Should drowning first aid be treated by "hanging upside down to control water"? Drinking more water will help you recover from a cold faster? Here comes the list of scientific rumors for May →

1. E-cigarettes are healthy and harmless.

Rumor content: E-cigarettes are not harmful to human health, so you can smoke them with confidence.

Truth interpretation: E-cigarettes are also cigarettes, and their harm cannot be ignored.

The main ingredients of most e-cigarette liquids are nicotine, propylene glycol, and glycerin. During the heating process, the liquid produces some other compounds. These substances have a strong irritating effect on the respiratory system, and some may even deposit in the airways, aggravating respiratory inflammation and even causing obliterative bronchiolitis.

E-cigarettes not only harm the human respiratory system, but also the cardiovascular system, immune system and blood system. Even a small amount of inhalation of e-cigarettes can produce corresponding clinical damage symptoms.

In order to strengthen the supervision of the e-cigarette market in all aspects, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration has actively built an e-cigarette market supervision system of "online cleanup, offline control, full-chain coverage, and joint governance", and promoted supervision and law enforcement in accordance with the law. At present, the governance of the e-cigarette industry has fully entered the track of legalization and standardization.

Source: Toutiao refutes rumors

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

Rumor content: After drowning, even if the breathing and heartbeat have stopped, as long as the drowning person is lifted up by his feet, stood upside down and shook a few times, opened his mouth, and used a straw to blow air into his anus, water will flow out of his mouth to stimulate the heart and lungs, and the drowning person can still be revived.

Truth interpretation: Hanging upside down to control water and blowing air through the anus are incorrect operations. Not only can they not effectively rescue the drowning person, but they will delay the precious opportunity for treatment.

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 function, lung damage and lack of oxygen in the blood. Hanging upside down to control water cannot replenish the oxygen in the patient's blood, and most of the water controlled is water in the esophagus and stomach. In addition, the method of carrying a drowning child upside down and running around is also wrong. Forcibly hanging upside down will not only fail to expel water from the body, but may also cause food in the drowning person's stomach to flow back, aggravating breathing difficulties.

For drowning victims whose heart and breathing have stopped, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be started as soon as possible.

Source: Tencent

3. Cesarean section does not require pelvic floor rehabilitation.

Rumor content: Women who have undergone cesarean section have not undergone vaginal trial delivery, so their pelvic floor function will not be damaged, and therefore they do not need to undergo pelvic floor repair.

Truth interpretation: This statement is incorrect. Not only vaginal delivery may cause damage to the pelvic floor function, but pregnancy itself may also cause damage to the pelvic floor function. As long as the pelvic floor function is damaged, whether it is a normal birth or a caesarean section, it is recommended to actively carry out pelvic floor rehabilitation.

Pregnancy and childbirth are two independent factors that affect pelvic floor dysfunction. During pregnancy, the gradual enlargement of the uterus and weight gain may affect the pelvic floor. In the late pregnancy, in order to adapt to the bulging belly, the curvature of the spine will change, causing the lumbar spine to protrude forward, and the center of gravity of the body to point from the waist to the pelvic floor. These may further cause damage to the pelvic floor structure, thereby affecting the pelvic floor function and causing a series of pelvic floor diseases.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

4. When an earthquake strikes, seek shelter in the "Triangle of Life".

Rumor content: When an earthquake strikes, you should hide in a location that can form a triangular space, which can effectively increase your chances of survival.

Truth interpretation: When a building collapses, the gravity of the roof that falls on objects or furniture will hit these objects, leaving a space near them. This space is called the "life triangle."

When escaping from an earthquake, the "Life Triangle Method" teaches you to "quickly find a large, heavy object, such as a wardrobe or sofa, and squat or lie down next to it" which is not reliable. This is because when an earthquake strikes, the shaking it causes makes it impossible to predict where the triangular space is. In the process of finding the triangular space, the surrounding decorations such as the ceiling and broken glass falling down will cause greater harm to the body.

There are many limitations in the actual implementation of the "Triangle of Life Method". The correct approach is to follow the principle of "lie down, cover, and hold on tightly."

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

5. Drink plenty of water after a cold to recover faster.

Rumor content: Drink more water when you have a cold. Drinking plenty of water can increase your blood volume, dilute the concentration of viruses or bacteria, and thus help your body get better faster.

Truth interpretation: Drinking more water cannot cure a cold, and drinking too much water may even cause dehydration.

When you have a cold, your body will fight the virus by having a fever. This process will cause a large amount of water loss in the body, and it will also take away electrolyte components such as sodium and potassium. At this time, if you only replenish a large amount of boiled water, the electrolyte elements such as sodium and potassium in the body will be diluted. When the concentration of sodium in the body drops too much, people will experience dizziness, fatigue, etc. At this time, the brain will automatically send a signal to excrete excess water in the body through urine, sweat, etc. to meet the needs of electrolyte concentration balance in the body.

Therefore, when you have a cold you cannot just drink a lot of water. While drinking water you also need to replenish enough electrolytes to help relieve cold symptoms.

Source: Science Popularization China

6. Steamed buns cannot be eaten if they have been frozen for 3 days because they will breed aflatoxin.

Rumor content: If steamed buns are frozen for more than 3 days, a large amount of aflatoxin will be produced inside the buns, which will cause poisoning if people ingest it.

Truth interpretation: This statement is inaccurate. Steamed buns will not breed aflatoxin if they are frozen for 3 days, but the taste and texture will change, and nutrients and moisture will be lost.

The suitable growth temperature of Aspergillus flavus is 10-33℃. The mold will grow faster at 26-33℃, while the temperature of the freezer layer of the refrigerator will basically not be higher than 0℃. Under such temperature conditions, it is difficult for aflatoxin to grow effectively.

Although frozen steamed bread will not produce aflatoxin, it does not mean that it is completely safe. If not stored properly, steamed bread is easily contaminated by bacteria. Once yellow-green mold spots appear on steamed bread, the surface feels sticky and smells sour or peculiar, it is best not to eat it.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

About the Science Rumors List

Released by the China Association for Science and Technology, the list is reviewed by experts every month. Based on criteria such as timeliness and harmfulness, hot rumors are selected for special interpretation and pushed across the entire network.

Jointly published: Scientific rumor-busting platform, China Internet Joint Rumor-busting Platform, "Study to Strengthen the Country" learning platform

Platform support: Tencent Jiuzhen, Weibo Rumor Refutation, Toutiao Rumor Refutation, Douyin, Dad Review, NetEase Health

List of review experts

(In order of the number of strokes of surname)

Wang Qian, Chief Physician of the Emergency Department, the Third Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

Zhang Yu, Deputy Director of the Office of the Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Chen Peng, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Nankai University

Jia Changkai, deputy chief physician, Xiamen Eye Center affiliated to Xiamen University

Han Hongwei, Researcher, National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

This article is produced by "Science Facts" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting.