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Health24.com | SEE: Why people are freaking out about pictures of holes

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A phobia is an irrational and persistent fear of certain objects or situations. Some people have an intense fear of snakes and others can’t stand the thought of public speaking.

But a small number of people have a fear of something quite unique: holes. It’s known as trypophobia and very little research exists on the condition. In fact, some researchers are referring to it as “the most common phobia you have never heard of”.

What is trypophobia?

For trypophobes, the sight of clusters of holes arranged in different formations can cause intense psychological or even physical reactions.

A 2013 study from the University of Essex found the disorder is widely documented by sufferers on the internet and that “the trypophobic objects had relatively high contrast energy at midrange spatial frequencies”.

According to National Geographic the term is not recognised by the American Psychiatric Association, and “mental health experts debate whether or not the affliction is a true phobia, with some opting more frequently to label it an idiosyncrasy, or unusual behaviour”. 

‘A wave of discomfort’

Even though the verdict is still out on whether it is a true phobia, the struggle is real for many sufferers. Tarryn Temmers, a content producer at Health24, is a self-diagnosed trypophobe. She says the phobia has been present for most of her life.

“I feel nauseous, a sensation that things are crawling on my skin and my head itches,” says Tarryn. “I feel extremely anxious when I get a glimpse of an image of a cluster of holes; I immediately have to look away. The fear comes over me like a wave of discomfort as soon as I am forced to look at the image.”

Tarryn thinks the condition should be recognised as a clinically diagnosable phobia. From a patient’s perspective this would mean that the condition will likely be covered by medical aids, more research will be done and official funding will improve the quality of treatment. 

“Professionals should be on board as this feels real and has real consequences.” A ‘clinically diagnosable’ condition means psychologists and psychiatrists can officially diagnose a patient with it using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM). Currently phobias such as agoraphobia (fear of open spaces and social phobia (fear of social situations) are covered in the criteria mentioned in the DSM

Due to a lack of research it is unsure how many people in South Africa are suffering from the disorder, but anecdotally looking at the prevalence of phobias in general, Tarryn is one of many South Africans suffering from trypophobia. 

Why it happens

Researchers from the University of Kent say it is unclear why the condition exists, given the harmless nature of typical eliciting stimuli. Two of the theories being offered by scientists are:

1. Trypophobia is an evolutionary response to clusters that resemble the presence of parasites or infectious diseases. It reminds sufferers of diseases such as smallpox and measles and conjures up images of diseased people.

“This survival account is based on the notion that humans have been selected, via Darwinian principles, for their ability to notice poisonous organisms,” says Dr Geoff Cole  who co-authored the University of Essex study.

2. Potentially deadly animals such as spiders, snakes and scorpions have similar markings. For sufferers it’s natural to avoid any structures that resemble these lethal animals.

“We found that a range of potentially dangerous animals also possess this spectral characteristic,” said Cole.

“We argue that although sufferers are not conscious of the association, the phobia arises in part because the inducing stimuli share basic visual characteristics with dangerous organisms, characteristics that are low level and easily computed, and therefore facilitate a rapid nonconscious response.”

Treatment

Since there’s very little research on trypophobia, standardised treatment options are not available. Experts do, however, suggest Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

CBT focused on abnormal and irrational thought patterns and is often used in treating other types of phobias. The study from the University of Kent suggests that CBT might also be effective in this case, even though it is still very experimental. 

Not for sensitive readers:

More images of what would typically illicit a sense of anxiety in somebody suffering from trypophobia can be found here. 

Read more: 

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Fear or phobia?

Spiders’ size exaggerated in minds of those who fear them

Joshua Carstens

Health24.com | This is why you must take annual leave

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If you check your pay slip, you should see a number that indicates the amount of leave days you have – but how often do you actually use that leave? And more importantly, how often should you take leave? 

Experts agree: take your annual leave and avoid burning out mentally and physically.

Think about all the devices you have access to – from your car to smart phone and computer. Have you ever noticed how they have the ability to idle or hibernate?  

“This function saves battery life,” explains clinical psychologist Dr Colinda Linde. “Think about the last time you had too many tabs, files or apps open on your computer, and how the device became sluggish.

“Humans are the same – if our bodies and minds are switched on in ‘work’ mode 24/7, it results in inefficient performance, exhaustion and errors, as well as mood changes such as becoming more sensitive, more reactive, less tolerant.”

The importance of taking annual leave

“It’s important for people to take time off. All the research shows that proper rest periods improve wellness, reduce stress and increase productivity,” says Shelagh Goodwin, general manager of human resources at Media24.

“Under South African labour law, it is mandatory for employers to give paid leave to employees.”

Goodwin says she can rest well over a long weekend, as long it comes with a complete change of scenery and she doesn’t check emails. However, she believes a proper break should be at least two weeks long. 

quote, Dr Linde, Colinda Linde

Patterns of annual leave

Is there a pattern you should follow when it comes to taking annual leave? Goodwin believes it depends on the individual. 

“It is best to take chunks, rather than a day here and a day there, but whether you choose to take two two-week holidays in a year or one four-week holiday is up to you. Personally, I’m a fan of two holidays a year – and I really feel it when I have not had a break in more than six months.”

If it is not possible to take regular leave throughout the year, you do need to make the time to take a break from “work mode”. Dr Linde says regular mini-breaks tend to work better as there is a periodic opportunity to recharge and reset.

Listen to your body. Not taking a proper break can lead to burnout. “Take holidays!” Goodwin urges. “It’s good for you and it’s good for your company.” 

She does caution that employers have the right to determine when your leave may be taken. “If it’s a bad time to take leave from an operational point of view, the employer may refuse to approve it.” 

Make sure you plan you leave around your company’s operational needs so that you can take a break when you really need it. 

Identifying burnout

“Burnout starts with feeling there is too much to do but somehow this is managed by skimping on sleep, social activity, and other ‘luxuries’ that get in the way of work,” says Dr Linde.

Then exhaustion sets in, along with mood and body symptoms, for example irritability, tearfulness, and inexplicable aches and pains, headaches and digestive issues. 

“In the beginning there is still an internal – and sometimes external – pressure to achieve, and willpower can keep you going along with very short breaks,” explains Dr Linde. 

“After a prolonged period, cynicism and lack of meaning sets in, along with more apparent mood, body and behavioural symptoms – you may need caffeine to get started in the morning, you develop sugar cravings and your sleep is impaired.”

Your performance starts to drop and mistakes occur due to fatigue, poor concentration and poor memory.

Planning your annual leave is the first step you can take to avoid burnout. Factors that contribute to burnout include high stress, a heavy workload, a lack of control over job situations, a lack of emotional support and long work hours. Over time, this will lead to physical wear and tear. 

Signs of burnout include: 

• Feeling of lack of control over commitments
• Loss of purpose
• Loss of motivation
• Detachment from relationships
• Feeling tired and lethargic
• Feeling that you’re accomplishing less
• Increased tendency to think negatively

Learning to switch off

Dr Linde says it takes time to shift from work mode into rest/play mode, especially mentally. “If it feels too difficult to shut down from work completely, especially if you run your own business and feel uncomfortable being away for too long you could compromise,” she says. “Be available for phone or mail contact once (or twice) daily, at a set time, and not for too long (30-60 minutes).”

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At the end of that time, you need to shut off devices and keep away from work triggers until the next check-in time.

“You’ll be surprised at how quickly people will learn that they cannot access you outside the agreed times. They will adapt and learn to bring up the important matters at the time that they can contact you.”

Read more:

20 signs you’re on your way to burnout

Job burnout severely compromises heart

What is stress?

Health24.com | You’ll be shocked at how dismissive people are of mental health

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A recent story about a CEO’s surprisingly understanding response to an employee’s need to take a mental health day was largely met with adulation – but not so much by readers on News24’s Facebook page.

“Let her take a day, i don’t want to be a working with a psycho [sic]”

“I’d give her the day off. Ever see how mental a woman can go? [sic]”

“So very true, guess who is responsable for woman loosing it? [sic]

“Would tell her to go work at a mental institution [sic]”

“Request admittance letter to asylum.”

It’s staggering that such opinions still exist in 2017 when more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression and close to 800 000 people die by suicide every year.

In South Africa, about a fifth (20%) of the population will experience a depressive disorder at least once in their lifetime and the incidence of suicide has risen to 23 a day, says the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).

According to the World Health Organization depression and other mental health conditions are on the rise globally.

Yet the negative stigma surrounding mental health still exists.

Why the stigma?

“There is still a huge amount of stigma [about mental illnesses] in our communities and this is largely due to the fact a lot of people still do not understand mental illnesses,” says Nkini Pasha, a SADAG board member.

“There are a lot of myths around what causes mental illnesses, and people find it difficult to define mental illnesses.”

Pasha says the key to fighting this stigma is education.

“Depression affects cognitive functioning such as decision making, concentration, memory and problem solving abilities. Depression negatively impacts productivity,” says psychiatrist and clinical psychologist Dr Frans Korb. “If an employee has depression but is at work, they are five times less productive than an employee who was absent due to depression.”

Not all negative

The feedback wasn’t all negative, however. Many positive comments came through, too.

“Just a personal opinion but – society accepts people who are on chronic meds for different types of illnesses and treat these people with care. However, is the brain and therefore the mind not part of our physical make-up? It is certainly time that society wakes up to the fact that mental well-being is essential. Depression, anxiety, stress and all the ‘dark’ places are a reality and can – and should be – treated and accepted with the same quality of care and understanding that is given to any ‘visible’ illness [sic].” 

“Mental illness is exactly that, an illness and therefore, should be treated with the same urgency as a health illness.”

“Add it on Labour act. I support this one [sic].”

Want to read all the comments? Click on the Facebook link below.

If you would like get in touch to share your thoughts, please email Mandy Freeman.

Read more:

20% increase in global depression in a decade

Should you tell your boss about your mental illness?

How to support someone with depression

Mandy Freeman

Health24.com | Court confirms 12-year-old can refuse chemo

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An appeals judge in the Dutch court has confirmed that a 12-year-old boy does not have to undergo chemotherapy if he does not want it. The ruling came after the boy’s father appealed to a court to order the treatment. The mother of the boy supported her son in his opposition to the chemotherapy.

Aad van de Beek, a court spokesman in Amsterdam, said the appeals court found that the boy, identified only as David, had carefully considered the situation and had the ability to make a sound decision. Chemotherapy was part of treatment for David following the successful surgical removal last year of a brain tumour. 

After consulting a psychiatric report to determine whether David has the capability to make this decision, a judge at the court ruled that David is indeed capable of making a reasonable decision, understanding the full outcome and consequences of his decision. 

1 500 new cases of cancer among children are diagnosed every year in South Africa. Owing to earlier methods of detection, improved medication and more effective treatment methods, many more children’s lives are saved than was the case thirty years ago.

But what are the legalities?

In South Africa, the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 states that the best possible care must be provided by the parents, but the child’s dignity, self-reliance and participation in the community must be protected at all times. The Act also states that the child has the right not to be subjected to any medical, religious, or cultural practices that are detrimental to his or her dignity or well-being.

This can be interpreted as the child having the right to refuse chemotherapy as treatment, if they argue that their dignity and well-being is affected by the outcome, if he or she can argue their decision within reason, and deemed capable of making such a decision.

But this is debatable, as the fundamental principle of law and ethics state that a parent as a competent adult should always have the final decision, even if the outcome can be interpreted as not being in the best interest of the child. Throughout the years, courts have been struggling to implement laws where minors were able to make their own decisions. For many courts in many countries, this is still deemed a grey area and open to debate. In David’s case, it can be seen that courts are giving leeway to the traditional major-over-minor decision rule. 

Healthy cells affected as well

Chemotherapy is the process of treating the cancer patient with strong drugs to kill off cancer cells in a certain part of the body,  to stop them from spreading, or to shrink a tumour before surgically removing it. Because of the strength of the drugs administered to the patient, healthy cells are often affected as well. This can cause severe side-effects such as nausea and vomiting, mouth sores complete hair loss and extreme fatigue. Chemotherapy is often given in cycles to give the patient’s body a break to recover.

Some drugs used for chemotherapy are stronger than others and the side-effects can have long-term effects such as infertility. Previous studies also suggested that chemotherapy for childhood cancers could also have a lasting effect on the child’s memory. Although some people remain unaffected by chemotherapy and can continue with their daily lives as usual, the side-effects are often the worst, hence a person’s reluctance to undertake chemotherapy. 

Even though the side-effects are a huge part of struggling with cancer, a previous Health24 article stated that chemotherapy is becoming more and more advanced, ruling out the side-effects and ensuring a higher survival rate for childhood cancers. 

Read more:

Immunotherapy vs chemotherapy for treating cancer?

Common childhood leukemia now curable

Strides made in treating childhood cancer

Health24.com | How stress affects your body

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These days we’re constantly on the go and we’re constantly “switched on”.

We access our emails from our phones in the evenings and over weekends, we have multiple conversations across different programmes (Skype, WhatsApp) and every time someone likes a Facebook post or Instagram photo our phones ping with an alert.

There is never any down time!

“A constant demand to be switched on and perform not only results in the experience of stress but also exhausts your energy supplies and actually leads to impaired performance over time,” says clinical psychologist Dr Colinda Linde. 

“Think about why your smart phone switches to hibernate mode, why your car idles at the red light. It’s not functional or efficient to be switched on all the time.”  

3 ways stress affects your body

1. Relationships, especially the more intimate ones, tend to suffer when the demands of work or life become too much to handle.

2. Mood shifts occur when there is chronic stress, especially if it is inescapable, for example in a challenging economic situation.

3. Stress also causes behavioural changes that can affect sleep patterns. You cannot fall asleep or stay asleep due to a busy mind, or you’re waking in the early hours and unable to return to sleep. You may find you are unable to get going without excessive stimulants like caffeine or sugar. Stress can also cause you to sleep too much, often as an escape from having to deal with your reality.

Learn to fight stress

“Stress is about a relationship between demands and resources,” explains Dr Linde. “When you know a demand is coming, for example a deadline or a difficult conversation; or you’re experiencing a clear stressor, for example being sick, taking part in an argument, or having lost something, the best response is to find a resource to help you cope with the additional demand.” 

Dr Linde suggests taking time off for a nap, finding a mediator who can help with the conflict or delegating (and asking) for help on a project.

Next, take stock of your demands and resources. Identify where your good resources are and keep them close. Replace any “fake” resources (sugar, caffeine, alcohol, excessive sleep or procrastination) with healthy (functional) ones. 

Dr Linde’s quick fixes are:

1. Name it: Awareness is the first step in knowing what the problem is.
2. Take a mini break: You need to take a break every hour, even if it’s just walking around the space you’re in. Set an alarm if you need to. 
3. Rest your eyes: Give your eyes a one-minute break. 
4. Check for dehydration: Symptoms of dehydration can feel like stress and low mood, check when last you had water.
5. Exercise: Combine exercise with playtime (with children or pets), or combine walking or gym and chat time (with friend or partner).  
6. Make time: Consciously schedule times throughout the week to work, rest and play.

Dr Colinda Linde, quote

Know when to ask for help 

“It’s about quality of life,” says Dr Linde. “When demands outweigh resources for too long, you’ll find that you’re simply going through the motions every day and wishing your life away (until the weekend). You’re living in grey without colour or meaning to your day.”

She also warns of destructive self-harm behaviour: abusing alcohol to sleep, needing several coffees to get going; reliance on over-the-counter medications, inability to make decisions or complete tasks, inability to focus and inability to regulate your emotions. 

“You may also experience impulsive behaviour like overspending, over-eating, gambling, driving too fast, booking a holiday you can’t afford or shouldn’t be taking, all just to escape the stressful environment. Unfortunately, stress comes with you, and the quick fix of buying now doesn’t last, plus it can cause additional problems – and stress – if you don’t have the money.” 

If any of these symptoms or behaviours last for two weeks or more, you may need help. “Contact SADAG, your GP or even a homeopath,” urges Dr Linde. “If you start having thoughts of self-harm or suicide – ‘I could just drive into this wall, then I don’t have to deal with anything anymore’ – please seek help urgently.”

Practical help
Dr Linde runs a practical workshop where you can learn practical and simple methods for dealing with stress. “Stress is part of life, it cannot be avoided,” she says. “You need to learn how to ride the wave.” 

Visit her website for more information about the workshop. 

Read more:

Booze-free ways to destress

Could reducing your stress levels help you lose weight?

13 hidden signs of stress

Mandy Freeman

NEXT ON HEALTH24X

Health24.com | ‘I’m taking a mental health day’

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We use sick leave when we’re too sick to come into the office – flu, stomach bug or migraine. We use annual leave when we need a holiday to recharge.

But what about a mental health day? Should we take one (or more)? And would our boss understand what it means? 

Taking a mental health day

Madalyn Parker, a web developer in the USA, recently sent out shockwaves when she took a mental health day and tweeted her CEO’s response.

She sent an email to her team explaining that she was taking two days off “to focus on my mental health”.

The CEO’s response surprised her. 

“I just wanted to personally thank you for sending emails like this. Every time you do, I use it as a reminder of the importance of using sick days for mental health – I can’t believe this is not standard practice at all organisations. You are an example to us all, and help cut through the stigma so we can all bring our whole selves to work,” replied CEO Ben Congleton. 

Parker shared the exchange on social media and it was shared and retweeted thousands of times. 

Breaking the stigma

“I wasn’t expecting the exposure, but I am so glad I was able to have such a positive impact on so many people. There were so many stories of people wishing they worked at a place where their CEO cared about their health, and so many people congratulating me on doing such a good thing,” Congleton said. 

Congleton shared his views on mental health in the workplace in a post he published on Medium: “It’s 2017. I cannot believe that it is still controversial to speak about mental health in the workplace when 1 in 6 americans are medicated for mental health [sic].

“It’s 2017. I cannot believe that it is still controversial to offer paid sick leave. Did you know that only 73% of full time employees in the US have paid sick leave?

“It’s 2017. We are in a knowledge economy. Our jobs require us to execute at peak mental performance. When an athlete is injured they sit on the bench and recover. Let’s get rid of the idea that somehow the brain is different.”

Putting mental health in the spotlight

Parker says: “I struggle with illness. Just as the flu would prevent me from completing my work, so do my depression and anxiety.” 

Dr Ali Hamdulay wrote in an article for SADAG that unfortunately employees still choose to suffer from their mental illness in silence, fearing stigma if they speak about it. Employers, on the other hand, avoid asking too many questions, hoping mental health disorders will go away on their own. 

If you suffer from a mental illness, you are under no legal obligation to disclose it. Labour lawyer Peter Strasheim previously told Health24: “A mental illness is often not apparent and not readily visible. Many employees choose to keep their diagnosis private and confidential.” 

However, being open with your line manager can help them understand your situation. 

Share your story

Would you – or have you – taken a mental health day and disclosed this to your boss? Please let us know (you can remain anonymous). Email Mandy Freeman and share your story. 

Read more: 

Should you tell your boss about your mental illness?

Can you take mental health days? What the law says

#LetsTalk about depression

Health24.com | New alternative to chemo won’t eat healthy cells

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Cancer vaccines aim to prevent the development of a specific cancer or to treat an existing cancer. Thus far, an effective cancer vaccine has been elusive.  

Two experimental vaccines for skin cancer, tailor-made for individual cancer patients, proved safe in small-scale trials, developers reported.

Severe side-effects

The vaccines also triggered an immune response to tumour cells, they said, although this does not necessarily equate to a cure.

These are the first drug trials in humans with personalised vaccines directed at neoantigens – molecules, caused by DNA mutations, found in cancer cells. The results of both were published in the journal Nature.

Neoantigens do not appear in normal cells of the human body, making them an ideal target for cancer therapy. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy kill healthy cells as well as sick ones, with severe side-effects for patients.

Positive results

“The vaccine was shown to be feasible, safe and consistently immunogenic (producing an immune response) in all patients vaccinated,” study co-author Patrick Ott of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston told AFP of the first vaccine, dubbed NeoVax.

Unlike a traditional vaccine that prevents disease, the aim of NeoVax is to prevent cancer from recurring in melanoma skin cancer patients after their tumours have been surgically removed.

For the time being, the team cannot conclude that their vaccine has this effect.

Health24 previously reported that a new skin cancer vaccine would become available and would be used on children aged between 10 and 12 to prevent them from developing skin cancer.

They tested the therapy in a Phase I safety trial on six melanoma survivors. Twenty-five months later, on average, four had not had a recurrence.

“The number of patients who were treated is low, so there is certainly a likelihood that these patients would have stayed cancer-free without vaccine,” said Ott.

Typically, at least half of melanoma patients relapse within two years.

Further study needed 

Ott said there is already one type of cancer vaccine, for prostate cancer, on the market, but it is not widely used.

Another, for lung, bladder, and skin cancer, is undergoing a Phase II efficacy trial, in combination with another drug.

“We’ve long recognised in cancer that every patient’s tumour is different,” the team said in a statement.

Individualised therapy

“With recent advances in technology, it’s now becoming possible to create a therapy that’s suited to target an individual’s tumour.”

The NeoVax treatment contained up to 20 neoantigens derived from patient tumours.

The researchers sequenced the DNA of tumour cells and healthy cells from each person to identify cancer-specific mutations and pinpoint the neoantigens involved.

cancer,skin cancer,skin cancer vaccine,health

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The patients had their immune systems “trained” to recognise these molecules, with the goal of stimulating an attack.

In a second study published in the same journal, a team tested another personalised vaccine on 13 people with melanoma.

This vaccine was similarly safe and induced an immune response, they concluded.

“The two studies confirm the potential of this type of approach,” Cornelis Melief of the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands wrote in a comment.

Next-phase trials in larger groups of participants are now needed, he said, “to establish the efficacy of these vaccines”.

Read more:

Types of skin cancer

Risk factors for skin cancer

Preventing skin cancer

Health24.com | Here’s why yoga is good for your health

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Want to add strength training, flexibility, and even stress reduction to your fitness plan?

Then it’s time to consider – or reconsider, if you’ve shied away from it in the past – the ancient Indian practice of yoga.

Don’t twist yourself into a pretzel

Some 11 million Americans take part in one form of yoga or another. And, far from being a new-age type of exercise, it’s embraced by people from all walks of life – men as well as women, and even pro athletes, according to the American Council on Exercise. And you don’t have to twist yourself into a pretzel.

There are currently no available statistics on the number of people who practise yoga in South Africa.

The most popular discipline is Hatha yoga, which stresses concentration and uses stretching andstrengthening exercises. Many poses or asanas aren’t complicated, but they are effective.

You can choose those specifically targeted to your needs. For example, the Warrior 2 pose improves hip flexibility and strengthens the quadriceps. The Tree pose is great at improving balance. As you hold each pose, you focus on your body, mind, and breathing. Keeping your mind in the moment can help clear your head and reduce stress.

Know what you’re getting into

Yoga can be good medicine, too. Research has found that it can improve lung function in people with the lung condition COPD. Other research shows that it can improve pain, disability, and depression in those with chronic low back pain, according to the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

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Health24 previously reported that one of the primary purposed of practicing yoga is to bring about relaxtion – your heart rate and your blood pressure should be lower when you have finished, and you should never be short or breath.

Before starting a yoga class, make sure you know what you’re getting into. Some types of yoga, like hot yoga or power yoga, are more challenging than others. They may not be the best choices for beginners or people with certain health conditions.

Different kinds of yoga

Yoga has been around for thousands of years and it’s therefore not surprising that there are many kinds and styles of yoga. Here are a few examples:

Hatha yoga is typically a basic and classical approach to yogic breathing exercises and postures.

Bikram yoga features yoga poses in a sauna-like room. The temperature us turned up to about 40 degrees and 40 percent humidity in official Bikram classes.

Iyengar yoga is a purist yoga named after founder B.K.S. Iyengar. Props are used to get you more perfectly into position and that’s why it is often called “furniture yoga”.

Kundalini yoga features constantly moving, invigorating poses. The practice is intended to release the kundalini (serpent) energy in your body.

Prenatal yoga postures are carefully adapted for expectant mothers. It is tailored to help women in all stages of pregnancy, and also helps those who want to get back in shape after giving birth.

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So, ask questions before you commit to a class. Finding the right fit for you could benefit your mind, body and spirit.

Read more:

Does yoga help for back health

Can yoga help to ease your arthritis pain?

Yoga mats matter

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Health24.com | Why chopping onions makes you cry

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Ever wonder why your eyes fill with tears when you chop an onion?

One eye doctor pinpoints the culprit.

Onions use sulphur in the soil to create amino acid sulfoxides, which are sulphur compounds that readily turn into a gas. When an onion is cut, it releases the sulfoxides and enzymes, which react and create a gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide.

Because onions grow underground, this gas helps deter critters that want to feed on them.

So why do we cry?

But the gas is also what causes your eyes to water when chopping onions, said Dr Robert Rosa Jr., an ophthalmologist at the Texas A&M College of Medicine.

“It really is a complicated chemical process that creates the gas,” said Rosa. “They all act as precursors that create the lachrymatory processor – or what makes you tear up.”

“Your eyes have a set of nerves that detect anything that’s potentially harmful to your eyes. Your eyes react to the gas that is formed, and your eyes try to flush it out with tears,” Rosa explained in a school news release.

However, onions pose no serious threat to your visual health.

“Chopping onions can cause some burning and irritation and tears. Other than that, it’s pretty safe on your eyes. It’s a temporary sensation with no known long-term effects, nor will it worsen any other conditions, like pink eye,” Rosa said.

Goggles can prevent the gas from reaching your eyes while cutting onions, but they aren’t really necessary, he added.

“Some people may cut the onions in a bowl of water,” Rosa said. “I’d personally recommend using eye drops, like comfort drops, to help lubricate or rinse the eyes and dilute the gas exposure to the eyes.”

onions, health, facts, infographic


Read more:

Curry, onion guards against cancer

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Green, leafy vegetables may keep glaucoma at bay

Health24.com | Here’s why autistic people don’t look you in the eye

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People with autism have difficulties with behaviour, communication, social interaction and dealing with sensory input. However, not everyone on the “autism spectrum” displays all these characteristics and to the same degree.

Parents of autistic children have problems with the fact that their kids rarely look people in the eye. Now, new research is suggesting reasons for this phenomenon.

“Contrary to what has been thought, the apparent lack of interpersonal interest among people with autism is not due to a lack of concern,” said study co-author Dr Nouchine Hadjikhani.

“Rather, our results show that this behaviour is a way to decrease an unpleasant excessive arousal stemming from overactivation in a particular part of the brain,” she said.

Hadjikhani is director of neurolimbic research at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Biomedical Imaging.

According to the South African Medical Journal (SAMJ)The United States Department of Health estimates that cases of autism have increased 500% over the past five years.

Toxic environmental “trigger”

While avoiding eye contact is often regarded as a sign of social or personal indifference, many people with autism say eye contact causes them discomfort or stress, the study authors noted.

Autism is a behaviourally defined developmental disorder which appears to be caused in early development by the impact of the environment on a genetic predisposition.

Usually diagnosed before the age of three, a pattern of initial seemingly normal development, followed by a regression or loss of skills around 18 months, is common.

This is bolstering a growing body of opinion that genetically predisposed children are encountering a neurologically toxic environmental “trigger” that disables them and disconnects them from the world.

Brain activity monitored

The new research traces the problem to part of the brain that triggers babies’ natural attraction to faces and helps people perceive emotions in others. It’s called the subcortical system, and it’s activated by eye contact.

To learn more, the study authors monitored brain activity while people with and without autism looked at images of faces either freely or when restricted to seeing only the eye area.

Both groups showed similar levels of brain activity when viewing pictures of the entire face.

But when participants with autism were shown only the eye area, their subcortical brain system was overactivated, the findings showed. This was especially true when they saw fearful faces, but also with happy, angry and neutral ones.

Cascading effects

The study was published online in the journal Scientific Reports.

The findings could lead to more effective ways to engage people with autism, according to Hadjikhani.

“Forcing children with autism to look into someone’s eyes in behavioural therapy may create a lot of anxiety for them,” she said in a hospital news release.

“An approach involving slow habituation to eye contact may help them overcome this overreaction and be able to handle eye contact in the long run, thereby avoiding the cascading effects that this eye-avoidance has on the development of the social brain,” Hadjikhani suggested.

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