All posts by Andrea Hernandez

Outside with wet hair

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Andrea Hernandez

Your parents probably told you not to go outside with wet hair because you’d catch a cold. Having wet hair does not cause colds, colds are caused by a virus. There is no association of the virus with wet hair.

During below freezing temperatures, going outside with wet hair might increase the risk of hypothermia. So, if you were planning to go outside in cold weather with wet hair and without a jacket, you might want to reconsider.

Even though you do not get sick from wet hair, your hair becomes more prone to breakage in cold weather. Water expands in volume during freezing temperatures, so it forces the hair shaft to expand and lifts hair cuticles. Wet hair in freezing temperatures can be exposed to environmental damage which makes it easier for hair to get split ends.

The next time you decide to go outside in freezing temperatures with wet hair, you might want to think twice!

https://www.bustle.com/p/can-going-out-with-wet-hair-make-you-sick-this-is-why-the-old-wives-tale-has-stood-the-test-of-time-7588454

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cold-wet-hair-germs_n_6739144

https://www.wellandgood.com/good-looks/cold-weather-damages-wet-hair/

https://www.thisisinsider.com/reason-for-not-going-outside-with-wet-hair-damage-winter-2018-11

 

Moved by Music

Image result for music and head

Source: Virgin

Andrea Hernandez

Have you ever listened to a song that shifted your mood? Music creates emotions. We can feel happy or sad just by listening to the beat and tempo. This interpretive process is similar to how we can recognize other people’s feelings by their facial expressions, body language, and tone.

There are two types of emotions we can experience when we listen to music: perceived and felt. Perceived is the emotion we recognize from our surroundings. Felt is the emotion an individual experiences. A psychology study found that listening to sad music can be a pleasant experience. The researchers believe music is a safe stimulant that has no direct relationship to an actual threat regardless of the sadness intensity. This study also found that sad music is multi-faceted when it was previously believed to contain only unpleasant emotions.

Current studies are looking into music therapy to alleviate symptoms of depression and for people who live with dementia. To date, studies suggest music may alleviate symptoms of depression in the short-term.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4038858/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201807/why-are-we-moved-music

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003477.pub2/abstract

https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/music-therapy-to-relieve-depression/

Sleeping after a concussion

Image result for concussion

Source: Brainline

Andrea Hernandez

In the past, a blow to the head with potential concussion might have led to the recommendation to avoid sleep for some time. It was thought that if you failed to stay awake you would fall into a coma or lose consciousness. It was also believed that the severity of a head injury should be checked on periodically to see if there was a change in alertness.

Current evidence shows that sleep speeds brain recovery. The first days after a concussion are important to brain recovery. It is encouraged to have physical and mental rest to aid the healing process. Extended bed rest is not recommended because it decreases muscle strength and changes how your body processes energy, along with other harmful effects. After a few days rest, people with a concussion should ease back into their regular activities.

https://uamshealth.com/healthlibrary2/medicalmyths/sleepingwithaconcussion/

https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/is-it-safe-to-sleep-after-a-concussion

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/5/304.short

https://journals.lww.com/pain/Abstract/2015/04001/Pain_and_sleep_in_post_concussion_mild_traumatic.11.aspx

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/135/2/213.abstract