“Use it or lose it” is an old adage that indicates that if you have something, you should use it before it’s gone. However, we don’t have many sayings concerning overuse, and it turns out we should. There are many things in life that you might overdo without even realizing it. Let’s look at 10 of the most surprising.
Related: Top 10 Most Dangerous Things You Can Eat
10 Excessive Willpower
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If you’re the Green Lantern, you can only defend the universe from wicked extraterrestrial dangers by using your willpower. Therefore, we place a high priority on tenacity and will. But it must be tempered, and as most of us do not possess a strong ring of unknown origin, we must exercise caution in utilizing our willpower.
There is evidence that your willpower may be exhausted over time. If you expend your willpower in one situation, you will have less in the next. For example, in one experiment, participants were put in a room with a plate of freshly made cookies and a bowl of radishes. One group was only allowed to consume the radishes, while the other was allowed to have the cookies. After then, both of them had to complete a riddle. Those who employed willpower to avoid the cookies gave up on the problem after an average of eight minutes, while those who ate them lasted an average of nineteen minutes.
The primary premise is that willpower necessitates mental effort. Over time, depleting your mental energy reserves and maintaining self-control becomes increasingly challenging. The more energy you expend, the less you’ll be able to muster. Other researchers who did comparative tests and found no evidence of “ego depletion” have disputed the notion. The original researcher contends that follow-ups had faults with their techniques.[1]
9 Mouthwash Dangers
Dentists suggest mouthwash if it is used appropriately as part of a comprehensive oral health regimen. After all, why not? It leaves your mouth minty fresh and helps to eliminate the sense of waking up with a swamp in your mouth.
However, the mouthwash you’re using may be causing problems, especially if you’re using it excessively. Alcohol is commonly used as a carrier agent in mouthwashes to store the components that might produce foul breath. Still, studies have connected it to oral malignancies. But, again, it’s the alcohol causing the problem, so individuals who don’t drink alcohol, which was initially seen as more benign, won’t have the same issues. Though, some people may experience a severe burning sensation due to it.
Another typical negative effect associated with mouthwash use is dry mouth. Canker sores can also be caused by sodium lauryl sulfate, a foaming agent. Side effects include tooth discoloration and the eradication of good microorganisms. [2]
8 Too Much Pornography
You may want to sit for this, but the internet contains pornography. This isn’t a problem for most folks. You avoid it if you’re not interested. If you are, you know it can be found. You may not be aware, however, that you can overdo pornography, becoming physically and mentally debilitating. Erectile dysfunction in males has been related to excessive use of pornography.
The data on how pornography affects sexual dysfunction is still inconclusive, so take this as a cautionary note rather than a warning. However, some studies have indicated that excessive usage of pornography can cause erectile dysfunction and that abstaining from it can restore those effects.
So, how exactly would this work? Sexual stimulation and reaction, on the other hand, are as much mental as they are physical. According to some research, excessive exposure to pornography might lead to desensitization to sexual stimuli. You’ve seen so much of it for so long that it no longer excites you. Think of it like eating your favorite cuisine every day for the next ten years. You’ll eventually lose interest.
Other research suggests that the contrary may be true, for what it’s worth. In essence, pornography may even aid in healing ED in certain guys.[3]
7 Overusing Pacifiers
Maggie has been destined to be quiet due to that pacifier, which looks like another incidence of The Simpsons foreseeing the future. According to research, overuse of pacifiers in newborns has been linked to problems with speech development later in life.
Children who suck on a pacifier for more than three years, with thumb sucking and bottle usage, are three times more likely to have a speech handicap than children who do not. It’s possible that using a pacifier will modify the form of your dental arch and bite. It might create complications even if you just use it for a short period. According to another study, children who use a pacifier after the age of two risk affecting the way their teeth come in and the form of their bite, which can lead to speech problems.[4]
6 Too Many Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are used to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. They have been related to greater sexual pleasure and the capacity to prevent urine incontinence. They seem like a fantastic concept because you can perform them anywhere without anybody noticing, right? All excellent things in moderation, as we’ve learned. So, what happens if you do too many Kegels?
Doctors may recommend different ways; however, practicing 100 10-second muscle flexes daily may be typical. However, like any workout, some prefer the “go hard or go home” approach. If you do too many, your muscles will be overworked. Muscle stiffness and soreness might occur during intercourse as a result.
Some additional symptoms include urinary incontinence (LINK 12), bladder discomfort, frequent urination, constipation, and pain in other regions. To put it another way, performing too many Kegels can ruin everything you’re doing them for.[5]
5 Flip Flops All the Time
In the summer, you can’t swing a cat without striking someone wearing flip-flops, the unofficial footwear of the season. While they’re great for avoiding the scorching sand on the beach or the burning deck at the pool, your foot health is essential, and a flip flop isn’t precisely an orthopedic shoe. You may come to regret wearing flip-flops too frequently.
A flip flop provides no arch support at all. When you walk, it doesn’t absorb much impact, so your heels take a battering, and there’s no ankle support like in a typical shoe. So it’s essentially the same as going barefoot. Again, this is acceptable in tiny doses but can cause problems over time. But things get even worse. You’re not only risking blisters from the possibly abrasive sole and the thong between your toes but also creating a breeding environment for fungus. So it’s even worse than walking around barefoot.
According to studies, people wearing flip-flops modify their walk to adapt to how the flip-flops fit. Unfortunately, not only does this cause foot discomfort, but it also causes pain in the hips and lower back.[6]
4 Laughing Gas
The majority of individuals have few reasons to use nitrous oxide, sometimes known as laughing gas, in their daily lives. However, it’s commonly used as a local anesthetic for dental treatments and to improve the speed of your automobile if you’re into street racing. And it’s a good thing we don’t get exposed to it very often since it can severely damage your spine.
However, some people utilize nitrous oxide to acquire a rapid high recreationally. That’s what they’re talking about if you’ve ever heard of whippets. This risk of spinal degeneration has taken several users to the hospital and rendered them wheelchair-bound in certain situations. In addition, the gas might deplete your vitamin B12 levels. This causes spinal deterioration over time.
Many people who use the gas feel it is safe. Since it’s not a regulated substance, there is no scientific proof that it is addictive due to a lack of research in this area. However, it quickly induces pleasure and enjoyment in users, which is appropriate for a substance known as laughing gas. But hospitals have witnessed increased cases of catastrophic harm caused by the gas in recent years, notably in Europe.[7]
3 Bidet Concerns
There is nothing better than a bidet for specific individuals in the world. For others, the concept is repulsive. The bidet gained popularity during the height of the pandemic, when toilet paper was being hoarded and in limited supply. But it isn’t all sunshine and roses squirted from a bidet. If you’re not careful, the small splash at the backdoor might cause considerable harm.
Like anything else you may shoot at your own bottom, a bidet must be utilized properly and cautiously. Some bidets allow you to change the water pressure and temperature. You don’t want to blast your sensitive body with a high-powered jet of hot water. There aren’t many reports of bidet-related injuries, but they do exist. Rectal prolapses and fissures have been recorded, as well as burns from hot water.[8]
2 Internet Addiction
Are you a fan of the internet? It contains almost all the human knowledge and the ability to order anything 24 hours a day. Except for all the scams, toxicity, abuse, and sorrow, it’s the finest thing we’ve ever created. It’s also possible that it’s causing you brain harm.
According to research, teens with internet addiction have structural and functional interference in regions of their brains connected to organizing. It is compared to the deterioration in alcoholics and gambling addicts’ brains.
Changes in the white and grey matter of the brain are observed in internet addicts’ brains, similar to those in cocaine addicts. As a result, emotional and cognitive skills diminish. Mood disorders, anxiety, and sadness are all possible side effects.[9]
1 Numbing Cream Overuse
Have you tried a numbing cream before? These are typically utilized following cosmetic surgery treatments. Consider laser hair removal as an example. You can use a lotion with a topical anesthetic as part of the aftercare to control discomfort. If you have a variety of injuries, you may use comparable creams to control the pain rather than taking medications. Especially if the damage is merely a skin wound of some form.
However, it has been shown that these pain-relieving lotions can be misused to the point of death. For example, after having laser hair removal on their legs, at least two persons died in 2007 from abuse of numbing creams.
These lotions contain drugs like lidocaine, benzocaine, and others. Unfortunately, too much can be absorbed into your circulation if the doses are high enough. Even when used as advised by a doctor, this can result in irregular heartbeats, coma, and death.
Although many of these creams are recommended by doctors, the FDA has noted that there are over-the-counter formulations that should be used as indicated and discussed with a physician before using.[10]