10 children's horror stories: what happens if you overeat sweets, watch welding or swallow gum
'16.08.2020'
Source: Life hacker
It's time to find out what actually happens in the body, if you eat a lot of sweets, touch a toad or look at welding, writes Lifehacker.
1. Do not swallow a bone - it will grow in the stomach
There it will turn into a watermelon or a tree - and will kill you.
An adult understands that this is impossible. But for a child it sounds creepy, and he may be seriously worried if he still swallows the unfortunate bone.
However, this horror story may have a rational explanation: it was invented to protect children from unpleasant consequences. A large fruit pit, such as apricot or plum, can become lodged in the physiological narrowing of the esophagus and cause obstruction or injury, especially in children.
2. Don't eat a lot of sweets - the butt will stick together
Of course it is not. Carbohydrates enter the intestine, where, if necessary, they are broken down from polysaccharides (for example, starch) into monosaccharides (glucose). And then they are completely absorbed into the blood to participate in the metabolism and provide the body with energy.
3. Do not read lying down or in the dark - you will spoil your eyesight
"Correct" reading - only sitting with a straight back at a table in good lighting. But lounging with a book on the couch or even reading under a blanket with a flashlight is terribly harmful.
In fact, unknown: there is no clear evidence for this theory. And some studies even say that those who read while lying on their backs have a slower progression of myopia.
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4. Don't touch the toad - warts will grow
As a child, we somehow thought that the numerous bumps on the skin that distinguish a toad from a frog were warts. And if you touch them, we will have the same.
Warts are really "contagious", but toads have nothing to do with it. These benign growths are caused by various human papillomaviruses (HPV). You can get these by contact with the patient.
And the bumps on the toad's body are glands that secrete a special secret designed to scare away enemies. It turns out that the mechanism works perfectly: people are definitely scared away by toad "warts", although not in the way nature intended.
5. Do not look at welding - you will go blind
There is some truth in this myth: it is better not to look at welding, it is not for nothing that welders wear protective masks.
But in the opposite case, the consequences will not be as dire as we were told. If you are near during welding, you can earn photokeratitis. This is a rather unpleasant condition: pain, photophobia, inability to open eyes. Fortunately, it is reversible and treatable.
6. Keep your eyes on the bridge of the nose - there will be squint
And one more horror story from the same series: do not grimace, otherwise you will remain so. Of course, neither one nor the other is true.
During the day, people often turn their eyes to the bridge of the nose without even noticing it. This is called convergence, and it helps us focus our vision. In addition, such an exercise is included in the complex of gymnastics for the eyes, which is recommended by ophthalmologists.
7. Do not eat seeds - there will be appendicitis
It was believed that the inflammation of the appendix occurs due to the fact that it is clogged with all kinds of "garbage": peel from seeds, bones, inedible objects like accidentally swallowed buttons, and so on.
This is partly true. The main reason for inflammation of the appendix is its blockage and, as a result, the growth of bacteria. This can be caused by, among other things, foreign objects. But it is much more likely that the process will become inflamed due to hardened stool, enlarged lymph nodes, mucus, tumors or worms. Moreover, we still eat seeds without a peel, and they are safely digested in the stomach and intestines.
8. Do not touch the needle - it will stick into the skin and go through the vessels to the heart
This chilling horror story is not so unreal, as sad as it is. Indeed, there have been cases where the needle, once in a peripheral vein, eventually entered the heart.
True, there is one but. Before that, the needle was inserted directly into the vessel, and then it broke and began its journey through the body. Some of the patients who find themselves on the operating table after this are drug addicts who injected themselves on their own, some are people with mental pathologies. Another needle may end up in a vein as a result of unsuccessful medical manipulation.
In any case, the needles must be handled with care. If the needle enters soft tissue, you may need the help of doctors - it will be difficult and unsafe to remove it on your own. Only now she can hardly be in her heart. It is impossible to completely exclude such a development of events in which the needle breaks and its fragment gets into the vessel. But the likelihood of this is microscopic.
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9. Don't go without a hat - you will get meningitis.
This disease is mainly caused by bacteria, viruses, as well as fungi and parasites. Pathogens are transmitted from person to person by airborne droplets. Non-infectious causes include tumors, craniocerebral trauma, brain surgery, and the effects of certain medications.
Meningitis cannot "blow with the wind", and the best protection against it is a vaccine, not a hat. Although it is still better to wear it in the cold season, otherwise your head may ache or your ears will start to clog.
10. Do not swallow gum - it will remain in the stomach for 7 years
Chewing gum is really not digested in our digestive tract, but it leaves it safely in a natural way. It can stay in the intestines in the only way: if you swallow too much gum and you already have constipation, intestinal obstruction will form. This sometimes happens in children.
The material is published for educational purposes and is not a recommendation. ForumDaily Woman is not responsible for any diagnosis made by the reader based on the materials of the site, as well as for the consequences of self-medication, and may not share the point of view of the author or expert.
