With the holiday season high, there is festive cheer, family gatherings and also an undeniable increases in alcohol consumption that fills the air. Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations to spring break and bachelor parties and sporting events that bring together huge crowds for celebrations mean that drinking becomes synonymous with partying. But behind the revelry lies a much darker behavior: high-intensity drinking.

Alcohol is the most widely used substance in the United States; it has been reported that 84% of adults aged 18 and older reported lifetime use. Moderate drinking is socially acceptable, but high-intensity drinking is an alarming trend. The behavior of consuming eight or more drinks over a few hours for women and 10 or more for men exceeds binge drinking and significantly increases risk for harm.

High-intensity drinking is far from being just a mere passing concern; it is instead a public health crisis. The burden is even greater as 29 million people in the United States suffer from alcohol use disorder. That has caused over 140,000 deaths annually while accounting for 200,000 hospitalizations and 7.4% of visits to emergency departments in the United States. However, only 7.6% of these affected get treated, thus forming a glaring gap in handling this concern.

What Is High-Intensity Drinking?

High-intensity drinking is a dangerous escalation from traditional binge drinking, characterized by consuming double or triple the standard binge amounts. While binge drinking involves four or more drinks for women and five or more for men, high-intensity drinkers often surpass these levels, leading to blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) exceeding 0.2%—a level that significantly impairs judgment and motor skills.

According to Dr. George Koob, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), high-intensity drinking is one of the factors that intensify the risks of injuries, overdose, and death. It is also very highly associated with the onset of AUD, since the chance of addiction increases with increased alcohol consumption per occasion.

Blackouts and Memory Loss Risks

One of the most troubling consequences of high-intensity drinking is alcohol-induced blackouts, periods of amnesia where individuals may appear functional but are incapable of forming memories. Blackouts occur when alcohol disrupts the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for memory formation.

Blackouts are often categorized into two types:

1. Fragmentary Blackouts: Characterized by spotty memory, where recalling certain details can trigger partial recollection.

2. En Bloc Blackouts: Significant amnesia for hours, wherein no memory is created at all, even if tried to be recalled.

Aside from memory loss, intense binge drinking is linked with poor decision-making, violence, injury, and conflicts in personal relationships.

Why Holidays and Special Events Are Hotbeds for Excessive Drinking

Holidays and celebrations create the perfect storm for high-intensity drinking. According to research, adults drink nearly double the amount of alcohol during holidays like Christmas and New Year's Eve than they do at any other time of the year. It is during these periods of social gathering, holiday stress, and seasonal sadness that people drink in excess.

For college students, experiences like spring break and 21st birthdays increase the danger. Some studies indicate that students, especially those who travel with buddies to spring break, indulge in more alcohol and make more serious decisions than any student who remains at home or goes with their family to other destinations. Sporting events are, too, notorious for promoting drunk consumption, especially among male customers. Alcohol consumption usually goes high during Super Bowl Sunday, thus leading to games day violence and arrests.

Consequences of Heavy Intensity Drinking

High-intensity drinking impacts not only physical health and mental well-being but also social relationships.

Acute Risks

- Alcohol poisoning

- Severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances

- Hypoglycemia

- Risky sexual behavior

- Injuries and accidents

Chronic Risks

- Liver damage, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis

- Cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy

- Neurological damage, including memory deficits and blackouts

- Progression to alcohol dependence or AUD

Psychological Impact

High-intensity drinking is strongly linked with increased risks of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Poor decision-making during episodes can lead to long-lasting consequences, including damaged academic, professional, or personal outcomes.

How to Address the Problem

Combating high-intensity drinking requires education, early intervention, and accessible treatment options. The NIAAA has defined high-intensity drinking to be distinct from binge drinking and has called for targeted approaches to decline prevalence and associated harms.

One promising treatment option is naltrexone, which a medication helps control alcohol cravings. Encouraging in preliminary evidence, more extensive clinical trials will be necessary to ascertain its efficacy more specifically in high-intensity drinkers.

As we head into the holiday season and other special occasions, it is important to heighten awareness of the dangers of high-intensity drinking. A good understanding of long-term consequences and seeking help when alcohol-related issues arise can be the difference between life and death. Celebrations should be about joy and connection, not about the gateway to harm.

If you or someone you know drinks at dangerous levels or have an alcohol use disorder, there is help available. Remember, for suspected cases of alcohol poisoning, dial 911. In this way, we can foster healthier relationships with alcohol and create safer environments for everyone.

World Mosquito Day, observed on August 20, raises awareness about mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya and the health risks they pose.

Among these diseases, dengue remains a major public health concern, affecting people across regions worldwide throughout the year.

Dengue Cases: The Latest Numbers

• Global: More than 1.5 million dengue cases and over 500 dengue-related deaths have been reported globally since the beginning of 2026, as of July 31.
• Americas: 1,373,756 cases had been reported as of epidemiological week 26, updated July 23. Of these, 28.9% were laboratory-confirmed, according to WHO PAHO.
• South-East Asia: WHO SEARO bulletins published in June and July reported dengue in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste since July 2025.
• India: 22,938 cases had been reported in 2026 as of June. June recorded 6,625 cases, up from 3,747 in May — a 77% increase.

Also read: India’s First Approved Dengue Vaccine: Takeda’s QDENGA Protects Against All Four Virus Serotypes

Why Can Dengue Affect the Kidneys?

Dengue is typically associated with high fever, joint pain, and low platelet counts. However, severe dengue can affect the kidneys and lead to acute kidney injury (AKI).

Speaking to HealthandMe, nephrologists said kidney problems may not always cause symptoms early on, making monitoring particularly important in severe dengue.

Dr. Anupam Roy, Additional Director - Nephrology and Kidney Transplant, Aakash Healthcare Multi-Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, said that recovering from dengue requires careful fluid management, particularly in severe cases.

It is because the kidneys regulate fluids and electrolytes, and changes in circulation caused by dengue can temporarily disrupt their function.

Fever, vomiting, and poor fluid intake can cause dehydration, while severe dengue can cause plasma leakage. Both too little and too much fluid can create problems, making medical supervision important. In hospital, healthcare professionals monitor urine output and signs of dehydration, particularly in patients with complications or underlying health conditions.

After the acute phase, patients should gradually resume eating and drinking according to medical advice. Excessive fluid intake and self-medication should be avoided, particularly when medicines could place additional stress on the kidneys.

“So, it is the quantity issue that must be tackled,” Dr. Roy said.

Signs of Kidney Problems

Read More: Dengue Serotypes Shifting In Young Adults: How India's Indigenous Vaccine Could Help Prevent Severe Disease

According to Dr. Manoj Arora, Consultant Nephrologist, NephroPlus, a network of dialysis centers, warning signs include:

• Decreased urination
• Swelling of the face or legs
• Dark or foamy urine
• Increased blood pressure
• Unusual tiredness
• Nausea
• Breathing problems

Some symptoms can overlap with severe dengue, including continuous vomiting, severe stomach pain, and bleeding.

Who Is at Higher Risk?

Kidney injury is more likely in people with severe dengue or shock. Older people and those with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or existing kidney problems may also face higher risk.

Seek medical attention for a drastic reduction in urine, new swelling, blood in the urine, worsening breathlessness, confusion, or continuous vomiting.

In hospitalized patients, monitoring is important when creatinine rises, electrolyte levels fluctuate — particularly potassium — or urine output continues to change.

How Can Kidney Damage Be Prevented?

Early recognition and appropriate management are key. Doctors may monitor:

• Fluid balance
• Urine output
• Kidney function
• Electrolyte levels
• Potentially harmful medications

Do not self-medicate or increase fluid intake without medical advice, particularly during severe dengue.

How to Reduce Your Risk of Dengue

Reducing mosquito exposure and preventing mosquito breeding can help lower the risk of dengue.

• Eliminate stagnant water
• Use mosquito repellents
• Use bed nets
• Keep mosquitoes out
• Wear protective clothing
• Check your surroundings regularly.

Are you someone who can spend hours scrolling through short videos on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok? A new study suggests that watching preferred short videos may temporarily quiet brain regions involved in self-control and monitoring, offering a possible clue to why it can be so hard to stop.

Short Videos May Quiet Brain’s Self-Control Network

The research, published in the journal NeuroImage, found that watching preferred short videos may temporarily suppress activity in parts of the brain involved in cognitive control. This effect may also be linked to levels of the brain chemical glutamate.

The study focused on the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Both are key regions of the cognitive control network, which becomes active during tasks that require mental effort, attention and self-regulation.

Researchers from Zhejiang University in China found that both the dACC and dlPFC showed significant deactivation when participants watched preferred videos to completion, compared with less-preferred videos that were stopped early.

The liked videos significantly reduced activity in both brain regions linked to cognitive control. When participants watched videos they chose to continue, activity in the dACC and dlPFC fell below normal resting levels.

However, disliked videos showed a different pattern. Activity in the dACC remained close to normal, while the dlPFC was still suppressed. Meanwhile, the visual cortex remained active during both types of videos, suggesting the changes were linked to the viewing experience rather than simply looking at a screen.

Glutamate May Influence How The Brain Responds

The small study of 56 participants also examined whether resting levels of two important brain chemicals could help explain differences in how participants’ cognitive control networks responded during short-video viewing.

Glutamate is the brain’s main excitatory neurotransmitter, helping increase neural activity. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter, helping reduce or regulate neural activity.

The researchers found that resting-state glutamate levels in the dACC were associated with the extent of brain deactivation. Higher glutamate concentrations were linked to less suppression of activity in both the dACC and dlPFC.

Functional connectivity between the dACC and dlPFC also increased during video viewing, particularly when participants watched their preferred videos.

How Immersive Viewing Affects Brain

The researchers said the findings provide new evidence that immersive viewing of preferred short videos can deactivate the cognitive control network and that individual differences in this response may be linked to glutamate metabolism.

They suggested that the findings could help improve understanding of how digital media consumption interacts with neurochemical processes involved in self-regulation and may offer insights into the neural mechanisms behind excessive short-video use.

The study, however. does not establish that short-video viewing directly causes a loss of self-control or addictive behavior.

Why Excessive Short-Video Maybe Harmful?

Previous research has linked excessive short-video use with changes in attention, focus and mental well-being.

Studies in Nature Communications and research from the American Psychological Association suggest that highly stimulating, rapidly changing content may encourage constant novelty-seeking and make sustained attention more difficult.

Potential effects include:

• Reward-seeking behavior
• Reduced attention span
• Mental fatigue
• Sleep disruption
• Emotional reactivity

Short videos are not inherently harmful, but excessive or compulsive scrolling can become a concern when it interferes with sleep, work, studies or daily life.

Breast cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in India, representing a significant and growing public health concern. According to recent estimates, India recorded approximately 221,757 new breast cancer cases in 2022, making breast cancer the most common cancer among women and accounting for nearly one-fourth of all female cancers in several urban populations1.

Rising urbanisation, lifestyle changes, delayed childbirth, and increasing life expectancy have contributed to the growing incidence. Despite advances in awareness and screening, many women continue to be diagnosed at later stages, underscoring the need for effective, accessible, and patient-centric treatment approaches.

Moving Beyond One-Size-Fits-All Radiation Therapy

As cancer care evolves towards more personalised treatment, brachytherapy is emerging as a targeted alternative that delivers radiation with greater precision.

Also read: Why Flight Attendants, Pilots Face Higher Risk Of Radiation-Linked Cancer Deaths Than Other Occupations?

How Brachytherapy Delivers Radiation Where It Matters Most

Unlike conventional radiation, which passes through normal tissues before reaching the target, brachytherapy focuses treatment directly on the tumour bed. This precision helps maximise treatment effectiveness while reducing potential side effects.

Also read: Groundbreaking Experimental Vaccine May Prevent Pancreatic Cancer From Spreading, Early Trial Finds

A More Personalised Approach to Breast Cancer Treatment

One of the most significant applications of breast brachytherapy is Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI). In selected patients with early-stage breast cancer, the risk of recurrence is highest around the original tumour site. APBI targets only this region rather than treating the entire breast.

This focused approach helps protect healthy breast tissue and nearby organs such as the heart and lungs. Advanced imaging and treatment-planning technologies further enhance personalisation by allowing radiation doses to be tailored to the patient's anatomy and tumour characteristics.

Also read: UK Set To Implement Stricter Protocol For Prostate Cancer Testing; Who Is Eligible To Get Tested?

Shorter Treatment Duration, Greater Convenience

A major advantage of brachytherapy is the shorter treatment schedule it offers. Conventional radiation therapy may require daily sessions for three to six weeks, whereas brachytherapy-based APBI can often be completed within a few days.

For patients travelling long distances to access specialised cancer care, this can reduce both the logistical and financial burden of treatment while minimising disruptions to daily life.

Preserving Quality of Life After Cancer

As survival rates improve, quality of life has become a key consideration in breast cancer care. Brachytherapy's targeted approach reduces radiation exposure to healthy tissues and has been associated with favourable cosmetic outcomes.

By combining precision, convenience, and effectiveness, brachytherapy represents an important step towards personalised breast cancer treatment, offering appropriately selected patients an opportunity for effective care with potentially fewer side effects and improved overall treatment experience.

By Dr. Harjot Kaur Bajwa, Senior Consultant Radiation Oncologist and Brachytherapy specialist at the American Oncology Institute, Hyderabad