Can't leave your house without your earphones, airpods or headphones? Well, you aren't alone. There are millions of others who feel the same. However, do not be surprised if I tell you that it may lead to memory loss and dementia. According to the National Library of Medicine, the auditory nerve, which carries sound signals to the brain, when constantly bombarded with loud noises, starts transmitting weaker signals. This forces the brain to work harder to interpret the sound, leading to cognitive overload. Prolonged cognitive strain can eventually pave the way for dementia and memory loss.

Long-term headphone use also affects brain function directly. High decibel levels of noise can damage the insulation of nerve fibres that carry auditory signals to the brain, disrupting the flow of information. Moreover, the electromagnetic waves produced by headphones have been linked to problems like headaches, fatigue, and, in some cases, neurological discomfort.

Beyond The Brain, Headphones Can Make You Deaf

Empirical evidence shows that nearly one billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to excessive exposure to loud music through headphones. For the uninitiated, sound intensity is measured in decibels. Prolonged exposure to noise above 85 decibels can be harmful to hearing. Music listened to at maximum volume using headphones often falls in the range of 85 to 120 decibels, a level capable of causing significant hearing damage over time.

Studies Show The Ill Effects

According to a recent survey in the UK, a staggering 65% of students admitted to listening to music at maximum volume through their headphones. A similar study revealed that adolescents exposed to high noise levels via headphones in noisy environments experienced a hearing loss prevalence of 22.6%. Those who used earphones for 80 minutes or more per day had a hearing loss prevalence of 22.3%. These figures are alarming, especially given how ingrained headphone use has become in daily life.

The ramifications of early-onset hearing loss go far beyond damaged ears. It can also jeopardize your mental health. Hearing loss in youth can set off a chain reaction, leading to social isolation and depression. Over time, it can also escalate and jeopardise your relationships. Ill-fitting headphones add to the woes, causing pain that extends from the inner ear to the jaws and top of the head. They can also lead to ear infections, which eventually hamper cognitive functions.

Protecting hearing and brain health requires a shift in listening habits. Experts recommend keeping the volume below 60 per cent and limiting usage to 60 minutes per day. Investing in noise-cancelling headphones can also help reduce the need to crank up the volume in noisy environments.

People prescribed venlafaxine are being urged to stay alert to certain symptoms and side effects that may require medical advice from NHS 111 or their GP. Venlafaxine is a widely used SNRI antidepressant. It is mainly prescribed for depression, but doctors may also recommend it for anxiety disorders and panic attacks.

What Is Venlafaxine?

Venlafaxine, sold under brand names such as Effexor and Effexor XR, is a prescription antidepressant classified as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. It helps regulate mood by raising levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain, chemicals that play a key role in emotional balance and mental stability.

Doctors Warn People Taking Venlafaxine

The medicine is usually taken as a tablet or capsule. It works by increasing levels of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain, chemicals that help regulate mood. According to NHS guidance, venlafaxine tends to cause fewer side effects than older antidepressants. That said, it is not completely free of risks.

Most people begin to notice some improvement within one to two weeks, although it can take four to six weeks for the drug to have its full effect.

Venlafaxine Side Effects

Common side effects listed by the NHS include sweating, nausea, a dry mouth, and headaches. These are generally mild and often ease as the body adjusts to the medication.

However, there are other, more serious side effects that may need prompt medical advice. While these reactions are uncommon and affect fewer than one in 100 people, the NHS advises contacting 111 or a GP if they occur.

Venlafaxine Serious Side Effects

NHS advice says you should speak to your GP if you notice unexpected weight gain or weight loss, or sudden changes to your menstrual cycle. This may include spotting, bleeding between periods, or unusually heavy periods.

Patients are also advised to contact their doctor or NHS 111 without delay if they experience any of the following symptoms while taking venlafaxine:

• Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes
• Bleeding gums
• Bruising that appears without explanation or continues to spread
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
• Muscle pain or weakness with no clear cause
• Breathlessness, or a heartbeat that feels fast, uneven, or irregular
• Intense feelings of elation, extreme excitement, or restlessness that makes it hard to stay still
• Changes in vision, including blurred eyesight or enlarged pupils
• Coughing up blood
• Blood in urine
• Persistent headaches along with confusion, weakness, or repeated muscle cramps
• Black or red stools, or blood in vomit, which may point to internal bleeding

As adenovirus cases continue to rise globally, health professionals have noticed that this potentially serious infection is sometimes being mistaken for another illness, what many are calling the ‘super flu’.

For those unfamiliar, adenovirus is a DNA virus that gradually affects a person’s upper and lower respiratory tract, as well as other organs. This can include the eyes, digestive system, and kidneys.

Adenovirus Or Super Flu?

According to Dr. Deborah Lee at Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, who spoke to Cosmopolitan: "It spreads when someone breathes in infected droplets, touches the virus and then rubs their eyes, or through the faecal-oral route (not washing hands properly after using the toilet)."

"It moves quickly in crowded spaces where people are close together." She added, "The virus is resistant to soap and many commonly used cleaning products."

Adenovirus: What Are The Symptoms?

The reassuring news about adenovirus is that most people recover within a week or two. Its symptoms are often similar to those of a common cold.

Typical signs include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. In more severe cases, patients may also experience conjunctivitis, ear pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach aches, or urinary tract infections.

Certain groups are at higher risk of serious illness. Dr. Lee notes, "Babies and children under five, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are the most vulnerable."

Although adenovirus symptoms often resemble those of a typical flu, it’s important to know when someone is dealing with the flu—or worse, the current ‘super flu’ that’s circulating widely.

How Does Adenovirus Differ From The 'Normal' Flu?

One way to tell the difference is by how long someone is sick. Adenovirus tends to develop gradually, whereas the ‘normal’ flu often hits suddenly, with high fever and intense symptoms within hours, Lee explains. Common flu symptoms also include a high temperature (38–40°C), severe headache, and extreme fatigue.

Other key differences: adenovirus can occur throughout the year, while flu is mostly seasonal. Adenovirus can also cause pink eye and gastrointestinal problems like vomiting or diarrhea, but it’s less likely to lead to serious complications compared to flu.

What About The 'Super Flu'?

Doctors say it’s not only the regular flu that needs to be distinguished from adenovirus, but also the current ‘super flu,’ which is causing particularly dramatic symptoms.

This infection is caused by the H3N2 virus and tends to be more severe than typical winter illnesses, especially in the UK.

"Past data shows H3N2 has been linked to more hospitalizations and deaths from flu, especially among adults over 65 and young children, compared with other flu types," Lee explained. When comparing the ‘super flu’ to adenovirus, she notes that the symptoms are very similar.

However, she stresses that the ‘super flu’ is considered much more intense. Not only can your sore throat feel agonizing, but aches and pains may be strong enough to confine you to bed.

Adenovirus vs Super Flu: Symptoms Explained

While adenovirus and the so-called ‘super flu’ can feel very similar, there are subtle differences to watch for. Adenovirus usually develops gradually, with fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and sometimes pink eye or digestive upset. Most healthy individuals recover within a week or two. In contrast, the ‘super flu,’ caused by the H3N2 virus, hits hard and fast—high fever, intense body aches, severe fatigue, and an agonizing sore throat are common.

Both illnesses can affect vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, but the super flu tends to bring more extreme symptoms that may require hospitalization. Understanding these distinctions can help people recognize the illness early and seek appropriate care.

Have you ever described feeling “cold feet,” “a gut instinct,” or “a shiver down your spine”? These common expressions might seem trivial, but they reflect something real. Emotional body mapping can help explain why.

Just as anxiety or depression can show up as physical symptoms, our emotions often register in specific areas of the body. Emotions guide much of how we experience the world, yet many of us rarely stop to notice how they affect us physically.

If you struggle to put your feelings into words, learning how emotions manifest in the body can help you connect more deeply with yourself.

Where Are Emotional Feelings Felt In Your Body?

A 2014 study by Glerean and colleagues identified 13 emotions and the specific areas of the body they activate—or don’t. Similar to a heat map, warmer colors (red, orange, yellow) indicate increased activity, while cooler colors (blue, green, indigo) indicate decreased activity.

If these maps resonate with your own experiences, they can provide insight into how emotions influence your body and overall well-being.

How Was This Tested?

The researchers proposed that each emotion triggers distinct physical reactions. They asked 701 participants to shade regions on a body silhouette where they felt heightened or reduced activity in response to various stimuli.

These stimuli mirrored real-life experiences: clips from films, conversations, and unexpected facial expressions. Across the participant pool, emotions consistently affected similar areas of the body.

A follow-up study in 2018 by the same team found that the intensity of bodily sensations mirrored the intensity of the emotion in the mind. In other words, stronger physical feelings were linked with stronger mental experiences.

From this, researchers categorized feelings as:

• Negative (unpleasant): anger, fear, anxiety, shame
• Positive (pleasant): happiness, love, pride
• Other categories: illness, homeostasis, cognition

Few emotions, such as surprise, were found to be neutral. Participants also reported that pleasant and controllable states occurred more often than unpleasant and uncontrollable ones. Anyone who has experienced overwhelming anxiety or depression will recognize that feeling of being out of control.

Emotional Body Chart

Certain emotions trigger strong physical responses, often preparing the body for action, such as the fight-or-flight response.

• Happiness: This emotion lights up the body the most. Warm sensations spread throughout, especially in the head and chest, signaling energy, vitality, and a sense of well-being.
• Anger: Activation is intense in the upper body—the head, chest, and arms. The hands are especially bright, reflecting the impulse to clench fists or act aggressively.
• Fear: Like anger, it activates the head and chest (heart racing). However, the feet are cold (blue), suggesting blood is being redirected from the extremities to vital organs.
• Anxiety: Almost entirely focused in the chest, representing tightness, rapid heartbeat, or difficulty breathing.
• Love & Pride: Both emotions show strong activation in the chest and head, associated with warmth, heart swelling, or the sensation of “puffing up” the chest.

Deactivation Emotions (Mostly Blue):

These emotions involve a withdrawal of energy and sensation from the body.

• Depression: The most deactivated state. Limbs are entirely blue, showing heaviness, numbness, and a lack of energy to move. The torso shows very little activation.
• Sadness: A mix of responses. The chest and eyes show some activity (linked to crying or heartache), but the arms and legs are cool, reflecting slowing or weakening of the body.

Other Specific Reactions:

• Disgust: Activation is concentrated in the digestive system—the throat and stomach—indicating nausea or physical aversion.
• Shame: A complex pattern appears. The chest and cheeks are warm (blushing), while the extremities are cold, reflecting internal turmoil paired with external withdrawal.

Understanding where emotions manifest in the body can help us become more aware of our physical and mental states. From the warmth of happiness in the chest to the heaviness of depression in the limbs, our bodies carry the signals of our feelings. Paying attention to these sensations not only deepens self-awareness but can also guide us in managing stress, improving well-being, and responding to emotions more mindfully.