List of "Science" Rumors in May 2023: Can "mouth-sealing patches" cure mouth breathing? Can a person be infected with COVID-19 up to 8 times?

The list of "scientific" rumors for May 2023 is revealed! Can sealing tape cure mouth breathing? Can non-load-bearing walls be demolished and modified at will? Can a person be infected with the new coronavirus at most 8 times? The truth >>

The monthly "science" rumor list is guided by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing Municipal Cyberspace Administration, and the Capital Internet Association, and jointly released by the Beijing Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Association and the Beijing Regional Website Joint Rumor-Refuting Platform, and is supported by the Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Professional Committee of the China Science Writers Association, the China Evening News Science Editors and Journalists Association, the Shanghai Science Communication Association, and the Institute of Science and Technology Information of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology.

1. "Sealing patch" can cure mouth breathing

gossip:

Long-term mouth breathing will make a child's face ugly and affect the child's development and IQ. It can be corrected and treated with "mouth sealing patches".

(Picture from Taobao)

the truth:

In fact, mouth breathing itself is not a disease, but a symptom. A variety of diseases may cause mouth breathing, including nasal diseases (such as rhinitis, maxillary sinusitis, hypertrophic nasal concha, deviated nasal septum, etc.), enlarged tonsils, hypertrophy of adenoids, etc. These diseases will block the nasopharynx and oropharynx, causing narrowing of the upper respiratory tract, and children can only breathe through their mouths to increase ventilation. If the symptoms of mouth breathing are caused by a disease, they will not be "cured" by the tape on the mouth. Using a "sealing artifact" will only make the situation worse, leading to more serious hypoxia problems and even serious consequences such as suffocation.

In addition to "obstructive mouth breathing" caused by diseases, there is also a type of "habitual mouth breathing" caused by problems with the mouth and teeth (such as underbite, protruding front teeth, etc.), and "sealing tape" can only play an auxiliary role in helping the mouth close. Whether children or adults, if mouth breathing cannot be relieved for a long time, they should still go to a professional otolaryngology department for treatment.

2. Blood tests can reduce the body's immunity

gossip:

Drawing blood removes white blood cells that are involved in immune function, as well as important substances such as electrolytes and vitamins. The sicker a person is, the more blood tests they have to do, which leaves many people bedridden or even dying early.

the truth:

Drawing blood will not harm your body. Generally, the amount of blood drawn for blood tests will not exceed 20 ml, but the human body has an average of 4,000 ml of blood, and it has the function of automatic regeneration. Drawing a small amount of blood will not affect human health.

Although the main cells that make up the human body's immunity are white blood cells, the proportion of red blood cells in the blood is larger, while white blood cells are fewer. Generally, donating 200 to 400 ml of blood will lose 1% to 2% of the total number of white blood cells in the human body, and within 1 to 2 hours after the blood is drawn, the lost white blood cells will return to the original number. Therefore, after blood is drawn, you will not lose a lot of white blood cells, nor will your immunity be reduced.

3. Non-load-bearing walls can be removed and modified at will

gossip:

The load-bearing walls in the room cannot be demolished, but the non-load-bearing walls can be demolished at will without affecting the structure of the building.

the truth:

A load-bearing wall is a wall that supports the weight of the upper floors, and it forms the skeleton structure of the entire house. After the load-bearing wall is removed, the rest of the building structure will have to share the load, creating a safety hazard. However, not all non-load-bearing walls can be removed or modified at will. Removing some non-load-bearing walls actually poses a safety hazard.

Non-load-bearing walls have two important functions: one is to support the weight of the wall, and the other is to resist earthquakes. For a particular house, it is not a big problem to demolish a non-load-bearing wall or make a hole in the wall, but if the residents of the entire building arbitrarily demolish and modify the non-load-bearing walls, it will greatly reduce the earthquake resistance of the building.

In short, when renovating a house, especially when renovating load-bearing walls, everyone must design and decorate in a better and more scientific way, so as not to let the new house become a dangerous building.

4. Asthma patients will "wheeze"

gossip:

Asthma will cause wheezing. If there is no wheezing symptom, it is not asthma.

the truth:

Many people still think of asthma as "shortness of breath and difficulty breathing" in movies and TV shows. In fact, these are typical manifestations of acute asthma attacks. When patients encounter stimuli such as cold air and dry air, asthma attacks are likely to occur. Typical asthma symptoms are recurrent wheezing, which may be accompanied by shortness of breath, chest tightness or coughing. However, there are many atypical asthma in clinical practice.

In cough variant asthma, cough is the only or main clinical manifestation; in chest tightness variant asthma, chest tightness is the only or main symptom; in latent asthma, there are no typical symptoms of recurrent wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or cough, but increased airway responsiveness exists for a long time.

5. Drinking lemon water can cause kidney stones

gossip:

Drinking lemon water can cause kidney stones.

the truth:

There are many causes of stones, heredity, metabolism, anatomy and diet are the main factors, among which diet is the most concerned. In terms of composition, stones in the body are mainly calcium oxalate. A large amount of oxalic acid in the diet aggravates the formation of stones to a certain extent. For example, the oxalic acid content in vegetables such as spinach, celery, and leeks is very high, but lemons are not included.

Unlike oxalic acid, which forms insoluble substances when it meets calcium, the citric acid rich in lemons combines with calcium to form calcium citrate tetrahydrate, which is slightly soluble in water. At the same time, the slightly acidic nature of citric acid in the intestines can also promote the absorption of various mineral elements such as calcium, iron, and zinc, which is beneficial to health.

6. The "upside-down water control method" can save drowning people

gossip:

People who died from drowning can be rescued by lifting their feet, standing upside down and shaking a few times, and then performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation after the water is drained from their mouths.

(Pictures from the Internet)

the truth:

There is usually only a small amount of water in the respiratory tract of a drowning person, which will be absorbed by the alveoli, resulting in impaired gas exchange, lung damage and lack of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia). Hanging upside down to control water cannot replenish the oxygen in the drowning person's blood, and most of the water controlled is water in the esophagus and stomach. For drowning people whose heart and breathing have stopped, starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation as soon as possible can save the patient.

When rescuing a drowning person, remember "One Don't Do" and Four Do's. "One Don't Do" means that after the drowning person is rescued to the shore, do not control the water. The method of carrying a drowning child on one's back and running around is absolutely wrong. It is impossible to expel water from the body, and it may also cause the food in the drowning person's stomach to flow back, aggravating breathing difficulties. "Four Do's" are the four correct steps to deal with a drowning person:

First, immediately rescue the drowning person from the water and quickly determine whether breathing and heartbeat have stopped. Second, call the emergency number 120 and get the nearest AED. Third, for those whose breathing and heartbeat have stopped, immediately perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and still follow the ABC (open airway - blow - press) resuscitation operation sequence. If there is no breathing but heartbeat, only blow (12 to 16 times per minute), no need to do chest compression. Fourth, if there is trauma, deal with it in time, especially head and neck injuries.

7. A person can be infected with COVID-19 up to 8 times

gossip:

No matter how healthy or strong a person is, he can only be infected with the new coronavirus eight times at most. The person will die after the ninth time.

the truth:

It is indeed possible for a person to be infected with the coronavirus multiple times. However, for people without underlying diseases, the statement that "a person can only be infected eight times at most" is unscientific, and the symptoms after reinfection are generally mild.

Current observational studies have shown that the symptoms of COVID-19 after reinfection will become milder and milder. The body develops immunity to the pathogen after the first infection. Even if the specific immunity level against the pathogen gradually decreases over time, after reinfection, the body can quickly enhance the immunity level again through recall reaction and kill the pathogen in the body. Therefore, the symptoms will not become more severe after repeated infection. In addition, during the process of spreading and spreading, the pathogen itself will usually mutate in the direction of gradually weakening pathogenicity and gradually increasing infection ability.

If you are really worried about repeated infections, people over 60 and those with underlying diseases can get the vaccine and booster shot. Wear a mask throughout the visit to crowded places, especially hospitals, and wash and disinfect your hands in time after returning home.

8. You can have your uterus removed because of dysmenorrhea

gossip:

Patients with adenomyosis can request a hysterectomy, after which they will no longer have to suffer from dysmenorrhea and anemia.

the truth:

The treatment of adenomyosis depends on the severity of symptoms, age, and whether or not there is a desire to have children. Generally speaking, the doctor will first use medication to relieve the symptoms. If the medication cannot provide relief and there is still a desire to have children, the doctor will remove the lesion. Only when the symptoms are particularly severe, there is no desire to have children, and drug treatment is ineffective, will a hysterectomy be considered. According to doctors' usual hysterectomy or autopsy data, 35% of patients with adenomyosis have no symptoms, but 40%-50% show excessive bleeding during the menstrual cycle, and 15%-30% show dysmenorrhea. The treatment of adenomyosis depends on the severity of symptoms, age, and whether or not there is a desire to have children.

There are four basic requirements of medical ethics: first, the interests of patients are paramount; second, respect the patient's right to choose independently; third, do no harm; and fourth, fairness and justice in medical resources. The third point of "do no harm" means that if the patient's uterus is not indicated for removal, the doctor will never remove it. If the doctor removes the uterus without an indication, then the doctor has violated the principles of medical ethics and the provisions of the Physician Law, and will be subject to severe administrative penalties.

9. Weight is the only criterion for measuring obesity

gossip:

Weight is the only criterion for judging whether you are obese. As long as your weight is within the standard, you are not obese.

the truth:

The standard commonly used to measure whether a person is obese is the "body mass index" (BMI). It is calculated by dividing a person's weight (kg) by the square of their height (m). If this value is between 18.5 and 23.9, it is a normal weight, and if it exceeds this value, it is considered obese. In fact, whether a person is obese depends not only on weight, but also on body fat percentage. The ratio between total body fat and body weight is called "body fat percentage". Generally, the body fat percentage of healthy young men does not exceed 20%, and that of women does not exceed 30%. If it exceeds this value, even if the weight is standard, the body fat is excessive.

In addition to weight and body fat percentage, there is another very important value, "waist-to-hip ratio", which is the ratio between waist circumference and hip circumference. If the waist-to-hip ratio of men is greater than 0.85 and that of women is greater than 0.8, then even if the weight is normal, there may be excess abdominal fat accumulation, or even "abdominal obesity", which can cause greater potential harm to the body.

10. Sleeping on a bare bed can treat lumbar disease

gossip:

Sleeping on a hard bed can treat lumbar disease. People who suffer from lumbar pain are best to choose a bare bed to sleep on.

the truth:

Experts explain: The normal physiological structure of the human spine has four physiological curves, namely the cervical curve, thoracic curve, lumbar curve and sacral curve. If the mattress is too soft, it cannot provide proper spinal support; if the mattress is too hard, it will rely too much on the shoulder and hip support, which will also cause spinal distortion; a medium-soft bed (hard bed) can better adapt to the curve of the human body and minimize spinal distortion.

But many people have a misunderstanding that "hard bed" refers to a hard bed or a bare bed. In fact, a hard bed is relative to the soft mattress that Europeans and Americans are used to. A hard bed does not mean a hard bed, let alone a bare bed. Some mattresses must be placed on the hard bed.

So, how do you control the hardness of the mattress on the bed board? Remember the "3:1 principle", that is, the mattress should not be so hard that it does not deform, nor should it deform too much. A 3 cm thick mattress will sink 1 cm when pressed by hand, and a 10 cm thick mattress will sink 3 cm. This ratio is moderate in hardness and softness.

Then, lie flat on the mattress and reach out to touch the three obvious bends of the neck, waist and buttocks to thighs to see if there is any gap. Then turn your body to one side and use the same method to feel whether there is any gap between the concave part of the body curve and the mattress. If your hand can easily fit in the gap, it means that the bed is too hard; if your palm is close to the gap, it proves that the mattress fits the human body curve.

In addition, when choosing a mattress, in addition to considering the hardness and fit, you also need to consider three factors: gender, weight, and age. Elastic mattresses are suitable for women, while relatively hard mattresses are suitable for men; slightly soft mattresses are suitable for slim people, while obese people should sleep on harder mattresses; infants and young children should choose medium to soft mattresses, while children and teenagers should not sleep on mattresses that are too soft to avoid affecting their growth and development; elderly people with loose ligaments, especially those with osteoporosis, are recommended to choose slightly harder mattresses.

Of course, relieving back pain is not a simple matter. Don't imagine that changing a bed or a mattress can completely solve the problem. Daily maintenance and rehabilitation exercises, avoiding overuse of the lumbar spine, and actively responding to problems are all important links in relieving back pain.

(Sources of this issue: People's Daily Health Client, Xinhuanet, Science Refutation, Science and Technology Daily, Science Popularization Times, Tencent Jiuzhen, Science Popularization China, Beijing Science and Technology News, Wenzhou Rumor Refutation Network)

Produced by: Science Central Kitchen

Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

Welcome to share to your circle of friends