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Strop
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Strop
10,816 posts
Bard

In an effort to procrastinate doing everything...okay, really simply to revise my material for next semester when I start working at hospitals (but the first one sounds less dorky D

...anyway...

In an effort to revise my material, I'm inviting each and every one of you to ask any questions you had on the human body (and mind). As long as it's medical, it can be pretty much anything- and I'll attempt to answer it as quickly as possible, hopefully off the top of my head.

HAVE AT IT

  • 327 Replies
Erako
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Erako
121 posts
Nomad

Do homosexuals have something in their neurology..for real...that makes them have different sexual preferences?

Strop
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Strop
10,816 posts
Bard

J4son said:

1) Is he over 60? no
2) Has the cancer spread around both sides of the neck or to other lymph nodes? (I assume the answer here is *yes*.)
3) Have blood tests revealed raised levels of lactase dehydrogenase? I have no clue
4) Is he confined to bed or unable to take care of himself independently? *Yes*
5) Has it metastasized to other tissues outside the lymphatic system? (Again, I assume *yes*).

so its at least 3 out of 4.. hmm


Hmm, yeah. To be brutally honest, in my extremely limited experience, I'm guessing that 4) is a pretty big measure given that it also indicates quality of life in and of itself. But don't quote me on that; ultimately it comes down to your friend. I wish him all the best.
Strop
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Strop
10,816 posts
Bard

Erako asked:

Do homosexuals have something in their neurology..for real...that makes them have different sexual preferences?


The two word answer: Sort of.

This is actually a really complex question, because it's also asking the following:

1) How does one define 'homosexual'?
2) How does neurological function relate to behaviors?

These are both extremely contentious questions that don't actually have a clear, concrete answer as of yet. However, for the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to try to steer the answer in some kind of direction.

Supposing I said "no", what are the alternatives? Those interested in moralising might say this means that the behavior shouldn't exist but that's question-begging seeing as the behavior evidently does exist. Phrases such as "it's all in your head" and "you're putting on an act" come to mind, but I'm going to question the usefulness of these phrases as a whole. This question comes right back to asking whether we, as a whole, have free-will, don't have free-will, or have "some degree" of free-will, or what.

The most general phrase that is applicable to this question and of medicine as a whole is that everything is connected to everything. Medicine, as a science, seems to work by saying that if we can see something is different then something should be working differently inside, and it's a matter of finding *what* that difference is. It could be one thing, or it could be many things, and it may apply to one person or it could apply to many.

So when it comes to discussing homosexuality, this is such a vague and general term that the best approach is to try and spot trends. Neurologically, hormonally, it appears that there are some common differences between "heterosexual" and "homosexual" people (keeping in mind that it's generally unwise to divide all people into these two groups...there's those who would call themselves "bisexual", those who would call themselves "asexual" and others, given the chance, that wouldn't call themselves any of the above because they're "something else entirely"!) Certain landmark medical studies have demonstrated these differences (such as the neuroanatomy paper that was recently highlighted in the Current Affairs subforum), but it is not entirely clear what these studies mean, and how they should be interpreted. Hence the "sort of".

Ultimately though, I don't think that science is here to, in itself, weigh in on the moral issues although it will undoubtedly affect and be affected by them. For my part, I think that the strongest message is that regardless of what we find or don't find, that whatever is, is. And maybe we should respect that on some level.
octobokid95
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octobokid95
554 posts
Peasant

i hav sum questions bout vitamins n how they affect the human body:

1: how does vitamin A kill a person if u hav 2 much?
2: wat vitamins r deadly if u hav 2 much?

n this question is not reali bout medical things, but y does sugar dri up the blood if u hav heaps n heaps in a few hrs or so?

Strop
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Strop
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Bard

There isn't much evidence regarding Vitamin overdosage as to its lethality- there were maybe a few dozen serious complications from vitamin overdose, and maybe one vitamin-overdose related death in the whole of the US last year.

There are two types of vitamin, the water-soluble ones (the various B vitamins and C), and the fat-soluble ones (A,D,E,K). Given they are carried and dissolve in different tissues as a result, they are also excreted differently. In general, water-soluble vitamins are easily excreted via the kidneys (provided you drink enough fluids and your kidneys are okay), so there's little chance of vitamin poisoning.

However, cases have been reported where people who have been overdosing on certain vitamin B supplements experienced neurological symptoms- this may be in part due to sensitivity and therefore unusual. Overdoses of vitamin C (like, three grams of ascorbic acid a day) may cause a brief episode of diarrhea- which isn't the same as poisoning but nonetheless somewhat unpleasant!

Vitamins A,D,E and K may prove more troublesome as they aren't eliminated as easily. They carry a whole range of possible side effects from abnormal growth (last I checked, high vitamin A doses for pregnant women was not recommended), generally feeling like crap (malaise), nausea and vomiting, soreness, metabolic issues (liver, pancreas damage) and so forth. However, it's unlikely that one would ever die from taking too much of the stuff, as the dosage level required is very high. If you did die from it, the probable reason is the accumulated toll on your health from all the other side effects.

In general, the simple solution here is that unless there's a really good reason to (you were advised to in good faith by a qualified doctor), don't load up on the supplements to an excessive degree. Chances are that it'd do nothing good for you anyway, so you'd be wasting money.

n this question is not reali bout medical things, but y does sugar dri up the blood if u hav heaps n heaps in a few hrs or so?


Sure that's a medical question. There's a simple answer, but it's a very important one: osmotic pressure.

Osmosis describes the forces that influence the movement of fluids across permeable membranes. The general principle is that two bodies of water separated by a permeable membrane will always go towards having an equal pressure exerted by the amount of fluid in each compartment, because they push against each other through the membrane. As well as mechanical pressure, certain particles influence how much water is required to balance the forces out, and the sugars are one of them.

The average human body is about 70% water, contained in various different compartments and systems. Blood, being a liquid, is largely composed of water too. Basically, when you take in a lot of sugar, the blood vessels around the stomach and the digestive tract will have the water sucked out of them because the sugar in the stomach will exert a 'ulling' pressure on the body's water. This may also make one feel particularly bloated and rather ill!

The exact forces that dictate how much of what go where is a little more complicated than this, as the cells lining the walls have their own methods for bringing certain particles across the walls of the digestive and urinary tract, which also affect the balance of water in the body, but this is the general idea.
kingryan
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kingryan
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Farmer

Hi Strop...

What is the best way to get rid of a common cold? I have one and it is really annoying....

Thanks
KingRyan

Strop
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Strop
10,816 posts
Bard

What is the best way to get rid of a common cold? I have one and it is really annoying....


Common medical knowledge dictates that there's no easy cure :P

So my advice is bedrest, plenty of fluids, and maybe up your Vitamin C intake. Also, don't rub your nose, dab it! Chafed nose = very yuck.
invisiman
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invisiman
282 posts
Peasant

Strop, is there a good way to prevent yourself from getting sick?

KingofSleeping
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KingofSleeping
423 posts
Nomad

Well how do I have 3 gum boils?

invisiman
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invisiman
282 posts
Peasant

What are gum boils? Are they boils, like on your face.

My next question. If someone in your family has skin cancer, are you more at risk of getting that disease too?

KingofSleeping
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KingofSleeping
423 posts
Nomad

I dunno but thats what my Mam says they are and thats why I am asking!

KoS

kingryan
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kingryan
4,196 posts
Farmer

I know what you mean about not rubbing your nose...

What is the best source of Vitamin C?

KingRyan

invisiman
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invisiman
282 posts
Peasant

I have a question.

Is there a certain food... or fruit that gives you most of your vitamins that you need per day? If not, what has the most vitamins?

soyo678
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soyo678
185 posts
Nomad

proabably some kind of citrus

Strop
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Strop
10,816 posts
Bard

Invisiman asked:

Strop, is there a good way to prevent yourself from getting sick?


I think a short simple list would help, just for your average person:

1) Eat a balanced diet. Not too much, not too little, the energy intake should be balanced (~50% carbohydrates, ~20% fats and ~%30 protein) and make sure you have good amounts of vitamins, minerals, as well as fiber. I'll go into that later as somebody's asked what has what.

If you're confident that you're getting enough vitamins etc. from the foods you eat you will most likely not need vitamin supplements.

2) Sleep regularly and enough so you don't feel tired. It varies between people, but usually between 7-9 hours a night. Sleeping during night is also recommended.

3) Try not to stress too much...this can be difficult but stress quite often precipitates illness.

4) Stay fit, with, say, 15-30 minutes exercise six days a week. Organised activity is even better. Also, it feels good to be fit- something like being able to run a mile in eight minutes, or doing twenty *real* pushups.

5) Whether or not vaccinations help or not is controversial but for the most part they are highly recommended.

Basically illness (the infective sort) happens when your body is run down or not under optimal conditions as your immune system weakens due to the extra load. Therefore the best way to prevent illness is to live a healthy lifestyle!
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