MRI scans are strong diagnostics with high-definition images of what lies inside a body. Strong magnetic fields require precaution, as brought out by an instance where a young woman suffered very serious injuries due to an oversight in a metallic core within a silicone sex toy that she happened to have before the MRI scan. This makes a stark reminder about the potentially deadly consequences of missing metal objects when such procedures are being performed. In April 2023, a 23-year-old woman went into an MRI with a silicone plug containing a metal core that was not known.

She thought that the item is made entirely out of silicone according to the advertising. However, the strong magnetic field of the MRI machine interacted with the hidden metal, dragging the object through her body and causing excruciating pain. According to reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the scene was harrowing, with the woman screaming in agony and requiring immediate hospitalization. Despite pre-scan screenings, which are routine prior to a scan, the patient did not inform the facility that the object existed because he presumed it was purely non-metallic. This caused serious injuries that led to the patient's law suit against the manufacturer for deceitful misrepresentations of material content.

MRI machines employ magnets between 0.5 to 3 Tesla (T). This is thousands of times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. The tremendous force causes ferromagnetic materials, like iron and nickel, to be magnetized quickly and become strongly attracted toward the magnet. Objects as small as hairpins or paper clips will accelerate at 40 miles per hour inside the magnetic field.

The force can lead to catastrophic injuries in items lodged within the body, such as metallic implants or foreign objects. Metallic cores within devices, like pacemakers or intrauterine devices, must be disclosed to radiologists to prevent such complications.

How Metal Objects Interact with MRI Fields?

On these claims, Dr. Adam Taylor, a specialist in human anatomy, weighed his words in a international health website and added that the distance away and mass of this object would increase its velocity towards that of sound, "The acceleration would be phenomenal, but with a metallic core, it can't go anywhere near supersonic speeds. As for the size, the magnetic acceleration to the internal soft tissues would ensure that there could be severe intracranial trauma."

The injuries inflicted in this case likely involved damage to major blood vessels, nerves, or organs, highlighting the devastating impact of even minor oversight during an MRI scan.

This is not an isolated case. There are documented cases of metallic objects causing serious damage during MRI scans with a 65-year-old man with schizophrenia swallowed metal objects, including sockets and a hinge pin. The powerful magnetic field during an MRI scan caused the objects to rupture his stomach, resulting in serious injuries.

A toddler who ingested 11 small magnets perforated his bowel while undergoing a scan, making his case unique. In another deadly but extremely rare incident, there have been people who hide a firearm on themselves during MRI procedures. Magnetic attraction can trigger a discharge in a weapon and has led to some fatal injuries.

These cases emphasize the very strong need for adequate screening and patient education prior to an MRI.

Preventing MRI-Related Incidents

Medical professionals have been trained to avoid risks. This is by properly screening a patient for metallic objects. In general, most pre-scan protocols include:

• Patients are interrogated about implants, recent surgery or exposures at work related to metals.
• Radiologists sometimes use handheld metal detectors to search for hidden items.
• People who work with metal, like welders or machinists, will need additional testing to detect microscopic metal fragments within soft tissues or eyes.

The case emphasizes the importance of product labeling by manufacturers, especially those products that are likely to unintentionally cause harm to health. The patient's assumption that her device was 100% silicone points to a larger problem in consumer markets with misinformation.

It also reminds the patients to report any possible dangers to the medical professionals, no matter how the objects look non-metallic. In sensitive cases, patients can request private discussions with healthcare providers to ensure safety without discomfort.

In the end, it is a joint effort from manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and patients that can prevent such tragedies. Manufacturers must ensure truthful marketing, while healthcare providers should educate patients about the dangers of metal objects in MRI settings. For patients, understanding the risks and actively participating in pre-scan disclosures can be lifesaving.

This young woman's experience is a sobering example of the unforeseen dangers posed by MRI machines when precautions are overlooked. It serves as a wake-up call to address gaps in patient awareness, medical protocols, and product transparency. By learning from this incident, the medical community and the public can work together to ensure MRI scans remain a safe and effective diagnostic tool.

NHS doctor and regular BBC guest star Dr Punam has shared a warning about a flu variant that appears to be more severe for children than strains seen in previous years. Speaking on BBC Morning Live on Friday, she explained why many in the medical field are paying close attention to the current flu season.

Dr Punam noted that people often brush off flu concerns, but this winter is prompting far more worry. She pointed out that the rise in cases normally appears toward the end of November. This year, however, the surge began in early October. According to her, this has left many people without adequate protection, as recent NHS vaccination drives have tended to start later in the year.

She repeated that the early spike is unusual and has added to concerns. She also highlighted that a new form of the virus has now appeared. She said the usual strain has undergone a mutation during the summer. Health services look to Australia each year for early signs, and their winter season has been especially harsh, giving the UK a strong indication of what may come.

What Is The New Flu Strain Spreading in UK?

The current form of H3N2 is moving quickly across several regions. Dr. Wenqing Zhang, who leads the World Health Organization’s Global Respiratory Threats Unit, said at a recent media briefing that it has begun to dominate in a number of Northern Hemisphere countries.

James Mackey, head of the U.K.’s National Health Service, added that this winter may be one of the most demanding periods staff have ever handled. Experts do not see this as a situation on the level of a pandemic, but it still poses notable risks for older adults and those who already live with health conditions.

The doctor strongly encouraged eligible groups to get their flu vaccinations without delay. She also stressed that the new strain could be more damaging for children than those seen previously. The children’s flu vaccine is available for those aged 2 to 3 years, school-aged children from Reception to Year 11, and children with certain chronic conditions. If a child has missed their scheduled dose, parents can book a free NHS appointment through a pharmacy or the NHS App.

Who Is Eligible For A Free NHS Flu Jab This Autumn And Winter?

• Pregnant women
• All children who were aged 2 or 3 years on August 31, 2025
• Children with certain long-term health conditions (aged 6 months to under 18 years)
• Primary school aged children (Reception to Year 6)
• Secondary school aged children (Year 7 to Year 11)
• All children in clinical risk groups aged 6 months to under 18 years
• Everyone aged 65 and older
• Adults aged 18 to under 65 with certain long-term conditions
• Residents in care homes
• Carers receiving Carer’s Allowance or those who support an older or disabled person
• People living with someone who has a weakened immune system
• Frontline health and social care workers

Will This Year’s Flu Shot Be Helpful?

Every February, global health agencies and vaccine manufacturers identify which strains to include in the flu shot for the Northern Hemisphere by studying the patterns seen in the Southern Hemisphere. This year’s vaccine covers three types of influenza, including two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain.

The flu shot does not completely stop infection, but it helps reduce how sick a person becomes. Last year’s dose was up to 55 percent effective at keeping adults with flu out of the hospital.

This week, UK health officials released early data showing that the current vaccine may lower the risk of hospitalization among adults by up to 40 percent.

Multiple states across the United States have reported a rise in whooping cough this year. On Nov. 3, the Texas Department of State Health Services released a notice describing a “significant increase” in cases, with 3,500 infections reported from January through October 2025.

This figure is four times higher than the number seen during the same period in 2024. Two days later, on November 5, the Mississippi State Department of Health announced that whooping cough cases have “dramatically increased,” reaching 130 so far this year.

What Is Whooping Cough?

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It usually begins with symptoms similar to a simple cold but can progress to intense coughing spells that create a “whooping” sound when a person breathes in, as per Cleveland Clinic.

These coughing fits can lead to vomiting or short pauses in breathing, especially in babies. The illness is particularly dangerous for infants, although routine vaccination offers strong protection for people of all ages.

Whooping Cough Symptoms

Whooping cough develops in stages. The incubation period, which is the time between exposure and the first symptoms, can range from five to 21 days. The illness progresses through three stages.

The first resembles a mild cold, with tiredness, low fever, coughing, sore throat, watery eyes, and nasal congestion. The second stage can last from one to ten weeks and is known for severe coughing fits called paroxysms, vomiting, and the well-known “whoop” that follows a coughing spell. Cleveland Clinic notes that recovery forms the third stage, which can last up to six weeks.

Symptoms may shift as a person moves through the phases.

• Initial stage (1 to 2 weeks): Symptoms mirror a common cold, including a runny nose, sneezing, light cough, and low-grade fever.
• Paroxysmal stage (after 1 to 2 weeks): The cough becomes harsher and arrives in bursts. Breathing in after a fit can create a high-pitched “whoop.” In this stage, some people may experience:
• Vomiting after coughing spells
• Blue or purple skin due to low oxygen
• Short pauses in breathing (apnea), especially in infants
• Recovery stage: Coughing fits begin to ease but may linger for several weeks or months.

Whooping Cough: Why Are Whooping Cough Cases Increasing In the US?

Experts link this rise to dropping vaccination rates, especially among children, which makes it easier for the infection to spread. Specialists warn that vaccination is the strongest tool to keep numbers under control. They also point out that whooping cough often increases in cycles every few years, and the illness cannot be fully eliminated.

“We practitioners and public health professionals are concerned because we are seeing a year-after-year trend of a significant increase in cases when this is preventable,” said Hector Ocaranza, a pediatrician and member of the Texas Medical Association’s Council on Science and Health Promotion, as per Texas Tribune. “Especially a disease that can have such a severe effect on infants, older people, and those who have chronic conditions.”

The agency’s latest alert, issued on November 3, also mentioned that more than half of last year’s cases appeared in November and December, suggesting that numbers may keep rising.

Whooping Cough: Who Are More Vulnerable?

Babies younger than six months face the highest risk because they have not yet completed their vaccination schedule. One in three infants with whooping cough needs hospital care, and one in five may develop pneumonia. Some babies experience seizures or swelling in the brain. Many infants do not cough but instead gag or turn blue or purple due to long pauses in breathing that may last more than 20 seconds, a condition known as life-threatening apnea.

Healthy teenagers and adults can also catch the infection and may develop pneumonia, along with coughing fits that cause vomiting, exhaustion, and sometimes rib fractures. However, the chance of death is much lower in older children and adults. If treated early, antibiotics can ease symptoms and limit the spread of the illness.

The Texas health department notes that vaccination remains the strongest form of protection and urges parents to ensure that children are current on their pertussis shots.

Alpha gal: The first recorded death linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a dangerous allergy to red meat that can develop after a tick bite, has been confirmed. UVA Health shared on Thursday that the victim was a 47-year-old man from New Jersey who had enjoyed good health until a family camping trip in the summer of 2024.

One evening, he and his family ate steak around 10 p.m. A few hours later, at about 2 a.m., he woke with sharp stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. By morning he felt stable again, and told his son, “I thought I was going to die.” Two weeks later, after eating a hamburger at a barbecue around 3 p.m., he fell sick again.

He went to the bathroom at 7:20 p.m. His son found him on the floor ten minutes later, unconscious and surrounded by vomit. Emergency services were called while the son attempted CPR.

Paramedics continued trying to revive him for nearly two hours as he was taken to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead at 10:22 p.m. An autopsy showed no major issues with his heart, brain, lungs, or abdomen, and the medical examiner recorded the case as “sudden unexplained death.”

When Platts-Mills and the UVA Health team tested a blood sample, they discovered the man had become highly sensitive to alpha-gal. The results showed a reaction pattern similar to what is seen in fatal anaphylaxis, a severe allergic response marked by breathing trouble and widespread hives.

What Is Alpha Gal Syndrome?

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a meat allergy that develops after bites from certain ticks, most often the lone star tick. People with AGS react to mammalian meat such as beef, pork, or lamb, and sometimes to other products made from mammals.

Symptoms do not appear right away. They usually surface between two and six hours after eating foods that contain alpha-gal. Doctors diagnose AGS by reviewing symptoms, checking IgE antibody levels, and seeing whether a patient improves after avoiding mammalian meat. Treatment focuses on steering clear of foods and items that contain alpha-gal and reducing the risk of future tick bites, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Alpha Gal Syndrome: First Death Linked To Tick-Borne Meat Allergy

Platts-Mills learned from the man’s wife that her husband had been bitten 12 or 13 times by tiny mites called chiggers that summer. After looking more closely, the doctor realised that many of those bites were actually from young lone star ticks. The Independent reported that Platts-Mills and his team believe a beer the man drank on the day he died, along with ragweed pollen exposure, may have intensified his reaction.

Alpha Gal Syndrome: What Is Leading To Alpha Gal Syndrome?

Although lone star ticks were once thought to be the only source of alpha-gal sensitisation, researchers have now found that two more species can trigger the condition. Deer ticks and western black-legged ticks have also been linked to AGS. Tick activity rises during warmer months, placing people in much of the eastern United States at greater risk.

Scientists think that when a tick bites, it may introduce the alpha-gal sugar molecule into the bloodstream, which can set off changes in the immune system. After that, eating beef, pork, lamb, or other mammalian products can cause a delayed allergic reaction.

Alpha Gal Syndrome: Early Warning Symptoms

Early signs of AGS may include hives, itching, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or general abdominal discomfort, usually beginning two to six hours after eating red meat or dairy.

Some people may also develop wheezing, trouble breathing, light-headedness, or a dangerous reaction known as anaphylaxis. Anyone who experiences severe symptoms such as breathing difficulty or a sudden fall in blood pressure should get medical help right away.

About 110,000 possible cases were recorded in the United States between 2010 and 2022, though experts believe the real number may be higher. Because symptoms appear long after a meal, many people go undiagnosed or struggle to connect their reactions to the foods they ate.