Health
Discover facts about health. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Health
Blackheads are dark because of air, not dirt
A blackhead is oil and dead skin trapped in a pore that stays open at the surface. That exposed plug darkens as it reacts with air, so the black tip is not…
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How a punch can permanently reshape your ear
The outer ear’s cartilage depends on the tissue covering it for much of its blood supply. A punch can separate those layers and let fluid build up between…
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Why cellulite forms those familiar dimples
Bands of connective tissue tether the skin downward while pockets of fat push upward between them. Those opposing tugs create cellulite's familiar dimples,…
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Your earlobes may have no known purpose
The upper ear’s curves help funnel sound toward the ear canal; the soft lobe does little of that work. It has no clearly established essential job in hearing,…
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Blisters are your skin's emergency cushion
Friction can pull the skin’s upper layer away from the one beneath it, leaving a small pocket. Clear fluid collects in that space and cushions the damaged…
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Scientists actually tested the snooze button
In a 2023 sleep-lab study of habitual snoozers, thirty minutes of snoozing cost only about six minutes of sleep. Immediately after getting up, participants…
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Why sleep helps you remember a new skill
After you practice, the brain replays patterns of activity involved in the new skill while you sleep. That helps strengthen the memory, so the next practice…
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Left-handed scissors need reversed blades, not just different handles.
Left-handed scissors need reversed blades, not just different handles. On right-handed scissors, the upper blade can hide the cutting line when used in the…
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A medical case report described stubborn hiccups stopping after rectal massage.
A medical case report described stubborn hiccups stopping after rectal massage. The patient’s hiccups had resisted drugs and other maneuvers; when they…
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Garlic molecules are so highly penetrative that if you rub a raw clove directly onto the soles of your bare feet, you will actually be able to taste and smell the garlic in your mouth within an hour.
Garlic molecules are so highly penetrative that if you rub a raw clove directly onto the soles of your bare feet, you will actually be able to taste and smell…
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A hand dryer's air can carry bacteria from the room around it.
A hand dryer's air can carry bacteria from the room around it. In a 2018 study at a medical research center, plates exposed to dryer airflow collected far…
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A morning erection can be the last trace of REM sleep.
A morning erection can be the last trace of REM sleep. Erections occur repeatedly during REM sleep, whether or not a dream is sexual. Waking during one of…
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Gum disease is linked to cardiovascular disease, giving researchers a reason to study what travels from mouth to bloodstream.
Gum disease is linked to cardiovascular disease, giving researchers a reason to study what travels from mouth to bloodstream. Inflamed gums can let oral…
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Sleeping on the wrong type of pillow forces your cervical spine out of its natural alignment for eight continuous hours, severely straining your neck muscles and compressing crucial nerve pathways.
Sleeping on the wrong type of pillow forces your cervical spine out of its natural alignment for eight continuous hours, severely straining your neck muscles…
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Water-soluble does not mean an unlimited vitamin dose is safe.
Water-soluble does not mean an unlimited vitamin dose is safe. The body excretes excess amounts of some vitamins, but that is not a universal safety valve.…
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Too much caffeine can make a quiet day feel physically alarming.
Too much caffeine can make a quiet day feel physically alarming. It blocks adenosine signals that normally help you feel sleepy, while high doses can bring a…
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Antibiotics can leave the toughest bacteria standing.
Antibiotics can leave the toughest bacteria standing. When treatment kills susceptible bacteria, resistant ones can survive and multiply. Unnecessary…
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Nail biting can damage the barrier that keeps infection out.
Nail biting can damage the barrier that keeps infection out. Repeated biting injures the skin around a nail while carrying microbes between fingers and mouth.…
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Sugar can stiffen the proteins that keep skin flexible.
Sugar can stiffen the proteins that keep skin flexible. Through glycation, sugars react with proteins such as collagen, forming chemical modifications that…
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Dietary fiber provides the essential bulk and moisture needed to move waste efficiently through your colon, preventing the painful and medically concerning reality of severe chronic constipation.
Dietary fiber provides the essential bulk and moisture needed to move waste efficiently through your colon, preventing the painful and medically concerning…
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Laughing hard enough can make someone faint.
Laughing hard enough can make someone faint. Rare medical cases describe people briefly losing consciousness during intense laughter. One proposed mechanism…
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A scratched nostril can become an infection site.
A scratched nostril can become an infection site. Picking or repeated irritation can damage the lining near the entrance to the nose. Bacteria can then infect…
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Shivering is an involuntary, violent muscle contraction designed exclusively to generate kinetic heat when your core temperature begins to dangerously drop.
Shivering is an involuntary, violent muscle contraction designed exclusively to generate kinetic heat when your core temperature begins to dangerously drop.…
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Some gas made in your gut leaves through your lungs.
Some gas made in your gut leaves through your lungs. Intestinal gases can cross into the bloodstream and later be exhaled. Breath tests use this route: gases…
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