caption Not all trips to the toilet are created equal. source Shutterstock/litabit We’ve all been taught to wash our hands after using the restroom. But not everyone does. Scientific research suggests that washing up after going to the bathroom, especially if you might have feces on your hands, is an effective way to combat infection and illness. In a pinch, even rinsing your hands with cold water helps prevent the spread of bacteria. We all know what we’re supposed to do after using the toilet. But survey after survey (including one in which scientists secretly camped out in bathrooms) have revealed a dirty truth: people don’t always wash their hands before they leave the bathroom. One study suggested that only 67% of people wash their hands after they go. Don Schaffner, a professor of food science at Rutgers, has been studying hand washing for years and says the conventional wisdom shouldn’t be ignored. “It … [Read more...] about Do you really have to wash your hands every time you use the bathroom? The definitive answer, according to science
Dog vomits after drinking water
Canine parvovirus arrives on heels of rabies in Nakhon Si Thammarat
The dogs at Wat Pathammaram in Lan Saka district had been vaccinated against rabies on March 7, so their deaths led to speculation among monks and residents about a causal link. Siripong on Monday led a team of officials in spraying the temple grounds with disinfectant and treating the surviving dogs. He explained that the dogs had died from a different disease. If a vaccinated dog were allergic to the anti-rabies serum, it would show symptoms to that effect within 15 minutes, he said, so the deaths on March 20-21 had nothing to do with the March 7 vaccinations. Siripong said the temple was the province’s first site of an outbreak of canine parvovirus. Monks said three or four of the vaccinated dogs per day vomited, would only drink water and died in their sleep beginning about a week after they had their shots. They said some of the surviving dogs were showing similar symptoms. … [Read more...] about Canine parvovirus arrives on heels of rabies in Nakhon Si Thammarat
10 myths about what can cure a hangover — and whether or not they really work
source Getty Images Everyone has heard of a favorite hangover cure, but people still often find themselves searching for something that’ll actually work to cure a hangover. That’s partially because many hangover cures are myths. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we explore the truth behind the myths. Everyone’s heard some version of a hangover cure. Some people swear that remembering to chug water before bed will cure a hangover. Others have more elaborate routines, involving various types of food, drink, or physical activity. The problem with trying to find a hangover cure is that many aspects of what causes a hangover are still a mystery to science. But that doesn’t mean every hangover cure is bunk. From what we can tell, hangovers are at least partially – perhaps mostly – caused by the byproducts our bodies create when we break down alcohol. We know that … [Read more...] about 10 myths about what can cure a hangover — and whether or not they really work