Medical professionals reveal 10 obvious but mind-blowing human health facts most people don't know

Facts about human health that you should definitely know.  

Medical professionals are in a unique position to debunk myths and promote accurate health information. Thanks to their know-how and years on the job, medical pros are key in helping us make smarter health choices. In an age overwhelmed by a flood of health advice from countless sources, straightforward insight emerges as a valuable lifeline. When u/celineC6622 inquired on Reddit, "Medical professionals: what's a fact about human health you think everyone should know?" they delivered. Here are 10 of the most interesting answers they had to share with the users on the platform. 

1. A sedentary lifestyle is bad 

"A sedentary lifestyle is bad for you even if you’re in a healthy BMI range. Get yourself moving." -u/Civil-Koala-8899. "I’m a grad student and I find myself sitting down to do work easily 10 hours a day. Barely have any time or energy for exercise. Before starting my program, I would lift weights 5 days a week and play soccer 2 days a week. I’m only 27 and I feel so much worse being a year into my program. I can’t wait to graduate soon so I can get back into lifting and exercise." -u/GreenChile_ClamCake

2. Sleep more than 5 hours at least 

"Sleeping less than 5 hours a day increases the risk of heart disease by 75% and shortens your lifespan. It also increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in general. So, sleep well lads." -u/Three_braincells. "There are tubes in the brain whose purpose is to carry away waste. These tubes open up when you are asleep. The brain, in a certain stage of sleep, creates electric waves to stimulate the waste removal tubes to do their job. The best-known side effects of these waste-removal brain waves are dreams and rapid eye movement. The name of the brain's waste removal system is the glymphatic system." -u/Ben-Goldberg

3. Strength training should not be missed out on 

"Strength training is so important for both men and women. It doesn't matter how you do it staying strong across middle and old age is immensely beneficial. Physically and mentally." -u/JaniePage. "Especially for women. The vast majority of us will develop osteoporosis as we go through menopause and having strong muscles and joints is the difference-maker in terms of lowering risks of injury." -u/SauronOMordor

4. Fertility levels are high after giving birth 

"You are super fertile right after giving birth and you can get pregnant while breastfeeding. Use protection. Most people are clueless about sexual health." -u/TakeMyrtleHiking. "Even if you had infertility issues, you need to use protection after giving birth (unless you are OK with the possibility of getting pregnant). I know couples who did IVF for years to have their first baby and accidentally got pregnant with a second just a few months postpartum. Fertility is unpredictable!" -u/packofkittens

5. Don't hold your pee in often

"Empty your bladder when you feel the need to go. Don't delay it too often." -u/Short-Aardvark5433. "Urinating too often is also not good. Going just because you thought of it or habitually taking 'tactical wees' as my kids called it, going so you’re less likely to have to later. Go when you feel the need, not preemptively and don’t delay it." -u/QueenWildThing

6. Living healthy can make a huge difference 

"If you eat generally healthy, drink plenty of water and limited other beverages, and get 30-60 minutes of exercise (anything that gets you moving and your heart rate up), you can have a tremendous impact on chronic conditions. In many cases, it will impact outcomes as much as, if not more than medication management." -u/StopMaking-Sense

7. Avoid drinking soft drinks when thirsty 

"Drink water when thirsty. No soft drinks, no juice. Just plain water. In addition: Give water to your kids because if they regularly get soft drinks when feeling thirsty, you are conditioning them into connecting thirst with soft drinks. These are the people who will say: 'I don’t like water, water doesn’t taste good.' A large proportion of possible health and dietary issues can be prevented by just sticking to this simple rule. This, of course, excludes special dietary needs, but in general, it’s a good thing." -u/b1246371

8. How to deal with menopause 

"If you are a woman in your late 40s to early 50s, there are a slew of problems that can result from perimenopause, and most of your doctors will just ignore them or ignore the fact that you are in menopause. Besides the symptoms everyone knows about (hot flashes, weight gain and vaginal dryness) you may experience anxiety, mood swings, migraines, insomnia, joint and muscle pain, memory lapses and difficulty concentrating. And I'm pretty sure this is not a complete list. Talk to your doctor about ways to mitigate these problems, which can include diet changes, exercise, and meditation, as well as hormone replacement therapy." -u/catdoctor

9. Pre-diabetes should not be taken lightly 

"By the time pre-diabetes progresses to diabetes, over 50% of your pancreatic beta cells (insulin-producing cells) can have burnt out already (they don’t come back). Don’t brush off a pre-diabetes diagnosis even if your doctor keeps saying, 'Let’s watch it' and suggesting half-hearted lifestyle changes. Ask to see a dietitian or diabetes educator and take care of your body. Once it fails, it fails and there’s no going back. It’s just damage control at that point." -u/picklegrabber

10. Deep breaths help reduce blood pressure 

"Breathing deeply through your nose releases nitric oxide, which is a natural vasodilator (it opens up your vessels) and can help reduce blood pressure. When you're tempted to cry during times of stress, let it out. Cortisol (the body's stress hormone) is released in those tears and your body releases oxytocin and endorphins (feel-good hormones). You're literally venting your stress and decreasing emotional and physical pain by doing so." -u/Fine-Force-1446