Even if you think that you live and eat healthy and exercise well, there is still a possibility that you have some “little sins" that may affect your health. Let's check?

Too little sleep

I will just finish this movie... I will just read a little bit… I will finish some work... Sounds familiar? And you end up at 1 AM. Next day you have to get up early, you feel sleepy, get up grumpy and feel distracted and it is hard to focus – there are only some of short-term side effects of insufficient sleep. Long-term sleep deprivation effects are related to dementia 1 Shi, L., Chen, S.-J., Ma, M.-Y., Bao, Y.-P., Han, Y., Wang, Y.-M., … Lu, L. (2018). Sleep disturbances increase the risk of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 40, 4–16.; doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2017.06.010 , cardiovascular diseases 2 WOLK, R., GAMI, A., GARCIATOUCHARD, A., & SOMERS, V. (2005). Sleep and Cardiovascular Disease. Current Problems in Cardiology, 30(12), 625–662.; doi:10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2005.07.002 , diabetes 3 Schipper, S. B. J., Van Veen, M. M., Elders, P. J. M., van Straten, A., Van Der Werf, Y. D., Knutson, K. L., & Rutters, F. (2021). Sleep disorders in people with type 2 diabetes and associated health outcomes: a review of the literature. Diabetologia. doi:10.1007/s00125-021-05541-0  and obesity. We can also add problems with immunity 4 Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Haack, M. (2019). The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiological Reviews, 99(3), 1325–1380. doi:10.1152/physrev.00010.2018 , depression 5 Fang, H., Tu, S., Sheng, J., & Shao, A. (2019). Depression in sleep disturbance: A review on a bidirectional relationship, mechanisms and treatment. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. doi:10.1111/jcmm.14170  and anxiety, as well as chronic pain. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep for the body to recover, whereas children and adolescents need even more sleep. If you find it difficult to fall asleep consult with your doctor! Treatment can help.

Remember that it is essential to go to sleep once you feel tired and sleepy, which is mostly until eleven PM.

Forgotten hydration

Your body sends signals when you are hungry or thirsty, but it is very difficult to tell one from another. Both hunger and thirst may cause headache, tiredness and dizziness. Next time you go to the kitchen to grab a snack, start with a glass of water. Other signs telling that you have to increase hydration status are dry eyes or skin, dry mouth, dark urine or seldom urination.

Excessive screen time

There is a study that documented a link between “lazy” lifestyle and higher mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer and other health conditions 6 Patel, A. V., Maliniak, M. L., Rees-Punia, E., Matthews, C. E., & Gapstur, S. M. (2018). Prolonged Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Cause-Specific Mortality in a Large US Cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology. doi:10.1093/aje/kwy125 . Technology development has increased sitting time greatly. Noteworthy, here we talk about leisure not working time – more than 50% of time not related to work is spent at a screen (TV, computer, smart devices etc.). Try to break this habit with 1-2 minutes of activity every 30 minutes by standing up. Some research indicates that at least 1 hour of exercise a day can compensate for some hours of constant sitting. You do not necessarily have to go to a gym. Come up with other ways to move around, for example, find a nice view in the city or nature everyday (cameras integrated in smartphones create wonders and it is not difficult at all).  If you are bound to a wheelchair or have other difficulties with moving, ask your doctor or physiotherapist for activities that fit you.

Brushing teeth too soon after a meal

We have to brush teeth, it is a no-brainer, and it seems to be an issue beyond doubt. Besides, specialists emphasize that we have to brush teeth twice a day – in the morning and evening. It is also understandable why we brush teeth before bedtime, but how about teeth brushing after the meals? Research 7 Jaeggi, T., & Lussi, A. (1999). Toothbrush Abrasion of Erosively Altered Enamel after Intraoral Exposure to Saliva: An in situ Study. Caries Research, 33(6), 455–461. doi:10.1159/000016551  shows that it is worthwhile brushing teeth one hour after a meal if you have eaten something sour. Sour foods and drinks include also fruit, for example, orange and lemon, sour bonbons and carbonated water or lemonade (regular or sugar free). Why should you wait to clean teeth? Acid found in food may soften the hard enamel or coating of teeth and if you brush them right after eating it damages the enamel.

Ear cleaning with cotton swabs

Interestingly, why do we keep cleaning ears with cotton swabs when it is clearly written on the package that they are not intended for cleaning ears or nose. Even though we do it, we should not because we can press the ear secretions deeper down the canal. It can be even worse, we can rupture the tympanic membrane if the swab is pushed too deep, and it will lead to hearing loss. Your ears are good at cleaning themselves. In some people ear secretions can be excessive, but you must leave it up to doctor! If you suspect that your ears have a problem, visit a doctor!

Using hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or disinfection solution for wounds

It is not a good idea to pour an antiseptic on your wound. If we apply disinfectant, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide “to foam and cleanse", we add chemical tissue burn to an existing injury. It does more harm to our tissue and create a favourable environment for microbes. The best way to clean small cuts or scratches is very simple: wash with soap and running water. If you cannot seem to stop bleeding, visit a doctor because you might need stitches!

Avoiding sunscreen

Sun promotes synthesis of vitamin D in the body and we know that this vitamin is essential for strong bones, it regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism, is required for our immunity and hence the sun is very good. But sun means also ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation is the main cause of skin cancer 8 Mancebo, S. E., & Wang, S. Q. (2014). Skin cancer: role of ultraviolet radiation in carcinogenesis. Reviews on Environmental Health, 29(3). doi:10.1515/reveh-2014-0041  and sun radiates UV all year round. Of course, factors like age, health condition and skin type also determine effect of UV radiation on your skin. People older than 50 years and small children (up to 5 years) and also persons suffering from chronic diseases are more susceptible to detrimental effects of UV radiation. If you have a pale skin, damage caused by sun radiation may appear as soon as within 10-15 minutes. But regardless of your complexion it is advisable to use sunscreen at any time when you go outside, even if it is cloudy. Be especially careful in presence of snow or water, for example, when mountain skiing or laying at a beach, because snow and water reflect sun rays. Make sure to cover your body in a sunny weather. Choose proper clothing. Whenever possible, wear light, natural fabric clothes with long sleeves that may protect you from UV radiation. Apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or more. Cover all exposed surfaces, including lips and ears.

Avoiding vaccines

Flu vaccines and other vaccines protect you from many diseases. Even though your health is very important, vaccines reduce a possibility to transmit a disease. It is important, because some groups, for example, infants, toddlers, elderly people and people with chronic health conditions or low immune status get ill more often and you could be a person transmitting it if you are not vaccinated and carry the disease. Necessary vaccines change as you age and some of them should be repeated after some time to maintain their efficiency, for example, vaccines against diphtheria or tick encephalitis. Ask your doctor what vaccines are suitable for our and your family and also in case you plan to go to exotic countries.

Looking into your smartphone before bedtime

Use of digital devices has skyrocketed over last 10 years. No matter if you like it, screens have become a part of our daily lives when we spend so much time at home. We use computer for work, TV or tablet for leisure time and we take smartphone with us all the time, and we scroll through the latest news or social media even in bed. All smart devices have something in common – they radiate blue light. Too much of this “daylight” can break the circadian rhythm. Blue light is proven to affect sleep at night. Circadian rhythm is regulated by a hormone called melatonin, while eyes have a pigment called melanopsin which is sensitive to blue light. If we trick eye pigment and activate melanopsin cells, they reduce impact of melatonin on human body. Over a longer period of time, it may cause fatigue, sleep and nervous system disorders. If you fail to break the habit of using smart devices before bedtime, try putting the smart device in another room. If you use your smartphone as the alarm clock and worry that you will not hear it from other room, you can always buy a regular alarm clock to get up timely.

Neglecting drug instructions

If we have to take medication for some reason, we seldom think that food, food supplements, drinks and other medications can interact and cause rather unexpected and even dangerous symptoms.  Some of interactions may decrease efficiency of medicines or quite the contrary – intensify impact of a particular substance and cause unwanted side effects. There are plenty of medicines that cause photosensitivity (sensitivity to UV radiation) reactions. It manifests as redness, sunburn, hives and similar skin reactions. Besides it applies also to solarium. Therefore, make sure you always read medicine's instruction that is added to prescription or over the counter medicines. You can also ask a pharmacist at the pharmacy what you should definitely consider when using particular drugs.

Ignoring your mental health

Everyone comes across stress at some point of their lives, for example, before exams or important job interview. Everyone feels exhausted and empty sometimes. Everyone gets angry or fearful sometimes. It is normal to feel it but if any of those conditions become permanent, you must pay attention otherwise ignoring it in a long-term may lead to many health problems. It may drain your immunity and increase a risk of getting various diseases, for example, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and depression or anxiety. There are many healthy ways to relax, including exercise, meditation and socialisation with friends and family. Your doctor or mental health professional can give you some good tips!

You keep secrets from your doctor

You are no different from others if you do not openly tell doctor everything about your lifestyle during a visit. It is for a reason though – perhaps you are too shy to admit something because you believe that truth is not compatible with expected lifestyle. Who does not want to look good in front of a doctor, or perhaps you are seeking his attention and therefore imagine or exaggerate something? Anyway, your healthcare will be better suited to your needs if you reveal your doctor more information that is true. If you smoke, do not exercise and do not wish to change your diet, just be honest. Your doctor should not judge you. Instead, he should cooperate with you to find ways to maintain health.