Sneezes are one of the most uncomfortable feelings that occur to us as humans. Especially if it’s not just one simply sneeze, but if it’s a sneeze attack of about 5 in a row. I know for myself my sneeze is loud and obnoxious, while other peoples can be so quiet and little that no one even hears them. Sneezes are caused from a tickle in the nose or from being sick with a cold or something that irritates the nose in general. But what really is a sneeze and why does our body perform the action of a sneeze?

Sneezing is also called sternutation, which is the body’s way of removing and irritation or tickle from one’s nose. It starts from a small irritation in the nose that leaves your body sending a message to a special part in the brain called the sneeze center which then sends another message to all the muscles in the body that have to work together to create a sneeze. Do you know how many muscles are actually used when sneezing? Well, some of the muscles include abdominal, chest, muscles that control your vocal cords, muscles in the back of the throat, the diaphragm, and also your eyelid muscles! Have you ever been driving and really had to sneeze and almost got into a car accident because you sneezed? Well, that’s because every time you sneeze, your eyes are closed. Try sneezing with your eyes open, it’s physically impossible – I tried it.

Have you ever sneezed when stepping out into sunlight? Well, according to kidshealth.org, “about 1 out of every 3 people sneezes when exposed to bright light. They are called photic sneezers”. This entails that if you are one of these people, it is something that you got from your parents that is inherited, so you can go thank them! Also, sneezes travel at about 100 miles per hour! A single sneeze can send 100,000 germs into the air and spread all around. So next time you sneeze, remember to cover yourself because the amount of germs that spreads in one single sneeze can instantly can someone infected with those germs and sick!

Sources

http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/sneeze.html

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/11-surprising-sneezing-facts

Normally when one says “that just broke my heart” it is connected to something in a negative form, whether it’s a break-up or another comparable tragic event, a broken heart is never something of happiness. But since a heart doesn’t actually break, why do we use this phrase? Could there be more to it?

Surprisingly there is something called broken heart syndrome. According to www.hopskinsmedicine.org, “patients with this condition, called stress cardiomyopathy but known colloquially as “broken heart” syndrome, are often misdiagnosed with a massive heart attack when, indeed, they have suffered from a days-long surge in adrenalin (epinephrine) and other stress hormones that temporarily “stun” the heart”. Many believe that this is similar to a heart attack but in fact they are different. This makes it hard to diagnose a patient with these side effects, but what researches found was that some people react to sudden, emotional and overwhelming stress by releasing large amounts of catecholamines into the blood stream, along with their breakdown products and small proteins produced by an excited nervous system. A broken heart syndrome is caused by these chemicals because they can be temporarily toxic to the heart, effectively striking the muscle.

However, the main difference between a heart attack and a broken heart syndrome is the damage they both bring out. For instance, a heart attack can dramatically damage one’s heart, whereas a broken heart syndrome does not result in any damage to the heart. Of course there is pain and it may be severe but normally one’s heart is unharmed after broke heart syndrome. It is stated that a broken heart is mostly seen in women the risk for a heart attack is higher in men. I wonder how much stress is needed to strike broke heart syndrome. At what point does the body give up and say that is enough? What do you guys think? The answer to that may be something to do a follow up on. Overall, a broken heart is something more than just a metaphoric term, in fact there is a deeper meaning behind it, a more harmless meaning. So stay stress free!

Sources

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2005/02_10_05.html

http://www.webmd.com/heart/features/broken-heart-syndrome-stress-cardiomyopathy

Let’s say you shower, you are all nice and clean, use your towel to dry off and then proceed to hang it up again to use tomorrow. But wait, if you just used your towel AFTER the shower, then you are clean enough to not have to wash the towel right? Well think again. This is not necessarily true in many cases which many lack to know.

Are we 100% clean after a shower? The answer is no. If you think about it, could you possibly be able to get every nook and cranny when showering. Not only that but also the way soap works has an effect on this idea that you are never 100% clean. Stated in www.questionyourtheory.com, “the average shower soap loosens the dead cells off your skin, which is all over our bodies”. Therefore, when your showering your soap is scrubbing those layers loose and the water is used to wash most off, however is not able to get all of it off. Then when we dry ourselves, we are basically just drying off the dead cells, water, and other bacteria and germs that can be transferred to our towel.

You think that’s all? Not quite. Not only are we transferring water, dead skin cells, bacteria and germs onto our towel, but after we dry off, the towel hangs there attracting even more bacteria. So naturally, bacteria and anything in the air floats onto the towel leaving the towel to sit and begin to stink up with a stench of mildew. Another way mildew can grow on our wet towels is from remaining in the hamper along with other dirty germ filled clothing that’s been piled up just adding fuel to the fire. I strongly agree with this because it makes total sense. If a damp towel is left in a dark place to hang and just attract bacteria, then of course it is going to start to smell and contain dirty germs and unwanted bacteria. So think about it – next time you do a load of laundry and you feel the towels are still wet, make sure to leave them to dry longer or you will be drying off after the shower with a mildew filled towel and then creating more bacteria after you dry off. Stay clean!

Sources

http://www.questionyourtheory.com/why-do-we-wash-towels-if-we-are-clean-from-the-shower

http://www.ehow.com/info_8670610_do-smell-moldy-after-washing.html

For me, I despise having a cold because it stays with me for weeks no matter how much medicine I take to treat it. The one most hated side effect of having a cold is a runny nose. In desperate times, if you don’t carry tissues with you, your sleeve becomes your best friend. But have you ever wondered why this happens to us? Why does the mucus that our body is infected with from being sick leave our noses? Let’s look more into this.

According to www.everydayhealth.com, “our noses warm and humidify the air we breathe as it travels down into the lungs, so when you inhale cold, dry air, the moist tissue inside the nose automatically increases fluid production to do its job of protecting sensitive lung tissue”. Therefore, when there is too much fluid, the excess tends to drip out, which is why you get a runny nose. So why in the winter do we get more colds than in the summer? Well, there’s a good explanation for this. In the winter the cold air speeds up the mucus formation and also because of the cold air it causes water droplets in the moist noise that join together forming drops of water that can also drip from the nose. This can also run down the back of our throats creating post-nasal-drip which can leave us up all night coughing and a slight soar feeling in the throat.

I strongly agree with this concept, the cold air allows mucus to form more quickly in the winter as oppose to the summer but should this mean we get a cold from being outside? Experts believe that this is all a myth and in fact we get colds more in the winter because we spend most of our time inside which means we are constantly around people and the germs continue to spread by sneezes, coughs, and whatever germ fills the air.

Some also believe that clear mucus means just a common cold, not too sick, and greenish-yellow mucus means you should visit a doctor. However, this concept is a myth. Even with clear thin mucus, one can be very sick and needing to go to the doctor. As with greenish-yellow mucus, one might not be able to get better from antibiotics and can just be a viral infection. I strongly believe that no matter if mucus is clear or colored, either or one can feel quite ill and need to see a doctor because at times medicine found at CVS may not be enough. So stay away from germs and stop your cold!

Sources

http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/why-does-your-nose-run-when-its-cold.aspx

http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cold-flu/10-reasons-runny-nose.htm

We all know what goose bumps are and how they look on our skin. It’s quite interesting to watch your skin instantly get these raised bumps all over our bodies and the hair on our arms stand up perfectly straight. We get them when we’re cold or when we get the chills from something that reminds us of the old days or hear an emotional situation, but have you ever asked yourself why this actually occurs? How does our body react this way towards unrelated events in which provoke the same body response? And how about the name, goosebumps, how did that come about?

According to www.ScientificAmerican.com, “goosebumps are a physiological phenomenon inherited from our animal ancestors, which was useful to them but are not much help to us” Goosebumps are in fact tiny lifted bumps on our skin that resemble the skin of poultry after the feathers have been plucked. However, the reason that our skin elevates when we feel cold occurs because each hair has a contraction of miniature muscles that are attached to it. Therefore, each contracting muscle creates a thin depression on the skin’s surface which leads to the area around it to bulge. This can also happen to animals, when an animal feels threatened its hair expands which makes it seem bigger than it really is. This strategy allows it’s predator to leave them alone.

Not only do we get goosebumps when we’re cold but also during an emotional environment or surrounding. I know I unintentionally receive goosebumps during weddings or hearing a sad story or even a song can trigger them for me. But why does this happen? “The reason for all these responses is the subconscious release of a stress hormone called adrenaline” stated by Scientific American. I strongly agree with this statement because adrenaline can cause many influences on the body as a whole. Adrenaline is a rush of emotions that our body releases that can trigger goosebumps. Therefore it makes sense that our adrenaline is released during a sad moment or a cold setting which in fact cause the hair on our arms to stand up and produce tiny raises bumps all over us. So next time you get the chills randomly from your friend telling you an emotional story or when hearing an old song, you now know why our body responds this way!

Sources

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-humans-get-goosebu/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/147782-what-is-your-body-telling-you-when-you-get-goose-bumps/

Everyone at some point in their life has used headphones, maybe either to listen to music, watch a Youtube video, or even talk on the phone. It’s extremely common to see college students walking around with headphones practically glued to their ears. I know I am a victim of this because it’s most convenient when I want to listen to music while studying so no one can be bothered by their music or maybe when I’m Facetiming, over even at the gym. Overall, headphones are extremely useful and almost necessary in majority of people’s lives. However, are headphones a good or bad thing? Can they actually be negatively affecting our hearing?

According to osteopathic.org, “one in five teens has some form of hearing loss, a rate about 30% higher than it was in the 1980s and 1990s”. This shocks most to hear because of how popular headphones really are. Not only just listening to headphones affects one’s hearing, but even constantly being around extreme noises that are louder than comforting can result in delays in speech and language. What happens is the loud noises lead to hearing loss by damaging the stereocilia, which are tiny hairs that sit on top of hair cells in inner ear. Stated in thegaurdian.com, “noise makes them vibrate which change the voltage in the hair cells, then sends chemical messages through nerves to the brain, battering your stereocilia will damage hearing”. Who knew that damaging the tiny hairs on our ears could have such an effect on us.

So at what point is the loudness too loud? Dr. Foy admits “if you can’t hear anything going on around you when to listening to headphones, the decibel level is too high”. This strikes me because I have listened to music or watched Netflix at a volume that has been able to block out any noise in my surroundings. “When listening through headphones, one should not exceed 60% of maximum volume” Dr. Foy informs us. Hearing loss can occur after an hour and fifth teen minutes. Not only does the volume of music or noise headphones contribute to hearing loss, but also the exposure to music. So, how long is too long? One should only use music devices for a total of 60 minutes a day. Dr. Foy states, “The louder the volume, the shorter your duration should be. At maximum volume, you should listen for only about five minutes a day.” I definitely agree with his conclusion because it makes sense, if one is listening to music on a loud volume that is over 60% for a long period of time a day, it definitely can be negative affecting your hearing. Our ears are not meant to hear loud noises directly placed in our the depths of our ears. Even for a small amount of time if I had headphones at a 100% volume, it would not even be enjoyable because it’s simply too loud to handle for even a long period of time.

Signs of hearing loss include ringing, roaring, hissing, or buzzing, difficulty understanding speech in loud places, muffled sounds and feeling like your ear is plugged. These all contribute to hearing loss warning signs. Dr. Foy suggests that if these signs occur to visit a physician to correctly diagnose a hearing damage. Overall, suggesting that to prevent a hearing loss, one must cut down the use and sound of headphones in a day to remain able to hear efficiently.

Sources:

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/general-health/Pages/headphone-safety.aspx

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/26/will-headphones-damage-my-hearing\

Do energy drinks really give you energy?

During desperate times when I am nothing but tired I result to red bull. I always searched for a difference in my energy level but never actually knew if it was just in my head. If one knows there drinking an energy drink and its sole purpose is to give them energy then they will think and expect a more energized self instantly. However, the only thing these energy drinks have the ability of doing is given off a short term energy boost. These drinks also contain sugar and caffeine which has effects such as insomnia, irritability, rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, nervousness. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics insist on kid’s getting no more than 100 milligrams of caffeine a day.

So does Red Bull really give you wings? Yes, maybe they can give you “wings” but only for a short amount of time and then the caffeine wears off. But what many fail to realize is how bad the ingredients in these energy drinks are affecting our bodies. Energy drinks are aimed at a certain age group mostly college students who aim to pull an all-night, usually under the age of 30. Many college students even enjoy mixing an energy drink with alcohol and fail to understand the harms of it. When mixing alcohol with an energy drink it is combining a stimulant with a depressant. Researchers claim that mixing these two stimulants and depressants could lead to harmful things such as heart failure.

However, what I feel the real question should be here is not if energy drinks really give you energy, it should be why are humans seeking more energy than natural body energy? Our generation has become lazier and lazier and it’s due to many factors including poor diet choices, stressful college lifestyles, lack of sleep and exercise, and more that contribute. Instead of seeking energy drinks for that boost of liveliness, instead seek coffee!

Sources

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/energy-drinks/faq-20058349

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/06/09/energy-drinks-part-one.aspx

I’m sure this is the common phrase everyone has heard when growing up. Parents would say this just to get their children to eat an apple but is it true? If you eat an apple is it really keeping you healthy and away from the doctor’s office? Let’s take a closer look at what an apple is made of and if it’s really healthy.

Of course an apple contains some type of vitamin and that’s vitamin C which builds up one’s immune system and overall health. Next is pectin which helps the body keep off cholesterol and maintain a well-functioning digestive system. Then there is boron which maintains and supports a healthy brain and bones. Quercetin helps fight off the risk of various cancers and phytonutrients which an apple is rich of contains vitamins and beta carotene. These all reduce the risk of diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.

Now that you know all the components of an apple and its benefits, does an apple really keep you from getting sick and going to the doctor? Probably not entirely but with all the healthy ingredients found in an apple, it is definitely not harmful to eat one every day to maintain a healthy body overall.

Sources

http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/health-myths/an-apple-a-day.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131217210549.htm

For my whole childhood adults used to drill in my head to eat carrots and that it will help me see better in the dark and my overall eye sight. Since I never minded carrots and actually enjoyed them, I would eat them but now I wonder if they really do make a difference in eye sight or not. What do you guys think? It sounds hard to believe but is it believable?

Carrots contain beta carotene and according to Dr. Amy Chow, a Cupertino Family Eye Care Center doctor, she claims carrots do help your eye sight. Our livers have the ability of turning the beta carotene into vitamin A which is then immersed by retinal cells in our eyes that benefits our eye sight. She states that eating too much of carrots or anything in general can become dangerous so do not overdose. However, there are also other factors that can contribute to benefiting one’s eye sights other than eating carrots such as reading at eye level, not in dark places, and not looking directly at the sun which can strain one’s eyes. Not only do carrots help our eyes but also anything foods that are high in Ginkgo Biloba, zinc, lutein, chromium, vitamin C, selenium and glutathione can increase vision.

Some do not agree with this topic stating that carrots do not improve eye sights, however I feel as though they do. Yes of course they do not turn one who does not have 20/20 vision into having perfect vision, however they can improve overall eye healthy. Also, having too much of any vitamins can become extremely dangerous which many of us lack to understand, however vitamin A contains healthy nutrients needed to sustain our bodies in a healthy condition including our eye sights. Vitamin A is also contained in cheese, milk, eggs, yolk therefore by eating any of those foods, our eye sights are improving slowly by slowly.

Sources

http://healthmad.com/health/do-carrots-improve-your-eyesight/

http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/eye/carrots-eyesight.htm

For me, coffee is an essential part of my day. I wake up and without even getting out of bed I turn my espresso machine on. I find myself relying on coffee in the morning to wake myself up and give me the energy for a productive day and I know I’m not alone on this topic. America truly runs on coffee and especially for college students, even if we are running late we somehow find a way to fit getting coffee into our schedule.

So what is the answer to this question, can coffee really stunt one’s growth? The answer is no. However, what most people lack to know is that coffee can stimulate the central nervous system since it is caffeine. However, one or two cups of coffee a day does not have harmful effect on one’s body unless one is abusing the amount of coffee they drink and also drinks other caffeinated drinks such as soda. This myth that coffee stunts one’s growth can be contributed to early studies that stated caffeine reduces bone mass and osteoporosis. In fact, what was found about those studies was that they were conducted on elders and to explain the loss of bone mass was due to the lack of calcium they had. However, if you think about it, if one added milk to coffee every day, there’s the calcium needed.

There was a study conducted on children recently from Anahad O’connor from the New York Times, it stated that 81 teenagers drank coffee every day for 6 years and the results stated no difference in bone mass in the children that drank the most caffeine and the children who drank the least proving that coffee stunts growth is a myth.

Although there are minor negative effects of drinking coffee there are also positive effects. This includes reduced risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent which came from a study done in Iowa from the Women’s Health study that was conducted. This study was for 15 years and tracked 27,000 women. Another benefit of coffee is that it can ward off breast cancer and uterine cancer in women. Also, another interesting benefit is that it can help type 2 diabetes. Since coffee contains minerals including magnesium and chromium, those minerals allow the body to control blood sugar. So instead of listening to the myths of coffee stunting one’s growth and the negative effects of this caffeinated drink, look at the positives and see how they outweigh the negatives. Now you can go enjoy your Starbucks espresso/coffee with no worries!

Sources:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/coffee-stunt-growth.htm

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/coffee-new-health-food

The common phrases “I have butterflies in my stomach” or “my stomach is in knots” or even “my feelings were hurt” which many, including myself, use as a metaphor, are stated when undergoing an emotional situation. But have you asked yourself why we feel these negative emotions in our stomach? Can there be a more literal derivation to these metaphorical phrases?

According to Doctor Anthony Komaroff, “we use these expressions because anger, anxiety, sadness, elation, and other emotions can trigger symptoms in our gastrointestinal tract”. This means that the brain has a direct effect on the stomach in any situations and vice-versa, the stomach has a direct effect on the brain. So let’s say you’re starving and can’t stop thinking about chipotle, for many of us that’s 24/7, Doctor K claims that the thought of fulfilling that craving and eating can release the stomach juices before you even eat. Can that be true? I strongly agree because if you think about it, when one’s stomach is empty and has not been feed all day, the stomach can send signals to the brain that they are hungry, therefore proving that the stomach and brain are directly connected. Also proving that when a stomach is in “knots” it may not be physically in knots but any negative situation that can leave the brain in sadness is directly connected to the stomach causing that knot like feeling. Also, any anxiety over maybe an extreme exam in the morning can affect your appetite, but have you ever asked yourself why? No, well me either, until now. The reason for this loss of appetite is because the gut is controlled by a system of 100 million nerves that begin in the brain and travel down to the gut, this system is called the enteric nervous system, also known as ENS.

Therefore, next time you find yourself having that gut wrenching feeling in your stomach and you wonder why; just think that any negative emotions that you are thinking about in your brain directly lead to that feeling in your stomach. So instead of dealing with that uncomfortable pain of sadness, anxiety, distress, anger or any negative emotions, stop worrying and smile… it’ll go away!

Sources:

http://www.askdoctork.com/why-does-my-stomach-clench-up-in-knots-when-im-stressed-20131209578

Hi everyone! My name is Francesca Barone and I’m from Marlboro, New Jersey. The reason I’m taking this class is because I’m terrible at science and was told this would be an awesome class for one who is not interested in science as their major. I’m still undecided in my major, maybe business or communications but I’m definitely not doing anything with science since it is not my strong subject. All science related subjects in high school especially physics were torture for me, but this class seems a lot more interesting!