Medicine in Cheat Sheets

Therapist and endoscopist Ilya Kvashenov knows how to turn tangled medical topics into clear and captivating stories—from a tale about a tiny air bubble in an IV line to explaining what false myopia is. The book brings together answers to many everyday questions, cases from his practice, and intriguing episodes from the history of medicine—after which you start treating your health more attentively and calmly.

Ilya Kvashenov is a therapist and endoscopist at the Nizhny Novgorod Oncology Center, the author of “Medical Literacy” and the creator of the popular YouTube channel “Medicine Just.” He will guide you through the world of modern medicine.

He speaks about the complex in a simple, lively way: explaining how the body is really built, where facts end and myths begin, and why some “folk” advice can be more dangerous than the disease itself.

Inside, you’ll find a breakdown of dozens of questions: what will happen if air from the system does end up in a vein? How can you tell where false myopia is and where true myopia is? Why isn’t it always advisable to bring down a temperature until it rises above 38.5? Can placebo not only help but also worsen how you feel? How is a stomach ulcer treated today—and why, not so long ago, it often ended with a serious operation?

This is a collection of vivid facts, historical anecdotes (from bloodletting that led to George Washington’s death to the horrifying experiments of Unit 731) and real doctors’ stories that help you better understand your body’s signals and not put off getting help.