7 Facts About The Human Body Every Nurse Practitioner Should Know
There are many, many facts about the human body that a nurse practitioner should know. It’s part of the job for someone in this position to know a lot about the body and health. Here are 7 of those facts about the human body that every nurse practitioner should know.
Nerve Impulses Travel Fast
Nerve impulses travel at a speed of up to 170 miles an hour. This is why you don’t have to wait to feel sensations in your hands, your feet, or anywhere else on your body. It is also why you can think about moving your body and then do so without a delay. Nurse practitioners need to know this because pain signals travel this quickly too so they shouldn’t be slow when getting you pain medication when you need it.
The Brain Cannot Feel Pain
This is just an interesting fact. The brain may be where the signals for the pain that you feel go but the brain itself cannot feel pain because it does not have any nerves. Of course your brain isn’t the only thing above your neck so you are still susceptible to headaches and other types of discomfort. It’s just not coming from your brain.
The Brain Uses 20% Of The Oxygen In The Bloodstream
This fact is important because the amount of the oxygen in the bloodstream is not a given. Many people take in shallow breaths out of habit and because they are never forced to take in deeper breaths because of exercise. This means that certain feelings of unease or fatigue can be contributed to just by not breathing deeply enough. Nurse practitioners should know this so they can look out for it.
Human Hair Is Almost Indestructible
That’s right. Human hair burns but it is resistant to just about everything else, even many acids and other corrosive chemicals. This is just another fun fact.
Stomach Acid Is Really Strong
Not only can stomach acid digest normal meals but it can also work its way through many types of metal. You should never, ever test this fact but it does help nurse practitioners to remember the importance of dealing with conditions involving stomach acid, like acid reflux.
Stomach Lining Is Replaced About Twice A Week
Every 3 or 4 days you have a whole new stomach lining. The reason for this is the strong acid that was mentioned in the previous point. That acid would eat right through this lining if it weren’t replaced on such a regular basis.
Women’s And Men’s Hearts Can Behave Differently
Women’s hearts tend to beat faster than men’s hearts. This could be due to the typical difference in body size between men and women. A nurse practitioner needs to know this because treatments for things like heart attacks may not work for both men and women. With the differences that are present before trauma, the behavior of men’s and women’s hearts in trauma may not be similar enough to respond to the same treatment.
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