Which blood group is best ? Type A, B, O or AB

We the humans have evolved in millions of year, but in the beginning there were not so many blood groups. Type-A was the most ancient blood type, which is found in hominids (pre-humans). Around 5 million years ago type-O blood group originated after some genetic mutation. Before we proceed further you should know a little about blood groups. 

Blood Groups among Humans

Based on antigen A and B, we have four different blood types: A, B, AB and O.

• Type A : have only A-antigen on red-blood cells.
• Type B : have only B-antigen on red-blood cells.
• Type AB : have both A and B antigen on red-blood cells.
• Type O : have neither A nor B antigen on red-blood cells.

In early 1900s, Dr. Karl Landsteiner discovered ABO blood types. If Type A person is given Type B blood then his body considers it as some foreign object and rejects it, which can be fatal. During those days Type-O blood group was considered as universal donor, as it has got no antigens, and in most of the cases it was accepted by every receiver. Similarly Type AB was considered as universal receiver. 

But still something was missing. Cross-matching is a technique where two blood samples are mixed to check if they are accepting each other. In such cross-matching sometimes samples of same blood group were not matching. In 1940 Karl Landsteiner and A.S. Weiner gave answer to this puzzle by discovering the Rh factor. Today we know it as positive and negative. If RhD protein is present on RBC then we call that blood group positive, else negative. It is called Rh (Rhesus) factor because it was originally found in rhesus macaque monkeys. So it made two subgroups in previously accepted 4 blood groups, thus taking the count to 8 types of blood groups. In present terms O-ive is the "universal donor" while AB+ive is "universal recipient" blood type.

Evolving blood groups among humans

Earliest blood group found in human ancestors (hominids) was type A. Around 5 million years ago Type O blood group evolved. It makes Type B and type AB as the most recent. Usually evolution takes place to improve us to make us adapt to present environment. Blood groups and their effect on our overall health is a major topic of research today. 

According to wikipedia, O+ is most common blood group with 38.67% population. 27.42% are A+, 22.02% are B+ and 5.88% are AB+.

Around 94% of world population is Rh-positive while just 6% is Rh-negative. If we talk about Rh-negative blood groups then 2.55% are O-, 1.99% are A-, 1.11% are B- and just 0.36% are AB-.

B blood group is mostly found in south Asia, while it was totally absent in native Americans and Australians. 

Which blood group is Best ?

Most of us think that blood is just a carrier of oxygen and nutrients in our body. But evolution of blood groups in human body means that there must be some hidden features. Some people believe that AB+ blood group is best, as people with this blood group are universal recipient, so during any medical emergency they may receive any other blood group. If you are one of those who like donation then you may think that having O- blood group is best. Apart from receiving and donating blood there are a number of features that are listed below.

• Cells infected with malaria don't stick to Type O and B, while they stick to type A. It means people with O and B blood groups are on safer side from malaria.
• People with O blood group are prone to infections of Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. AB blood group is less prone to such infections.
• Type A blood group people are prone to gastric cancer or stomach cancer.
• Type O blood group have lower level of certain blood clotting factor, so they are at higher level of death risk due to trauma.
• People with O blood type are at less risk of heart diseases as their blood clots lesser than A or B blood group.
• AB blood group people are at higher risk of stroke as their blood clots more.
• Average life span of O blood group people is highest due to lesser heart diseases.
• A, B, or AB blood group are more prone to Venous thromboembolism (VTE), in which blood clots in a deep vein in legs. O blood group people are mostly safe from this disease.
• Memory problems, such as dementia often occur more among people with AB blood group.
• People with A blood group have high level of cortisol, thus more stress.
• Type 2 Diabetes is more common among A and B blood groups.
• Women with O blood group are found to have lower number of healthy eggs, which plays an important role in getting pregnant. However this result need more research to find the actual reason.
• Some studies have suggested that smallpox pandemics were fatal for O blood group and non-fatal for A blood group. 
• During 1996, 87.5% of patients who died due to cholera pandemic in Scotland were of O blood group.

Some experts who believe in "Ancient Aliens" think that Rh- humans are hybrids of humans and aliens, as some of them have extra rib and extra vertebrae. However most of the medical societies don't believe this alien hybrid theory.

Did you get the answer to question about the best blood group ? Is it NO ! You are right, no one blood group can be considered best. Betterhealthfacts.com found that each blood group have its own pros and cons. But this diversity of blood groups provided us with a better chance of survival as a race. We as an individual might want to prove ourselves better than others on the basis of blood group, but in front of nature we "the humans" are just a race. Even if one type of blood group people surrender to a bacteria or virus, the other group continues to evolve. This is true evolution and our blood group is also evolving, we just can't see it in a single generation.

What do you think about this article. Please mention your blood group with you comments. Your one comment motivates betterhealthfacts.com to post more health oriented articles.

Read More

Are you Right handed or Left handed ? Which one is better !

Being right-handed or left-handed is something natural, and we can't do much about it. Just as we can't choose our gender, we also can't choose our dominant hand. But nature is not so neutral about dominant hand as 90% population is right-handed, while just 10% are left handed. Only 1% population can be called ambidextrous. Ambidexterity is the ability to use both hands equally. Does it mean that ambidextrous people are better than both right handed and left handed people. If it is so, then why all of us are not evolved to be ambidextrous ? Betterhealthfacts.com will try to answer this question in this article.

Is there any difference in our genes that makes us righty, lefty or ambidextrous?

Genetics explains a lot of things but in case of dominant hand, it is a bit confusing. Till now researchers have not not found a single genetic locus ( a genetic marker) that can be held responsible for being right-handed or left handed. You will be surprised to know that when scientists studied 25,732 families with twins, they found that heritability of handedness is roughly 24%. In a normal case if both parents are left-handed then their are 74% chances for the child being right-handed. So our heredity has got very less to do with our dominant hand.

Ambidexterity is the ability to use both hands with equal perfection. Some experts believe that it is just a practice which makes people perfect in using both hands, but most of the ambidextrous people prefer to use their original hand when they are in hurry to complete a work.

What decides which dominant hand will a child have ?

• Genetic factors can answer only 25% of such behavior, remaining 75% are the environmental factors.
• Some researchers believe that position of a baby in final trimester decides the dominant hand. 
• Premature babies are five times more likely to be left-handed.
• A mother aged above 40 years is 120% more likely to a left-handed child.

Why are there more right handed people ?

According to Stanley Coren, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, more right-hand dominance is unique to humans. Other animals have 50-50 chances of side dominance, even the chimpanzees. One possible reason behind it our developed brain and our ability to speak. During evolution our brain divided itself in different regions to control different functions of body. Precise or more accurate tasks are mostly done by left side of brain, which also controls right side of body. This is the reason why most of us are right-handed.

Is left-hand dominance a disease ?

According to Professor Coren, "Yes". If during the final phases of pregnancy if sufficient blood supply is interrupted to left side of developing brain, then right brain tends to capture some of its functions and thus a person becomes left-handed by birth. Some other researches, especially left-handed, don't agree with this theory, as there have been a number of world famous personalities in different fields who have shown their brilliance.

According to Professor Coren, left handed people are more vulnerable to diseases and may also have learning difficulties, which also makes them criminals, schizophrenics and alcoholics. Here are some figures that he provided in his book "The Left-Hander Syndrome".

• Left-handers are 11.5 times more prone to suffer from hay fever and asthma.
• Eczema and diabetes is more common in left-handed people.
• Left handers are three times more prone to depression and suicide.
• Insomnia and cross-eyedness is two times more common in left handers.
• Deafness is 2.5 times more among left handers.
• Left handers are 4 times more prone to being Alcoholic as an adult.
• Dyslexia is 11 times more common among left handers. 
• Average age of left-handed men is 10 years less than right-handed men, while left-handed women live 4 years less.
• A study done in 1921 found that there were only 7% left handed children in normal school, while there were 17% left handed children in schools for mentally retarded.

Contrary to the above facts, several left handed people achieved a place in society and history that we can never forget. Some of them are:

Mark Zuckerberg, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Picasso, Charlie Chaplin,Leonardo Da Vinci,  Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Mahatma Gandhi, Isaac Newton, Neil Armstrong, Aristotle, Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan and the list can go on.

Do these facts really prove anything or it is just a way to prove that one kind of humans are better than others. Being left handed might be a disease ( as Professor Coren wrote in his book), but it does not mean that left-handers are anyway less intelligent or creative than their right-handed counterparts. Instead left handers live a tougher life than most of the right handers as most of the day-to-day tools, such as potato peeler, pencil sharpner, corkscrews, scissors and many more are designed for right-handed usage. Even our languages consider right as right and left as wrong.

Lefties overwork on their talents to prove themselves, which makes them even better in several cases. Our mind and brain are much beyond than what we know. According to betterhealthfacts.com, we still need more research to know the reasons behind being left-handed. In the mean time we should make this world more friendly to left-handers by making ambidextrous tools. There is no answer, to the question that which handed people are better. It is the work with these hands that makes us a better person. 

In the end you must know that human brain is brilliant, it can prove whatever it wants. Sometimes we just want to prove our preconceived notions. A researcher, who wants to prove left-handers are less brilliant, might say that 17% children in mentally retarded school were left-handed. But here he is ignoring the fact that remaining 83% are still right-handed.

Read More

Laughter is a Healthy Contagious Disease

We usually take laughter just as a positive behavior which is good for human health, but it is something more than that. Laughter remained a part of human behavior even before we developed any language to speak. What is even more interesting is that we will automatically smile or laugh if we see two other people laughing, but we won't make a sad face, if we see two sad/crying people. It is because laughter is contagious.

We the humans have a basic nature of mimicking the words, expressions and behavior of the person we are speaking to. This copying nature of human brain makes us learn new skills, However mimicry is a talent that everybody can't do exactly, but it is a part of human brain and behavior. Laughter spreads because every brain tries to copy it even before you can understand the joke. But here one important thing to notice is that we mimic on positive behavior, not the negative behaviors. Some researches have shown that our facial muscles react instantly to laughter sounds, while they don't react to negative sounds like crying or screaming.

Laughter and Mimicry

Most of the comedians are those who can mimic other in the best way possible. Everybody mimics, some just do it better and make us laugh. But as we said "mimic" is a basic function of human brain which helped us evolve. It saved us from predators, as we tried tried to act like them to save ourselves.

Laughter is more social than anything else

Humans are social animal and we like to laugh when in groups while we cry alone. This fact is true for most of the people. We always like to share a good joke rather than telling someone why we are sad. Laughing together make a better bond between two people or a group of friends. You must have noticed that your best friends are those with whom you have laughed a lot. Laughter acts like cement on your social connections and make them stronger. It is very obvious that will feel close to a person, who makes you laugh.

Laughter is necessary for a healthy brain

Our brain releases dopamine, endorphins and serotonin when we laugh. These chemicals make us feel safe and at ease. Release of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine is greatly reduced due to laughing. These stress hormones damage the brain. So even if you are sad or tense due to something, a little laughter can put you at ease. Our brain copies laughter to save itself from damage that your life is doing to it.

Here are some facts about laughter

• Gelotology is study of laughter and its affect on our body.
• An average human being laughs around 15 to 30 times in a day. Females laugh a little more, while babies laugh 300 times in a day.
• Our diaphragm spasms during laughing which makes it harder to catch your breath and we make sounds like ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho or he-he-he.
• Tickling and laughter forms bonding between parent and babies.
• Even fake laugh can make you happier.
• Compared to being alone, we are 30 times more likely to laugh when we are with others.
• People who laugh more are better able to tolerate pain. It doesn't matter if the pain is physical or emotional.

Good and bad times are part of life, but a good laughter can help you in passing through bad times in an easier way. So keep laughing and make others laugh too, as it is contagious, more contagious than any disease. Just keep in mind one thing that "laughing with" is always better than "laughing at".

At last one more fact : Alcohol increases the size of "LIKE & SHARE" button by 89%.  (Senseless joke like this one can even make you laugh).

Read More

Living with Blood Thinners

Blood thinners are medication usually recommended to people with diseases like DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis known for blood clot in leg), PE (Pulmonary Embolism known for blood clot in lung),  Atrial fibrillation and some heart diseases. Apart from medication that is prescribed by doctors, our life style also plays an important role in regulating the stats of blood. Those who take blood thinners get their blood tested at regular intervals. Blood INR (international normalized ratio) value is often measured to estimate the blood thickness.
Note: If you have ever had DVT then you can't donate blood.

Both over thickness of blood and over thinner blood is dangerous for human body. Thicker blood increases the chances of formation of blood clots, while over thin blood increases the risk of bleeding (both internal and external). Blood INR value of a healthy human being remains under 1.1, while those who depend on blood thinners should keep it between 2 to 3. Blood INR value of above 4.5 is considered too thin and increases your chances of bleeding.

What makes blood thicker ?

• Health of your liver and digestive system: Our liver is a major organ when it comes to digestion of food and extraction of vitamins and minerals from our diet. Proper balance of nutrients in our body is necessary to maintain the correct thickness of blood. More amount of heavy proteins in our blood can make our blood thicker. Deficiency of protein S or C can also make it thicker.
• Heredity: Sometimes inherited genetic disorders result in thicker blood. For example, protein-S deficiency may occur due to inherited genetic disorder from any one of the parents, which makes our blood thicker and cause DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis).
• Too much RBC, WBC and Platelets: Too much blood in circulation can cause blood thickness. Similarly more amount of red blood cells (RBCs)(often caused by polycythemia vera), white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets in blood makes it thicker.
• Other Diseases:  Some types of cancer and lupus can also make blood thicker.
• Mutations: mutations in factor V or prothrombin 20210 mutation can cause blood thickness.

Apart from medication there are several other factors that can control your blood thickness. If you are on blood thinners then you should take extra precaution about these factors.

Diet influence Blood Thickness

• Vitamin K : High amount of Vitamin K in our diet or supplements can make our blood thicker and lessen the effect of blood thinners. Similarly lack of Vitamin K in diet can boost the effect of blood thinners. So proper balance of Vitamin K in your diet is necessary. Vitamin K is found in broccoli, chickpeas, green tea, kale, turnip greens, soybeans and liver.
• Natural Blood thinners: Some food items act as natural anticoagulants thus increase the effect of blood thinners. Some of these food items are garlic, ginger, celery seed and aniseed.
• Vitamin E: It is a natural blood thinner. Oils of olive, soybean, corn and wheat germ are rich souurce of Vitamin E, hence should be consumed with caution. Other rich source of vitamin E are tomatoes, mangoes, spinach, almond, broccoli and sunflower seed.

Lifestyle

• Alcohol Intake: Usually people think that moderate amount of alcohol is good for heart as it saves from heart disease, which is achieved by blood-thinning effect of alcohol. But what most people don't know is that alcohol can interact with blood thinning medication and cause dangerous results, even if you are being moderate.
• Smoking : Smoking makes our blood thicker by damaging the tissues.
• Drinking water: Drinking adequate amount of water is also necessary to maintain correct thickness of blood. Don't think that drinking some extra water will make your blood thinner as your kidney will instantly send it to your urinary bladder. So just keep hydrated throughout the day.

Other Medications

• Estrogen-containing medications, such as birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy can make your blood thick.
• Some antibiotics and anti-fungal drugs increase the risk of bleeding.
• Some pain relievers and acid-reducer make your blood thinner.

Type of Blood Thinners

From over 5 decades people are using warfarin as blood thinner. A newer type of medication for the same purpose is direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). DOACs users don't need to think much about food restrictions and regular blood tests, but their cost is upto 20 times higher and only a person with health kidney function can consume them. So if you want to use DOACs then consult a specialist regarding this matter. Still a number of people prefer warfarin due to lesser cost and lesser risk factor. Missing a warfarin dose does not posses any threat as it acts for longer duration, while missing a DOACs dose increases your stroke risk.

If you are living with blood thinners then you must make some changes in your diet, lifestyle and other medication after consulting a specialist. Don't be your own doctor and get your blood regularly checked and get your reports examined.

Read More

How to sanitize your Smartphone from Coronavirus

Do you know that some viruses can survive on the surface of your beloved phone for up to 9 days ?
One more fact : Most of the smartphone screens are 18 times dirtier than a toilet seat.

Yes, some viruses can survive on the surface of your beloved phone for up to 9 days. Even the new corona-virus ! You touch you phone all around the day with your fingertips and also put it on your cheeks and ears several times a day. Most of us do it without thinking too much about about it, but now is the time to think and react before its too late.
Here we will tell you how to disinfect your phone-screen to keep yourself safe from the invisible microbes that can harm you and your family.

How to disinfect/sanitize your phone ?

• Use disinfectant wipes that contain isopropyl alcohol. Never use straight alcohol on phone screens. Alcohol can strip the oleophobic and hydrophobic coatings, which is used to make your phone waterproof. 
• If you are using spray disinfectant then make sure it contains isopropyl alcohol. You may spray it on a lint-free soft cloth.
• Now make sure that your phone is powered-off and unplugged from the charging.
• Now you may wipe it downwards direction.

Before you proceed to clean your phone, you must ensure what your phone company says about cleaning screens. According to most of the smartphone companies anything over 50% alcohol can damage the screen. But if you have got a screen protector, then you may take the risk. Otherwise the simplest way is to dampen your cleaning cloth with some diluted disinfectant, and wipe down your phone in switched-off state.

Somepeople use UV smartphone cleaner which kills 99.9% germs, but its not known if it can kill the new coronavirus as well.

Read More

Serious Health Problems due to our Clothes

Health is often considered secondary by some people just for the sake of good looks. Clothes can badly affect your health, if not chosen properly. Health consequences due to improper clothing and wearing habits is not just confined to 21st century, its going on from centuries. If you have seen movies depicting 18th and 19 centuries, then you must have seen ladies wearing corsets which were often laced so tightly that it sometimes caused them to pass out and also bruised internal organs. Here we have got a list of health ailments that occur due to various clothing habits.

• High Heels: High heels had deteriorated health of a lot a women. It has affected toes, calf, knee and back of ladies. Bunions, a condition when big toe points inwards, is caused due to high heels. Calf muscles get shortened and tightened permanently if high heels are worn regularly for more than six months. In this condition our knees and back compensate for loss and result in knee or back problems in future. Badly-fitting trainers also increase the risk of arthritis. 
• Body shapers: Usually body shapers are made for smoothing but some people use it to squeeze themselves down a full size. It obstructs the lungs from fully inflating which reduces oxygen intake and results in feeling lightheaded. Body shapers that are too tight on abdominal region can bruise internal organs as well.
• Tight shirts: 7 out of 10 men wear tight shirts which also act like body shapers and affect the blood flow which may lead to overload to your heart.
• Heavy handbags: Carrying heavy handbags on shoulder for longer duration can cause back problems.
• Tight Belts: Among both men and women, tight belts obstruct the movement of food and gas, cause acid-reflux, heartburn and bowel discomfort. In extreme cases it can cause esophageal cancer or throat cancer.
• Tight Jeans: They obstruct the blood flow and muscle movement in legs. It can cause internal muscle injuries due to lack of space to expand. In an extreme case it caused heart-attack in a 30 year old healthy adult. Read More
• Tight Ties: Wearing ties too tight obstructs the blood flow above the neck region and in some cases increase the blood-pressure in eyes, which damages the optic nerve and may cause blindness, known as Glaucoma. Tight ties also obstruct the muscle movement in neck and causes tension in back muscles as well.
• Tight underwear: Tight underwears can cause acid reflux, heartburn, and you might need the toilet more than usual.
• Zip Injuries: Men are often hurt badly due to zip in their pants. More than 17500 accidental zip injuries reached emergency departments in US between 2002 to 2010.

Most of us already know that these clothing habits harm us, but still we do, because we don't know exactly what harm they can do. We hope that this article will enlighten you about this issue. Best tip about clothing related health issues is to make sure that your cloths are not too tight. Give your body a little space to move inside cloths and listen to your body when it says you something. Sometimes ignoring the primary symptoms may cost you a lot.

Reference:

• https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19517112/can-a-tight-belt-cause-any-physical-harm/
• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10347482/Wearing-a-tight-belt-increases-chances-of-cancer.html
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33237269/skinny-jeans-and-other-hidden-health-risks-in-your-wardrobe

Read More

What causes Headache ? Reasons Explained

Everybody experiences headache multiple times in a lifetime, sometimes mild and sometimes severe. But what exactly causes headache ? Is it some indication of some over-activity in brain, some problem with brain/body, or a way to distract us from something ? Our body is a puzzle and nobody has completely understood it yet. But here we will try to bring some facts about headache that are discovered by researchers till now.

Classification of Headaches

Primary Headache: These headache are caused by over-activity or problem with brain structure such as blood vessels, muscles and nerves of head and neck. Its examples are migraines, cluster headaches, and tension headaches.

Secondary Headache: These headache are caused by some other underlying medical condition in our body. For example :  hangover, influenza, dehydration, ice-cream headaches, brain tumor, stroke etc. Any pain in our body indicates some problem in that particular body part, except secondary headache. Secondary headache is not usually generated due to some problem in head, but may be due to problem in some other part. Treating that medical condition cures our headache as well. 

Understanding Primary Headache

There are three types of primary Headache :

• Migraine Headache
• Tension Headache
• Cluster headache

Reason behind migraine headache is not completely understood, however it affects more than 12% of the population and women are 4 times more prone to it. There are different types of migraine depending on the severity of symptoms, which are discussed in other article. Read More about Migraine.

Cluster headaches are very rare and affect just 0.1% of population. Men in their late 20s are usually affected by it, but women and children can also get affected by it. Those affected by cluster headache often wake up at the same time every night due to headache on same side of head or over the eyebrow.

Tension Headache is the most common primary headache that is faced by more than 90% of population in their lifetime. The real reason is unknown behind this pain, but most of the medical practitioners agree on the fact that physical or emotions stress makes our skull muscles to contract, which cause pain sensation in head. Women are more prone to tension headaches. Tension headache usually feels like a tight band around your head and it is usually mild and steady. It usually occurs without any pattern.

Here we will discuss tension headache in detail, as it is the most occurring headache among humans.

Common reasons behind tension headache

Muscle tension or contraction in face, temple, neck or shoulder is generally the primary reason behind tension headache, but what causes such muscle tension is probably the accurate reason behind tension headache. 

• Holding your head in same position for too long : It often occurs when you are sitting in front of a screen while typing, reading or watching something.
• Sleeping with neck in a wrong position : It can also trigger headache along with muscle strain on your shoulder or neck.
• Stress or Depression: Mental Stress or depression can cause skeletal muscle contractions that can cause headache.
• Head injury can also cause muscle tension or contraction in the skull region.
• Jaw clenching or teeth grinding also puts your face muscles under stress.
• Eye Strain is directly connected to our facial muscles. Those jobs that need high level of visual concentration can cause headache. Some times headache is also a signal of eyesight problems.

Treating Tension Headache

Massaging the scalp is the best way to treat tension headache, but it the intensity of pain is not getting controlled then you may use some over-the-counter pain killer. If headache occurs more than 15 days in a month then you should consult a medical practitioner or take a look at your lifestyle to check if you are actually putting yourself under too much stress.

If you feel that you are getting headache more than 15 days in a month, then its better to keep a record of them and the medication used by you, which may help your doctor in diagnosing your condition.  

Read More

Your Jeans putting you at Health Risk

Jeans are quiet popular among all age groups due to their good looks and low maintenance. Some of the brands even claim that you will save water by wearing their jeans. But here we are more concerned about your health rather than looks or saving water. Wearing jeans has increased the occurrence of some diseases among both genders.

Warning : Reading this article further might change your views about wearing jeans.

Lets begin with some incidents of severe medical conditions where doctors believe that tight jeans were the main culprit.

A 30-year-old man of Delhi was found unconscious on his office stairs with no-BP and a pulse rate of just 10-12 per minute. He survived after 5 crucial days in hospital. As the doctors researched more, they found that this guy drove a car on last weekend for more than 250 km without any break while wearing a tight jeans, which resulted in some strain and uneasiness in his leg. After complete analysis doctors told that a clot formed in his leg arteries due to improper blood flow during his driving spree, and later that clot traveled up to his heart and caused massive pulmonary embolism, which could have resulted in death. Even after he revived in hospital, his vital organs like kidney were not working as they stopped working due to very low BP.

Lesson : Never wear a tight jeans while driving and always take some breaks on long run, as it is important for your leg's blood circulation.

In another incident a lady started feeling some pins and needles sensation in her calf , but she became concerned about it where this sensation increased and started to hinder her movement. Initially doctors diagnosed it as sciatica, but as some questions were asked it was revealed that she was wearing her old tight jeans even after gaining some weight. She even told that she chopped the knees of her skinny jeans with a cheese grater, just to keep wearing them.

Lesson : Now you know that sciatica symptoms are possible due to tight fitting trousers or jeans, if they are hindering your blood flow or muscle movement.

According to an incident published in Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, a 35-year-old woman's calves ballooned in size as she was squatting for hours to empty the cupboards for a house move. She was rushed to hospital as she was unable to walk and her feet were numb. Doctors diagnosed that condition as compartment syndrome which was caused by bleeding and swelling within muscles. She reached this state because she was wearing a tight pair of jeans while doing this intense workout, which made her calf muscles to swell inwards rather than outwards.

Lesson : Never workout while wearing a tight pair of jeans or trousers.

Some of you might think that the cases discussed here were the extreme circumstances, but there are some more day-to-day facts about wearing tight jeans for both men and women.

• Wearing tight jeans or underwear can result in low sperm count, as it make it too out there and don't allow the sperms to mature. Read More
• Tightness of clothes near the testicles can also result in twisted testicles, which is a severe medical condition. If it remains untreated then it might result in death of testicle and its surrounding tissues.
• If your jeans or pants are too tight then it may result in skin friction and excess moisture down there, which gives perfect environment for fungus and bacteria to grow. Conditions like jock itch, yeast infection or UTI can occur due to it.
• Women wearing skinny jeans or pants are twice more prone to vulvodynia, a pain disorder of vulva, often experience as stinging, burning, or itching sensation. 
• Risk of Bacterial vaginitis, a vaginal infection among women aged 15 to 44 years, can increase up to 2 times by wearing tight jeans just once a week.

We are not asking you to ditch your jeans altogether, just follow some tips.

• Don't prefer it too tight. There is a simple test to check if your jeans are too tight. When you take off your jeans at night, if you can easily check if there are marks imprinted on your skin. It it imprints its design on your skin then its too tight.
• If you are wearing some skinny jeans then avoid staying in same position for too long, just to keep the blood flowing in your legs.  

Reference:

• https://journals.lww.com/jlgtd/Citation/2019/07000/Exploring_Hygienic_Behaviors_and_Vulvodynia.8.aspx
• https://www.ejog.org/article/S0301-2115(04)00285-4/fulltext
• https://www.bbc.com/news/health-33223045
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33245474/my-skinny-jeans-caused-me-nerve-pain
• https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33238110

Read More

Are you wrapping your Chapatis in Paper or Aluminium Foil ? Which one is safer ?

Over past few years people are blaming aluminium foil as an unhealthy alternative to wrap chapatis (Indian flatbread). Most of such educational sermons are spreading through social networks with no research behind them. In our last article we discussed the usage of aluminium foil and found it safe for wrapping purpose if the food being wrapped is not acidic. But here we are comparing paper with foil ! Some of you might think that paper is more natural and must be better to remain on safer side, but your knowledge bout paper will be improved after reading this article.

Paper is a cheaper than aluminium foil and if you are using old newspaper for wrapping food then you must be saving a lot. Yes, people use old newspaper instead of paper napkin to save some money. If we talk about paper napkin then there are different qualities in it. Some paper napkins have printed designs to make them look better and people often prefer them.

Instead of making you read whole article, let me make it clear that aluminium foil is much better than any kind of paper to wrap your roti / chapati / bread. If you are interested in improving you knowledge with the facts behind this statement then you must read this full article.

If you are using newspaper for wrapping your food then here are some facts for you .

• Recycled paper, which is usually used in newspaper production may be contaminated with chemicals like diisobutyl phthalate and di-n-butyl phthalate which are harmful for our digestive system. These recycled paper also contain printing-ink residues from previous prints, which may contain hormone disruptors like benzophenones and mineral oils.
• Eating newsprint can also lead to lead poisoning. However modern laws don't allow usage of lead in ink, but only god knows how many newspapers are following all rules and regulation, especially when it comes to local newspapers.
• Organic chemicals such as arylamines, such as benzidine, 2-Naphthylamine and 4-Aminobiphenyl, are found to increase the risk of bladder and lung cancer. Printing inks also contain colorants, pigments, binders, additives and photo-initiators which are harmful for human health.

According to sciencing.com you can test it yourself if your newspaper is using harmful ink or the safer soy-based ink. Just rub your finger on the black text of the newspaper. If you find a lot of deep inky black residue stuck on your finger tip, then it mean that it could be harmful petroleum based ink.

According to hindustantimes.com, a few years ago FSSAI published an advisory to warn citizens of India about printing-ink being used in newspapers. According to that advisory that ink may contain harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives, preservatives, chemical contaminants and pathogenic micro organisms. Older people and kids with weaker immune system are at greater risk if the consume that ink through the food wrapped in newspaper. That advisory also warned about cancer-related health and urged public to stay away from wrapping or serving food in newspaper as mostly done by road side vendors. 

If you are thinking that plain paper might be safe for food wrapping usage, then you are wrong. Microbial contamination can easily occur in paper wraps. As far as our research is concerned aluminium foil is better than any kind of paper to wrap your food. To know more about aluminium foil used in food wrapping, you may read our last article : Using Aluminium Foil to wrap your food ! Is it Healthy ?

Here let me tell you one thing ! Bacteria can't cross the layer of aluminium foil, but paper can be easily breached. Even paper can be a playground for various types of bacteria.

Reference :

• http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/eating-food-wrapped-in-newspapers-can-cause-cancer/
• https://www.dawn.com/news/1107947
• https://sciencing.com/test-ink-newspapers-see-toxic-7699090.html
• https://www.hindustantimes.com/health-and-fitness/bad-news-don-t-wrap-food-in-newspapers-printing-ink-contains-harmful-colours/story-LpcVR0iOcHnNrzUSuGbVmO.html
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331834585_Bacteriological_Load_in_Traditional_Food_Packaging_Paper

Read More

Using Aluminium Foil to wrap your food ! Is it Healthy ?

8.23% of Earth crust is Aluminium. It is the third most abundant element after Oxygen and Silicon. Usage of Aluminum foil in cooking is being done from a long time. Some use it just to wrap the food, while some use it for cooking and serving purpose. Some people believe that aluminium in food can cause Alzheimer's disease, and this myth/fact is spreading widely on social networking sites. Here i will try to gather some facts to know the truth.

The word "leaching" gained popularity in past few decades and people came to know that food contained in plastic containers is not healthy anymore, due to the chemicals that leach from plastic to the hot/cold food. Thanks to crazy brain of some people, they developed a self proved theory with no studies behind them that leaching can also occur from aluminium foil and it is also a leading cause of brain diseases.

According to World Health Organisation daily intake of 40mg per kilogram of body weight per day is safe. So a 60kg person is allowed to intake 2400 mg.

Aluminum is found in a number of consumer products including

• food additives
• antacids
• astringents
• cosmetics
• buffered aspirin
• antiperspirants / deodorants

If we talk about  just foods, then aluminum compounds may be added during processing of some foods, such as:

• baking powder
• flour
• anticaking agents
• coloring agents

A healthy human body contains much less aluminium than an antacid tablet. 

Lets talk about how much aluminium we consume through different intake methods. An average american adult consumes about 7–9 mg of aluminum per day.

• Aluminum in the air range from 0.005 to 0.18 micrograms per cubic meter.
• Aluminum in natural waters is below 0.1 milligrams per liter.
• Antacids have the highest concentration of aluminium among the items listed here. 300–600 mg aluminum hydroxide (i.e around 104–208 mg of aluminum) in every antacid tablet/capsule/or a 5 mL liquid dose.
• Buffered aspirin may also contain 10–20 mg of aluminum per tablet.
• Vaccines may contain upto .85 mg of aluminum compounds per dose.
• If you are using cooking products such as baking powder, coloring agents, anticaking agents or some some other food additives then you might be consuming up to 94 mg of aluminium per day. In North America an average adult is eating up to 24 mg aluminium daily through food products.
• Dietary intake of aluminium is just 1% of total intake.  

If you use Aluminium as saucepans, cooking utensils, cans and foil then it increases you daily intake of aluminium by less than 0.1 mg.

What does our body do with Aluminium ?
Our healthy body can filter out a lot of aluminium through feces and urine. If you are taking antacids for longer duration then some amount of aluminium may reach your bloodstream, but that too can be filtered by kidneys. But if you are suffering from some kidney disease then you may need to tell your doctor before taking such medicines.
In case of some kidney disease the aluminium is deposited in your bones and may also also cause neurological damage.

There is no proof of dietary aluminum toxicity to healthy individuals in medical literature.

Aluminium and Alzheimer's disease
Some researchers believe that aluminium can damage neurological functions and it may be a reason behind Alzheimer's disease, but it is not proved yet. Here the interesting fact is that dietary aluminium can't reach the brain if the kidneys are working fine. So the real danger of side effects of aluminium increases only in case of kidney disease.

Aluminium Foil to wrap the food
According to researches done so far, there is no harm in wrapping your food in aluminium foil unless the food items are not too acidic, like thick tomato sauce or salad with vinegar dressing. How cooking with aluminium foil not suggested as may increase the aluminium content of food.

Do you think that Paper is a good alternative for Aluminium foil ?

Conclusion : The real danger of aluminium intoxication is not from food, but from over usage of aluminium based medicines and air pollution containing aluminium dust. Just like PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants aluminium dust can harm our body. Humans are evolved in aluminium rich environment, so a healthy body know how to deal with it, but industrial pollution is quiet new. So instead of thinking about aluminium utensils and aluminum foil, we must think about air pollution hazards.

Reference:

• Safety evaluation of dietary aluminum : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11259180
• Public Health Statement for Aluminum : https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=1076&tid=34
• Dietary and other sources of aluminium intake : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1490425
• https://www.hydro.com/en/about-aluminium/aluminium-and-health/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25233067/
• http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v64je01.pdf

Read More

How to get rid of Bad Body Odor Naturally and Permanently

Bad body odor is something that can irritate you and the people who interact with you. People often try perfumes and deodorants to get rid of body odor but sometimes even this technique don't work, especially when you sweat a lot due to adverse climatic conditions. Here we will tell you some natural and permanent techniques to get rid of bad body odor. Some of them are some really very simple tips that people often ignore.

What causes Body Odor ?

Usually body is caused by sweating. The sweat is made up of water, electrolytes i.e different salts and left over of proteins such as ammonia and urea. It can itself cause some body odor, but the real smell is produced by colonies of bacteria on our skin and these bacteria are primarily feeding on our sweat. Most of these bacteria are good bacteria that save us from bad bacteria by fighting them off. But when the count of good bacteria increases too much then it can cause really bad odor. Different people smell differently because of different composition of sweat and different types of bacteria surviving on their skin.

How to get rid of Bad Body Odor Naturally and Permanently

Drink More Water : People often ignore this tip which works best. Drinking lots of water helps in removal of toxins and the sweat gets diluted which results in lesser body odor.
Hygiene: Personal hygiene should be taken more carefully if you feel that you have a bad body odor. Washing and cleaning those regions where sweating occurs more often (such as armpits) should be taken more seriously. Proper cleaning of these regions rinse the bacteria and oils off the skin which usually creates bad odor. Getting rid of hairs in those regions through shaving can also help as hairs trap the sweat in that region for longer duration.
Try to keep yourself dry: Properly dry yourself after bathing and try to stay away from more humid atmosphere which causes more sweating.
Clothing: Wear such clothes that allow your skin to breath. Pure cotton clothes are best in such case. If you can't do that then wearing cotton under wears can help.
Peppermint oil: This oil can be applied on heavy sweating regions to get rid of body odor. Peppermint soaps can also be used.
Proper Footwear: If people get irritated by your smelling feet then you should avoid wearing closed shoes with socks for longer duration. You may wear sandals and flip flops that allow your feet to breath and don't trap sweat inside it.
Quit Smoking and Chewing Tobacco: Smoking and tobacco makes our sweat smell more, so getting rid of these bad habits can also save you from bad smell.
Bad Digestion: If your digestive system don't work up to the mark and you often suffer from digestive problems then it might be the reason behind bad body odor. In such case taking a course of probiotics that improve digestive system after consulting a doctor can help a lot. As the digestive system comes back to track, the body odor might get away.
Some food items cause body odor: Yes you read it right ! Some food items can cause body odor. You may try to stay away from those for a few weeks to check if it improves your body odor. Some of those food items are spices (like onion, garlic, curry), fatty foods, alcohol, coffee and caffeinated soft drinks.

DIY(Do-it-yourself) tricks for Body Odor

There are some DIY(Do-it-yourself) tricks to save you from bad body odor. Some of them are:
Hydrogen Peroxide Solution: Mix 1 spoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide in a cup of water and apply it on your heavy sweating areas using a cotton cloth.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix apple cider vinegar with thrice amount of water and fill it in a spray bottle. Use it like a deodorant and you will feel the difference within few days. Before using it, do a patch test to check it it suits your skin.
Tea tree oil: Similarly you can use a solution made of 8 to 10 drops of tea tree oil and 1 cup of witch hazel and use it as a deodorant. It acts as astringent and reduces sweating.

Note: Before treating your bad body odor, it is important to analyse from where you are smelling most and what are the actual reasons behind. Most important is to drink lots of water and bath properly.

Read More

How to make Cleanliness a Habit

Everybody loves to live in a clean home but most of us don't, especially the bachelors. Why is it so that we like cleanliness but we don't want to get indulged into it. Everybody can't afford to employ someone to clean his/her home on daily basis. Even if we can't clean the complete home, at least cleaning our own room should be a habit. Everybody can't attain the same level of cleanliness but still a minimal level can be attained. How to make cleanliness a habit is not as tough as we think. We just need to answer something to ourselves, motivate ourselves and make some slight changes in our daily life.

Why cleanliness is not a habit of some people ?

Usually we blame it as basic nature of a person. But the truth is that this habit can be developed with time. If a person is not fond of living in a clean room, then it means that he/she never tried to develop the habit of cleanliness. Best time to develop this habit is childhood. Unless parents tell their kids to keep their toys in place after playing with them and to keep their books in school bag or book shelf after reading them, then cleaning can't develop as their basic nature. Usually parents do such tasks themselves, instead of indulging kids with them in keeping the room tidy. Garbage and useless things should be given to them to through in bin.
If parents develop such habit in kids then by the time these kids reach adolescence, cleanliness will become a habit and you will find their room tidy and everything on its respective place.

Even if cleanliness is not in nature of person since childhood, it can be developed, but it will take a little time and will be tougher.

How to make Cleanliness a Habit

• Get Some Motivation: Remember your best vacation and the hotel room that you stayed in. If it is not enough then remember the cleanest place that you have visited. Don't you want your home to feel like that. You may also google for hotel rooms and you will find some of the cleanest rooms in the world, which will definitely motivate you to keep your room like that. Some of you might get attracted to luxury in such rooms, but the truth is that luxury only suits a clean room. So always keep your room ready for that luxury.
• Don't make excuses: If you are in a habit to save the cleaning task for tomorrow then you must remember that tomorrow never comes. If you feel that you will make excuses to yourself to not clean the room then tell some close friend that today you are going to clean the room. It will make you accountable for room cleaning, as your friend might give you a visit in the evening to check the progress.
• Save yourself from bad comments: Your friends and family might have not said you much about cleaning your room, but in you absence they might be talking about your unhygienic lifestyle. Even some friends might be blaming your upbringing for that but will never say that on your face. Making cleanliness a habit will save you from such bad comments and may generate some good comments about your upbringing.
• Get proper equipment: You should have broom, dust-pad, dustbin, wash cloth, cleaning spray, vacuum cleaner and moper at you home. Even if a few of these items are not there then don't make it an excuse for not cleaning. Our hand are the best cleaning equipment, but remember to wash them after work is finished.
• Compliment yourself: Click a pic of your room before cleaning and then take a pic after cleaning. Compare these BEFORE-AFTER pics, as it will motivate you again to clean better next time and make your AFTER pic better every time. It will help you in recognizing the effort that you had put in cleaning the room and you will automatically compliment yourself. No one else will compliment you unless you have worked hard to compliment yourself.
• Don't feel shame in cleaning: Some people feel shameful in cleaning their home as if they are doing a third-grade job. But the truth is that if you don't clean your home, it will look like a third-grade living hell. Only a clean kitchen can provide you healthy food. If you want to live a healthy life then cleaning your bathroom and toilet that you use daily should be on top priority of cleaning.
• Cleaning yourself: If you like to keep your body and clothes clean but not your room, then you must know that you are living in a illusion of cleanliness. You can never remain clean if you are getting ready in unclean room. So cleaning your room should be first thing in the morning, afterwards you can take a bath to get ready for your daily routine.

Note: Most importantly teach your kids the same unless it becomes a habit. Living in a clean home and clean city begins with your own room. You can't imagine a city to be clean unless the people living in that city know the importance of cleaning their own room.

Once you have developed the habit of cleanliness, it will extend itself to your office desk, your work-space or anywhere you visit. You will start disliking the messy rooms. Either you will leave messy and untidy place or you will come forward to clean it up which will inspire others to do the same.

Always remember that cleanliness can make an ordinary room look beautiful.

Read More

How Skin Creams are being used to fool Customers

You must have seen advertisements of skin creams where they claim that it penetrates deep into your skin and provides nourishment with a number of active ingredients. Frankly saying, they are trying to fool you, and millions of consumers are successfully getting fooled. These cosmetic companies are utilizing the greed in the minds of people to look fairer. Some researches have found proofs that all claims made by such advertisements are false and are based on some past researches that are proved wrong with the help of modern technology.

How Skin Creams are being used to fool Customers

Cosmetic companies make some claims based on some previous researches that are now proved wrong. One of such claim is that skin cream penetrates deep into the skin.
During year 2012, scientists at the University of Bath conducted research on skin creams using confocal microscopy. The results of their research concluded that even the tiniest of nanoparticles in these skin creams can't penetrate the skin surface. However the cream can get deposited into creases in the skin. One of the jobs of our skin is to act as a barrier and it  works perfectly. Even the particles which are 100 times smaller than thickness of human hair can't penetrate the skin. The nano-particles in skin creams can't even penetrate the outer layer of skin known as stratum corneum.

None of the cosmetic skin creams can penetrate skin, but customers are fooled by advertisements in which celebrities say that "IT WORKS". Another misguiding thing in the packaging, which is intentionally made so good to look at that customer gets mesmerized with the photoshop images of a model getting fairer skin tones within a few weeks. Both of these things are enough to make the customer believe in the false claims.

As our team researched on this topic of skin penetration by skin creams, we found a question being asked about this research. If skin creams can't penetrate the skin, then how does Nicotine Patches work ? The answer to this question is simple. Nicotine is a molecule, not a nanoparticle, and it is much smaller.

No makeup or skin cream can penetrate skin, that is why it is recommended that you wash your face properly before going to bed, if you have used makeup in the day. It is to properly wash off the remainder creams from the surface of skin. If it is actually absorbed by the skin, then there is no way to wash it off.

How do celebrities start to glow after a few years of being a celebrity if the skin creams can't penetrate ?
There are various reasons behind that. The major reason is that celebrities come in front of camera after makeup. Second reason is that some of them go through surgical processes to be fairer. Third reason is that they use regular skin treatments that washes off minor impurities from skin. The fourth reason is the diet. If you eat balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and also remain hydrated by drinking lots of water, then your skin will definitely be better after sometime.

The best way to provide nutrition to your skin is not by rubbing skin creams, but by eating natural nutrients through your mouth. Healthy diet is the best way to nourish you skin and whole body.

If cosmetic companies start adding chemicals in skin creams that can penetrate the skin, then these creams will no longer be a cosmetic product, they will be a medicine which can only be prescribed by a doctor.

Read More

How to get rid of Brain Worms found in Vegetables

Yes it is true that some worms found in Vegetables can land into your brain through your dining table. While most of the vegetables can have these tapeworms but cabbage and cauliflower are the best place for them to hide due to their uneven and tightly packed structure. The most dangerous of these worms that can travel to your brain is pork tapeworm known as Taeni solium. These worms are usually too small to be observed by naked eye and their eggs are hard-shelled which can survive even the cooking temperature. Then how to save yourself from this deadly creature ?

How long can this Pork tapeworm grow ?

To make you a little nervous, some tapeworm species can grow up to a length of 25 meters (82 feet) inside the human intestine(according to health.com). However some other sources say that it can grow beyond 12 feet. Both of these lengths are enough to make anybody fearful of them.

How this tapeworm can land into your brain ?

Very first thing you should know is that IT IS VERY RARE ! So don't remain afraid of this concept that a tapeworm from cabbage will land into your brain. If a tapeworm larvae is ingested raw, only then there are certain chances of it. Larvae can invade our intestinal wall and travel to different organs, which is called cysticercosis. If the tapeworm succeeds to reach our brain then it is called neurocysticercosis, which is a fatal condition with symptoms like seizures and paralysis. Usually people misunderstand such symptoms as stroke.

Know a little more about Pork Tapeworm

• It is a ribbon like worm that can attach itself to intestinal walls.
• It can hatch eggs and become larvae inside intestine.
• Its larvae is found in human feces. Pigs often feed on feces of other animals and this tapeworm can easily infect them and find its way to their muscles. Those who eat pork (pig meat) are more prone to ingesting tapeworms, especially if they eat raw or under-cooked meat. That's why this tapeworm is named "Pork Tapeworm".
• These tapeworms usually live for a few years and human GI track is their favorite place to survive as there they get free food and good warmth.
• Eggs of tapeworm are 1000 times smaller than a millimeter, so can't be observed through naked eye.

How to get rid of Brain Worms found in Vegetables

Now we know that these brain worms are actually tapeworms. There are certain way to keep yourself safe from this tapeworm infection. Instead of abandoning a particular vegetable due to presence of this tapeworm, it is better to use some precautionary measures.

• Most common cause of tapeworm infection are human feces. So always wash your hands after using your toilet. This way you can save yourself from auto-infection. Tapeworm eggs can continue its life-cycle in human feces for months and may land back into our plates through flies or under-cooked pork. 
• Take care of proper hygiene in your kitchen, bathroom and toilet. Most common cause of tapeworm infection are unhygienic conditions. 
• Always wash the vegetables properly to wash away any possible tapeworm or its eggs.
• Cook the vegetables and meat properly before eating. No tapeworm or its larvae can survive the cooking temperature i.e. beyond 65 degree Celsius . Even if some eggs of tapeworm survive the cooking temperature, they can't attach themselves to our intestines as the head portion is necessary to attach itself.
• If cases of tapeworm infection are increasing in your locality then it is better to avoid eating raw vegetables as salad, that can land live tapeworms into your body.
• According to some experts potassium permanganate is the best to wash away cabbage worms. Add a few crystals of potassium permanganate in a bowl of water and soak vegetables in it for 5 minutes, then rinse the vegetables with running water before cooking them. It will wash away any parasites, bacteria or pesticide residue from vegetables. 

Instead of living in fear of pork tapeworm, it is better to take care of hygiene and proper cooking, which is the best way to save yourself from tapeworm infection. 

Read More

How Snooze button is damaging your Brain

After reading this article, most of the health conscious people will never hit the snooze button in the morning. It is a reflex action of most of the people to hit the snooze button on their smartphone or alarm clock to get few more minutes of sleep. Those who are a bit more lazy hit snooze several times. You might think that you are getting 5 to 10 minutes of more sleep by doing so, but actually that sleep is doing more worst to your brain, instead of making anything better. You will understand it completely by the end of this article as we will explain your sleep and sleep cycle.

Understand the Sleep Cycle

Our sleep can be divided into 4 stages. One sleep cycle lasts for around 90 minutes. In one sleep cycle we go through all four stages, each of which lasts for 5 to 20 minutes. First three stages of this cycle are non-REM stages, while the stage 4 is REM stage.
Stage 1 : This non-REM stage is the first thing that happens during sleep. This stage is somehow drowsy and any external stimuli can easily wake us up. During this phase some people feel a jerk or muscle spasm as our muscles start to relax. This stage can be easily observed by slow eyeball movement.
Stage 2 : This stage is a bit more sleepy then first stage and it become harder to wake up. During this stage heartbeat starts to slow down and body temperature starts to decrease. This stage can be observed by stopping of eyeball movement.
Stage 3 : It is the deepest sleep stage of non-REM sleep. It is hardest to wake-up anyone during this phase. Most of the restorative work in our body occur during this stage. Conditions like sleep-walking or sleep-talking occur during this phase.
Stage 4 : This stage is also known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage as eye ball movement is at its highest frequency in this stage. Dreaming usually happens in this stage and arousal can also occur.

Note: Duration of REM sleep (stage 4) increases as the count of sleep cycle increases. So there is more probability that an alarm will wake you up in between your dreams.

When we shift from one stage to another, a slight moment of wakefulness happens in between, which we usually don't remember. Once all four stages have completed, we enter into the stage 1 again, thus starting the next sleep cycle.

What happens when we wake up due to an alarm ?
If an alarm wakes us up during REM Sleep (i.e. stage 4) then we feel groggy (i.e. feeling drunk, tipsy, weak or dazed), while if you wake up during first 3 stages then you feel alert and attentive throughout the day. But one more factor to be noticed is that once we have slept for 2 sleep cycles, our body / brain gets ready to wake up anytime without much difficulty. The truth is that our brain is designed to wake up after or in between the REM sleep.

What happens when you hit snooze ?

Usually we hit snooze to sleep again, but irrespective of the previous sleep stage, we begin a new sleep cycle. Such disturbance in sleep cycle disturbs your biological clock as well. Now alarm beeps again after a 5 to 15 minutes, and during this time we were in non-REM (i.e Stage 1 to 3) sleep. Waking up during this phase is harmful for your brain. Those who are habitual of hitting snooze, do it everyday and make their brain and body suffer a lot due to their bad habit.

How to get rid of Snooze ?
It is better to go to bed early and give your body / brain sufficient time to rest. It will make it easier for you on the first beep of alarm. It is better to get an alarm clock with no snooze button. Once you give yourself proper time to sleep, you will find that you will wake up automatically even before the very first beep of alarm, which will be done by your biological clock.

Tip: Stop using your smartphone while going to sleep. It puts excess stress on your eyes, disturbs your sleep and also steals the precious time that was meant for sleeping.

Read More

Why Dishwashers are a healthy alternative ?

Some naturalist people may ague on this topic that dishwashers are actually healthy or not. Everything has got a positive and a negative side, but if we get rid of negativity than only positive is left. When it comes to using science in our daily lives then some precautions are also necessary. Using dishwashers is our kitchen looks fascinating for those who have not used them but keeping them clean is also necessary to keep your utensils germ free. Here we are going to tell you some healthy sides of using a dishwasher and how you can keep yourself away from unhealthy side-effects of dishwashers.

Why dishwashers are Healthy ?

• Dishwashers use very high temperature water to clean the dishes and the mixture of hot water and cleaning agent cleans it better than hands can ever could.
• The temperature difference from cold to hot and then wet to dry, that occur inside dishwasher is sufficient to kill most of the harmful bacteria that can sustain on your dishes during hand washing.
• Kitchen sponge used in hand-washing of dished is found as germiest thing in your home is most of the researches, so you can't even compare the cleanliness of dishes washed in dishwasher with those cleaned with kitchen sponge.
• Dishwashers use high-tech jets to clean your dishes that you can never do with hands.
• Washing dishes with hand use much more water than used in a dishwasher. So if you want to save water and keep your dishes cleaner as well then dishwashers are must.

Precautions while using Dishwashers to keep yourself healthy

• Clean your dishwasher at least once in a weak.
• Proper cleaning of door's rubber seal is most necessary.
• Never clean your dishes with a kitchen sponge before putting them in dishwasher as it will only add more germs instead of cleaning.

The inside of dishwasher go through high temperature, high organic load, high alkalinity and high salinity. It makes the perfect environment for some pathogens to develop in the rubber seal if proper cleaning in not done. A research conducted on samples collected from dishwashers of different brands used in different types of households in different continents found that 62% samples contain potentially pathogenic fungal flora. 56% of them contained black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis and E. phaeomuriformis which can cause potentially fatal infections in humans. The only way to keep yourself safe is to clean your dishwasher on regular basis, especially the rubber seal of doors.

Note: If you are planning to purchase a dishwasher then don't cancel it thinking about the fungus that can grow in door seals, because these fungus can affect only those who have a weak immune system. A little care of your dishwasher and your general health is sufficient to keep everything alright.

Some of the best dishwashers available in market are listed below :

SPT Countertop Dishwasher

Bosch 800 Series Dishwasher

GE Dishwasher

Frigidaire Stainless Dishwasher

Read More

Smartphones affect your Eyes more than you Imagined

Most of us know that smartphones and other screens affect our eyes in an adverse way, but still we don't care. The basic reason behind this ignorance in lack of information and understanding. Eyes are the most used external organ in our body, yet most neglected as well. We care about our weight, obesity, blood pressure, biceps, hairs and lot of other things but eyes. In this age of smartphones, if we still continue this ignorance then both our generation and our kids will face issues related to vision.

Always remember that if you are staring a screen (such as TV or Smartphone) for more than 2 hours per day then you can easily develop some vision related issue sooner or later.

How smartphones affect our Eyes

Dry Eyes: On an average normal human eye blinks 15 to 20 times in a minute. But the blink rate is greatly reduced when we continuously focus on an object. Continuously staring at your smartphone for hours can affect your blink rate drastically. When we blink our eyes, a drop of tear wipes down our eye to clean its surface and keep it moist. Reduced blink rate causes dry eyes which is most common issue among smartphone users and can be treated easily by reducing smartphone usage.
Computer Vision Syndrome: This health issue is known since computer age, as it commonly occurred due to over usage of computers. But still this syndrome is affecting people due to over usage of smartphones. Symptoms of this disease are eye strain, dry eyes, headache, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain. Computer Vision Syndrome is also connected to some other facts listed below.
Blue Light : Blue light is often linked with eye problems because blue light regulates the release of melatonin. Release of melatonin tells our body that it is still daytime and thus usage of smartphones in night time disturbs our sleep, especially if you operate your smartphone just before sleeping. Apart from this side effect, blue light damages and kills the cells of retina, which is the worst side-effect of using smartphones.
Brightness: Brightness of screen is often set to maximum by most of the smartphone users, so that you can watch the screen clearly in daytime. More brightness also helps in viewing photos and videos clearly and thus preferred. But this more brightness put stress on our eyes.

Understand your Eye

Usually we ignore what our eyes try to say us in everyday life. We neglect the stress they go through due to over usage of smartphones and due to lack of relaxation. Minor symptoms like tiredness in eyes, minor headache, dryness in eyes, burning sensation and shoulder/neck pain should not be ignored as they can lead to some serious health issue with our eyes. Apart from consulting a doctor in case of such symptoms, you should also give some time to your eyes from your busy life. Our eyes don't demand a particular time slot, you can perform some simple yoga for eyes at any point of time in a day. These yoga exercises just take a few minutes and provide enough relaxation to your eyes for the remaining day.

Some tips for Smartphone users to keep their eyes healthy

• Keep your Smartphone at about an arm's distance while operating
• Use increased text size
• Take frequent breaks while using your smart phone for long duration.
• Don't use smartphone in a position where screen glare is caused due to some lighting in room.
• Try to use low brightness settings.
• Use smartphone in light, using it in a dark room can be harmful.

Read More

How Long Working Hours can get you severe Diseases

We often work hard during our working hours to make a good living and make our living standard better. But does our working hours affect our health ? The answer is "Yes". Our working condition and working hours affect our health a lot, and if you are working continuously for longer hours then you are unintentionally putting yourself at risk of several health conditions. In this article we will tell you about potential health hazards of long working hours.

A 35 year old physical therapist worked for 60 to 75 hours per week in a hospital. She started to notice the effect of these long working hours on her body as her periods disappeared, she cracked a tooth while she was grinding her teeth, felt extreme fatigue and abdominal pain. It even lead to over-consumption of alcohol and over-eating. But all that ended five years ago as she came to know that all these negative effects on health were due to long working hours. Now she is fine after reducing her working hours to 40 hours per week and it also helped her in building a loving relationship.

She was lucky, but everybody don't understand the symptoms and get some lifelong lifestyle disorders. Her story tells us that working too long is sometimes an addiction and it harms the body just like any other addiction.

Long working Hours are not a proof of your dedication for work !
Most of the people thing that working long proves their dedication for work. But the truth is just opposite. Long working hours affects your health which reduces your work efficiency and you end up performing worst than an average guy.

Which Diseases can affect you due to long working hours ?

• Stroke : 33% more chances of stroke if yo spend more than 55 hours per week at work.
• Heart disease : 13% more chances of heart diseases. 
• Mental health problems : Anxiety, depression, ADHD and OCD are some diseases that you can get due to long working hours.
• Diabetes : Women are 63% more risk than men if they devote more that 45 hour per week for work.
• Abnormal heart rhythms : 40% more chances of getting this disease if you work more than 55 hours per week.

Being Workaholic

It is a condition when long working hours make you an addict and you can't stay away from work. Even when your are at your home with your spouse and kids, you still think about work. Adrenaline releases in your blood when you work, and withdrawal symptoms appear when you don't. This condition is very critical as it urges your brain to keep engaged with work and leave aside every other important things in your life.

Symptoms of being workaholic

• Enjoying work more than home, family and friends.
• Working for long hours and planning to devote even more time.
• Feeling bored at home and constantly thinking about work.
• Others start telling you that you are ignoring them and not listening to them
• You don't enjoy vacations and feel urge to return to work.

Some facts about health effects of Long Working Hours

• Constantly thinking about your work even when you are not working, affects your health more adversely.
• Long working hours kill people. In Japan they call it "karoshi" which means death from overwork.
• Sometimes relationship problems lead people to spend more time in office, which can lead to workaholic behavior, which ruins the relationships even more.
• One in two workaholic's marriage end up as a divorce.
• 10 Million Americans work for 60 hours or more per week.
• Workaholics prefer cigarette or coffee instead of a break.

Note : All workaholics can't be considered at the same risk. If you are working longer with interest or hobby then it might not hurt you. But in most of the cases people don't like their own job.

Read More

Bathing : The correct way to Stay Fit

Bathing is a daily activity, thus taken casually by most of us. Pouring the water, rubbing the soap, then again pouring the water and that is all. There is a lot more than that in real bathing. We have forgotten some secrets of bathing in our busy lives and it is costing us a lot of money. Here betterhealthfacts.com has collected some tips about bathing, which can help a lot in staying fit.

You are reading this article because you have got enough water to bath. Before you take a bath, you must remember that there are people who don't even have enough drinking water. Bathing daily is something that they can only dream about. So save water and save life.

Why bathing is necessary ?
It is necessary to wipe out the odor caused by dead bacteria (both good and bad) on our skin and the protein secreted through our sweat. Combination of these not biological wastes can not only harm our body by inviting parasites to feed on them, but can also make it unbearable for others to be around us.

Down to top approach 

Usually the temperature of water is not same as our body. So instead of putting water directly on head, you should put is first on your feet, then knees, then belly, then chest and then head. This approach saves your head from a sudden temperature change, which can sometimes cause serious medical conditions. When we use this approach, our body and brain prepares itself for the rising water level and saves itself from a sudden temperature change. This approach should be kept in mind while taking shower.

Don't use antibiotic soaps

Some people use antibiotic soaps on regular basis to kill every germ on their body to stay fit. But in the eagerness to do that, they do exactly opposite. Regularly using an antibiotic soap even kills the good bacteria permanently from your skin. These good bacteria on skin save us from other harmful intruder bacteria. So using antibiotic soap can lead to allergy and other skin diseases.

Don't use soap everyday

Yes, using a soap everyday is not recommended at all. You should avoid using a soap every alternate day, however you may do hand-wash. Apart are making our skin clean, soap also makes our skin penetrable by some harmful bacteria present in air. Even when you use it, don't keep it for too long on your body.

Don't stay longer in bathtubs

Staying longer than 15 minutes in a bathtub is never considered healthy as it damages your skin and make it more prone to wrinkles. If you rub your impurities out in a tub, then it is also harmful as it makes that dirt access your other body parts. Sitting in a dirty lake is better than that. So never rub yourself in bathtub and never stay in it for more than 15 minutes. It is better to use it only to calm yourself down.

Clean your feet daily

Most people forget it, as they give priority to face, underarms, chest, back, arms and legs. Remember your feet as they carry you for the whole day. Giving a few minutes to clean them will make them healthy and they will serve you even better without causing any medical problems. Your feet and overall health is heavily interconnected.

Keep your bathroom clean

It is last point but not the least. An unclean bathroom is an open invitation for diseases. A throughout cleaning of bathroom is must once in a week. Do a quick wash to floor using a wiper after taking a bath is must everyday. You should keep that place clean which is making you clean everyday.

Read More

Does Positive Attitude affect your Health

Being Optimistic or Pessimistic is a natural human trait that develops either through our upbringing and our genes. It is a well known fact believed by medical practitioners that positive attitude affects your health in a positive way. Usually we care only about our diet, exercise and sleep to live a healthy life, but positive attitude in our lifestyle also plays a major role for betterment of our health. This article will explain how our optimistic approach towards various aspects of life improves our health.

During past century our society has accepted the importance of psychological health. Prior to that people used to believe that psychological treatments are only meant for mentally sick or lunatic people. But now people know that diseases like depression and anxiety are common and every person faces it at least once in their life. Apart from medicines, counselling plays an important role in psychological treatments. Most of these counselings revolve around our thinking and attitude towards life. A counselor always try to make us think positive and being optimistic. The truth is that people with positive attitude are very less prone to any psychological disorder.

According to a study the chances of heart related issues are lesser in optimistic people. Even if there is some heart disease, optimistic people recover easily after hospitalization and require 50% less re-hospitalization. [1]

Optimism improves our immune system response. Even when a person with pessimistic approach is provided some counselling to think positive, the immune system response improves with behavior. [2]

A research done in Finland concluded that optimistic people are three times lesser prone to hypertension, even when risk factors like smoking, obesity, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity and family history are also taken into account. [1]

According to American Journal of Cardiology, apart from food positive behavior can also keep your cholesterol level low, thus improving your cardiovascular health. [3]

An American research concluded that people with most positive attitude are likely to have least blood pressure. [1]

A 2006 study found that optimistic people are least affected with viral infections, even if they are living in an area where the virus has spread. [1]

Several studies done in different parts of world concluded that optimistic people live longer as they have overall better health. [1]

Some researchers believe that a healthy and disease free body is most likely to be optimistic an hence optimistic people face lesser health issues. But once more fact is that so called optimistic people usually follow a healthy lifestyle, which might be responsible for better health. Whatever the matter is, either optimism results in healthy lifestyle or vice-versa, the fact is that positive attitude improves health.

How to tweak your mind to Think Positive

Positive emotions that result from positive attitude last for a long time and help us in developing skills that help us further in life. Positive emotions help us in exploring possibilities. When a kid goes out to play with a happy mood, he/she learns physical skills by playing sports, learns social skills by making new friends and communicating with them and also develops creative approach. These positive skills developed by positive attitude help that child for all of his/her life. So positive approach towards life not only makes us healthy but also makes our life better.

A pessimist might live a long life sometimes, but chances of it being happy and healthy are very less. So be positive and make others too.

References:
[1] http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/optimism-and-your-health
[2] https://www.livescience.com/8158-optimism-boosts-immune-system.html
[3] https://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149%2813%2900388-3/abstract

Read More