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What does it take to lead a healthy life? Exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, that’s it? Do you think that’s all it takes? Chiefly, yes. But there are other little things that count too. For starters, saying goodbye to patterns, habits and activities that can be detrimental to health.
Smoking, and excessive drinking, are not the only things that are detrimental to our health. There are plenty more things that we are sure you didn’t realise were secretly doing more harm than good. This blog post lists a few of those.
Incense
Incense sticks are commonly seen in Indian households. They have their own spiritual and cultural significance in India. While the fragrance may fill you with positivity, and freshen you up, incense can also have a bad effect on your health.
As per research, incense burning produces smoke that contains particulate matter, gas products and various other organic compounds. These have been known to cause pollution and airway disease, among many health problems. It is also a risk factor for spiked cord blood IgE levels.
Running on hard floors
Running is good for cardiovascular health, cholesterol and overall health. But is it good even if you run on hard floors? Well, not so much. Much to the surprise of many, running on hard floors can cause extra strain to your joints and ankles. Consequently, it can lead to injuries or inflammation in the Achilles tendon and shin splints. It can also lead to stress fractures in the small bones of the ankle or foot.
However, you don’t need to stop running because of that. You can run on soft surfaces like grass, best in a park.
Dry-cleaning your clothing
Seasons change, and with it, wardrobe changes too. You have to prepare your wardrobe for the next season – which doesn’t only mean pulling your clothes out of a trunk but also dry cleaning it. You must know that the process of dry cleaning uses a chemical called perchloroethylene, which is extremely harmful to your health. Research shows that being exposed to it for longer can cause skin cancer. The chemical can also cause acute side effects such as nausea, dizziness, headaches and fatigue.
Keeping your gadgets near you when you sleep
If you have trouble sleeping, including waking up in the middle of the night, being conscious of your surroundings, or staying wide awake, you might be struggling with insomnia. While the causes of insomnia can be many, gadgets are one of them. Screens can disrupt your sleeping patterns, causing sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation can further lead to exhaustion, joint pain, knee pain, mood swings, slow metabolism, high blood pressure, stroke, kidney disease, and heart disease.
Not to forget, sleeping next to your phone can lead to exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the phone. Long-term exposure of which can cause cataracts, blisters, cancer and genetic mutations.
Sleeping too much
Who doesn’t like to sleep like a baby? We all do. But just so you know, excess of anything can be bad for your health – sleeping too. Yes, you read that right. An adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep to function normally. However, if you sleep more than that on a regular basis, it can increase the risks of chronic diseases, diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity and anxiety. Headaches and back pains can also be experienced if you sleep too much.
Not using sunscreen
Avoiding tanning is not the only reason you must wear sunscreen. Exposure to UV rays can cause excessive skin damage, ultimately leading to skin cancer. In addition, it can also lead to premature ageing caused by wrinkles, pigmentation and fine lines. A weak immune system, and blood vessel damages are also some of the harmful effects of not wearing sunscreen.
Skipping breakfast
We know what a morning rush can do. Apart from giving you stress, it can make you skip breakfast. You might think it is okay, it might help you reduce your calorie intake; but just so you know, skipping breakfast can be detrimental to your health. You can develop a risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease, low blood sugar, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
A breakfast can fuel, not just your morning but your entire day. This is why it’s essential to spare some time to have breakfast, even if it gets you a little late for work.
The bottom line
Surprised? Turns out, there are a lot of ways you can put your health at risk without having any idea that you are doing so. Now that you have become familiar, it’s time you start prioritising health by avoiding the things listed above. Remember, health comes first.
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