Can You Make Yourself Have Hiccups?

Hiccups can be caused by laughing, sneezing or coughing so it probably is possible to cause yourself to have hiccups. Hiccups are usually harmless but can cause discomfort in the diaphragm when they go on for a period of time.

What causes an itch?

Many itches have medical causes like dry skin, insect bites, allergic reactions and psoriasis. If itching is caused by one of these it is best to refrain from scratching the site. As you may have experienced, scratching feels good for only a second and then the area itches worse than ever. Also, the bacteria under your nails may be enough to cause an infection at the site of the itch.

It appears that cold and itch travel the same nerve pathways so you can stop an itch by blocking the pathway with cold. Ice packs and menthol may temporarily stop an itch and can be reapplied frequently.

Source:http://www.medicinenet.com/itch/article.htm

What Causes Headaches?

Headaches are fairly common and are caused by tight, contracted muscles in your shoulders, neck, scalp, and jaw. These are called tension headaches. They are often related to stress, anxiety, overworking, not getting enough sleep, and missing meals. Some headaches can be triggered by chocolate, cheese, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). People who drink caffeine can have headaches when they don't get their usual daily amount, these are referred to as "caffeine withdrawal" headaches.

Other common causes of headaches include:

Holding your head in one position for a long time, like at a computer, microscope, or typewriter
Poor sleep position
Overexerting yourself
Clenching or grinding your teeth

Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003024.htm

Why Is Yawning Contagious? GUEST BLOG

Todays blogger is Kristen

Yawning has to do with your brain. When yawning it bypasses the known brain circuitry.
This circuitry is called the “mirror-neuron system,” because it contains special type of brain cells or neurons that becomes active when either the owner does it or when he or she senses someone else doing so. Mirror neurons typically happen when a person consciously imitates an action of someone elses. But they seem to play no role in yawn contagiousness.

Source: http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/050309_yawnfrm.htm

How Long Does It Take To DIgest Gum? GUEST BLOG

Today's Blogger is Mandi.

The human body is excellent at breaking down nutrients from things we eat and using them for energy. While not everything we eat is digestible, it does not sit in our stomachs for seven years as the common myth states. Our stomach empties the unusable material into our lower intestine where it is passes to stool often enough to keep the stomach open and keep us hungry.

Source: http://shc.osu.edu/blog/does-gum-really-stay-in-your-stomach-for-7-years

Do You Really Need Milk To Be Healthy?

You have probably heard a million times that drinking milk makes strong bones. Some students have also asked if milk will make you taller. The facts are:
1. The body has a need for calcium in order to build strong bones and teeth.
2. Milk is a good source of calcium.
3. Other factors such as genetics, Vitamin D, and exercise also play a role in
building strong bones.
4. Milk is not the only source of calcium. Other foods such as dark leafy greens,
yogurt, cheese, and even baked beans contain calcium.
5. Many foods and supplements have been fortified with calcium so it is possible to
get an adequate amount of this mineral without drinking milk.

The bottom line: Milk may be negotiable but adequate calcium is not.

Interesting research on calcium supplementation in young girls:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T1B-4475VC1-F&_user=10&_coverDate=10%2F13%2F2001&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1249995126&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=9c185c333988427d745e150c1c29daf7

Is Cancer Contagious? GUEST BLOG

Today's blog is written by Alex.

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, but you don't get cancer the same way that you get a disease like Chicken Pox. Inside your body, new cells are being created and destroyed constantly in order to maintain a balance. In cancer, this balance is thrown off because cells are being made in large quantities and never being killed. The cells that don't die constantly reproduce and create a large mass of cells called a tumor. The only reason this occurs is that the gene that controls the rate of the creation and deceasing of cells is damaged. This can just happen, be due to chemicals, radiation or because there was an error passed on from your parents. The damaged gene is called a mutation. Some cancers are linked with viruses, like the Human Papilloma Virus can cause cervical cancer. A type of lymphoma called Burkitt's lymphoma which is quite common in Africa is linked with the Ebstein Barr virus. You can catch the virus, but you can't catch cancer.

Cancer is hereditary. The damaged genes can be reproduced and sent down through generations to come, and though you can get cancer from various viruses, you can't catch cancer from people with cancer.

Source:www.cancer.org

What Happens to the Loose Skin When You Lose A Lot of Weight?

The growing use and popularity of bariatric surgery has led to more and more people facing this exact dilemma. The weight is gone but the loose skin remains. After a weight loss of 50-60% of their body weight, patients are left with folds of skin on their abdomen, arms, thighs, and back. Body contouring through surgery is the only way to remove this excess tissue.

Source:Hurwitz, D.J.(2004). Single-Staged Total Body Lift After Massive Weight Loss
Annals of Plastic Surgery:52:5, 435-441.

Do I Need Regular Teeth Cleaning?

By regular teeth cleaning I assume you mean at the Dentist's office. The American Dental Association recommends "regular" visits for professional cleaning and dental check-ups. A professional cleaning can get into places that you might otherwise miss and remove plaque and tartar build up. Clean teeth are less prone to cavities because of a lower amount of bacteria.

A small but interesting Swedish study was conducted on the importance of oral hygiene in preventing dental caries. The researchers looked at a number of variables including frequency of teeth cleaning and dental visits. The results indicated that the best indicator in the preventation of tooth decay was regular brushing.

Source: http://www.ada.org/public/topics/cleaning.asp

Acta Odontologica Scandinavica 1991, Vol. 49, No. 2, Pages 97-102

Can You Build Up a Tolerance to Poisons?

Interesting but tough question to answer.

Both plants and animals have been noted to develop a tolerance for heavy metals. Unfortunately, the extrapolation of findings between species is difficult. That means just because hamster cells develop a tolerance for arsenic doesn't mean that humans will do the same (Rossman et al. 1997).
The best general answer for to question is that any tolerance is dependent on the dose or exposure, the length of time of the exposure, individual genetic composition and the type of toxin.


Source: Christenson, J.M. Human exposure to toxic metals: factors influencing interpretation of biomonitoring results Science of The Total EnvironmentVolume 166, Issues 1-3, 21 April 1995, Pages 89-135

Why Can't I Control My Cough?

The Journal of Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology devoted an entire journal to the topic of cough regulation in 2006 (volume 151, issue 3). Some of the research findings indicated that a cough can be "voluntarily induced and inhibited" which means you can control your cough.

Cough medicines work on the cerebral cortex and may inhibit the urge to cough. Another article in this issue of the Journal found that many cough syrups are only placebos and contain no ingredient that would really stop a cough at the brain stem level. The sweet taste of the cough syrup stimulates taste buds in the tongue that may influence cough "via inhibition of the cardiorespiratory area of the brain." (Eccles, 2006). That means that the sweetener in the cough medications may have more to do in helping you suppress your cough than any other medicinal ingredient in the cough preparation.

Source: Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology, Volume 152, Issue 3, Pages 221-372 (28 July 2006) Cough and its Regulation Edited by John G. Widdicombe and Bradley J. Undem

Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?

There has been concern that cell phone use may contribute to the incidence of brain tumors. Most of the research on this topic has been done in Europe since their experience with cell phones is of longer duration than the US. Researchers to date have found no association "with glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma, even among persons who had been subscribers for 10 or more years."
This is not to say that cell phones are safe as most carcinogen exposure takes decades before a tumor develops.




Source: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones

What causes hiccups, and is there a cure? GUEST BLOG

Today's Blog is written by Alex

Everyone has pondered this question before: How does one cure hiccups? Hiccups are caused by an irritation in the diaphragm, Normally, the diaphragm pulls down when you exhale and pushes up when you inhale. When you have hiccups, your diaphragm is irritated due to eating too quickly or too much, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited. As for a cure, there are multiple ways that people have concocted to cure this harmless affliction, but it would seem like it is different from person to person. Some people claim that you can cure it by letting sugar melt on your tounge, or by drinking from the "wrong side of the glass". These we can both consider to be untrue because neither of them resolve your irritated diaphragm. Some medicinal websites claim that doing breathing excercises can reduce the amount of hiccups had and also prevent future ones from happening.

source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-causes-hiccups