November 2023 "Science" Rumors List: Can you change the medicine for treating mycoplasma pneumonia yourself? Is skim milk healthier?

1. You can change the medicine by yourself for the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia

gossip:

During the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia, if azithromycin is ineffective after taking it once or twice, other antibiotics should be replaced in time.

the truth:

The use of medication for mycoplasma pneumonia should be guided by a doctor based on the stage of disease progression and the patient's suitability. It is not advisable to change the medication on your own. Although azithromycin may develop resistance, there are currently few antibiotics available for mycoplasma infections in children. Whether it is recommended by guidelines or in actual clinical applications, azithromycin and other macrolide drugs are still the first choice for the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children. Moreover, azithromycin is a growth inhibitor and will take a longer time to take effect at first. At high concentrations, it has a slow bactericidal effect on sensitive strains, and it takes a certain amount of time to take effect. You cannot rush to judge the effect after only using it once or twice.

In addition to mycoplasma, bacteria and viruses can also cause pneumonia. The choice of medication is different for pneumonia caused by different pathogens. For example, penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics are ineffective for mycoplasma pneumonia. The most commonly used are macrolide antibiotics such as azithromycin. Patients suspected of pneumonia should go to the hospital for medical treatment in time, and receive targeted treatment after diagnosis to avoid blind medication such as "changing antibiotics on their own".

2. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there are more respiratory infectious diseases

gossip:

After the COVID-19 pandemic, there are more respiratory infectious diseases around us.

the truth:

Winter is the peak season for respiratory infections every year. For example, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory viruses, and especially influenza viruses are more active in winter than in summer and spring, leading to a significant increase in the number of infected people. Monitoring data from the National Influenza Center shows that my country has entered the influenza season this year. Currently, influenza A is the main type, and influenza B is also prevalent. Mononucleosis is also a common disease in children and adolescents. It is mainly caused by Epstein-Barr virus or cytomegalovirus. The disease is self-limiting and the incidence rate has not increased compared with previous years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the adoption of strict respiratory prevention and control measures, acute respiratory diseases including mycoplasma and viral infections decreased compared with other years. With the normalization of prevention and control, this year such diseases have returned to their pre-epidemic performance, and the incidence level has returned to normal compared with before the epidemic.

3. Skim milk is healthier than whole milk

gossip:

Whole milk contains a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol, so it is healthier to choose skim milk in daily life.

the truth:

Although some international organizations and countries recommend drinking skimmed milk, this recommendation is related to the dietary structure and the intake of dairy products. my country's dietary guidelines recommend that ordinary adults consume 300g to 500g of milk and dairy products per day, but the actual intake is less than one-tenth of the recommended amount, and only one-fifteenth of the actual average intake in European and American countries. Therefore, for Chinese people, the first issue is to increase the intake of milk and dairy products, rather than considering whether to skim them.

Milk fat can carry fat-soluble vitamins, and can also bring a mellow taste, rich milk flavor and a certain sense of fullness. For ordinary people, skim milk is not healthier than whole milk, and consumers can choose the corresponding product according to their personal preferences. Only those who need to strictly control fat intake or those with hypercholesterolemia need to choose skim milk as appropriate.

4. Do not drink water immediately after taking syrup medicine

gossip:

You cannot drink water within half an hour after taking syrup medicine, as drinking water will dilute the efficacy of the syrup.

the truth:

In the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, syrup is defined as "a concentrated sucrose aqueous solution containing raw materials." The reason why sucrose needs to be added to the syrup is mainly to mask the bad taste of the drug itself, improve the taste, and increase the adaptability of oral drugs. If the syrup contains certain cooling cough suppressants that can directly act on the pharynx, it is recommended not to drink water after drinking the syrup. After 15 minutes of drinking the syrup, drink a small amount of warm water, so that part of the drug can be kept in the pharynx and take effect as soon as possible, such as Chuanbei cough syrup, Jizhi syrup, etc.

However, for those syrups that do not contain throat-clearing ingredients but only contain therapeutic ingredients, you can drink warm water to rinse your mouth immediately after taking the medicine. This can not only prevent excessive sugar from stagnating in the throat and irritating the throat, but also allow the medicine to be concentrated in the stomach as soon as possible to promote drug absorption. For example, the commonly used expectorant ambroxol hydrochloride syrup.

In addition, although some syrups are sweet, they still have a strong medicinal taste. If children are given such medicines without drinking water, it will cause nausea and vomiting, affecting the effect of the medicine. In this case, warm water should be given immediately after drinking the medicine to relieve the unpleasant taste of the medicine and reduce the incidence of vomiting.

5. Use hair conditioner to wash clothes and mop the floor. It is effective and safe.

gossip:

In addition to hair care, conditioner can also be used to wash clothes, wash sweaters, and mop the floor. In short, it can be used for any cleaning scene at home.

the truth:

The main formula of wool care agent is similar to that of hair conditioner, so conditioner is indeed useful when used on wool, but it should be noted that most wool sweaters are not made of 100% wool, so conditioner is not very suitable in this case. For example, the higher water content in the conditioner may affect the washing effect of the wool sweater.

The main ingredient of the conditioner is cetearyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, which is a surfactant and has certain cleaning and bactericidal effects, so in theory it can also be used to wash clothes and mop the floor, but its cleaning ability is limited. If you use too little, it will not be clean enough, and if you use too much, it is not cost-effective.

As for using it to care for pets, it is professionally appropriate, but the safety of pets licking them needs to be considered. In this regard, the official response from the manufacturer is also "not recommended".

6. Expensive calcium supplements are more effective

gossip:

When purchasing calcium tablets, the more expensive the calcium tablets, the better the quality and the better the calcium supplement effect.

the truth:

When purchasing calcium supplements, you should choose the right supplement according to your needs. Calcium supplements that use inorganic calcium such as calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate as calcium sources have the highest calcium content and are cheap, making them a more economical and efficient choice.

However, the digestion and absorption process of inorganic calcium requires a large amount of gastric acid. For people with insufficient gastric acid secretion, the absorption effect will be much worse. They can instead choose calcium supplement products based on organic salts, such as calcium gluconate, calcium lactate and other organic calcium, which do not require the participation of gastric acid in the absorption process.

There is also a calcium supplement preparation - amino acid chelated calcium, which chelates amino acid molecules with calcium ions together. Its absorption also does not rely on the participation of gastric acid and has a high absorption rate. It has relatively few side effects and is more suitable for infants, the elderly and pregnant women.

The key to calcium supplementation is to achieve the appropriate intake and absorption of calcium. In addition to taking calcium supplements, a good lifestyle such as sunbathing and more exercise is also a good way to supplement calcium. Going outdoors to sunbathe more often can increase the body's synthesis of vitamin D, and vitamin D can promote calcium absorption.

7. Eating hawthorn and chestnut together will more easily lead to gastric stones

gossip:

Hawthorn and chestnuts cannot be eaten together, as eating them together will damage the stomach and cause gastric stones.

the truth:

When stomach acid meets tannic acid, it forms a gelatinous substance that sticks together. When it meets some undigested food in the stomach, it gathers more and more and may squeeze into a lump, and gastric stone is formed. Tannic acid mostly comes from some astringent fruits, such as persimmon, hawthorn, green banana, etc.

Does hawthorn and chestnut really hurt the stomach more and make it more likely to form gastric stones? Not necessarily. When tannic acid and stomach acid combine together, it is easy to form sticky lumps as long as there is undigested food nearby. However, it does not require the additional supply of chestnuts. Just eating hawthorn is enough. Therefore, most gastric stones are caused by eating hawthorn on an empty stomach. Eating too much other things will neutralize the stomach acid and it is not easy to form sticky lumps.

There is no food incompatibility between hawthorn and chestnut. Instead, what needs to be emphasized is that fruits with astringent taste like hawthorn should not be eaten on an empty stomach, nor should they be eaten too much. Or when eating, try to chew as much as possible and do not let large pieces of food remain in the stomach at the same time. That is enough.

8. Traveling to the plateau can help adults grow taller

gossip:

The gravity on the plateau is lower. Traveling to the plateau for a period of time can allow adults who have stopped growing to continue growing taller.

the truth:

There is no scientific research that can prove that plateaus can make people grow taller. In a microgravity environment, the gaps between the intervertebral discs will become larger, making the spine longer. Therefore, after astronauts stay in space for a period of time, their height will change by 3 to 5 cm. Even so, the height "grown" in space is only temporary. After returning to the normal gravity environment of the earth, the gaps between the intervertebral discs will return to their original size, and the extra height will "shrink back." Therefore, for adults, it is unreliable to grow taller by traveling to the plateau.

(Image source: Visual China, this issue's content source: Xinhuanet, Beijing Science and Technology News, Beijing Youth Daily, Beijing Daily Client, Science Popularization China, Tencent Jiuzhen)