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.

Many people struggle to fall asleep because their minds race with worries about the next day or even old memories. To stop this mental chatter, some try complicated breathing exercises or relaxation hacks. However, a simple neuroscience trick involving temperature might help you drift off instantly.

Neuroscientist Kyle Cox suggests that you can fall asleep in seconds simply by placing something cold on your forehead when you go to bed. He explains that this method has been backed by sleep clinics and can be highly effective.

Sleep Hack That Could Help You Sleep Quicker

Researchers have learned that the temperature right on your forehead controls whether your brain stays active or decides to rest.

When the front part of your brain, called the frontal lobe, gets cooled down by even a little bit, just one degree, it automatically tells your body to start producing the chemicals needed for sleep.

The cold also quickly slows down all that busy mental chatter because the part of your brain that handles thinking (the prefrontal cortex) literally cannot work as hard when it is being cooled down.

A 2018 study published in the Sleep Journal also found similar results through a device that that cooled the forehead temperature as a treatment for insomnia. The device improved things like the time it took to fall asleep compared to the patient's own baseline sleep and the time it took to enter different stages of light and deep sleep (NREM Stages 1 and 2).

The two-night treatment helped patients fall asleep faster according to most PSG measurements and was safe. The researchers recommend more studies to see if this treatment works for the longer-term management of insomnia.

General Tips for Treating Insomnia

If you struggle with sleep, the NHS (National Health Service) says that often the best cure is to change your daily sleep habits. If you stick to a healthier routine, your insomnia usually gets much better over time.

Keep a Schedule

Go to bed and set your alarm to wake up at the exact same time every day, even on weekends. This helps set your body's internal clock.

Wind Down

Start relaxing at least one hour before you plan to sleep. This could mean taking a warm bath, listening to calm music, or reading a physical book.

Optimize Your Room

Make your bedroom a perfect place for sleeping. It should be as dark and quiet as possible. Use heavy curtains, blinds, or even an eye mask and earplugs if needed.

Get Moving

Exercise is great for sleep, but do it regularly during the day, not right before bed.

Be Comfortable

Check that your mattress, pillows, and blankets are supportive and cozy so you can easily relax once you lie down.

Things You Should Avoid For Better Sleep

To sleep better, avoid things that keep you awake. Stop smoking, drinking caffeine or alcohol six hours before bed. Do not eat a large meal or exercise intensely late at night. Avoid screens right before bed, limit daytime naps, and always stick to your regular morning wake-up time.

Researchers have recently found that looking closely at the shape of the main buttock muscle, called the gluteus maximus, gives important clues about a person's health. This muscle shape reflects key changes linked to how we age, our lifestyle choices, and medical problems like diabetes.

This new study, done by a team at the University of Westminster, is unique because, unlike older research that only measured how big the muscle was, the team used advanced 3D mapping to show exactly where and how the muscle shape was changing.

These shifts, either the muscle shrinking (atrophy) or becoming inflamed, are connected to things like being frail, the amount of time someone sits each day, fat storage and diabetes risk.

How Do Muscle Changes Indicate Diabetes Risk?

the research analysed a large dataset, looking at over 61,000 MRI scans taken from the large U.K. Biobank health database.

Along with the MRI images, the dataset also included detailed information on 86 different factors for each person, including their medical history, body measurements, and what kind of lifestyle they led.

By putting all this data together, the team was able to figure out which specific factors were strongly linked to changes in the shape of the buttock muscle over time.

The analysis revealed strong connections between muscle shape and certain health factors:

Fitness

People who were considered fitter, meaning they reported doing more vigorous physical activity and had a stronger hand grip, tended to have a greater gluteus maximus shape. This often means the muscle was larger and more defined.

Aging and Frailty

On the other hand, factors like getting older, being generally frail (weak), and spending many hours sitting were all linked to muscle thinning or shrinkage. This suggests that a lack of use and the natural process of aging reduce the muscle's size and fullness.

How Gender Affects Muscle Responses

A very important discovery was that the gluteal muscles don't change in the same way for men and women, especially when they are dealing with a disease. For example, men who were considered frail showed more shrinkage (thinning) in their gluteus maximus compared to women who were also frail.

When the researchers examined Type 2 diabetes, the difference was even more noticeable: diabetic men showed clear muscle thinning (reduced muscle mass), while diabetic women often showed enlarged muscle mass.

This larger appearance in women is likely due to fat building up within the muscle tissue, rather than the muscle itself growing stronger. These differences strongly suggest that the body's biological response to diseases like Type 2 diabetes may be completely different between men and women.

What Does Your Glute Shape Reveal About Health??

The researchers conclude that the shape of the buttocks, rather than simply its size, is more closely connected to fundamental metabolic changes happening in the body. Because the gluteus maximus is one of the largest muscles in the body, its health plays a crucial role in overall metabolic health.

These findings suggest that tracking gluteal muscle shape could potentially become a new way to monitor metabolic health and disease risk.

The NHS will not be automatically inviting all men above a certain age to check for prostate cancer, unlike the approach for some other cancers. The UK National Screening Committee has suggested that the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test should only be actively offered to men carrying the BRCA gene mutation, which increases their risk. Still, men can request a PSA test from their GP in certain situations.

Olympic cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy, who has received a terminal diagnosis, is among those campaigning for men with known risk factors to be invited for a PSA test at a certain age, even if they do not have any symptoms.

Prostate Cancer Screening: What Is The PSA Test?

A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test checks the level of PSA in your blood. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate, a small gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder. The prostate produces the fluid part of semen.

The NHS says the test might be suggested if you notice symptoms that could point to prostate cancer, such as:

• urinating more often than usual, feeling a sudden urge to pee, or waking up frequently at night to urinate
• blood in your urine
• difficulty getting or maintaining an erection

However, for most men, urinary symptoms are caused by something other than cancer.

A PSA test is usually carried out at a hospital or GP surgery by a nurse or other healthcare professional. Men are asked to avoid certain activities for 48 hours before the test, as these can temporarily raise PSA levels and affect the result. Activities to avoid include anything that leaves you out of breath, like strenuous exercise.

If a man’s PSA level comes back high, they may be offered a repeat test to see if the levels remain raised. If they do, the GP may refer them to a specialist for further investigations, such as a biopsy or an MRI scan.

Prostate Cancer Screening: Why Is The PSA Screening So Controversial?

PSA levels can rise for many reasons, including minor infections, and around 75% of men with a raised PSA do not have prostate cancer. A high reading can lead to referrals for unnecessary biopsies or MRI scans, or treatment for tumours that might never have caused harm.

The PSA test can also miss aggressive cancers. Research has shown that roughly 15% of men with a normal PSA result may actually have prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Screening: Who Can Currently Get The PSA Test?

Routine PSA testing is not offered as standard on the NHS. You might be offered a test if a doctor suspects symptoms that could indicate prostate cancer. Men undergoing treatment for a prostate condition may be offered regular PSA checks to monitor how treatment is progressing.

Men aged 50 and over can request a PSA test from their GP, even without symptoms. Campaigners say many men are unaware that they are at higher risk of prostate cancer and should be actively encouraged to think about having a PSA check.

Prostate Cancer Screening: Who Else Could Get It?

If the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation is approved by the Government next year, men with the BRCA gene mutation could also be invited for a PSA test. Men who think a family member might have had the BRCA gene mutation can request a genetic test on the NHS to find out.