Poisonous plants, snails, venomous vipers and even laughter are just a few of the terrifying things that can kill you in under an hour. We’ve rounded up a few of them for you in this episode from All Time 10s. Enjoy! You might not be able to laugh it off, but at least you’ll know that you’re not alone in this situation.
1. Poisonous Plants
Plants can cause a variety of reactions in both people and animals when they are ingested. These effects can vary based on the plants’ chemical toxins, including alkaloids, glycosides, and proteins.
Poisonous plants are a common problem for people and pets alike because they can easily be mistaken for nontoxic species. However, some toxic plants can be extremely dangerous to livestock, especially in arid or semiarid areas.
In addition to the obvious costs associated with veterinary and health care, poisonous plants can result in loss of grazing time, lost income from culling, additional feed expenses, and the cost of management adjustments to improve economic sustainability. Although losses from poisonous plants are relatively small in comparison to overall costs of raising livestock, they have an enormous impact on rural communities and their economies. Identifying and preventing these toxic plants is vital for the livelihood of livestock producers and their families.
2. Snails
Snails are one of the most common mollusks in the world, found on land and underwater. Their hard calcium carbonate shells protect them from predators and allow them to breathe.
They are hermaphrodites, meaning that they have both male and female reproductive organs at once. They mate with other snails in the same species or with others of a different species.
They can also sting you with their barbed spears, injecting you with neurotoxins that can kill you in seconds. These poisons are unique to each cone snail and can wreak havoc on the nervous system.
3. Venomous Vipers
Venomous snakes are a huge concern for human safety. They’re found in a vast number of countries across the world and can kill people in under an hour if they get close enough.
The venom of a viper is cytotoxic and haemotoxic, meaning it attacks the body’s cells, tissue and blood. It can also cause severe damage to the clotting system, which may result in internal bleeding.
In fact, a fer-de-lance bite can disable blood coagulation and lead to hemorrhages which are fatal.
These snakes have small pits between their eyes and nostrils that they use as heat sensors to help them track prey. They are nocturnal and hunt by ambush.
4. Hypothermia
Often caused by exposure to cold temperatures, hypothermia can be fatal if not treated quickly. In a short period of time, your body temperature can drop below 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).
It’s a condition that occurs when the core temperature of your brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and liver drops. Symptoms include shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and exhaustion.
The best way to prevent hypothermia is to dress in layers and keep yourself warm and dry. Also, wear a hat to protect your head and neck from frostbite.
Surfers who are unprotected from water that is too cold can die in under an hour. During the first stages of hypothermia, surfers may feel mental confusion and shivering. During the later stages, surfer’s will notice their muscle coordination becomes disoriented and their ears, fingers, and lips turn blue.
5. Laughter
Laughter is a natural response to a variety of stimuli, and it can be triggered by anything that makes you feel good. Studies have shown that laughter improves mood and dispels negative thoughts, which can help you to live a healthier life.
It also boosts your intake of oxygen-rich air, which is beneficial to the heart and lungs. Research has also shown that laughing reduces stress and helps to increase circulation, which can promote a healthy immune system.
Laughter is often contagious, which is why it’s important to find a way to connect with other people and share your jokes. It can help you bond with loved ones and relieve your stress.
6. Sleeping
One of the most important and enjoyable aspects of our lives is sleep. Despite the slew of benefits that sleep has on our well being, it is often one of the most overlooked and unappreciated parts of the day. The best part is that sleep can be a fun and energizing pastime if you know how to tap into its powers of persuasion. The key is to get yourself and your partner in bed on time, in bed and out of bed in a timely manner. Having the right partners can make all the difference in a relationship that is not only satisfying, but rewarding as well.
7. Being a Couch Potato
If you sit around for hours on end, it can have serious health consequences. Research suggests that a sedentary lifestyle is associated with a wide range of health issues, including increased risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Couch potato is a common idiomatic term used to describe people who spend the majority of their time watching television or other forms of passive entertainment. It was originally coined as a pun on boob tuber, an old slang term for someone who is devoted to a television or a boob tube.
The only way to get out of this sedentary lifestyle is to change how you do things. Rather than sitting down for hours on end, try to move throughout the day in small increments.
8. Sun Poisoning
Sun poisoning isn’t really a medical term, but it’s often used as a description for a severe sunburn. It can be caused by excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Symptoms of sun poisoning can include blistering red skin, rashes, tenderness and sensitivity. You may also experience fever, chills and nausea.
Doctors treat sun poisoning with hydration, steroid creams and antihistamine medications. In more serious cases, they may also recommend intravenous fluids or a burn unit.
Treatment of sun poisoning should be started immediately after the symptoms occur. It’s important to drink plenty of water and avoid consuming alcohol.
9. Deer
Deer are hoofed mammals that roam in forests, grasslands, wetlands and arid scrublands. They’re often found in large herds.
These animals are mainly herbivores, meaning they prefer eating greens and other edible plants. They can easily digest a variety of different plants because they have a digestive system called the rumen, which helps them break down food and toxins.
They also have a good sense of smell, which is useful for hunting predators. They’re able to pick up sounds from far away, and they lick their ears to keep their noises moist, which improves their smelling ability.
They are also highly social creatures, and they travel in groups called herds. A herd can have up to 100,000 members.
10. Alcohol
When you drink, alcohol is absorbed quickly through your stomach into your bloodstream and spreads throughout your body. After 20 minutes, it starts to affect your brain and liver.
Your blood alcohol level (BAC) is influenced by how much you drink, the rate at which you drink, your weight and gender. It can also be influenced by other drugs in your system, hydration levels and food in your stomach.
Excessive drinking can cause a variety of health problems, including heart disease, strokes, brain damage and death. It can also lead to birth defects and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).