Health Dangers More Serious Than Terrorists
It is about real dangers that we face, most of the time not even realizing it. And, ironically-or is it coincidentally?-hardly any money has ever been spent combating these dangers that most of us will face far more often than facing the danger of being killed by a terrorist. Yeah, I guess that is irony and not coincidence.
WEARING UNDERWEAR IS A DANGER TO YOUR HEALTH!
Did you know that wearing tight underpants or panties can lead to acquiring deep vein thrombosis, which involves the formation of blood clots in the leg which can potentially spread to the lungs and, should it do so, cause a fatal pulmonary embolism. People who are at greatest risk are patients recovering from surgery, the bedridden and pregnant women.
SHOVELING SNOW IS A DANGER TO YOUR HEALTH!
A few minutes of shoveling heavy, wet snow can boost your heart rate higher than that that recommended for those engaging in intensive aerobic exercise. Ten minutes of shoveling can raise your heart rate to 97% of the maximum and boost your blood pressure to levels higher than running to the point of exhaustion on a treadmill inside an air-conditioned gym.
TALKING ON THE CELL PHONE WHILE FILLING YOUR GAS TANK CAN KILL YOU!
Did you know that if you carry on a conversation while or next to someone who is filling their car with gas at a gas station that you have a significantly higher chance of dying from catching fire due to sparks caused by static electricity than you have of dying from any kind of terrorist attack thus far perpetrated in this country by a member of any Middle East terrorist group? Talking on a cell phone next to a gas pump is just about one of the most dangerous things you can do. There’s even a sign on the gas pump. Have you ever paid attention to it?
TAKING ANTIBIOTICS IS A DANGER TO YOUR HEALTH!
Forget about the fact that you can become immune to the benefits of antibiotics by taking them too often. Every time you take any kind of antibiotic you are killing bacteria inside your body which increases your risks of diarrhea, yeast infections and food poisoning.
SMOKING CAN LEAD TO AN INABILITY TO STOP YOURSELF FROM WETTING YOUR PANTS!
Well, actually this really applies to women mostly. Studies have shown that women smokers are far more likely to develop incontinence problems than non-smokers. There’s no hard evidence, but the likely connection here is that a chronic smoker’s cough damages the muscles of the pelvis that control the flow of urine while another possibility stemming from animal studies is that nicotine itself constricts the bladder.
TAKING OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS CAN KILL YOU!
Actually it’s not the taking that can kill you but the not telling your doctor when he asks you what drugs you’re currently taking. Any time you fill out a form that asks you to put down what medications you are currently taking abd you only write down prescription drugs you are putting your life on the line. Over the counter meds can affect how prescription drugs react inside your body just as adversely as another prescription drug. Even vitamin supplements can dangerously interact with prescription drugs so be sure to always put down anything even remotely drug-related, including cough syrup.
SUNSCREEN CAN GIVE YOU SKIN CANCER!
Okay, sunscreen can’t really give you cancer, but if incorrectly applied it can raise your risk and most people don’t apply enough. Because they think they’ve done the job properly they stay out in the sun too long, inadequately protected, and over time they gradually increase their risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers. In order to get the full benefit of coverage, no matter what the SPF rating, an average sized adult would have to apply about 1.2 ounces per application in order to cover their body.
TAKING A HOT SHOWER AFTER EXERCISING CAN LEAD TO A HEART ATTACK!
If you are already at risk for cardiac disease, beware of taking hot showers when you finish a workout. Exercising increases the flow of blood to your muscles and taking a hot shower can send that blood to the skin, taking valuable blood away from your brain and heart, thereby increasing the risk for a heart attack. Best to cool down before the shower and then take it in lukewarm water.
PLUSH TOYS ARE A DANGER TO YOUR HEALTH!
Those innocent stuff animals you won at the fair pose more of a danger than any of the rides. The furrier the animal, the higher the danger because dust mites and other allergens collect in them and you’re much more likely to hug a plush toy to your face than you are a plastic action figure. If you simply must have a plush figure to keep in bed, make it your favorite cartoon character and not a path toward collecting.
INTERRUPTING CONVERSATIONS CAN LEAD TO EARLY DEATH!
If may be very difficu-yeah, that’s right if you’re one of those know-it-all types who have to prove how much you know and have to be the dominant member of every conversation, you have an increased risk of dying sooner than more laid back men. The root cause probably lies in the fact that the dominant personality type has increased levels of stress hormones in their blood which do severe tire damage to one’s immune system.
HAVING SEX CAN GIVE YOU A HEADACHE!
About 5% of women suffer chronic headaches after having sex. The causes are related to muscle strain about the neck and shoulders or raised blood pressure resulting from a surge in hormones. An easy but perhaps not particularly enviable cure for these headaches is changing your positions from those which cause more muscle strain than others. Then again, some headaches are more easily put up with than others.
