Prevention.com

I just recently had a breast cancer scare over the summer and before I went to the specialists to find out if it was cancer or not, I started reading anything about breast cancer. When reading about any medical illnesses you find so many things that aren’t true. But when I heard about bras maybe being one of the causes of breast cancer I was freaking out. So this is my chance to really find out, do bras cause cancer?

They say that the idea that bras cause cancer was first introduced in 1995 by a book. The book stated that women who wore tight fitting bras all day every day were at a higher risk of getting breast cancer than women who went without one most of the time. The authors claimed this, “…by inhibiting lymphatic drainage, bras trapped toxins in the breast tissue, which caused cancer.” But according to research this theory has not been proven by sufficient evidence. As stated here, “Scientists say the research of the authors of the book failed to exclude confounding variables such as the presence in some women of known risk factors for breast cancer. Thus, the notion of a correlation between wearing a bra and breast cancer does not appear to hold up.” Many risk factors for breast cancer have to do with hormones and gene mutations not if you wear a bra or not. In this article it talks more about the bra wearing studies that were done and if there was a correlation between the cancer and bra wearing. Many controls were set and factors accounted for to get the most accurate information possible.

In conclusion there is not enough evidence to show that wearing tight fitting bras or bras at all increase the risk or cause breast cancer. Throughout all the studies that they have done there has been no correlation between the two things and reverse causation cannot be a factor here. When reading these articles and these studies I was definitely relieved to find out that there is no connection between the two!

Sources: http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/FactorsThatDoNotIncreaseRisk.html

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-underwire-bras-cause-cancer/

One more time: No, wearing a bra does not cause breast cancer

http://www.uamshealth.com/?id=12311&sid=1

Have you ever experienced depression? Do you know someone who has? A family member maybe, grandparent, mother, brother, or aunt? In some of the articles I found it says that the most common type of depression is Clinical depression. About 10 percent of Americans will experience this type of depression in their lifetime.

For a long time scientists have been trying to figure out if depression is hereditary and so far they have found a gene that is present in multiple family members with depression. A British research team says this, “The chromosome 3p25-26 was found in more than 800 families with recurrent depression. Scientists believe as much as 40 percent of those with depression can trace it to a genetic link. Environmental and other factors make up the other 60 percent.” They have done research with identical twins because they share the same DNA. Findings conclude that when one identical twin gets depression the other will get the illness three-fourths of the time. But since when one twin gets the illness the other doesn’t always get it tells researchers that other things play a role in someone developing depression. Persons that have grown up with close family members that have the disease are more likely to copy their behavior and be influenced based on some environmental factors. Scientists also think that the chemical serotonin if imbalanced can lead to depression. Studies suggest that it is not just a single gene that contributes to depression but a combination of genes. Research still hasn’t found a strong enough link between a single a gene that applies to everyone. But also just because you have inherited the genes that are linked to developing this illness doesn’t mean that you will definitely get the illness. A child that’s parent has depression is three times more likely to be at risk of developing the illness, and if a grandparents also has depression the child is at an even higher risk of getting the illness.

In conclusion there are many factors that play a role in whether or not someone will get depression. Close family members make that chance of getting the illness go up, but there are no specific genes that have been proven to be a cause of inheriting depression.

Sources: http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/genetic#Outlook5

http://www.allaboutdepression.com/cau_03.html

http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/depression-when-its-all-in-the-family

You wake up in the morning and yawn, you’re feeling a little tired you yawn, you’re in the middle of speaking and all of a sudden you yawn. How many times have you yawned and wondered why? You yawn and then the people around you start yawning, how could something spread that fast? You ask why you yawn and everyone just says it’s because you’re tired.

As of now scientists still don’t know for sure why we yawn but many recent studies suggest that it’s to cool down our brains. In fact the belief that we yawn because we are tired and that yawning helps get oxygen to the blood stream which helps wake us up is not true. In the articles that I found it talks about many studies that were done to measure if yawning was actually done to keep the brain cool. Andrew Gallop says this, “stretching of the jaw, gaping of the mouth and long deep inhalation, followed by a shallow exhalation—may serve as a thermoregulatory mechanism. In a 2007 study, Gallup found that holding hot or cold packs to the forehead influenced how often people yawned when they saw videos of others doing it. When participants held a warm pack to their forehead, they yawned 41 percent of the time. When they held a cold pack, the incidence of yawning dropped to 9 percent.” Naturally our body temperature is the highest when we just wake up and when we are going to bed. Thus the theory of yawning being the way that the body cools down the brain so that is doesn’t overheat makes a lot of sense. The article describes the process as being able to “chill the head like air conditioning.”

As for yawning being contagious that is not a myth, all you need to do is read about yawning and you will get the urge to do so. In conclusion it is still a mystery as to why we yawn but scientists haven’t given up on finding the reason. After reading this you’ve probably yawned a few times anyway!

Sources: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-do-we-yawn-nothing-to-do-with-boredom–were-just-cooling-our-brains-say-scientists-9356468.html

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140811-warning-this-may-make-you-yawn

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/why-do-we-yawn

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-we-yawn-and-why-is-it-contagious-3749674/?no-ist

Have you ever woken up and had a headache or intense jaw pain? I noticed my symptoms when I kept waking up with terrible jaw pain and stiffness. I talked to my mom about the pain and she told me that I was probably grinding my teeth while I slept. I know this pain and these symptoms couldn’t be a good thing so I needed to know, is this a health hazard?

In a few articles I found Bruxism often referred to as teeth grinding and clenching of the jaw has many symptoms. Headaches, facial muscle pain, earache, pain and stiffness in the jaw joint, sleep disruption, sinus pains, pain in the neck and shoulders, worn teeth, and teeth that are painful or loose. Dentist Matthew Messina says this, “…teeth-grinding occurs as a response to the teeth not fitting quite right…for some reason, their teeth don’t fit smoothly, or the place where their teeth fit the best isn’t where the muscles are the most relaxed. So what’s happening is the body is trying to remove the interference by wearing them [the teeth] out.” Grinding of the teeth usually occurs subconsciously at night and can be triggered by stress or anxiety. Everyone handles stress differently and for some people the body can find clenching and grinding is a relief. Bruxism also affects people when they aren’t sleeping but mostly in the form of clenching the jaw when in stressful situations or while concentrating.

Grinding of the teeth on a regular basis can cause teeth to be worn down and short. In the articles it talks about many possible ways to treat Bruxism but only a few that have actually worked. You can get a mouth guard that places your teeth in a position to wear your jaw muscles are relaxed. You can do relaxation exercises before you go to sleep so that your muscles are relaxed. In conclusion grinding your teeth may not be a severe health hazard but the symptoms can be painful. Treating Bruxism is just finding out what works for you.

Sources: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/teeth-grinding/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/teeth-grinding/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/18/night-teeth-grinding-nocturnal-bruxism_n_5235620.html

http://www.migrainetrust.org/factsheet-jaw-tension-in-migraine-and-headaches-10889

http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/t/teeth-grinding

Have you ever been super stressed and gone for a run or went to work out? Did you feel better after? I’ve heard so many people say that physical activity relieves stress but I never really believed it. I found an article that talks about how getting rid of stress is impossible but that there are ways to manage it. In a poll that the ADAA gave they found out that about 14 percent of people manage stress with exercise. They’re already heading down the right path participating in running, yoga, and walking.

Becoming fit and staying healthy are just some of the benefits of physical activity. These examples that the article provides are great, “Studies show that it is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration, and at enhancing overall cognitive function. This can be especially helpful when stress has depleted your energy or ability to concentrate.” Stress doesn’t only affect your body but your mind as well. When you are constantly stressed you can run into other problems such a depression. When you exercise much of the time your self-esteem improves which is a big psychological win.

Chemicals called endorphins are released when you exercise giving your body a positive feeling and helping you feel energized. During regular physical activity other chemicals are released that help deplete stress hormones so that you can better cope with stress. It also relaxes tense muscles and aches that may be caused by stress. In conclusion stressed is cause by many things in our lives and there’s no escaping it, but we can do things to help manage the stress. Physical activity is a great way to help manage stress and also has many other benefits to you and me.

Sources: http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression

http://www.stress.org.uk/exercise.aspx

I just recently started drinking coffee when I got to college and before then I didn’t like it much, but now I can’t seem to get enough. Over the summer I was going to Dunkin Donuts every day to get an ice coffee. It was so bad that when I went out with my mom she would go the long way so that we wouldn’t pass Dunkin. She also told me that coffee isn’t good for me anyway so I should stop drinking it. That put a speed bump in my coffee obsession! But nowadays everything is bad for you.

In this article that I found it says that studies have shown that even drinking as much as, “…6 cups of coffee a day is not associated with increased risk of death from any cause.” The article goes on to talk about how the study they did had about 130,000 volunteers and was strictly observational. They followed the people for 18-24 years tracking their habits, diets, and coffee consumption. They didn’t find any relationship between coffee consumption and it having any negative effects on health. The article also mentions that many people have associated coffee with other things that are not good for your health like smoking and excessive drinking. So often people try to cut down how much coffee they are consuming even if they really enjoy it! But the studies suggest that it would be more beneficial for people to change other things in their lives like quitting smoking and eating better.

The article also says, “If you’re drinking so much coffee that you get tremors, have sleeping problems, or feel stressed and uncomfortable, then obviously you’re drinking too much coffee. But in terms of effects on mortality or other health factors, for example, we don’t see any negative effects of consuming up to six cups of coffee a day.” But Ingesting extreme amounts of coffee can be problematic due to how your body handles the caffeine. For pregnant women it’s not good to be drinking a lot of caffeine because the baby gets that caffeine as well. The coffee itself isn’t causing any health problems, and because coffee is made of so many compounds many people don’t know what to think. In conclusion drinking coffee, especially drinking it black is pretty healthy for you and does not cause health problems.

Sources: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/coffee/

http://blog.zocdoc.com/too-much-coffee-is-bad-for-you-fact-vs-myth/

I always take really long hot showers. My roommates at school and my family at home never stop nagging me about how long I spend in the shower and that there’s never any hot water left. My quickest shower is 20 minutes, and I always turn the heat all the way up. For the longest time I didn’t think that there were any negative things that could come from a long hot shower. But I guess the saying, “too much of anything isn’t good for you” is pretty true in this situation. In these 2 articles I found they talk about what hot water does to your skin when you are exposed to it for a prolonged period of time, and some of the pros of hot showers. For me hot showers are very relaxing and soothing while also clearing my sinuses. In the first article it says, “Hot showers can relieve tension and soothe stiff muscles. A hot shower also acts as a natural decongestant to relieve cold symptoms, since the hot steam moisturizes nasal passages.” As it turns out hot shower water can be damaging to skin when exposed for long periods of time. In the second article it talks about some of the damage that can happen. “Hot showers feel great, but exposing your skin to extreme temperatures can be damaging. The heat from a hot shower breaks down the lipid barriers in your skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture. The longer you are exposed to the hot water, the drier your skin becomes. Dry skin looks and feels rough, and can become itchy. When you have dry skin, you are also more prone to developing fine lines and wrinkles.” I think that as long as you moisturize your skin well you will be alright. I use lotion every time I get out of the shower so I am sticking to my amazing long hot showers! So if you love hot showers like I do just make sure you moisturize, and if you don’t you should still moisturize it’s great for your skin! That’s all folks.

Work Cited: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Cold-Showers-vs-Hot-Showers-Health-Benefits-Both-15021710

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/bad-skin-really-hot-shower-39804.html

I love spicy food! I love it so much that I like to make my food so spicy that it makes my nose run. I drench what I’m eating in hot sauce and season it with anything that is going to add spice! But I never knew why it would make my nose run until now. In this article I found here it says that, “chemicals that cause the burning sensation on your tongue, namely capsaicin end up not only causing a “hot” sensation on your tongue, but also irritate the mucous membranes in your nose, causing them to become inflamed. This triggers those membranes to produce extra amounts of mucous as a defense mechanism to try to keep out whatever unwanted substance or particles are causing the irritation.” The fact that your nose running is your body’s defense mechanism against this chemical that is foreign to your body shocks me, I would have never guessed that was the reason. But when you think about it, it makes sense since everything is connected. Dairy products, especially milk are very good at putting out the burning sensations in your mouth. They bind to nerve receptors to help it pass through your body faster, water doesn’t do that so that’s why when you drink water it makes the sensation worse. So if you like spicy food as much as I do or are just trying it for the first time make sure to have a glass of milk near by! That’s all folks.

Work Cited: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/02/why-spicy-foods-can-cause-your-nose-to-run/

Nowadays whenever you see someone going for a run or in the gym working out they have headphones in and are listening to music. Have you ever wondered if music helped you get through a workout or made a workout seem easier? I have, that last two minutes in your run or last 30 seconds in your intense workout, the music just seems to help you push yourself a little longer!

An article from the New York Times talks about how music can help boost a high intensity workout. Another article that I found here talks about how music improves endurance during exercise. In the New York Times article they did a study with 20 healthy young adults. The experiment went as follows, “Using stationary bicycles, they completed four 30-second bouts of what the researchers call “all-out” pedaling, at the highest intensity that each volunteer could stand. Each 30-second bout was followed by four minutes of recovery time, during which the volunteers could pedal gently or climb off the bike and sit or walk about. Throughout the all-out intervals, meanwhile, the scientists tracked the volunteers’ pedaling power output and asked them how hard the exercise felt and whether they were having fun. Or not.” Then the scientists asked the volunteers about what their favorite songs were and made them an individualized playlist. The next time they came in to do the intense workout they listened to music and the time after that they didn’t listen to music. The study found that, “The volunteers all reported that the intervals had been hard. In fact, their feelings about the difficulty were almost identical, whether they had been listening to music or not. What is interesting is that their power output had been substantially greater when they were listening to music. They were pedaling much more ferociously than without music. But they did not find that effort to be more unpleasant. Without music, the workout struck them as about the equivalent of an eight or higher on a zero to 10 scale of disagreeableness (with 10 being unbearable). With music, each interval still felt like about an eight or higher to the riders, but they were working much harder during each 30-second spurt. The intensity increased but not the discomfort.”

So maybe music doesn’t really help you get through a workout but it does pump you up to work harder when you are working out. I know we all want to burn as much as we can while we’re pushing ourselves in the gym! So if you’re not already listening to music when you’re exercising try it out, and if you are then keep it up. That’s all folks.

Work Cited: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/how-music-can-boost-a-high-intensity-workout/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=health&_r=0

Hi guys my name is Mariah and I am doing this course because it’s for non-science majors. I am not planning to be a science major because I do not like science.