strange or crazy, it still can work. That is, of course, not working for homeopathy. There is no value in this other than as a placebo. As long as they do not press the issue about it having any effects more than that, they can keep popping sugar pills.

[@suzyhangaround]

My mom sometimes made us "Kartoffelwickel" (potatoes, cooked and slightly mashed and wrapped into a towel) when we had a cough and I'd say it works!

[@xOPowerRangerOx]

Another German home remedy I grew up with would be warm milk with honey when you have a sore throat. Also you can put a cut up onion on your skin if you got stung by a wasp or a bee. Trust me, it helps 😁

[@occupyyourmind4418]

This is better than in the US where we have an opioid crisis due to our habit of taking a pill for everything...

[@hurtigheinz3790]

And why do you have that habit? Advertising? Accesability?

[@hansdieter2923]

Everything has its pros and cons. While in general I think it's good that opioids are not given away like candy, this can lead to harm too. When my dad had cancer his "home oncologist" made my dad stop morphine. Noticed it a few days later when my dads mood did not seem to be the best. He told me he was in pain since his doc cancelled the opioid treatment because he could get addicted. Left him with f-ing ibuprofen. I got so furious and the doc can be glad he wasn't standing beside me in that moment. Got my dad some new morphine tablets the same day, he died a few weeks later. At least not in pain. Still mad about the doctor.

[@heikosale1027]

I never understood how it is considered okay in the US that doctors will prescribe opioids for longer-term use. We know how opioids work, we have known for at least a hundred years. If you subscribe opioids for people to just take at will, at least 80% of people will get seriously addicted. These are well-known facts, which is why you will *never* get opioids in Germany unless you are currently in the hospital, under the supervision of doctors, or maybe if you have terminal cancer.

[@Sycokay]

As someone who knows how to read and think, I would enjoy having easier access to prescription drugs. Instead of making a doctors appointment, sitting a while around other people spreading the newest viruses, wasting half a day...for a fucking cough medicine.

[@s.m.talhawadood5852]

Like always, rocked this episode 💕

[@unlink1649]

I like Rachel. Rachel is good. Be like Rachel.

[@berlinrog]

Surprised there isn't a whole section on "Kreislaufstörung"....! When I worked as a teacher, it was the single most common excuse for students missing school - and yet I had never ever heard of such a thing back home in Blighty! And how did you get access to an Apotheke??!!

[@Plasmodium2002]

Not to mention "Hörsturz" - another illness known only in Germany! Or the headache coming from the Fön..I thought they were joking when they first told me about that one!

[@RachelStewart04]

Kerry Mills hmm looks like I might have to make a follow-up episode 😆

[@uweinhamburg]

@@@Plasmodium2002 "headache coming from the Fön"... Well, perhaps it is just the name of the weather condition which puzzles you. Look for similar conditions in other countries and you will find similar complaints (Mistral in France fe.)

[@Plasmodium2002]

@@uweinhamburg That is very interesting! But this is definitely not a source of headache in any English-speaking country I've been to (Australia, US, England and Canada). So just central Europe?

[@uweinhamburg]

@@@Plasmodium2002 Kerry, why do you communicate about a scientific question with a layperson? Why not just Google for some real scientific facts? English is my third language and so it is harder for me than it would be for you but this is what i found in 20 seconds... n.neurology.org/content/72/10/922.abstract I bet there are lots of newer and wider studies. 😉

[@lieve6361]

Im from the Netherlands and we have all of this too

[@opdestoepgefietst4838]

Klopt ja, de sjaal wordt hier ook vaak gedragen

[@dalesmith9885]

Cola and pretzel sticks for upset stomach: well here in the USA I have used just Cola and also sometimes soda crackers (or saltines as they are called in the store) to help. I enjoy your program "meet the germans"

[@nikaswords17]

It’s true that most Germans avoid taking pills for ‘small matters’ because we don’t want it to become a habit. Yes, we generally rely on plant power - ginger tea, herbs every day and preferably a large amount of fruits and veg in the everyday diet to avoid getting sick in the first place

[@mikeoskam3785]

One of the reasons Germans go to the "Hausarzt" so often is that it is required to get a sick notice, in paper, in person from your family doctor. Bureaucracy

[@mellowtopia5376]

Hat nicht viel mit Bürokratie zu tun. Wir haben ja keine "Sick days" (zum Glück), also braucht man halt 'nen Schein, so dass die Krankenkasse zahlt. Bei meinem Arbeitgeber aber z.B. erst nach dem zweiten Krankheitstag.

[@sabinenoll5947]

Why are scarves so remarkable? In Russia when you go out without a hat, all the grannies will stop you and remind you to put immediately a hat on. And that even in mild winters and autumns.

[@timsummers870]

Rachel Stewart has my heart!!

[@bigbrowntau]

Germany has the highest percentage of male nurses in the world. It all comes from the old conscription system. 12 months in the military, or 18 months of community service. Being a nursing student meant you could do the 18 months as the practical part of your degree, so a lot of guys opted to become nurses. It's had a big effect on how nursing is seen, and how nurses work in Germany. Now young men see nursing as just another possible career.

[@Weirdo0258]

Can anyone tell me where can I find that music??? The one that's at the intro of each section..I just can't get enough of.it.

[@happykuchenmuffin5945]

Ich, krank, mit Mandelentzündung gönne mir Fenchel und Salbeitee , Hühnerbrühe und Gemüse. Omas Mittel helfen und Gemüse für die Power zum Heilen😊

[@crypto9999999]

when i had cough as a child my parents made a glass with cut onions and sugar to get the fluid out, closed it and let it stand over night. always helped. "zwiebelsaft" helps when having a cold.

[@dieterdodel1974]

Zwiebelsaft hilft perfekt gegen Husten. 3-4 Zwiebeln in dünne Scheiben schneiden, in eine Schüssel geben und mit 2-3 Esslöffel Zucker bestreuen. Der Saft der durch den Zucker aus der Zwiebel gezogen wird, trinken. Ist zwar kalorienreich aber es hilft sehr schnell. Onion juice helps against cough perfectly. Cut 3-4 onions into thin slices, put them in a bowl and sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Drink the juice drawn from the onion by the sugar. It is high in calories but it helps very quickly.

[@lennartromer7022]

Der Typ mit dem Vodka Gurgeln. Der hat das echt gut umgesetzt 😂😂

[@EDMGmbH]

Hilft allerdings wirklich. Alternativ Salzwasser gurgeln. Bei den ersten abtauchen von Halsschmerzen etwas gurgeln das desinfiziert. Somit geht das Sau schnell Weg

[@volkerysilvia]

@@EDMGmbH Vodka oder Salbei/Minz/Thymian-Extract - kommt auf dasselbe raus. Mundhygiene halt.

[@Annele555]

Those home remedies are still around for a reason. Most of them work excellently!

[@annapeyton5605]

In some parts of the southern U.S., it’s believed a raw potato placed in your socks when you go to bed will draw out internal infection. I’ve also heard of onion or potato poltices (not sure if I spelled that correctly) for other infections. I’ve never tried these, but I know a lot of people swear by these treatments. I just drink hot tea ☕️ 😊

[@quietcorner293]

No complaints here on the German medical system. After falling off my mountain bike and separating my shoulder (type III), I was under the knife in less than a week. In 09, my left leg went weak and I could barely walk. I went to the hospital, was in an MRI immediately and that night, the doctor said it looks to be MS. If there is a waiting list, it's not very long.

[@missink13]

I am from Austria and when I have pain in my ears, I stick a clove of garlic into them or heat a kitchen towel filled with lavender and press that onto the ear.

[@henriettelegde8518]

I do the same. Some drops of warmed up sesame oil (caution: gets hot very easily) plus a clove of garlic. Learned it in Sri Lanka when I catched an ear infection from the fan. Its a natural antibiotic and works abd the local doctor asked me to do it. Thats 15yrs ago and Im Still doing it whenever I have pain in my ears.

[@ennabass]

Zwiebelsaft mit Honig oder Ingwer Tee mit Honig macht mir meine Mutter immer wenn ich Halsschmerzen habe XD

[@achokaracho7021]

Onion sacks are a well-tried household remedy for earache. The warm ear wrap can relieve the discomfort for young and old. The combination of warmth and various ingredients of the onion proves to be effective. These include various sulfur compounds. Among other things, they give the plant its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect.

[@FreekVerkerk]

We drink hot water with onions when we gave a cold (Holland) it is supposed to get your nose running and should open up your nose and lungs. With onions you can also fill a plate and leave that near your bed, to inhale during the night. I think it works. :)

[@luisfkr111]

My grandmother believes in drinking garlic with lemon juice and ginger for her health.

[@dieterdodel1974]

She is absolutely right. It stimulates fat digestion ... so good for losing weight.

[@julianreverse]

Garlic protects your heart ... greetings from Germany.

[@andreasfischer9158]

Garlic is excellent for preventing the common cold. People won't come closer than 8-10 yards.

[@volkerysilvia]

@@andreasfischer9158 including vampires :)

[@rcsfjo207]

In Turkey you wrap a scarf or whatever you find around your head if you have a headache.

[@toast4354]

I'm not sure if this is normal in other places (I'm from Australia btw) but when I would have a sore throat I would usually drink hot water with cinnamon, honey and lemon juice in it, which always helped

[@vanessas2454]

Regarding the draft: Maybe Germans are a overly concerned about drafts but it´s not without reason. When you´re already ill, you´ll be sensitive to drafts, so of course people avoid that. And in winter, a constant draft will even drive up the heating bill. So therefore, we are strong advocates for quick "Durchzug" meaning we open several windows wide and at the same time, letting fresh air in and then close them again, rather than having a constant draft of air.

[@naneneunmalklug4032]

1:00 to Point Four Health Wizdoms you should totally include the "cold kidney" ;) very very bad, but apparently in Germany only

[@lucialove174]

Can cofirm, there's even special belts against it (uses, for example, for motorbiking)

[@stevenvanhulle7242]

I live in Belgium and my health insurance fund stopped a year paying for homeopathy, which I commend. (OTOH, they still provide workshops hand reflexology... not sure which is worse... 🤔)

[@Miximixos]

Regarding #10. As a Munich resident, I know about the "Föhn" weather phenomenon. When we have "Föhn", we can see 200 kilometers to the south - but many Munich residents have headaches because of this warm wind.

[@Obstgeist7]

My mother always made onionjuice for me. Just chop up an onion into a cup, add sugar (best kind is kandis, the brown lumps) and leave it overnight. A spoonfull several times a day helps against a sore throat and coughing

[@lisablank661]

I'm German and I've never heard of the Bioweather map :D But I'm glad I did, because I always feel like the weather affects my health lol :D I will use this map often now haha

[@mdlwg3567]

😂😂 the scarf thing is so real, my husbamd always uses it

[@charithadissanayake3304]

This is super helpful ♥️

[@junglecat_rant]

I don't know where you live but here in Berlin pharmacies are open without intermission and their business hours are often aligned with shop business hours.

[@jamesflynn6827]

In the big cities maybe but not in the countryside its quiet usual in Saxony (I can't speak for other Bundesländer)

[@solidstate9451]

In central Kassel at the Hauptbahnhof the pharmacy is closed wednesday afternoon.

[@doppelkammertoaster]

Not mentioned at all is the current state of our system: we lack doctors, many of them and it is not getting better. You will run into issues finding a doctor that actually accepts new patients, then getting an appointment that is not 3 months in the future (despite there being a law that should give you one in 2 weeks max) and then they have usually not much time treating you. As usual, it's all good on paper and I definitely like it more than the system in the US but its state is a huge issue.

[@ellahurdygurdy3827]

3 Months? In October 2019 I got a doctors appointment for September 2020. I don't even know if I'll be still alive until then. :D We got the same issues with finding a house doctor in our area, there are a lot of people without one and the doctors won't accept any new patients.

[@doppelkammertoaster]

@@ellahurdygurdy3827 Where are you from?

[@ellahurdygurdy3827]

@@doppelkammertoaster I'm from Bavaria :)

[@doppelkammertoaster]

@@ellahurdygurdy3827 I'm always surprised to hear that you have the same issues down there as well. I had the impression that it was hella better in the southern parts of Germany.

[@ellahurdygurdy3827]

@@doppelkammertoaster Well, sadly no. No doctors and if there's a doctor he's soooo bad at German that he doesn't even understand what you want from him and his medical advise isn't that good either because of communication problems.

[@dresdenkiller]

A doctor once told me “sit on the floor you will soon become spray”. He meant wait for your injection in the corridor. This is what happens when you literally translate German word for word.

[@trulyUnAssuming]

that is not word for word, that is just bumbling into every false friend you could possibly find in one sentence. Flur is not floor, and spritze is not spray, bekommen is not become.

[@trulyUnAssuming]

​@@johnrogan9420 Word for word? Flur is corridor, spritze is syringe, bekommen is get. Simply replacing those words: Sit [in] the [corridor], you will soon [get] [the] [syringe]. Makes a lot more sense. The original sentence badly translated would probably habe been Setzen Sie sich in den Flur, sie bekommen gleich ihre Spritze.

[@lfader]

Yes alot of home remedies both my Grandparents & parents! German farmers born raised Bismarck North Dakota !! 👍 🇩🇪 🇺🇸

[@winterlinde5395]

Otto von Bismarck is the one who „invented“ the public health insurance system in Germany!!!

[@Pacl-zn6il]

We have two different types of health insurance. Governmental insurance and private insurance. You pay a lot more for private, but you also get treated better. No long waiting at the doctor, no cost for special treatments and an only bed at the hospital. But it’s also kind of unfair for those who don’t have the money to get private insurance😬

[@mucsalto8377]

You get what you pay for - except in the hospital, where most people get the same treatment. (and it is a >single bed< not the only one)

[@rudiausbuddeln3652]

I’m German and If I‘m ill I like to drink hot beer before going to sleep. You will sweat very much but it’s worth it! It really works

[@matthewx7486]

In my time at military (Bundeswehr), my seargent recommended doing dextrose into the beer before heating it up. 😂😂

[@rudiausbuddeln3652]

@@matthewx7486 Does it work ?

[@d.bi.1630]

The "Hausarzt" isn't just the family doctor its also the doctor that visits you at home if you are really sick 😅 and for sore throat my family gargles with salt water

[@sofiabruder]

We do put onions on our ears too. At least I always did it. And curd cheese if you have inflammation and my granny always gave me a drink of onions and honey against a cough. But I live in a neighbour country.

[@peaveyst7]

i, as a german, are so thankfull for our healthcaresystem. my daily live depents on medical treatment because i have a severe neurodermitis. dupixent is very expensive but i dont pay a cent for it. my sprays, pills, cremes etc. everything is covert and every two years, i can go to a rehabilitation center for skinconditions... like bad bentheim. even i am unable to work anymore they pay for me. they dont let me suffer and that is the greatest thing ever.

[@kennethsooley9938]

You need to mention the "poop shelf" in the toilets.

[@narendranbhaskar]

I emigrated here a few years ago and thought only I found this stuff strange. Thanks Rachel. I realise I'm the normal one now.

[@TheAiskie]

If you don't put onions on your ears how can you call yourself normal? Pfft...

[@Fenglang1]

Not in Germany you aren't :p

[@Ottts22]

your are not normal but simply arrogant, I am an family doctor and I tell you the onion trick works, Coke and saltlets are fake...

[@RedbadvanRijn-ft3vv]

Even in my country,the Netherlands we used it.

[@blackMZworld]

I do agree it is totally strange to have one of the best health services around the Globe. Especially, if your name is Bhaskar.

[@andychicago8295]

Die Brille steht dir hervorragend! Und ich bin ziemlich glücklich, über das deutsche Gesundheitssystem.

[@helvisea]

Winter tires and functioning, tight windows - not only existing in Germany, but must be real surprises for a British girl. 😂😂😂 In any case, the young lady is perfect in both languages, and perhaps even more. Respect! 😊

[@stolmich]

In Austria, we get onion tea, when we have a sore throat or cold.

[@FreekVerkerk]

In Holland as well

[@hartbigfan1714]

To speak for my colleagues: "Hausarzt" is a specialist just like an ENT or gynacologist....After med school you are an "Assistenzarzt" for several years to become a "Hausarzt" and plenty of them actually are internists so after uni they had training just like a cardiologist or pulmonologist or geriatrician and studied all organs so in the end: they are not limited or specialized to one small area of medicine but they still are specialists and still are "Fachärzte"...It really bothers me that they are not seen as such because the german health care system uses them to sort patients to specialists...I can not count the number of times I've heard someone say "Und...welchen Facharzt wirst du mal machen....oder wirst du Hausarzt?"...Everytime someone says that I understand why noone wants to be a Hausarzt anymore

[@ansarC]

I love it, the details. Love you maxxxxx. Love u dw

[@DevlinTrask]

I think a shop closing on wednesday afternoon you will only find on the country site theses days.