Humanity

What causes fainting? Scientists finally have an answer

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What causes fainting? Scientists finally have an answer

Whether as a result of heat, hunger, standing for too long, or merely at the sight of blood or needles, 40% of people faint at least once in their lifetime.

But exactly what causes these brief losses of consciousness — which researchers call ‘syncope’ — has remained a mystery for cardiologists and neuroscientists for a long time.

Now, researchers have discovered a neural pathway, which involves a previously undiscovered group of sensory neurons that connect the heart to the brainstem. The study, published in Nature on 1 November1, shows that activating these neurons made mice became immobile almost immediately while displaying symptoms such as rapid pupil dilation and the classic eye-roll observed during human syncope.

Does Environmental Cancer Risk Get Too Much Attention? ♋

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Often when you hear about cancer risk, the focus is on environmental toxins that cause cancer. Things like persistent organic pollutants, asbestos, benzene, vinyl chlorides and arsenic. Environmental carcinogens are concerning but often they get too much attention because they are out of one’s control.

On the other hand, things in one’s own control that are most closely correlated with cancer, namely diet and exercise get very little attention when it comes to cancer. Obesity is a known cancer risk, quite clearly the highest of all cancer risks. Extra stores of body fat not only store carcinogens in one’s body, the foods that put on the extra pounds often contain the most carcinogens — meats and milk while tasty, delicious and protein-dense comes from animals which have spent their days eating and aggregating toxins from plants into their products consumed by humans.

I’m not an advocate for a plant-based diet but I do think moderation is key when it comes to eating animal and animal-based products. Don’t go crazy but stay away from excessive fat, carbohydrates, salts and sugars. Avoid processed foods as many are high in at least one of those four things, to cover up for the poor quality of materials used and their ultra-palliative nature. Instead, go for simpler “whole” foods and cook with appropriate spices at home.

Take more personal responsibility for your own well-being. Don’t blame the factory down the road when you are eating crap all day, smoking cigarettes and not getting outside and getting exercise. It might be tough to be tough on yourself, but it’s key to living a good, long life.

The Thing I Fear …

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Big Red Gets Towed Away

I really like the idea of going down to West Virginia and spending the majority of my week in the Blackwater Falls – Canaan Heights area. But it’s such a long trip, and it’s one that puts a lot of wear and tear on my big jacked up — and now old truck that turns 12 next week. How fast time goes! I know this trip is always the ultimate in stress test for my truck, with the long drives, the high speed, the hairpin turns, the hills.

My truck seems to be running well, but it’s been through 12 years of rough dirt roads and salt seasons. I’ll check the fluids and make sure there is no new noise or behaviors noticed over the coming weeks. I could jack it up and check for play in any of the suspension components, but I’ve not noticed any unusual behavior. I guess I could take it to my mechanic for an inspection but without much direction I don’t think it will be a help. But at the same time, I don’t want to spend a fortune replacing every component that is worn or kind of beat but will survive the trip.

I realize I continue to wage the last war in my mind. It’s no longer 2021 when I had issues that November, I have replaced both hubs and wheel bearings on the front of Big Red, and the lower ball joints and control arms at least one one side if not both have been replaced. It’s a longer trip then I can probably limp home, but worse comes to worse, I can stay in a hotel or rent a car for a few days. I’ll have my tent and bicycle with me that offers options. And I can’t live my life constantly in fear. I am on vacation to enjoy myself, not feed my anxiety.

Obviously, breaking down a long ways from home, having to rent a car or stay in a hotel is an expense. But it can be a new adventure should the worse-comes-to-worse, and it’s not like I will struggle for money, as in an emergency I can always tap various sources of money I have in various accounts, to say nothing about my credit cards. And it’s silly to get too worried about it, the last two times I broke down — one was stupid loose lug nut on summer vacation, the other the wheel bearing — I was able to get my truck fixed the same day and be back on the road a few hundred bucks less.

I should take the trip I want and not worry about feeding the anxiety machine, but instead sit back and enjoy life. And make sure I maintain a nutritious diet throughout my trip, so I can have a good healthy blood sugar, drive safely, make it to my destination, and relax at camp and all the fun things I do hiking and exploring on my mountain bike. Anxiety shouldn’t be paralyzing or keep me from living the life I want to live.