The Myths of Summer Examined At Last
We grew up on the myths of summer. You know the ones: "Don’t swim for 30 minutes after eating ..." Or: "Don’t touch someone who has poison ivy because it’s contagious.” With August in full swing, it’s time to check out the myths of summer once and for all!• Don’t swim for 30 minutes after eating. Good advice? Maybe. If you have a big meal and go swimming right away you might get a cramp. And while the cramp may be uncomfortable, it is unlikely to be disabling. Some people get cramps, some people don’t.
• Eating watermelon seeds is bad for you. Good advice? Nope. Your body will try to digest them, but it cannot -- so they'll just pass through. If you were to chew them up and eat them, you’d be eating a lot of extra calories. One cup of watermelon seeds contains 602 calories, 31 grams of protein (about the same as a chicken breast) and 51 grams of fat, a day’s worth for most people.
• You can catch poison ivy if you touch the rash on someone who has it. True or false? False. You have to come in contact with the plant to catch it. Specifically, the oil in the plant is what causes the rash. But the rash cannot be passed from one person to another.
• Scratching a bug bite makes it worse. True or false? True. Scratching it can break the skin and cause infection. Even if you don’t break the skin, scratching will irritate and make it more annoying. Resist the urge to scratch and put something on it to stop the itch. A cold soda can works in a pinch.
• If a jellyfish stings you, pee on the wound. Good advice? NO! Urinating on a jellyfish sting can make it worse, according to Dr. Jennifer Ping, an emergency medicine physician at Straub Clinic and Hospital in Hawaii, who has studied the most effective treatments for dealing with jellyfish stings.
The stings are caused by contact with a jellyfish tentacle, which pierce the skin and inject venom, Dr. Ping said. The best thing is to apply an acidic compound such as vinegar, either by pouring it directly onto the wound or applying a vinegar-soaked cloth. Once the nematocytes are deactivated, scrape them off with a credit card or other flat object.
More From News Talk KIT
