Some seemingly trivial habits in life may potentially harbor significant health risks. According to an analysis and survey conducted by a health management institution on the physical examination results of adults, ten small habits that people often overlook have unfortunately made it onto the "blacklist" of health.
1st Place: Lack of exercise.
Two-thirds of the respondents do not meet the standard of exercising three times a week for more than 30 minutes each time. Dr. Hong Zhaoguang, the chief health education expert of the Ministry of Health, pointed out that insufficient exercise can lead to obesity, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, lower back pain, and other diseases. People should maintain at least three to five exercise sessions per week, with each session lasting 30 minutes.
Fun Fact:
"Slow exercise" is increasingly favored by white-collar workers due to its functions in body shaping, stress relief, beauty, and disease prevention, making it the first choice for many white-collar workers. For high-stress white-collar workers, especially women, slow-paced exercises like yoga, Tai Chi, or walking can calm a restless mind after a busy day at work, rather than causing potential harm to the body by running intensely on a treadmill for 40 minutes or an hour after work.
2nd Place: Crossing legs.
This seemingly comfortable habit can cause poor blood circulation in the legs, leading to venous thrombosis, scoliosis, and lumbar disc protrusion. Dr. Liu Deping, deputy director of the Cardiology Department at Beijing Hospital, pointed out that prolonged leg crossing can exacerbate conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
Fun Fact:
Disease One: Can lead to varicose veins or thrombosis in the legs. When crossing the legs, the knee under pressure affects the blood circulation in the lower limbs. Keeping the legs in one position for a long time can easily cause numbness, and if the blood circulation is blocked, it may result in varicose veins or thrombosis in the legs. This is particularly dangerous for elderly individuals suffering from hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, as it can worsen their conditions.
Disease Two: Affects male reproductive health. Crossing the legs tightly increases the temperature around the thighs and the reproductive area. For men, this high temperature can damage sperm, potentially affecting fertility over time.
Disease Three: Leads to spinal deformity and causes lower back pain. The normal spine should appear as an "S" shape from the side, but when crossing the legs, it's easy to hunch, eventually forming a "C" shape, which creates uneven pressure distribution on the lumbar and thoracic vertebrae. Over time, it can press on the spinal nerves, causing lower back pain.
Disease Four: Causes bone changes or muscle strain. Crossing the legs places long-term pressure on the pelvis and hip joints, leading to soreness, and over time, may cause bone changes or muscle strain. In buses, sudden braking can cause joint injuries or dislocations if the crossed legs don't have time to flatten.
3rd Place: Reading newspapers while on the toilet.
Sitting on the toilet reading prolongs defecation time, causing anal congestion and potentially leading to hemorrhoids. Additionally, anal congestion can mislead the nervous system, stimulating the "defecation sensor," making the anus feel persistently heavy. Therefore, it's best not to multitask while using the restroom.
Fun Fact:
Reading on the toilet disrupts the brain's command of the defecation nerve, extending defecation time. Modern medical research has proven that squatting on the toilet for more than three minutes can directly lead to varicose veins in the rectum, easily inducing hemorrhoids, with the severity related to the duration. Squatting longer increases the risk of developing the condition. Prolonged sitting can increase abdominal pressure, leading to impaired venous return, causing the superior rectal vein to expand, weakening the venous wall closure. Consistently doing so can easily lead to the formation of hemorrhoids.
Additionally, toilets generally have insufficient lighting, and reading inside can harm the eyes. Doctors suggest completing bowel movements within five minutes while practicing regular pelvic floor exercises to effectively prevent and treat diseases like hemorrhoids.
4th Place: Getting up immediately after waking up.
Professor Jim Horne of Loughborough University's Sleep Research Center pointed out that getting up immediately after waking could likely cause sudden blood pressure changes, leading to hypertension or stroke. It's recommended to lie down for five minutes, moving the limbs and head before getting up.
Fun Fact:
Experts suggest:
1. After waking up, don't get up immediately; stay in bed for half a minute.
2. Sit on the edge of the bed for half a minute.
3. Stand next to the bed for half a minute before getting active. This gradual movement allows the body to adapt to changes, reducing sudden pressure on the blood vessels, preventing falls, and stabilizing the heart rhythm.
5th Place: Using computers for over three hours continuously.
Prolonged computer use can cause eye fatigue, shoulder and back pain, headaches, loss of appetite, insomnia, and other issues.
Micro-wave harm: Low-energy X-rays and low-frequency electromagnetic radiation from computers can cause central nervous system disorders. British studies have shown that low-frequency radiation and magnetic fields emitted by computer screens can lead to 7-19 different symptoms, including runny nose, itchy eyes, neck and back pain, temporary memory loss, irritability, and depression. For women, it can also cause dysmenorrhea and extended menstrual periods, and some pregnant women may experience premature labor or miscarriage. Long-term computer use leads to mental stress, psychological pressure, and fatigue, combined with electromagnetic radiation, increasing breast cancer incidence by about 30% compared to normal people. Studies also show that computer electromagnetic radiation can cause cancer.
Vision harm: Staring at one spot reduces blinking to only a third of normal, decreasing lubrication in the eyes. Long-term effects include eye fatigue, double vision, blurred vision, and other discomforts. The most effective solution is appropriate rest and consuming foods rich in Vitamin A to replenish rhodopsin on the retina, such as carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, tofu, red dates, oranges, milk, eggs, animal liver, lean meat, etc.
Tissue harm: Repetitive and tense actions while operating a computer can damage muscles, nerves, joints, tendons, etc., in certain areas. Besides back and waist pain, carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers may experience pain or numbness in the wrist, extending to the palm and fingers.
Respiratory system harm: Computer emissions can harm the respiratory system. Recent studies by the UK Allergy Foundation indicate that office equipment releases harmful ozone gases, primarily from computers and laser printers. These ozone gases are toxic and can cause breathing difficulties in some people. Prolonged exposure in high-ozone environments can lead to lung lesions.
6th Place: Bending over to lift heavy objects.
Dr. Hai Yong, Director of Orthopedics at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, suggests that bending over to lift heavy objects can potentially damage the lower back muscles and lumbar discs. It's better to squat down, lean forward, and distribute the weight onto the leg muscles.
Fun Fact:
Bending over to lift or move heavy objects is common in daily life and work, such as workers lifting heavy objects or housewives carrying laundry basins from the ground. Without proper posture, especially for those who rarely engage in heavy physical labor like office workers or homemakers, it can easily cause lower back injuries.
When bending over to lift heavy objects, the worst posture is straight-knee bending. In this position, when the waist straightens from a flexed state, although the gluteus maximus and other muscles contract, when the bend exceeds 90 degrees, the erector spinae cannot maintain the spine's position or protect the ligaments. All tension on the posterior side of the spine is borne by the ligaments. When standing up, the erector spinae must first exert considerable force to compress, extend the trunk above the fifth lumbar vertebra, and lift the heavy object, easily causing lower back strains. Straight-knee bending also increases the load on the back muscles and ligaments, causing lower back muscle and ligament injuries.
Correct posture: Move closer to the heavy object, then bend your knees and hips, hold the object with both hands, and extend your knees and hips to lift the object. This mainly relies on the contraction strength of the gluteus maximus and quadriceps, avoiding excessive strain on the back muscles, thus reducing the chance of lower back injuries. Additionally, keep the knees slightly bent when moving heavy objects, bringing the object closer to the body, reducing the burden on the back muscles, and minimizing injury chances.
Drink more water: Some people seem to drink little water throughout the day because they obtain sufficient hydration from food. Foods contain water, such as rice, where the water content reaches 60%, and porridge contains even more water. Looking at the nutritional composition table, vegetables and fruits generally have a water content exceeding 70%. Even eating 500 grams of fruits and vegetables daily provides 300-400 milliliters of water (about two cups). With a balanced diet combining dry and liquid foods, obtaining 1500-2000 milliliters of water from meals is not difficult. Take advantage of meal times to hydrate by choosing more fruits, vegetables, and non-salty soups, all providing good hydration.
7th Place: Straining during bowel movements.
Straining too hard during bowel movements can increase cardiac contraction, causing a sudden rise in blood pressure and potentially leading to cerebral hemorrhage.
Fun Fact:
Excessive straining during bowel movements in the elderly can cause changes in coronary artery and cerebral blood flow. Due to reduced cerebral blood flow, fainting can occur during defecation. Individuals with insufficient coronary artery blood supply may experience angina or myocardial infarction, hypertensive patients may suffer from cerebrovascular accidents, and there may be reports of arterial aneurysm or ventricular aneurysm rupture, mural thrombus detachment, arrhythmia, or even sudden death. Hypotonic colon due to low muscular layer tension can lead to megacolon, increased intra-abdominal pressure during straining can cause or worsen hemorrhoids, forced defecation can injure the anal canal, leading to perianal diseases. Fecal impaction can cause intestinal obstruction, fecal ulcers, urinary retention, and fecal incontinence, along with spontaneous colonic perforation or sigmoid volvulus.
8th Place: Drinking too little water.
Health education expert Tian Chaoyang from the Ministry of Health recommends drinking at least 2 liters of water daily, with appropriate hydration upon waking and between meals.
Fun Fact:
Morning hydration tips: Many women consider drinking water upon waking as a daily routine, believing it helps with smooth bowel movements, lowers blood viscosity, and keeps the skin hydrated. However, morning hydration varies from person to person. Slim, pale-skinned individuals with cold constitutions should avoid drinking milk, fruit juice, or cold water below body temperature in the morning. Instead, they can opt for warm soup or porridge.
Freshly squeezed juices are unsuitable for empty stomachs, even in summer, and should be consumed with breakfast.
Avoid salt in morning hydration. Thick meat soups or salty dumpling soups are unsuitable in the morning, as they only increase the body's thirst.
Pre-meal hydration is most beneficial for the stomach. Should you drink water before meals? Won't it dilute gastric juices and affect digestion? Western cuisine includes pre-meal appetizers to stimulate appetite, smooth the esophagus, and prepare for the meal. Similarly, drinking a small cup of water (about 100 ml) before solid food, whether room-temperature juice, yogurt, warm sugared chrysanthemum water, light tea, or a small bowl of flavorful soup, serves as an excellent way to nourish the stomach.
9th Place: Eating overly hot food.
Eating excessively hot food can damage the intestines and bodily functions. Regularly consuming food close to body temperature can delay gastrointestinal aging and promote longevity.
Fun Fact:
Food entering the gastrointestinal tract passes through the oral cavity and esophagus. "High-temperature" diets contacting the digestive tract and oral mucosa can cause epithelial damage, ulcers, and bleeding. Repeated adverse stimulation may lead to cancer. Therefore, individuals accustomed to eating hot food and drinking hot beverages have a higher risk of developing oral and esophageal cancers.
Experts recommend reducing spicy and hot foods after age 40. Oral leukoplakia caused by preferences for spicy, numbing, and hot foods is closely linked to oral cancer. Its transformation into cancer mainly involves physical and chemical stimuli. This is why individuals over 40 should minimize spicy, numbing, and hot foods to prevent continuous oral stimulation, which could directly induce oral cancer.
Therefore, individuals over 40 should monitor any unremovable white rough patches in the mouth. If the mucosa feels rough, foreign, or taste perception changes, seek medical attention promptly. If leukoplakia occurs, regularly check for changes, such as surrounding red spots, hardening of the plaque, accompanied by bleeding or ulcers, warranting special caution.
10th Place: Consuming excessive coffee or tea.
Moderate amounts of coffee and tea benefit the body, but excessive consumption can irritate the stomach and affect sleep.
Fun Fact:
Coffee: Recent foreign media reports suggest coffee might be leading a new healthy eating trend. However, upgrading from a medium to a super-sized cup doesn't necessarily make you healthier. Most researchers believe there isn't enough evidence showing coffee's benefits to encourage non-coffee drinkers to change their habits.
Additionally, no one has determined the optimal daily coffee intake for health. Responses to coffee vary widely: one small cup can make someone anxious, while others can drink ten cups and still sleep soundly. The relationship between coffee and health remains unproven, with experts suggesting that coffee's pros and cons vary by individual.
Tea: Tea comes in three types—green tea, black tea, and oolong tea. Their cooling or heating properties differ, affecting their suitability based on your constitution type. Green tea is cooling, black tea is warming, and oolong tea lies between them, being neutral. Drinking tea should be moderate, similar to consuming any single food excessively. Many yang-deficient individuals develop cold syndromes from drinking green tea for long periods. If accustomed to drinking tea, consider oolong tea, as its nature is gentler.