20 Eye-Opening Medical Facts That
You Should Keep in Your Mind
The human body is a wonderful creation. Evolution over millions of years has created such a complex system that we haven't yet known all the mysteries it beholds. Each time we discover something new about the body, we are astonished and awestruck. The advances in various sciences have created a vast store of knowledge to study and learn, from which we were able to gather a few fascinating medical facts…
1. If you've ever noticed a single pupil appear white instead of red in a child's photograph taken with flash, it could be Retinoblastoma – a type of eye cancer. In a normal eye the reflection is red instead of white because of the blood vessels.
Retinoblasts are fast growing cells that grow and mature, forming the retina of a baby during the early stages of pregnancy. However, in some cases they do not stop dividing and reproducing, resulting in a malignant tumor in the eye – known as Retinoblastoma. Mostly, children who are 5 years or less fall victim to it with around 200 to 300 being diagnosed positive each year. Retinoblastoma is very rare among adults. In children it occurs 75% of the time in one eye , while 25% in both. It could also be inherited if at least one of the parents had it.
2. It is possible to transplant a toe in place of a lost thumb through microsurgery. The surgery was first successfully performed on a rhesus monkey in the year 1964.
Toe to thumb transplantations have been taking place since many years. The thumb is the most important finger in the hand as it has the ability to oppose the force of the rest of the fingers, making it possible for a hand to hold, press or pick something. The thumb is said to be responsible for more than 50% of a hand's function and agility. In case of congenital anomalies or traumatic loss of the thumb, the great toe is particularly suitable to replace it. Doctors perform what is known as microsurgery to connect the nerves, small arteries and veins of the hand to those of the transplanted toe. Later the toe adapts to the structure and decreases in size.
3. High levels of stress can literally kill your brain. Studies have found that prolonged exposure to stress can affect the brain's ability to learn, control impulses, reason or remember by permanently damaging your neurons.
Cortisol, one of the hormones released while you are experiencing stress can damage the Hippocampus by stopping new neurons from generating and destroying the existing ones. Other areas that are negatively affected by stress include Amygdala and Medial Prefrontal Cortex by increasing and decreasing their sizes respectively. The Medial Prefrontal Cortex is responsible for complex cognitive behavior, social interactions, decision making, working memory and controlling impulsive behavior. Amygdala is responsible for the formation of memories associated with emotional events, whereas Hippocampus is responsible for learning and memory.
4. The bridge of the nose and the corners of the mouth form what is known as thedanger triangle of the face. In rare cases, popping a pimple in this area can lead to brain infections, facial paralysis or even death.
Because of the way the blood supply to the nose and the area around it functions, it is very likely for infections to spread to the brain from that area. There is a vein that connects the facial vein with the cavernous sinus which is very close to the brain and the inside layers called meninges that surround the brain. Though popping a pimple is a very common practice to quickly get rid of a pimple, if not properly done, it keeps the surface of the skin open. The exposed surface might get infected which could be carried back to the cavernous sinus and infect the meninges.
5. Applying sugar on wounds can heal them by drying them out, promoting fresh tissue growth and dehydrating infection-causing bacteria.
Almost 4,000 years ago, Egyptians used to treat battle wounds by packing them with sweet substances like sugar. According to Professor Rudy Siewert, the chairman of the department of surgery at Klinikum Rechts Der Isar in Munich, the simple and age-old treatment is now coming back to use. Some doctors in Europe have started giving it a try. Dr. Richard A. Knustson, an orthopedic surgeon in Greenville, was frustrated with wounds infected with resistant bacteria when he tried using a paste which he made by mixing sugar with iodine solution. He has used it on about 6,000 patients with all kinds of wounds including burns.
6. Recent research has shown that wearing skinny jeans might cause damage to the nerves and muscles in the legs, especially so when you squat in them for prolonged periods of time.
Wearing skinny jeans is very common among those who are fashion conscious. However, they are not as attractive when it comes to health. Researchers have found that skinny jeans can cause twisted testicles in men. Wearing tight trousers can also increase heartburn as it puts pressure on the stomach. One woman developed a condition called Compartment Syndrome wherein her legs had swollen inwards as there was no room to do so outwards. As it also decreases air circulation, people with Urinary Tract Infections are advised to avoid them as well.
7. It is possible for people to die in the next 24 hours after drowning even though there are no signs of trouble. The water left in the lungs can overpower the victim, making it hard to breathe and eventually killing him or her.
The victims of 'dry drowning' or dying after 24 hours of submersion are most often children. There are usually no signs or symptoms except that the victim might exhibit tiredness, difficulty in breathing and changes in behavior. The symptoms are hard to spot as children might not know to pinpoint the problem. There was an incident in South Carolina when Johnny Jackson, a 10-year-old, died an hour after swimming. He didn't exhibit any symptoms and walked back home with his mother and went to sleep. When his mother went to check on him, she noticed something was wrong and rushed him to hospital, but it was too late.
8. Sunburn doesn't cause damage to your skin cells – it actually damages the DNA of your skin cells.
The UV radiation in sunlight can mess up your DNA by modifying its structure. The cells, however, are quite capable of repairing the damage and restoring normality. Some skin cells that cannot repair themselves, die. That is what happens when your skin peels off after a sunburn. It is the dead skin cells. When the damage is too extensive, and the skin cells can neither repair themselves nor die, it becomes the cancer we know as Melanoma.
9. Sleeping for less than seven hours can increase your mortality rate. It is also associated with many health problems including obesity, diabetes, stroke and other psychological problems.
Sleep doesn't just ruin your health; it also can ruin your personal and professional life. It is no secret that not getting enough sleep can decrease efficiency and productivity and can result in reduced alertness causing errors and accidents at work. Sleep is essential for the body to heal and without getting enough of it, the body becomes vulnerable and will be at risk of contracting diseases.
10. CPR can be performed to the beats of the Bee Gees' classic "Stayin' Alive". The song has a beat that is 100 beats per minute which is the same rate recommended by the American Heart Association.
Another such song with the right beat for CPR is Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust". According to Dr. Alson S. Inaba, a pediatric emergency physician, the songs are prefect way to administer CPR. So if you are learning CPR, you might want to give the songs a try.
11. French scientists have developed macroporous calcium phosphate which is self-setting and injectable to repair bones, treat defects and Osteoporosis.
Earlier, bone repairs were done using Calcium Phosphate Cement (CPC) that can be injected and assist in bone regeneration. CPC is biocompatible and microporous. However, for a quicker bone regeneration and to treat osteoporosis effectively by reinforcing cancellous bone the cement has to have more porosity. It used to be a bit of a challenge until they tried mixing CPC with a biocompatible hydrogel to make it macroporous. The foam, so far, has been tested only on rabbits suggesting that there is a possibility, with further testing, to use it effectively in treating bone related problems.
12. Using paper towels to dry your hands decreases bacterial count by 45 to 60 percent whereas using a hand dryer increases it by 255 percent.
When researchers tried to count the number of bacteria in both cases they were in for a surprise. When hands are dried using a dryer, there is no guarantee that whatever bacteria is on your hand would go for sure, especially if they are poorly washed. Whereas when you use a paper or cloth towel, the force and friction is likely to dislodge and remove the bacteria from your hands. Most times this is not a problem because the surface of our skin contains quite a lot of them and our immune system is equipped to deal with it. They also, in a way, act as a protective barrier preventing other harmful bacteria from staying on the skin.
13. Yet again, after 1,800 studies, Australian scientists have concluded that Homeopathy is ineffective.
The battle between Homeopathy and Allopathy has been ongoing since ages. There have been many studies and instances in which researchers have concluded that the concept of "like cures like" and using diluted solutions don't work. This study is so far the most extensive of them all. The Head of National Health and Medical Research Council has expressed hope that these findings will change the way Australia's health insurance works.
14. According to a study, after being infected by Flu people become socially more active. The change in behavior is in response to the virus trying to find more hosts to infect.
The behavior of participants after being infected is compared to their behavior 48 hours prior. The participants reported to have interacted with significantly more number of people than they had before they were infected. The researchers hope that the findings will help advance their understanding of evolution.
15. In a trial conducted at Imperial College in London, scientists have found that the hallucinogenic chemical found in magic mushrooms could successfully treat severe depression.
Psilocybin, a chemical found in magic mushrooms, is believed to alleviate depression by targeting and disrupting the parts of brain such as the overactive Default Mode Network that responsible for the sense of self in people suffering from depression. According to scientists, psychedelic mushrooms also have a kind of spiritual awakening effect and could have also been the reason for treating depression.
16. There is an experimental spray-on skin product scientists are working on that can heal difficult or chronic wounds faster.
The spray-on skin is a mixture of skin cells and different types of proteins that is said to be more effective than available treatments. In a study, participants who had venous leg ulcers, shallow wounds that occur because of inadequate circulation, experienced a significant reduction of the size of the wound after using the treatment.
17. Sitting straight in a chair for long periods of time during work is not good for your back, says a study. Instead, researchers suggest a 135-degree lean backwards to be a much better position to sit.
The patients in the study were asked to use three different sitting positions – a forward hunched slouch, upright position and a relaxed backward leaning position. It was found that the spinal cord had to bear more weight while sitting upright which causes the disks to move and hence result in pain and damage.
18. In emergency situations where IV fluids are not available, coconut water can be used instead. It was administered Intravenously during the Second World War to British and Japanese patients because all saline liquid was finished.
The water, however, does not contain enough salt to be used as a substitute, almost 10 to 15 times less than blood plasma, and also contains calcium and magnesium which makes it a bad idea for patients with kidney failure and severe burns. It was a common practice during the late 1970s in Cambodia but was criticized heavily. It was only used as an emergency substitute rather than an actual method for rehydration.
19. Researchers say that camping for one week without any electronics will reset biological clock and synchronize the melatonin hormones with sunrise and sunset.
Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder found out that living by sun's schedule helps you sleep an hour early in the night and get up an hour early in the morning. They believe that sun is capable of undoing the influence of artificial light and can adjust your body clock to what it should be. According to Nammi Goel, melatonin is the "hormone of the darkness" and the levels rise during the night when it's dark naturally and drop during the day.
20. Dorylus ants or driver ants can be used as sutures for cuts and wounds. They are so large and have such a powerful bite that in East Africa they are used to close wounds by making the ant bite and then removing its body.
Driver Ants Used to Close WoundsA scene from the movie 'Apocalypto'. Image Source: giphy
The driver ants are a genus of large ants mostly found in Central and East Africa. Though they rarely bite, their bite is very painful and leaves two puncture marks. Their jaws are extremely strong and you can break its body but cannot easily remove its jaws. When some tribals of East Africa have a gash, they use these ants as temporary surgical staples to close the wound.
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