With the increasing number of people vaccinated in COVID-19, the rumors that vaccines are harmful to health are constantly changing. No, there are rumors that aluminum adjuvant nanoparticles in COVID-19 vaccine can cross the blood-brain barrier and damage the brain. A string of terms seems to be "professional", but in fact it is purely alarmist. The latest issue of the "Science" gossip list is released, which focuses on refuting several recent widespread health pseudo-knowledge. Come and see if you are successful.
The monthly "scientific" gossip list is guided by Beijing Science and Technology Association, Beijing Municipal Committee Network Information Office, Capital Internet Association, and jointly released by Beijing Science and Technology Journalists Editors Association and Beijing regional website joint rumor platform.
Rumor has it that the aluminum adjuvant contained in COVID-19 vaccine hurts the brain
Truth There are rumors that COVID-19 vaccine can’t be used, because aluminum adjuvant nanoparticles (AAN) in the vaccine can’t be digested by macrophage (MF) enzyme, and will be transmitted to the brain through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to cause damage and affect human health. Is it true?/You don’t say.
Professional terms such as "nanoparticles" and "MF digestive enzyme" with English abbreviations at first glance seem to be scientific interpretations issued by professional institutions. However, some of the most basic concepts are wildly wrong.
First of all, the diameter of aluminum hydroxide (or aluminum phosphate) particles used in vaccines is generally 1-10μ M is far from the level of "nanoparticles", so there is no such risk in itself. Secondly, it is impossible for aluminum hydroxide to cross the blood-brain barrier, because the upper limit of molecular diameter allowed by the pore size of the blood-brain barrier is usually only 1nm(1μ M=1000nm), aluminum hydroxide particles don’t say in the past, stuck.
In addition, after vaccination, because the adjuvant plays the role of adsorbing antigens, only a very small amount will enter the blood circulation, but that aluminum is far below the concentration that may cause risks, even worse than the daily intake from vegetables and fruits.
Aluminum adjuvant has been used for decades, and scientists have been paying close attention to the "theoretical" risks, but so far it has not been found that aluminum adjuvant can cause substantial damage to people (even newborn babies), so just vaccinate with peace of mind.
It is rumored that the human body will "lose temperature" in extremely cold environment.
Truth Some people think that only in extremely cold environment can the human body lose its temperature. Actually, not really. The core temperature of the human body is fixed. The surface temperature can fluctuate sometimes, but the core temperature will be kept as stable as possible from 37℃ to 37.5℃. When it is hot, it dissipates heat, and when it is cold, it generates heat to keep the heat.
Compared with sweating, the heat generation and maintenance are passive and the adjustment is limited, so passive clothing and shelter from the outside are very needed to help them resist the low temperature. This is also the reason why human beings gradually expanded from tropical to cold zone in the process of evolution. Only when they have certain heat preservation ability can they live in cold regions.
When we lack the protection of clothing and shelter and accidentally appear in a cold environment, we can’t maintain the core temperature, and temperature loss may occur, even in a very cold environment. Generally speaking, the lower the outside temperature, the stronger the wind and the higher the environmental humidity, the easier it is to lose temperature. Temperature loss is not very serious at the beginning, and the human body will stubbornly fight against this hypothermia through compensation mechanism, so after exposure to low temperature environment, it will gradually lose temperature from light to heavy.
It is very important to find and identify temperature loss in time and take measures quickly. The treatment of rewarming should follow the principle of gradual and gentle grading, and unprofessional rescue may aggravate the harm to the body. For example, don’t try to heat the limbs or drink hot water for people with moderate or severe hypothermia. The hypotension and further temperature drop caused by a large amount of hypothermic blood returning to circulation will increase the risk of resuscitation failure.
It is rumored that hanging fitness can treat cervical spondylosis.
In some areas, there are fitness people who treat cervical spondylosis by hanging their heads and swinging with the rope. "Hanging neck fitness" exercise is similar to "cervical traction" in clinic. Middle-aged and elderly people who are keen on "hanging neck fitness" think that it is good for cervical spine to let the neck be pulled, but the answer is no.
Like this improper "neck-hanging fitness", the traction force is far greater than the need of clinical treatment, which may damage nerve tissue, muscles, tendons and ligaments, and even cause paraplegia and life-threatening if the condition gets worse.
To do traction therapy, we need to follow two principles, namely, symptomatic principle and moderate principle. Clinically, there are two kinds of cervical spondylosis suitable for traction: one is chronic neck and shoulder pain, which can relax tense muscles and effectively relieve pain symptoms through moderate traction. Secondly, cervical spondylotic radiculopathy, which is often manifested as radiation pain or numbness of upper limbs, heavy feeling and decreased grip strength, can be treated with appropriate traction, but it is definitely not advisable to exercise with excessive intensity and too long time, like the above-mentioned "neck hanging" exercise.
In addition, it should be noted that traction treatment is prohibited for patients clinically diagnosed as "cervical spondylotic myelopathy, cervical spondylosis with vertigo symptoms and unstable cervical spondylosis" because high-intensity "neck-hanging" traction may destroy the already unstable intervertebral disc nucleus structure, further compress the nerves, aggravate the symptoms of pain and numbness, and may even cause adverse consequences such as paralysis and death.
Therefore, before traction treatment, you must go to a regular hospital to improve the relevant examination, and after being evaluated by a professional doctor, traction treatment should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor.
It is rumored that shaking and waking up in sleep is a signal of "sudden death"
Truth Have you ever had such an experience? When you were about to fall asleep in a daze, your whole body suddenly shook violently. There are rumors that this is a signal of "sudden death", indicating that there is a big problem in the body. In fact, this phenomenon is called "sleep shock", also known as "sleep twitch" or "myoclonus before sleep"
The brain is the general commander of various organs and tissues of the human body, and sleep is the process of brain rest. When people just fall asleep, part of their brains are already asleep, but some of them are still not completely asleep. With the deepening of sleep, the brain relaxes its control over the limbs. When the brain is stimulated by some information inside and outside the body, local muscles of the body may suddenly twitch, which is called sleep shock.
If we understand the causes of sleep startle, we will know that it is incorrect to say that the sudden whole body shaking during sleep is caused by the brain’s "strike" to remind us that our lives are in danger, and this is not a signal of "sudden death". It is reported that about 60% to 70% people have had this kind of personal experience.
It should be noted that sleep startle is mostly a physiological manifestation, which is often accidental, not more than three times a night, and the movement range is not too great. If limb twitches occur frequently (more than five times a night) or sleep is disturbed by frequent attacks and repeated awakenings, you need to be vigilant. It is necessary to go to the neurology department or sleep specialist clinic to improve polysomnography.
This examination is helpful to distinguish between sleep fright and other causes of limb movement during sleep. At the same time, other examinations such as blood examination and imaging examination can also be improved to determine whether there are other causes.
It is rumored that eating less staple food can cure diabetes.
Can the truth really cure diabetes by giving up starchy food, eating less fruits with high fructose content, not drinking drinks and refusing to process food? There are many ways to treat diabetes. In most cases, the improvement of the disease is the result of a variety of methods, such as diet, exercise, drugs, etc., which cannot be used as an excuse to exaggerate the efficacy of a particular method.
At the end of the 18th century, Dr. John Rollo in Britain took the lead in noticing the therapeutic value of low-carbon water diet for diabetes. The "low-carbohydrate diet, high-fat and high-protein diet mode" advocated by him has far-reaching influence, which makes people realize the adverse effects of high-carbon water diet on diabetes, but it is also the ideological source of many dietary misunderstandings at present, such as "diabetics can’t eat fruits" and "it doesn’t matter if they eat vegetables casually".
If the staple food is excessively restricted, and carbohydrates are not eaten for a long time or rarely, fat will have to provide excessive calories, which will adversely affect the metabolism of brain and myocardium, which is mainly powered by glucose. At the same time, excessive intake of high fat and high protein will aggravate the metabolic load of liver and kidney, and the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications may also increase.
The scientific diabetes diet model is not absolute and single, but should aim at everyone’s different tastes, preferences, etc. Under the guidance of professionals, choose a personalized diet that suits them, and continue to enjoy their favorite foods to the maximum extent in a healthy way, instead of blindly pursuing a certain dietary "special effect".
Gossip mosquito repellent paste has better protection effect.
Truth Compared with other traditional mosquito-repellent products, mosquito-repellent stickers can provide "personal protection". Is the effect really better? Not necessarily. Some plant-derived mosquito repellent drugs such as citronella and eucalyptus citriodora leaf oil are put in new products such as mosquito repellent stickers and mosquito repellent bracelets. The principle is to achieve mosquito repellent effect through odor emission, but its range of action is relatively small, which cannot provide full-body protection and is not as effective as local mosquito repellent.
In 2018, Beijing Consumers Association conducted a comparative test on pure plant mosquito repellent products, involving 50 kinds of domestic and partially imported mosquito repellent products such as mosquito repellent stickers, mosquito repellent bracelets and mosquito repellent buckles. Results The mosquito repellent effect of all 50 samples was not satisfactory, which was suspected of false propaganda.
These products are mainly sold to special groups such as children and pregnant women, but there is no uniform production standard. Although most of them claim to be plant formulas, there is no clear scientific evaluation of the safety of these formulas at this stage, and some countries do not recommend the use of such plant formula mosquito repellent products for infants and young children at present. For example, lemon eucalyptus oil may cause lung discomfort and allergic reactions, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children under 3 years old should not use it; Canada does not recommend it for infants under 12 months.
In a word, compared with other mosquito repellents, these new mosquito repellent products have the advantages of short use time and no scientific experimental research. Therefore, the safety has not been verified, and it is not recommended for younger children.
