Birthdays are exciting for everyone. There's celebration, a cake, and balloons. But what if it goes wrong? This is what happened with Giang Pham, from Vietnam, who was celebrating her 33rd birthday on February 14, when a hydrogen balloon in her hand touched the flame from the candle on the cake and exploded on her face.

This incident was also captured on camera. The footage clearly shows how the balloon blew up as soon as it touched the flame. Her friends were shocked and can be heard gasping in the background as they saw this.

In the days following the incident, she also shared photos on her Instagram showing her bandaged face, and revealed the first-degree burns on her hand and second-degree burns on her face. However, the good news was that her vision was unaffected, though for her face to recover, it would take months.

She is now also warning others about the risks of using highly inflammable hydrogen balloons. The other alternative could be a helium balloon, which you could fly higher and they remain on the ceiling.

Health Update

She revealed that her doctor estimated up to six months for her skin to recover. She would still have to go to the hospital for dressing and treatment. Another such case happened with a woman named Tine from Australia, when on her son's 7th birthday, the balloon exploded and "shook her house". Her son was burned in the forearm.

Such incidents happen because decorators want to save the cost by replacing helium with hydrogen, which is highly inflammable.

In Healing

Giang shared that she experienced second-degree burn on her face and first-degree burn on her hands. As per John Hopkins Medicine, first degree burns affect only the epidermis, or the outer layer of skin. The burn site becomes red, painful, dry, however, there are no blisters. A mild sunburn could be an example of such a burn. This is also called superficial burns.

Whereas, second degree burns involve the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of the skin. The burn site appears red, blistered and could also be swollen and painful. This is also known as partial thickness burn.

Then comes the third degree burns, also known as full thickness burn. This destroys the epidermis and dermis and could also damage the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. However, when the bones and muscles are burned, it could be referred to as a fourth degree burn. The burn sit appears white or charred and there is no feeling in the area since the nerve endings are destroyed.

How burns are treated?

The right way to treat a burn depends on its depth and how much of the body it covers. While minor, superficial burns can be managed at home, deeper or larger burns may need medical attention. Keep these essential guidelines in mind:

Do:

• Remove the source of the burn immediately – For example, take off clothing soaked in hot liquid to prevent further damage.
• Run cool water over the burn – This helps soothe the skin, except in cases of certain chemical burns.
• Keep the burn clean and protected – Cover it with a clean, non-stick bandage when possible.
• Seek medical help – If the burn is deeper than a superficial layer, larger than your hand, or full-thickness, see a doctor.

Don’t:

• Use home remedies like bleach or butter – These can make the burn worse.
• Apply ointments or creams on deep burns – They can trap heat and worsen the injury.
• Put ice on the burn – It can cause more damage to the skin.
• Pop blisters – This increases the risk of infection.

Knowing these simple steps can make a big difference in burn care and healing.

Menstruation is not a disability, and therefore, there is no need for mandatory period leaves, said experts, a day after the Supreme Court of India quashed the petition seeking a menstrual leave policy.

The top court expressed concerns that a law making paid leave during menstrual pain compulsory could harm the careers of young women and deprive them of equal opportunities.

While such a policy may look appealing from a “rights perspective,” the court noted it could have “long-term impacts.”

According to the 2025 Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI), women’s labor force participation (LFPR) showed significant growth, reaching 35.3 percent in December 2025, driven largely by a consistent rise in rural areas, which peaked at 40.1 percent.

The female worker population ratio (WPR) also increased, reaching a yearly high in December, highlighting greater engagement in the workforce.

However, India’s female participation remains notably lower than the global average of nearly 49 percent and the OECD average of 67 percent, indicating a persistent, though shrinking, gender gap.

In this context, the court observed that a mandatory period leave policy could create the impression that women “still have some natural issues” and “are not at par with male persons.”

“Will an employer be happy if an employee takes leave every month? You risk creating a situation where employers may be reluctant to hire women,” the bench said.

Period Pain is Real. Paid Leave Unnecessary

HealthandMe spoke to several experts who agreed with the Supreme Court’s view, noting that while period pain and related concerns are real, they do not warrant paid leave for all women employees.

Periods affect women worldwide. For some, it comes with severe back pain, headaches, cramps, fatigue, and other symptoms. For others, the days pass with little discomfort.

“I feel mandatory menstrual leave for all female employees is unnecessary. While menstrual issues are real, not everyone suffers from them. Young women experience debilitating pain in about 1 in 10 cases, while women in their 40s may experience heavier bleeding, perhaps debilitating in 1 out of 7 individuals,” Dr. Ruma Satwik, Senior Consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, told HealthandMe.

Dr. Sabine Kapasi, a public health expert and UN advisor, emphasized that menstrual health deserves significant policy attention.

“But a universal requirement for leave may not be sufficient and is not necessarily the best approach,” she added.

Women have long faced societal and workplace stereotypes, with gender bias evident in wages, hierarchies, and opportunities. A LinkedIn report shows that gender disparity is more pronounced in leadership roles: in 2025, women held only 18 percent of top positions in India, far lower than their overall workforce representation.

“A policy must avoid inadvertently perpetuating gender bias in employment or career advancement,” Kapasi told HealthandMe.

During the Supreme Court hearing, Chief Justice Surya Kant said that with the mandatory menstrual leave law, employers might hesitate to hire women.

“We are creating ‘All Women Teams’ and ‘All Women Service Centers.’ How will they function if such a leave policy is approved? Menstruation is not a disability. It is a biological fact that women have managed over generations,” Indira Murthy, Retired Joint Secretary, Government of India, Advocate, High Court and Supreme Court, and Arbitrator, told HealthandMe.

A Sustained and Flexible Approach

Experts acknowledged the genuine challenges women face during menstruation and suggested alternative measures, including work-from-home arrangements.

Murthy noted that the Supreme Court emphasized voluntary employer initiatives, while also stating that proper institutional arrangements should ensure hygiene and safety for women and children.

“For some women, periods are very uncomfortable. They may be unable to work during these days. Companies can provide flexibility and allow period leaves,” said Dr. Alpna Kansal, President of IMA Ghaziabad.

Kapasi recommended a more sustained approach in workplaces, urging employers to recognize that conditions like endometriosis or severe dysmenorrhea can significantly impact well-being and productivity.

Flexible, stigma-free policies can help women while maintaining workplace fairness.

“Menstrual health awareness, workplace flexibility, access to care, and supportive leave policies integrated into broader occupational health frameworks should be priorities. Women’s health can be safeguarded with a balanced strategy without causing structural disadvantages at work,” Kapasi added.

Dr. Satwik noted that most cases of pain or heavy bleeding can be managed with medication.

“Only in rare cases would symptoms be refractory to treatment, requiring injections or surgical intervention. Those experiencing debilitating symptoms should be granted leave as part of standard sick leave,” she said.

Murthy emphasized that the Supreme Court did not propose a blanket ban.

“No one-size-fits-all policy works. Policy-making should benefit even the last person in the queue. Work-from-home arrangements are a sustainable solution to this issue,” she said.

The American Heart Association (AHA), along with the American College of Cardiology (ACC), today released new guidelines for managing dyslipidemia.

Dyslipidemia can be defined as abnormal levels of one or more types of lipids or lipoproteins in the blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides.

The new guidelines, jointly published in JACC, the flagship journal of ACC, and Circulation, the flagship journal of the AHA, emphasize the need to reduce cardiovascular risk by starting to screen early. It also calls for making lifestyle changes with a proper diet, weight control with exercise, to curb the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

ASCVD is caused by the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries and is the leading cause of death globally.

The guidelines replace the 2018 Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol and offer a comprehensive “one-stop shop”.

Instead of the usual focus on just bad cholesterol, it addresses the need to evaluate, manage, and monitor all dyslipidemias, including high blood cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia, and elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]).

“While we want to try to optimize healthy lifestyle habits as the first step to lower cholesterol, we realize that if lipid numbers aren’t within the desirable range after a period of lifestyle optimization, we should consider adding lipid-lowering medication earlier than we would have considered 10 years ago,” said Roger S. Blumenthal, chair of the guideline writing committee.

“Lower [LDL-C] for longer, just like lower blood pressure for longer, results in much greater protection against future heart attack and stroke risk,” he added.

What Does The Guideline Say:

1. Early Screening

Early intervention through early screening and healthy lifestyle changes, starting from childhood, is the primary focus of the guidelines. It recommends:

• Children (9-11 years): Cholesterol screening if never done before.
• Adults (30-79 years): Evaluate 10- and 30-year ASCVD risk to determine the need for early intervention
• Considering lipid-lowering therapy for young adults with -- persistent LDL of at least 160 mg/dL, strong family history of ASCVD and/or at least 10 percent 30-year risk for ASCVD

• Family history of heart disease
• Chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g., lupus, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Metabolic conditions like obesity, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease
• Higher-risk ancestries, including South Asian or Filipino
• Early menopause, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes

• A healthy weight,
• regular physical activity,
• avoiding tobacco,
• healthy sleep habits
• cholesterol-lowering medications

2. LDL-C cholesterol

The guidelines state that individuals with healthy LDL-cholesterol levels or high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), “cannot ‘get out of jail free’ card”. It is important to measure other biomarkers, such as:

• lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)],
• apolipoprotein B (apoB),
• high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)
• elevated triglycerides

Further, it indicates that LDL-C should be less than

• 100 mg/dL borderline or intermediate risk
• 70 mg/dL for people at high risk
• 55 mg/dL for people at very high risk/need secondary prevention

The guidelines recommend:

• Starting lipid-lowering therapy for people age 40 or older with chronic kidney disease (stage 3 or higher), HIV or Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
• Continuing lipid-lowering therapy in people being treated for cancer, unless contraindicated
• Deferring most lipid-lowering therapies during conception, pregnancy and lactation

Lauren Macpherson, 29, started showing symptoms of what she later realized was terminal brain cancer after a heavy case fell from the luggage rack of a train on her head. She had to be rushed to hospital. She was on the train for a music festival in London and had to be taken off halfway due to excruciating pain. She had instant swelling and doctors feared that she had a fracture in her spine or a concussion. However, scans revealed something else. There was a shadow on her brain, which turned out to be a tumor. She was told that she only had 12 months to live.

“As [the doctor] said it I just knew, because I’ve been having all these symptoms building up, especially over the last two years, and it just clicked. There is an instinct inside you, and when you have been feeling unwell, it just all made sense,” said Lauren.

Lauren Dismissed Her Symptoms As ADHD

She revealed that she had been suffering from a series of symptoms like extreme fatigue, bad memory, emotional dysregulation, stomach pain, and headaches. She however, believed that these symptoms were linked to ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). This condition is also characterized by behavioral differences like difficulties with focus.

Surprising to most, being told that she had a brain tumor was a "relief" to her. "You think you are going crazy, all these things going wrong. I would have such bad days where I literally could not get out of bed. Like nobody would understand," she said.

Read: Colon Cancer Is The Leading Cause Of Death In US For People Under 50

Doctors had told her in September 2025 that she may have less than a year to live. "I just kept saying, 'just give me my thirties'. I will be grateful for anything just as long as I get my thirties and it gives me time to just say goodbye and have a bit of a life," she said.

“That’s all I could think about. I couldn’t think of anything else, it was just get through it, to get through my thirties and that is all."

The Condition Lauren Has

A biopsy showed that she had oligodendroglioma. This is a rare type of tumor that develops in the glial cells. She was told that the average life expectancy of such a tumor is around 10 to 12 years.

Last year, in October, she had a six-hour awake craniotomy at a private clinic in London. While surgeons were able to remove 80 per cent of the tumor, she struggled with memory loss afterwards.

"I couldn’t speak and didn’t even know how to unlock my phone,” she wrote in a blog post for Brain Tumour Research. "Slowly, my memory and speech returned. I still can’t read or write properly and I’m undergoing rehabilitation. I still search for words during conversation and get headaches, but things are improving," she wrote.

She now wants to live her live to full with what time she has left and is planning to marry her partner Zac and enjoy a trip to Italy to mark her 30th birthday.