I’M JUST CURIOUS: True or false

by Debbie Walker

This past week I have been catching up on reading the magazines I have received in past months. I had several Reader’s Digest. I had several to catch up on and yes, I found something I wanted to share with you. This one I believe I will just refer to as True or False. It is written by Marissa Laliberte and titled “Health Facts Your doctor wants you to know.”

Cold Weather makes you sick – FALSE. (Oh Mom, you were wrong all those years!) It takes germs to make you sick.

Not all heart attacks involve chest pain. TRUE. Don’t ignore shortness of breath, light headedness and pain in other areas of the upper body.

Being overweight shortens your life expectancy. FALSE. Sixty studies of more than 190,000 people and found overweight had the same longevity as “normal” (who is that?) weight adults.

Don’t ice a burn. TRUE. Ice can damage cells and make it worse. Cool water five minutes.

Antiperspirants cause cancer. FALSE. The longest study to date found no link.

CPR doesn’t require mouth to mouth. TRUE. A study in 2017 found when bystanders gave the uninterrupted chest compressions rather than pausing for rescue breath the survival rates were higher.

Carrots help your eyesight. FALSE. The fact is there was a big propaganda scheme in World War II. Rumors were started that carrots improve eyesight. The British Royal Air Force developed a new type of radar tech that helped pilots SHOOT DOWN German enemy planes at night. To keep the technology hidden the government said carrots were behind the successes.

Tilt your head back if you have a nosebleed. FALSE. That will make you swallow blood and irritate the stomach. Tip your head slightly forward and pinch your nose shut for 10 minutes.

Stress will give you an ulcer. FALSE. Two main causes of stomach ulcers are overuse of NSAD painkillers and infection from bacteria. Stress might make an existing ulcer worse.

Bar soap is covered with germs. FALSE. Once on the soap germs won’t last long enough to spread, bacteria die within minutes and are not transmitted to the next person.

Alcohol warms you up when it’s cold outside. FALSE. You might feel warmer and your face may start to flush as you sip that hot toddy. Alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate, moving warm blood closer to the skin. The warmth causes you to stop shivering, which actually brings your core temperature down.

Sitting too close to the TV damages your eyes. FALSE. Until late 1960s radiation from the TV was not well regulated. Today’s TVs don’t pose that risk. Staring at anything for a long time can make the eyes feel tired, but it won’t cause permanent damage.

Caffeine stunts growth. FALSE. People used to think caffeine would leach calcium from the body, meaning weaker bones and slower growth. Newer research suggests that teens can safely drink up to the equivalence of one cup of coffee or two – three cans of cola.

I’m just curious if you ever believed some of these things. I enjoy reading them and are hoping you do, too. Contact me with comments or questions at dwdaffy@yahoo.com Have a great week!