It’s said that you can breathe in dust particles from having a fan blowing directly in your face. In a less polluted country I don’t suppose that would be such a problem, but this is Taiwan, and it’s quite dirty and dusty here.
I don’t blow the fan on my face, but on my body. And if there’s dust in the air, I’d be breating it whether or not a fan is on, and whether it is oscillating or not.
I wonder, maybe the flu/cold-causing pathogens are killed or weakened in hot drinks, thus you don’t get sick as often??? Just a theory.
Bodo
Maybe he is not the gifted writer that you are, and therefore not as able to communicate subtleties? 
That is most likely the case. Kids with snotty noses, rubbing their snot on their hands and arms, and then touching everything in sight. Have you ever heard of the daycare phenomenon? Daycare kids are almost always sick the entire first year, and they usually require stronger antibiotics for bacterial infections - the resistance in this population is rampant (alittle hyperbole).
Do you mean that because breathing cold air inhibits mucus transport, that then mucus gets cleared less and backs up in the system? Rather than causes us to produce more mucus?
Yes
Interesting . . . I’ll have to look that up. Never knew there was a true allergy to cold. There is a vasomotor response to cold that produces runny nose . . . . but didn’t know about cold urticoti.
Hey, it’s fun to hear about old wives’ tales, and for some there may be a kernel of truth or wisdom in them. Have a little fun with this. Seems like you’re taking Rantheman way too seriously. 
Bodo
"Cold urticaria occurs in two forms. The rare form is hereditary and manifests as hives all over the body 9 to 18 hours after cold exposure. The common form of cold urticaria presents with the rapid onset of hives on the face, neck, or hands after exposure to cold.
Cold urticaria is common and lasts for an average of 5 to 6 years. The population most affected is young adults age 18 to 25 years. Many people with cold urticaria also have dermographism and cholinergic urticaria.
Severe reactions can be seen with exposure to cold water. Swimming in cold water is the most common cause of a severe reaction. This can cause a massive release of histamine resulting in low blood pressure, fainting, shock, and even death. "
Drink lots of fluids - will keep mucus thinner - and easier for the mucosal cavities to clear it
Mucinex - Guaiafenesin - Robitussin - are all the same thing - a class of drugs called expectorants - purpose is to keep mucus secretions thin, and therefore clearable
Afrin nasal spray/oxcymetazoline nasal - topical decongestant - do not use more than 4 days in a row or chronically - it will cause rebound congestion and undesirable changes in the mucosa (skin) of the nose
Aspirin, Advil, Ibuprofen - all good for a headache
Avoid antistamines - they thicken mucus and make it harder for the cilia in the upper respiratory tract (sinuses too) to clear
Bodo
The only logical basis I can think of for this one is that by having the fan directly on you at all times, you would tend to lose body heat more quickly and continuously (which is probably your primary aim!). However, I personally like to have the fan on oscillate because I get too cold during the night even at the lowest setting if it’s a direct blast. So the oscillation acts as a sort of thermostat in my case. If your heat generation capacity roughly matches the fan’s cooling capacity, and you’re not waking up shivering, I can’t see why it would do you any harm 
[quote=“rantheman”]we westerners’ bad habits are:
1.drinking cold drinks
2.sleeping on soft beds
3. too much meat not enough green veggies
4. don’t open the windows (tong fong)
5. don’t stay in for a month after having a baby
6. eat too many sweets
7. drive rather than walk[/quote]
Bullsh*t I tell you …
1.drinking cold drinks
Yeah, right … in summer they only drink iced teas and coffee
2.sleeping on soft beds
Goes bak to the time when they didn’t have the money for a decent bed … could only afford a wooden box to sleep on.
- too much meat not enough green veggies
Taiwanese eat a lot of meat and greasy meat too …
- don’t open the windows (tong fong)
Most have the windows open day and night … so the dirt can fly in.
- don’t stay in for a month after having a baby
can’t comment on that one … although what they do aftewards doesn’t make sence anyway … eat chicken soup
- eat too many sweets
Taiwanese foods are loaded with sugar, most dishes have sugar in it … they just don’t have a clue …
- drive rather than walk
I know a Taiwanese that takes his scooter or car to drive 70 yards (meters) down the street to buy some binlang.
And according to many it’s really to hot to walk … so let’s drive two minutes in a airconned car … shall we
HA … 
[quote=“Chris”]True or false: having a fan blowing directly on you is bad for your health.
I like to sleep with a fan blowing gently but constantly on me, but when I tell the Taiwanese this, they admonish me that it’s bad for my health. They tell me I should use the oscillator, but I can’t sleep with an oscillating fan for the same reason I can’t sleep with a faucet dripping.
Is there any truth to this? I’m convinced it’s nothing but a local myth. I’ve never felt any ill effects from it. Normally I wouldn’t care about it, but my wife takes any opinion or news report about what’s good or bad for one’s health very seriously.[/quote]
Chris,
If it
A more logical basis, to me anyway, is in play when you have the fan at the foot of your bed. A fan blowing up your nose could dry out and crack the mucous membranes of your nose and mouth and thus let virii or other microscopic organisms inside.
This effect would be diminished if the fan is behind your head, blowing on the tops of your feet.
The convective effect of a fan at the foot of your bed would be amplified in the somewhat more arid, desiccative Taiwanese winter (the air is less saturated with water), but I bet in more temperate climates it’s much larger.
Chris,
If it
You think diabetes is not a problem in Taiwan, then think again.
They put sugar in almost all they eat.
Yeah, and Taiwanese don’t eat those … right 
Vitamines need a lot of additional stuff to be absorbed by the body.
Taking in vit. D won’t do you good unless you take a little sunshine on your skin.
Diabetes is not only caused by eating sugar, it can be triggered by eating a greasy diet too … and you don’t need to be overweight
Virii? What’s a virius?
Virii? What’s a virius?[/quote]
Quote from the site here. Should be creditable.
[quote]
Viruses (virii) are strands of DNA or it’s complimentary form, RNA, usually coated by a protein shell called the capsid. Viruses lie at the very cusp of life - they cannot replicate themselves on their own and need to coerce a host to make copies of themselves. Because of this they need to get inside the cells of living organisms - animals, plants, fungi, plasmodiums or even bacteria.[/quote]
The plural of “virus” is not “virii”. The rules of the Latin language dictate that “virii” would be the plural of “virius” if such a word existed.
Compare: radius/radii, alumnus/alumni
Sorry, laoban, diabetes is not a direct result of eating too much sugar or a greasy diet. If one has diabetes, eating too much sugar can exacerbate the disease. Eating greasy food doesn’t cause it, but being fat & inactive increases ones risk of developing it.
[quote]Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:
Right away, your cells may be starved for energy.
Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.
Finding out you have diabetes is scary. But don’t panic. Type 2 diabetes is serious, but people with diabetes can live long, healthy, happy lives.
While diabetes occurs in people of all ages and races, some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.[/quote]
[quote]What is type 2 diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use the hormone insulin, made in the pancreas, to help them process blood glucose into energy.
People develop type 2 diabetes because the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly. Eventually, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin for the body’s needs. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. Over the years, high blood glucose damages nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections, and amputation.[/quote]
[quote][Top]
How can type 2 diabetes be prevented?
Although people with diabetes can prevent or delay complications by keeping blood glucose levels close to normal, preventing or delaying the development of type 2 diabetes in the first place is even better. The results of a major federally funded study, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), show how to do so.
This study of 3,234 people at high risk for diabetes showed that moderate diet and exercise resulting in a 5- to 7-percent weight loss can delay and possibly prevent type 2 diabetes.
Study participants were overweight and had higher than normal levels of blood glucose, a condition called pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance). Both pre-diabetes and obesity are strong risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Because of the high risk among some minority groups, about half of the DPP participants were African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino.
The DPP tested two approaches to preventing diabetes: a healthy eating and exercise program (lifestyle changes), and the diabetes drug metformin. People in the lifestyle modification group exercised about 30 minutes a day 5 days a week (usually by walking) and lowered their intake of fat and calories. Those who took the diabetes drug metformin received standard information on exercise and diet. A third group received only standard information on exercise and diet.
The results showed that people in the lifestyle modification group reduced their risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. Average weight loss in the first year of the study was 15 pounds. Lifestyle modification was even more effective in those 60 and older. They reduced their risk by 71 percent. People receiving metformin reduced their risk by 31 percent.[/quote]
Link:
http://www.diabetes.org/about-diabetes.jsp
[quote]Simple Steps
Making a few changes can dramatically lower the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. The same changes can also lower the chances of developing heart disease and some cancers.
Control your weight. Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes seven-fold. Being obese makes you 20 to 40 times more likely to develop diabetes than someone with a healthy weight. (4)
Losing weight can help if your weight is above the healthy-weight range. Losing 7-10% of your current weight can cut in half your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Get moving. Inactivity promotes type 2 diabetes. Every two hours you spend watching TV instead of pursuing something more active increases the changes of developing diabetes by 14%.(8) Working your muscles more often and making them work harder improves their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose. This puts less stress on your insulin-making cells.
Long bouts of hot, sweaty exercise aren’t necessary to reap this benefit. Findings from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggest that walking briskly for a half hour every day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%.(9, 10)
This amount of exercise has a variety of other benefits as well. And even greater cardiovascular and other benefits can be attained by more, and more intense, exercise.
Tune-up your diet. Two dietary changes can have a big impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Choose whole grains and whole-grain products over highly processed carbohydrates. White bread, white rice, mashed potatoes, donuts, bagels, and many breakfast cereals have what’s called a high glycemic index. That means they cause sustained spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Carbohydrates that aren’t as easily digested cause lower, slower increases in blood sugar and insulin. As a result, they stress the body’s insulin-making machinery less, and so help prevent type 2 diabetes.(11) Such foods have a low glycemic index. Examples include whole wheat, brown rice, other whole grains, most beans and nuts, and whole grain breakfast cereals.
Choose good fats instead of bad fats. The types of fats in your diet can also affect the development of diabetes. Good fats, such as the polyunsaturated fats found in tuna, salmon, liquid vegetable oils, and many nuts, can help ward off type 2 diabetes.(12) Trans fats do just the opposite. These bad fats are found in many margarines, packaged baked goods, fried foods in most fast-food restaurants, and any product that lists “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” on the label. If you already have diabetes, eating fish can help protect you against a heart attack or dying from heart disease.(13)
If you smoke, try to quit. Add type 2 diabetes to the long list of health problems linked with smoking. Smokers are 50% to 90% more likely to develop diabetes than nonsmokers.(14, 15)
Alcohol now and then may help. A growing body of evidence links moderate alcohol consumption with reduced risks of heart disease. The same may be true for type 2 diabetes. Moderate amounts of alcohol-a drink a day for men, a drink every other day for women-increases the efficiency of insulin at getting glucose inside cells. And some studies indicate that moderate alcohol consumption decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes. (4, 14) If you already drink alcohol, the key is to keep your consumption in the moderate range. If you don’t drink alcohol, there’s no need to start-you can get the same benefits by losing weight, exercising more, and changing your eating patterns.
The bottom line
They key to preventing type 2 diabetes can be boiled down to five words: Stay lean and stay active.[/quote]
Link:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/diabetes.html
Bodo
That’s exactly what I wanted to post but my wording is worse than your copy from the internet, sorry.
Anyhow, I know and knew people, not overweight, that have diabetes. People always think that eating too much sugar is the only way to get diabetes … wrong.
Great thread - xie xie 
Please don’t flame me for resurrecting something from the archives!
re: the “Cold Drinks” point:
I read a decent book on detox/fasting (written by Don Colbert, MD), which stated that before meals we should not drink anything more than a small glass of room-temperature filtered water since anything more would dilute enzymes needed for digestion. It also stated that the cold temp. would numb the stomach and lining making the process of digestion less efficient…interesting.
It made sense…and it forced me to stop drinking larger amounts of liquids with my food.