Question: When brushing one's teeth, should one also brush one's tongue? I would think yes, because I don't understand the point of brushing germs off teeth if the tongue still has them there and will transfer them to the teeth as soon as you're done brushing. My friend thinks it makes absolutely no difference. So does it matter?
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[ Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001 ]
Healthline questions and answers
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Have a health question?
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Answer: Tongue brushing, in contrast to tooth brushing, is really more of an option than a necessity. The main reason why brushing our teeth is so important is to break up the plaque that forms, not to remove germs. Plaque forms in everyone's mouth.
During the day, bacteria, which are always present, colonize in the food particles that remain in one's mouth after eating.
It takes approximately 24 hours for plaque to form. Thorough brushing at least once a day keeps the bacteria from sticking and organizing.
The main purpose for tongue brushing is to remove these same stuck food particles before they cause odor. Some people need to do this often, and others, not at all.
Generally, the tongue tends to be self-cleaning: it has a movable surface and is constantly bathed in saliva, so remnants of meals don't hang around for too long.
Your teeth are also covered in saliva, but since they're hard and immovable, the food has a chance to latch on and stay put.
For people who feel they have a problem with bad breath, tongue brushing might help.
Special tongue scrapers are available at many grocery or health and beauty aide stores; they are usually a teardrop shaped device with ridges.
The only benefit to these tongue scrapers is that they are less likely to hit the back of one's throat and cause the gag reflex.
They are by no means necessary because the same results can be accomplished with a popsicle stick or a regular old toothbrush.
Question: Is it unhealthy to spend too much time working on a computer? It seems like everything I do -- from work-study work to classwork to play -- entails sitting in front of a computer terminal for hours on end. Can this be dangerous?
Answer: Since you're still going to work and class, and presumably eating and seeing your friends, these are good signs that you are not spending all of your time in front of a computer terminal.
Eye care specialists have noticed problems related to extensive use of video display terminals (VDTs). If you are farsighted, you may experience blurred vision and discomfort while using a VDT. If you have astigmatism, working at a VDT can cause aching eyes, headache and fatigue.
Another common problem associated with computer work is repetitive stress injury (RSI), such as carpal tunnel syndrome. RSIs occur when a certain muscle or tendon is repeatedly overused or kept in an awkward position.
If you spend long hours at a computer, you might want to take some of the following steps to prevent RSIs:
Adjust chair height so that your thighs are horizontal, your feet are flat on the floor, and the backs of your knees are slightly higher than the seat of your chair.
The back of the chair should support your lower back. Stretch your lower back by standing up and pulling each knee to your chest, holding that position for a few seconds.
Lastly, people have expressed concern about the exposure to electromagnetic radiation from their VDTs. This is the same concern expressed about microwave ovens, cellular phones and even high voltage power lines. It is known that these forms of radiation do have effects on health, but current research is contradictory and inconclusive about the health effects of "household" electromagnetic radiation.
"Playing" can happen off-line, too, so make sure your social life is balanced with real friends and activities -- not just virtual ones.
Question: I heard somewhere that smoking reduces your sperm count. Is this true? How else, other than being a carcinogen, is smoking harmful?
Answer: Some research suggests that exposure to a variety of toxic substances, including some found in cigarettes, can damage sperm and/or lower one's sperm count.
Sperm imperfections and mishaps are to be expected, given the sheer volume of sperm in one ejaculate.
However, it seems that they occur at a higher rate in men who have been exposed to certain toxins, drugs, alcohol and radiation. Previously, women were the sole target of a campaign for healthy babies. Women were advised not to smoke during pregnancy because of the numerous and serious health problems it can cause to an unborn child.
Now we know that it is not only the mother who needs to be aware of the dangers of smoking.
You have to figure that there are millions of smokers out there fathering children -- so, the effects of smoking on male fertility can't be that drastic. However, a father's nicotine habit could lead to his child's higher risk of serious medical problems.
If you conceive a child who is born healthy, the next step is maintaining that level of health.
Second-hand smoke in the home can cause respiratory problems and increase the risk of hospitalization for bronchitis and pneumonia.
The list of smoking-related health problems is pretty daunting, even with cancer left out. There are several big disease categories:
Smoking can also create other types of problems.
For example, smoking can lead to greater complications from diabetes and can speed up the damaging effects of multiple sclerosis.
Many smokers develop circulatory problems, are short of breath, and have low energy levels. Smoking can bring on early menopause and menstrual disorders.
Finally, how often have you seen a smoker with pearly whites? How about a smoker, who's been puffing for a number of years, with an "Oil of Olay" complexion? Smoking might even cause hair loss.
