Health
Discover facts about health. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Health
Your phone can turn a short toilet visit into a much longer sit, and prolonged toilet sitting is a risk factor for hemorrhoids.
Your phone can turn a short toilet visit into a much longer sit, and prolonged toilet sitting is a risk factor for hemorrhoids. Straining adds pressure to the…
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An unresponsive patient’s brain can still react to sound.
An unresponsive patient’s brain can still react to sound. A small 2020 hospice study detected responses to changing tones in some patients who were…
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Your immune system learns from microbes it lives with.
Your immune system learns from microbes it lives with. Microorganisms from family members, the body, and the natural environment help shape immune…
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A runner's high survived a drug that blocked the usual explanation.
A runner's high survived a drug that blocked the usual explanation. In a controlled human study, runners still reported increased euphoria and reduced anxiety…
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Swearing helped volunteers keep a hand in icy water longer.
Swearing helped volunteers keep a hand in icy water longer. In a pain experiment, repeating a swear word increased tolerance compared with repeating a neutral…
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REM atonia is a state of temporary muscle paralysis that naturally occurs during the rapid eye movement stage of your sleep cycle to prevent you from acting out your dreams.
REM atonia is a state of temporary muscle paralysis that naturally occurs during the rapid eye movement stage of your sleep cycle to prevent you from acting…
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Sunburn comes from ultraviolet damage, not simply from skin getting too hot.
Sunburn comes from ultraviolet damage, not simply from skin getting too hot. The injury sets off inflammation, producing redness, soreness, and swelling;…
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Trying not to yawn can make the urge stronger.
Trying not to yawn can make the urge stronger. In a 2017 experiment on contagious yawning, instructions to resist increased the urge and shifted people toward…
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When a person experiences extreme embarrassment or shame and their face flushes red, the mucosal lining of their stomach also blushes and turns noticeably darker.
When a person experiences extreme embarrassment or shame and their face flushes red, the mucosal lining of their stomach also blushes and turns noticeably…
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Extended periods of microgravity in space cause the human heart to lose muscle mass and transform from an oval shape into a more spherical configuration.
Extended periods of microgravity in space cause the human heart to lose muscle mass and transform from an oval shape into a more spherical configuration. In…
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One person can carry two genetic identities after two early embryos merge.
One person can carry two genetic identities after two early embryos merge. Different groups of cells can retain different DNA, so a blood sample need not tell…
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Your liver regrows capacity, not a perfect copy of the missing piece.
Your liver regrows capacity, not a perfect copy of the missing piece. After a partial removal, remaining liver cells enlarge and multiply, rebuilding much of…
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Astronauts can come home taller.
Astronauts can come home taller. On Earth, weight compresses the spine through the day. In microgravity, that loading is reduced and the spine lengthens; NASA…
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Pregnancy reshapes the brain as well as the body.
Pregnancy reshapes the brain as well as the body. Imaging studies have found changes in gray-matter volume and brain networks, including regions involved in…
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A donor heart can travel while still beating.
A donor heart can travel while still beating. Its own electrical pacemaker cells can start the rhythm without commands from the brain. To keep the muscle…
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Your left lung makes room for a neighbor.
Your left lung makes room for a neighbor. The left lung has two lobes rather than the right lung's three, and an indentation accommodates the heart. Both…
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Losing body fat usually empties fat cells rather than removing them.
Losing body fat usually empties fat cells rather than removing them. As stored fat is broken down, the cells shrink; if more is stored later, they can expand…
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Swallowing chewing gum does not result in it remaining in your digestive tract for seven years, as the human body simply passes the indigestible synthetic rubber base through the…
Swallowing chewing gum does not result in it remaining in your digestive tract for seven years, as the human body simply passes the indigestible synthetic…
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Your tonsils can form tiny stones from trapped debris.
Your tonsils can form tiny stones from trapped debris. The tonsils contain crevices where material such as dead cells, food particles, and microbes can…
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A baby's skull starts with room to grow.
A baby's skull starts with room to grow. The skull's bones begin separated by flexible seams and soft spots. These allow some movement during birth and…
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A supposed tapeworm diet became part of the mythology around Maria Callas.
A supposed tapeworm diet became part of the mythology around Maria Callas. Her dramatic weight loss fueled stories about deliberately swallowing a parasite. A…
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Morning breath occurs because your mouth drastically reduces saliva production while you sleep, creating the perfect anaerobic environment for bacteria to absolutely thrive.
Morning breath occurs because your mouth drastically reduces saliva production while you sleep, creating the perfect anaerobic environment for bacteria to…
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Your nostrils quietly take turns being the clearer airway.
Your nostrils quietly take turns being the clearer airway. Blood flow changes the swelling of tissue inside the nose, making airflow greater on one side and…
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Strawberries are a serious source of vitamin C.
Strawberries are a serious source of vitamin C. NIH's food table lists about 49 milligrams in half a cup of sliced strawberries, compared with 70 in a medium…
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