This week on The Check Up ` it's a slippery slope for Shawn. - Imagine getting food to your stomach without saliva. - Jayani becomes a period PI. - Why do shame and stigma persist around periods? - Can we pat away our stress? - The skills of our furry health professionals span both mental and physical health. - But first, a trip down memory lane. Retro. Vintage. We love to seek out and treasure the old stuff. Who wouldn't be nostalgic for these beauties? (RECORD SCRATCHES) But these ` not so much. Today, Satellite navigation systems, such as GPS, have us covered. All I have to do is pop in a destination, and a soothing voice will tell me where to go. University of Auckland. - Showing results for 'University of Auckland'. - Easy as. - Turn west, and head towards 18. - With this on, it's all done for me. But is switching on the GPS switching off part of my brain? Neuroscientists have measured our brain activity when we're navigating from memory and compared it to when we simply follow the directions from a GPS. With the GPS switched off, my brain's on its own. I'm needing to constantly process information ` traffic lights, roadworks. I'm doing a lot of problem-solving here. I'm meeting Associate Professor Lynette Tippett at the Centre for Brain Research to find out if relying on technology is dulling our senses. - There's some evidence that reliance or heavy usage of GPS can reduce the functional connections between the hippocampus and other regions of the brain that are involved in navigation. - What is the hippocampus, and what does it do? - OK, so the hippocampus is a structure that's deep in our temporal lobes ` one of the lobes of the brain. A really important role of the hippocampus is in the formation of new memories. The memories themselves are not stored in the hippocampus, but the hippocampus has a role in bringing all the elements of the memory back together and binding them together. - Why is spatial navigational memory important? - If you think back to what you were doing on New Year's Day this year, what you often do first is think of where you were. So you think of the spatial location ` you know, where that event happened. And, so, the spatial component of our memory is really critical, and that links together the role of hippocampus in space and its role in event memory. - Mm. This is significant because spatial memory impairments are often one of the first symptoms observed in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia. - This is looking at a normal brain sideways. Here we have the temporal lobe, and it's deep in there that the hippocampus lies. The green structure is the hippocampus, and that's an actual size of a normal hippocampus. A hippocampus is very flexible, and it does change according to use. - Scientists have discovered those with a healthy-sized hippocampus have healthy cognitive function, compared to those with Alzheimer's, whose hippocampus shrinks. One group of people who were found to have larger than normal hippocampus were London's black cab drivers. Instead of relying on GPS devices, these cabbies are required to memorise over 25,000 streets and thousands of landmarks. It's thought this high demand on their hippocampus increased the volume of their grey matter, as opposed to the decrease in the brains of dementia patients. So on that basis, do you think we need to be more aware of engaging our navigational and spatial skills? - I think it's a really good idea that while people can, they use their own ability to self-navigate. If you're struggling as you get older with navigation, obviously things like GPS are a great help. And I would not want to say, 'Don't use that,' but people have many years in their life where, actually, with a bit of effort, they can self-navigate. - Of course, we also want to get to our destination safe and sound. GPS are still likely to be my go-to when I'm going somewhere for the first time. For all those other times, though, don't be afraid to get a little lost ` apparently this throws your hippocampus into a healthy overdrive. (FUNKY MUSIC) (SPANISH GUITAR) - What can I get you, mate? - Could I please have the huevos del chef? - Yeah, of course. - Oh no, wait. I'm sorry. CHUCKLES: It all looks so good. While my brain may be having a hard time zeroing in on my lunch choice,... CHUCKLES: Um, can I get the chilaquiles, please? - Righto. - My mouth is already in action producing its very own magic potion. Saliva is constantly produced by our mouth's salivary glands. But when something touches our tongue, gums or mouth lining, the amount increases. In fact, in 24 hours, we can make up to 1.5l of saliva. 99% of that is water. The other 1% of that is some pretty useful electrolytes, mucus and enzymes. Not only does the slippery stuff allow my tongue to move around my mouth, forming sound,... Thanks, mate. ...it's also important if we care about taste ` which I, for one, sure do. In order to taste our favourite food, it needs to be broken down into molecules so our taste receptors can do their job. Saliva enzymes do the breaking down. These enzymes also start digesting the starches and sugars in our food even before we've swallowed. Perfect. (UPBEAT MUSIC) When it's time to go down the hatch, imagine getting food from your mouth to your stomach without saliva. I'm going to use my slobber slide to demonstrate the difficulty. In this bowl I'm mashing the food with some makeshift saliva. It's like a slippery, slimy paste. But in this bowl I'm mashing the food, but with no saliva. Both are going down my makeshift oesophagus. And there's a clear winner. (LAUGHS) Looks like saliva wins the day. (CHUCKLES) We can think of saliva as a superhero fighting tooth and gum decay. It rids our mouths of leftover food and bacteria build-up,... Overnight, we produce a lot less saliva, allowing bacteria to build up. That explains the morning dragon breath. Saliva is not only an indicator of our oral health, but our whole body. Many health issues and diseases can be diagnosed through saliva, and it contains a good dose of our DNA. As a bodily fluid, saliva may lack the drama of blood, the sincerity of sweat or the emotional appeal of tears, but I say it's an unsung hero. - Periods are not a great conversation starter. In fact, they're hardly discussed in public at all. - High school students would rather fail a test than let their peers know they've got their period. * (MYSTERIOUS MUSIC) Code Red. Shark Week. The painters are in. People have been using secret codes to refer to women's menstrual cycles for as long as women have been having them. In fact, in 2019, a worldwide survey compiled 5000 different euphemisms, or slang terms, for periods. - The red moon. The blooming of the red flower. - The curse. - Like, Aunt Flow. - The Week of Hell. - Every month, periods are a reality for about 50% of the world's population. But let's be honest, they're not a great conversation-starter. In fact,... WHISPERS: they're hardly discussed in public at all. - I think it's because some women feel smelly, and they feel it's dirty. And, therefore, they don't like talking about periods. - I think it's, like, a cultural thing for a lot of people. - It's society's expectation that we just don't talk about it. - Yep. - Probably because it's not the fun-nest of things to experience. - I don't think that it's talked about a whole lot in fear of upsetting people. - Cos it's yucky. - Because it disgusts people, and mainly the boys. - A lot of guys just don't` It has nothing to do with them, so they don't really want to talk about it. - JAYANI: Every 28 days, or so, the female body lays down a fresh lining inside the uterus for a potential fertilised egg. When it's not used, the uterus sheds this lining and normal vaginal bleeding occurs on average for five days each month. A healthy ovulation process is a sign of a thriving female body. The hormones created by, and for, this process support female... I'm meeting sociologist Dr Sarah Donovan to discover why shame and stigma persist around our periods. - I think it really relates to historic ideas and some cultural practises and beliefs that have sort of lingered through time with us ` that menstruation is something dirty, taboo and shameful and secret, and that it should be hidden and it's private women's business. We know from, sort of, recent overseas survey data that high school students ` up to 50% would rather fail a test than let their peers know that they've got their period on that day. - Recent UK data revealed that up to 26% of students surveyed didn't know what to do when they first got their period. How traumatic can it be for young menstruators who aren't prepared? - For a young, early menstruator, say an 8-year-old ` where we know it does happen that early ` it would be absolutely mortifying. It can be a really shocking and humiliating experience for them. - LAUGHS: When I had my first period, I didn't feel prepared, no. Because I think my mum hadn't really` It wasn't a subject we talked about. - I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how long it lasted. I had no clue what was going on. - I was very lucky. My mum was very open about life. - Through school, they give us a lot of talks about sexuality and, like, how your body change and stuff. So when it happened, I was like already familiar with this situation. - No. I felt like I was gonna die. Like, who bleeds for so long? And like, yeah. It's kind of a shock to the system, especially when you're so young. - JAYANI: In New Zealand, sexual health education is compulsory, but there is no standardised approach, and parents have the right to withdraw their children. - What are some of the risks of leaving period education up to schools and communities? - If you have school boards that are, perhaps, captured by, you know, people with particularly conservative beliefs who don't think it's appropriate at primary school age, or even intermediate age to talk about menstrual management or, you know, gender and sexuality, reproductive health, then those young menstruators ` they're just missing out on that really, sort of, timely, age-appropriate information. Also, you may have school boards that aren't inclusive. - Stigma around periods may also have some far-reaching medical consequences. - In New Zealand, we tend not to have baseline data collected on things like age of menstruation, and then that has spilled over into things like there's been a lack of clinical guidance for GPs to give, say, their very, very young menstruators who get early periods. Also lack of funding into, kind of, clinical trials around effective solutions to things like periods and period pain. So, I think it's just led to everyone's really been in the dark. Assumptions have been made, or else the issue's just sort of been left under the radar. And obviously that leaves people falling through the gaps. - Lack of knowledge has also led to some peculiar misconceptions. - Some young men think women can just hold onto their periods until they get to a toilet, so why do they need these products anyway? Or the idea that it's always going to turn up on a very predictable schedule, and people can just organise their life around it, and that it just lasts a couple of hours. - So that's the fake news. What should we know? - All the cramps and all the` Everything that comes with a period. - It can affect how you work. And then, you know, you kind of get punished for that as well. - Your body feels useless and tired, doesn't want to do anything. - I think, honestly, more the hormonal side of it. - Everyone expects them to be tiring, painful, draining, you know? Like, that week's written off for you, but that doesn't have to be the case. - What more can we do, in terms of education around periods? - What needs to happen now is leadership from the top around a standardised education curriculum so we actually are preparing these young menstruators to be informed, to be confident, to have dignity when they're managing their first periods. And then, also, I guess, within our households, if we can maybe celebrate menstruation as a bit of a rite of passage, and encourage boys to support their sisters. You know, make them a hottie if they've got a crampy tummy, send them down to get the pads at the supermarket. You know, we do have to, sort of, dismantle the stigma with all young people, not just the menstruators, so that we can provide a supportive, normalised approach going forward. - Yeah, it should be normalised. - Normalise periods! - Definitely normalised, please. Yes, normalise periods! - Normalise periods! - Normalise it, period! (ALL LAUGH) - Potential household poisons are everywhere. If it does go down the hatch, what do we do? - Research shows we don't even have to be moving to get the health benefits from our pets. * (SNEAKY MUSIC) Oh-oh-oh! Let's put that back. Close it up. A few hours babysitting ` how hard could it be? Ooh! Uh, pretty hard, as it turns out. Oh! Let's close that. Have you ever imagined what your home looks like through a child's eyes? A curious place of exciting and interesting textures, colours, smells and tastes. It's not hard to see how a child can mistake poisonous household items for lollies or treats. 60%-65% per cent of calls to the National Poison Centre are for children under 5. About 20% of families with preschoolers will experience at least one poisoning incident each year. Depending on the size of the person and how much is taken, a lot of things could potentially be poisonous, and the culprits are everywhere. Ahh! If it does go down the hatch, what do we do? - There! - There are many misguided ideas like inducing vomiting. (RECORD SCRATCHES) That's a no. Vomiting doesn't necessarily remove the swallowed substance. It could cause damage to the lungs, and burn the throat again on the way up. So what about drinking milk? (BUZZER RINGS) Wrong again. Fluids can advance absorption and induce vomiting. And as for eating burnt toast to neutralise the poison,... - (YELLS PLAYFULLY) - ...that's just burnt toast. So what should we do, then? Try to keep calm ` always easier said than done. If the person is conscious, call the Poison Centre as soon as possible. If they are sleepy or unconscious, call 111, and lie them in the recovery position. If they are not breathing, call 111, and start CPR immediately. Small dramas can be second nature to parents, but there are ways to avoid a big one. - There! - Eh! Never store medicines and chemicals in food containers. Put any harmful substances safely away after use. Store them separately from food, and out of reach of children. And keep the dishwasher closed when you're not using it. How tall are you? - Press. - Ah, fish. Don't be afraid to explore your home from a child's point of view. A shelf that couldn't be reached a few days ago could well be within reach today. (FUNKY MUSIC) - Many of us adore our pets. We spend big bucks on them. They're VIP family members, and some of us even look like them. They can also provide hours of entertainment, be a worthy exercise companion, and provide a health service that we may not fully comprehend. (PLEASANT MUSIC) Meet Daisy and George. - George! - Georgie! - (CHILDREN COO) - They're obviously acing it on the cute scale, but it's their temperaments that make them the perfect therapy dogs. - Daisy is very kind and very gentle. George is like everybody's best friend. He's really easy to be around. He makes people feel comfortable. He makes people feel loved. - Anna, their trainer, is deputy principal of Te Ao Marama School, where the dogs are a popular fixture. After the morning meet-and-greet, it's time for George to help the new entrants settle in. - Can I pat him? - Yes, you may. - Can I pat him? - Yeah. All of our new children that come into school learn about how to approach a dog, and where is safe places to touch them. They learn always about asking a dog owner's permission first ` 'May I touch the dog?' Because a lot of these children may not have been around dogs at all. - Once comfortable with the dogs, the therapy can really begin. Daisy's keen for a little story time. - Nibbles the guinea pig lived in the room too. The children loved to play with her. - What's the rationale for involving the dogs in reading therapy? - So, the dogs are great because they're really patient. They aren't going to be judging a child for the way they're reading the book, or attempting to read the book. - 'I like hopping', said Grasshopper. 'I can hop so fast it feels like I am flying.' - They come out of a reading session with the dog really empowered and just thinking, 'I've got this. I can do this. 'And even if I had to read it ten times, George and Daisy ` they don't mind.' - So they're like a non-judgemental listener for the kids. - Yeah. - A growing amount of research shows that therapy dogs in schools not only have a positive effect on reading skills, but also on attention, motivation, mood and socio-emotional development. - They're really great social skill providers. Kids feel really secure coming in to school in the mornings, and helps build their confidence. - Yeah. - Kids often come up and interact and engage with others that they may not have talked to before, just because they're all hanging around Daisy or talking to George. Children, naturally, at the stage of development they are at ` they think more about themselves. But when they're with the dogs, their shift and their focus turns to care and compassion about another being, and that's been a really remarkable thing to see. - When it comes to our physical health, it makes sense to equate a dog with better fitness. A large Australian and German study revealed pet owners were notably in better overall physical health than non-pet-owners, and they made about 15% less doctors visits each year. But research shows we don't even have to be moving to get the health benefits from our pets. Hey, Daisy. The simple act of petting an animal lowers blood pressure, heart rates and breathing rates. Pet interaction also lowers the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and increases the amounts of oxytocin ` the hormone that promotes feelings of love, bonding and wellbeing. These hormone changes are connected to reduced feelings of anxiety and depression. - Sometimes we operate kind of a drop-in clinic, I guess, for the dogs. So they'll see the sign up for 'The doctor is in' and children that are having a bit of a rough day will come in and just sit with the dogs. And sometimes just sitting simply with them, and quietly, and just stroking their fur. They remind us to not take life so seriously. It's just the joy of the moment that they're in. So, yeah. They're great like that. - Infectious joy. - Yeah. - The skills of our furry health professionals span both mental and physical health. And if it were a popularity contest, I think it's fair to say George and Daisy would win, paws down. But unless they learn to write a prescription or use a stethoscope, I think my job is safe...