Below are
5 medical myths:
Existence of a tongue map
Taste is
the sensation produced when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste
receptor cells located on taste buds in the oral cavity, mostly on the tongue. It
is one of the determinants of flavors of food or other substances.
The tongue
map or taste map is a common
misconception that different sections of the tongue are exclusively responsible
for different basic tastes. Although widely taught in schools, this was
scientifically disproven by later research; all taste sensations come from all
regions of the tongue, although different parts are more sensitive to certain
tastes. The origin of the tongue map was actually
a mistranslation of a German thesis, written by Edwin Boring in 1901. Currently,
humans can taste five different flavours; sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami
- a savory, meaty taste associated with monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Do not wake a sleepwalker
Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism
or noctambulism, is a sleep
disorder. Sleepwalkers arise from the slow wave sleep stage in a state of low
consciousness and perform activities that are usually performed during a state
of full consciousness. These activities include sitting up in bed, walking to a
bathroom, cleaning, cooking, driving, violent gestures, grabbing at
hallucinated objects, or even homicide. Sleepwalking events are common in
childhood and decrease with age.
It is common knowledge that waking a sleepwalker can cause heart attack
or coma in them. However, according to the United States National Sleep
Foundation, the reverse is, in fact, true: it is dangerous not to wake a
sleepwalker.
Waking a sleepwalker might confuse them, but not waking them might be
more dangerous, as somnambulists have been known to act violently.
Where possible, simply guiding the sleeping wanderer back to bed is the
best option. But if the sleepwalker declines, the National Sleep Foundation suggest
using loud, sharp noises (from a safe distance) to wake up the person; This
will most likely startle the sleepwalker, but it's better than shaking the
person in close range because that might trigger the sleepwalker to feel
attacked and hurt you.
It is best to explain gently to them after waking, that they have been
sleepwalking.
Do not swim with a full stomach.
Swimming is described as self-propulsion of a person through water or another
liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Humans can hold
their breath underwater and undertake rudimentary locomotive swimming within
weeks of birth, as an evolutionary response. Swimming is consistently among top
public recreational activities.
It is a
common misconception to ‘never go swimming on a full
stomach - wait at least 1 hour - otherwise you face cramps and potential
drowning’.
The basis of the myth is that,
after eating, blood flows to the stomach for digestion. This leaves less blood
for the muscles to use while swimming, causing them to descend into pulsating
cramps.
Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, a
gastroenterologist at the New York University School of Medicine, said that if
one was to swim incredibly strenuously, minor cramps might occur.
However, for the standard swimmer, there are no worries, and drowning
because of a cramp is even less likely.
A report carried out by the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory
Council looked at multiple relevant studies and asked a number of experts and
concluded that there is no correlation between eating and drowning or
near-drowning events.
If alcohol is involved in the pre-swimming meal, the likelihood
of drowning certainly is increased.
Blue blood
Do think you have blue blood? We were taught that blood turns blue when
it losses oxygen.
If you've ever glanced at the thin veins on your wrist, you could be
forgiven for thinking that the blood within them is blue (for light skinned
individuals).
However, when we cut ourselves, the blood is always red. This, we have
been told, is because the blood is oxygenated as soon as it touches the air.
Despite the way things appear, none of the above is true. Blood is never
blue. When it is deoxygenated, it is a deep shade of red, and, once oxygenated,
it is cherry red.
A number of factors make the
veins appear blue:
·
The skin is made of numerous
compounds with a variety of optical properties, the way that light travels
through it, or bounces off it, is difficult to predict. Light reflection is
what determines the color you see.
·
The absorption coefficient of
deoxygenated blood is altered.
·
The depth and diameter of the
blood vessels has an effect.
·
The way in which humans
perceive color.
Sugar makes children
hyperactive
Hyperactivity means an increase in movement, impulsive actions, being
easily distracted, and shorter attention span. Some people believe that
children are more likely to be hyperactive if they eat sugar, artificial
sweeteners, or certain food colorings. Other experts disagree with this.
There is however no scientific
evidence that sugar increases children's energy levels.
There are many reasons to
limit the sugar a child has other than the effect on activity level; tooth
decay and obesity are top on the list.
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