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.

Gabapentin was first approved decades ago for epilepsy and nerve pain linked to shingles. Over time, it has turned into one of the most frequently prescribed medicines in the United States. In 2024 alone, around 15.5 million people were given prescriptions for it, placing it seventh among the country’s most prescribed drugs. Its popularity grew around a reassuring belief that it could ease pain without carrying the addiction risks long associated with opioids.

For a growing number of patients, that expectation has fallen short, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal

What Is Gabapentin?

Gabapentin is a prescription drug that belongs to a group of medicines known as anticonvulsants, also called anti-epileptic drugs. It is mainly prescribed to manage specific seizure disorders and to treat nerve-related pain. The medication is sold under brand names such as Neurontin, Gralise, and Horizant and comes in several forms, including capsules, tablets, extended-release tablets, and a liquid taken by mouth.

Gabapentin: When Stopping Becomes The Crisis

John Avery, a former high school physical education teacher from Illinois, was given gabapentin after a slipped disc triggered nerve pain. He recalls being told the drug was not addictive, as per Wall Street Journal. After a little over three weeks on it, he stopped taking it and says he was hit with severe and long-lasting withdrawal symptoms. These now include tremors, intense burning sensations across his body, muscle spasms, sleeplessness, and drastic weight loss. Several doctors later told him gabapentin was the likely cause. Avery says if he had known the drug required a slow taper, he would have refused it altogether.

Today, most gabapentin prescriptions are written for conditions it was never formally approved to treat by the US Food and Drug Administration. Doctors commonly prescribe it for long-term pain, anxiety, migraines, sleep problems, menopausal hot flashes, and more. While prescribing drugs off-label is legal and widespread, it also means the FDA has not formally evaluated the drug’s safety or benefits for many of these uses. Among people on Medicare, more than 90 percent of gabapentin prescriptions linked to doctor visits were for off-label reasons.

Gabapentin Linked To Dementia And Other Serious Problems

An expanding body of research suggests gabapentin may not be as harmless or as helpful as once believed. Studies have associated it with a higher risk of dementia, suicidal thoughts or behaviour, dangerous breathing problems in people with lung disease, swelling, and problems with thinking and memory. One recent study found that giving gabapentin to patients after surgery did not lower complications or shorten hospital stays. Instead, more patients reported ongoing pain months later.

Although medical guidance has long described gabapentin as non-habit-forming, many patients report serious symptoms when they try to reduce or stop the drug. These experiences point to physical dependence, even when gabapentin is taken exactly as prescribed.

Gabapentin: A Dangerous Combination

Gabapentin is frequently taken alongside opioids, either by design or because prescriptions overlap. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that this combination can be fatal. Federal and state records show that at least 5,000 deaths each year over the past five years have involved gabapentin overdoses.

One of those deaths was Nancy Hammer, a 77-year-old woman from South Carolina. She was prescribed gabapentin along with an opioid and other drugs that slow the nervous system. A later toxicology report found that the mix suppressed her breathing until it stopped. Her family says they were never clearly told how risky the combination could be.

Gabapentin: Why Doctors Keep Prescribing It

Gabapentin prescriptions have more than doubled in the past 15 years. This rise coincided with doctors pulling back from opioids and benzodiazepines as regulations tightened and scrutiny increased. For many clinicians, gabapentin became what one pain specialist described as a moral and regulatory “safe harbour” when they needed to treat pain quickly but had limited options.

Many doctors maintain that the drug does help certain patients and is often well tolerated. Others now argue that it has been prescribed too casually, used for too many complaints, and renewed too easily without enough follow-up.

As prescribing continues to rise, more researchers and doctors are questioning whether gabapentin represents another chapter in America’s long history of overprescribing. For some patients, a drug once promoted as a safer answer to pain has instead brought lasting harm.

A fast-spreading flu strain in the UK is leaving more people vomiting bile, according to health experts. “Superflu” is not a recognised medical term. It is a media phrase used to describe a particularly harsh flu season driven by a mutated Influenza A (H3N2) virus. In this case, the strain belongs to subclade K and has been linked to more severe symptoms and a higher number of infections.

Experts say this is partly because the virus has changed enough to slip past immunity built from earlier vaccinations or past illness, making outbreaks harder to control. Older adults and other high-risk groups tend to be affected most.

The label is used to highlight a genetically altered H3N2 strain that reduces how well current vaccines match the virus, even though the shots still help protect against serious illness. These changes can make flu seasons arrive sooner than usual and feel more intense than people expect.

Super Flu Strain Linked To Bile Vomiting, Experts Warn

Health officials say the H3N2 variant is proving tougher than expected and is also affecting people’s appetite. Experts suggest this version of the virus may be more aggressive due to genetic changes that have made it stronger and more harmful, increasing the risk of infection. Studies indicate it can trigger more intense body aches, sudden exhaustion, and flu symptoms that appear rapidly.

Why People Are Vomiting Yellow Bile?

Many patients have described vomiting “yellow bile” as one of the standout symptoms of their flu infection. Virologists believe this may happen because the flu is suppressing appetite more than usual, leading people to vomit when their stomachs are empty.

People experiencing symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, or a runny nose have been advised to reduce contact with vulnerable groups. This includes older adults, pregnant women, and those with existing health conditions, as they face a higher risk of serious illness.

UK Flu Hospital Admissions Rising Earlier Than Expected

Hospital admissions for flu in England reached 3.8 per 100,000 people in early November, up from 2.4 the previous week at the end of October, as per Mirror. Dr Simon Clarke, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Reading, told the Daily Mail: “Vomiting bile happens when someone is throwing up on an empty stomach.”

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, explained that vomiting yellow bile usually occurs after repeated vomiting on an empty stomach “due to inflammation of the stomach lining.” He added that while it is often referred to as ‘stomach flu’, this symptom can appear as part of influenza. He also pointed out that yellow bile vomiting is common with stomach bugs such as norovirus and rotavirus, which are currently circulating at lower-than-usual levels for this time of year.

Super Flu: Other Symptoms And Advice From Experts

Additional flu symptoms include muscle pain, fever, weakness, extreme tiredness, and a dry cough. These symptoms often start suddenly and usually mean staying in bed to recover. Professor Stephen Griffin, a virology expert at the University of Leeds, told the Daily Mail that people vomiting yellow bile should focus on staying hydrated. “It’s important to drink plenty of water, even if you’re being sick, because some fluid will still be absorbed,” he said.

Early Flu Surge Raises Concern

Health leaders raised concerns in November 2025 after a sharp rise in flu cases earlier than expected. Experts think this may be linked to the H3N2 strain mutating seven times over the summer. Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that most identified flu viruses were H3N2. Flu-related hospital admissions in England were recorded at 3.8 per 100,000 people in early November, compared with 2.4 the week before. The agency noted that this level of admissions is normally seen in December. At the time, flu activity was more than three times higher than usual for that point in the year, with children and young people most affected.

Vaccination Urged Despite Limits

Health officials have encouraged eligible people to get their Covid and flu vaccinations to lower the risk of severe illness and hospital stays. Booster doses are available for those over 65, care home residents, frontline health and social care staff, and pregnant women. While the vaccine formula was finalised in February to allow time for manufacturing, the mutated strain emerged in June, meaning it may not fully protect against this version of the virus. Experts stress, however, that vaccination remains important to reduce the chances of serious illness and infection.

NHS Still Under Pressure

Although flu-related hospital admissions fell slightly over the Christmas period, England’s chief medical officer has warned that the NHS remains under significant strain as colder weather adds pressure. New figures released last week showed 2,676 patients were in hospital with flu, down from 3,061 the previous week. This drop was partly credited to NHS teams vaccinating more than half a million additional people compared with last year. Demand on services remains heavy, with NHS 111 handling 414,562 calls over Christmas.

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS National Medical Director, said: “It is encouraging to see fewer people being admitted to hospital with flu, but the NHS cannot afford to relax as temperatures fall and pressures are likely to increase in the New Year. If you are eligible and have not yet had your flu jab, please come forward. It is still worthwhile.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting added: “We are still facing serious pressures. It is more important than ever for those who qualify to get their flu vaccination and for people to use A&E only when it is truly necessary.”

"A woman dies from cervical cancer every two minutes," says the United Nations (UN). The UN notes that cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. Stating a case studies, UN noted that Jeanette, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer, died a year after she was diagnosed. Every January, during the Cancer Awareness Month, the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO) underscore that the illness is both preventable and curable. The WHO tweeted that cervical cancer would be the first cancer ever in the world to be eliminated, if 90% of girls are vaccinated, 70% of women are screened, and 90% of women with cervical cancer receive treatment.

What Is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical Cancer is a type of cancer that develops in layers of the cervix. It is caused by abnormal cell growth that can spread to another part of your body. There are two main types of cervical cancer. These are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.

Cervix is located in the pelvic cavity, about 3 to 6 inches inside the vaginal canal. It serves as the entrance to the uterus to the vagina. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), almost all cervical cancer are linked to human papillomaviruses (HPV) which are transmitted through sexual contact.

In 2022, around 660,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer globally and nearly 350,000 lost their lives to the disease, according to the World Health Organization. UNICEF warns that cervical cancer claims a woman’s life every two minutes.

Nearly all cases are linked to human papillomavirus, a very common sexually transmitted infection. While most people clear HPV naturally, persistent infection with high-risk strains can lead to cancer.

What Are The Symptoms Of Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer has no symptoms in the early days and therefore, is hard to detect until it has spread.

Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Symptoms

• Vaginal bleeding after sex
• Vaginal bleeding post-menopause
• Vaginal bleeding between periods or unusually heavy/long periods
• Watery vaginal discharge with a strong odor or containing blood
• Pelvic pain or pain during intercourse
• Advanced Cervical Cancer Symptoms (when cancer has spread beyond the cervix):

Persistent symptoms of early-stage cervical cancer

• Painful or difficult bowel movements or rectal bleeding
• Painful or difficult urination or blood in the urine
• Persistent dull backache
• Swelling of the legs
• Pain in the pelvis or lower abdomen

How Can Cervical Cancer Be Prevented?

Cervical cancer is largely preventable and, when detected early, highly treatable. The World Health Organization recommends HPV vaccination for girls aged 9 to 14, before they become sexually active, along with regular cervical screening from age 30, or 25 for women living with HIV.

Despite this, unequal access to vaccination, screening and treatment continues to drive higher rates of illness and deaths in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia.