Why do doctors advise us to have blood tests done on an empty stomach?-Ramandeep Kaur Arora, NasikIt is important for the doctor to know when the tests were done. For example, if the doctor suspects that his patient has diabetes, the exact time when the blood is taken, becomes important. The blood sugar readings will vary greatly depending on when the blood sample is taken on an empty stomach or two hours after a full meal.Cholesterol levels are related to the blood pressure level. These too give different readings when the test is done on an empty stomach and after a full meal. To obtain a correct diagnosis, tests for ESR or erythrocyte (red blood cell) sedimentation rate and blood count also should be done on an empty stomach.Why do we blink our eyes?-Aditi A Joshi, Ponda, GoaYou must have seen motor cars and taxis in Ponda. During the rainy season, wipers are used to clean the windscreen of cars. The wiper wipes away all that accumulates on the windscreen.There is a lot of dust around us in the atmosphere. A bit of it falls on our eyes too. Blinking does the job of a wiper. Tears, that are secreted from the lachrymal glands in the eye, do the job of lubrication and ensure that the wiping does not result in any scratches on the eye.What is LBW? How does a batsman get out by LBW?Ashwin Thakare, MaladLBW is the abbreviation of Leg Before Wicket. According to the rules of cricket, `leg before wicket' is interference, with a ball (whether by accident or intentionally) that would have otherwise hit the wicket, as determined by the umpire. In simple language, if according to the umpire, the ball would have hit the wicket, if the leg were not to come in the way of the ball, the player is declared out.
