How often do you hear people calling each other "psychopath"? Or how often do you witness people labelling themselves as "bipolar" or "depressed"? Quite frequently. Right? These are names of some serious, often life-threatening mental disorders which have been included in common vocabulary. Ayushi Jolly, a PhD scholar opined that "mental health disorders are not adjective to be thrown around."

Real Disorders With Real Affect On Life

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Today, many people who are organized and prioritize santitation and hygeine, label themselves as suffering from OCD. However, in psychology, OCD is a long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), engages in repetitive behaviours (compulsions), or both. This condition can significantly impair daily functioning, leading to severe anxiety and distress. Without proper treatment, it can escalate, affecting relationships, work, and overall quality of life.

Depression

"I am so depressed, I act like it's my birthday everyday," these are lyrics from a chart-topping Taylor Swift song. However, the singer-songwriter has never been diagnosed for the same. Similarly, people throw away the term even at the slightest discomfort. But, this mental health disorder is life-thretening, serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. Note, to be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least 2 weeks.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Any person who is high on energy and gets distracted easily could be heard saying "I'm suffering from ADD." In reality, ADD is a type of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that's characterized by problems with concentration and focus. ADHD is a developmental disorder that can affect a person's daily life, including their ability to perform at school or work and their social relationships.

Bipolar Personality Disorder

Broke up with your partner? Chances are you'll end up calling them bipolar. The terms has also been used in various films and songs, sans the knowledge of it's seriousness. Formerly known as manic-depressive illness or manic depression, this condition is a lifelong mood disorder that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels, thinking patterns and behavior. A person suffering from this disorder witnesses intense shifts in mood, energy levels, thinking patterns and behavior, for long periods of time.

Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD)

Being "paranoid" has become more like a negative adjective among teens and young adults. However, a person who suffers from this condition is incapable of maintaining succesful relationahips. Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD) is a group of personality disorders categorised under "Cluster A". A person with PPD thinks in odd or eccentric ways, and suffers from unrelenting mistrust or suspicion of others, even when there is no reason to be suspicious. This disorder usually begins in early adulthood and appears more common in men than women. People with PPD are always on guard, believing that others are constantly trying to demean, harm, or threaten them. People with this disorder also doubt the commitment, loyalty, or trustworthiness of others. PPD patients also might have difficulty relaxing.

Cancer is not just a problem of elderly people anymore. In India, there has been an increased number of cases where individuals under the age of 40 are diagnosed with various forms of cancer. Even if there are fewer cases of this medical condition among younger people, this fact does not change the fact that one-fifth of all cancer patients in India are younger than 40 years.

Breast cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, as well as blood cancer, are some types of cancer that become more common at a younger age. Among the most alarming statistics, the incidence of colorectal cancer in people aged 30-40 should be mentioned. Moreover, the fact that breast cancer becomes evident nine years earlier in Indian women in comparison with Western women must also be noted.

What Makes This Problem Increase?

There is a wide variety of factors that contribute to this problem. These are the following:

• Lifestyle changes, such as lack of exercise, unhealthy eating habits, being overweight, and stressful situations
• Alcohol and tobacco consumption
• Pollution in the urban environment
• Problems with early diagnosis due to the negligence of patients
• Low screening rates among the young population

Early detection saves lives. Some warning signs to look out for are:

• Sudden and unexplained weight loss
• Endless fatigue
• Digestion issues
• Breast lumps or any swellings anywhere in the body
• Coughing or trouble swallowing persistently

Why Late-stage Diagnosis Is Even More Serious

Not only does it take time to diagnose cancer cases in young patients due to low suspicions, but these cancers also create an additional burden on people during their prime earning period.

How To Combat This Trend

There needs to be a paradigm shift in our understanding of this problem. First of all, we have to understand that cancer affects patients irrespective of their age, and therefore, when you experience some symptoms of cancer, do visit a doctor to get your condition checked out.

The key is maintaining healthy practices like balanced nutrition, exercising, not smoking, and limiting consumption of alcohol.

It often begins in the most ordinary way—someone sits down to enjoy a meal and suddenly feels a sharp swelling under the jaw or near the ear.

The pain intensifies with every bite, creating a strange pattern: eat, swell, hurt; stop eating, and the swelling slowly settles.

For many people, this puzzling cycle is caused by something surprisingly small—a salivary stone. Though typically no larger than a few millimeters, these tiny mineral deposits can cause significant discomfort and, if untreated, repeated infections. Fortunately, modern medicine has transformed how this condition is managed, replacing traditional gland removal surgery with a minimally invasive technique known as sialendoscopy.

A Salivary Stone

Saliva is something most of us rarely think about, yet it plays a vital role in everyday life. It helps us chew and swallow food, begins the process of digestion, keeps the mouth moist, and protects teeth from decay. Salivary stones, medically termed sialolithiasis, develop when minerals—primarily calcium—gradually crystallize inside these ducts.

Over time, these crystals accumulate, forming hard, chalk-like structures that partially or completely block the flow of saliva. When saliva becomes concentrated—often due to dehydration, reduced fluid intake, or medications that decrease saliva production—minerals are more likely to settle and crystallize.

Slow flow or stagnation within the duct allows these tiny deposits to grow. Previous infections, inflammation, or minor scarring can narrow the duct, further encouraging stone formation. The process is gradual and often silent until the blockage becomes significant.

Symptoms Of Salivary Stone

The symptoms are distinctive. Pain and swelling typically occur during meals, when the glands are stimulated to produce more saliva. If a stone is blocking the duct, saliva cannot escape into the mouth. Pressure builds within the gland, causing swelling and a throbbing ache. The swelling may reduce after some time as saliva slowly seeps past the obstruction, only to recur at the next meal.

In some cases, patients notice a dry mouth, an unpleasant taste, or even pus discharge if infection develops. Because the symptoms come and go, many people delay seeking medical help, assuming it is a temporary issue.

Salivary Stone: Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis today is far more straightforward than it once was. A doctor may sometimes feel a stone during a physical examination inside the mouth or beneath the jaw. Ultrasound scanning is a simple and painless way to detect most stones, while CT scans are useful for identifying deeper or smaller ones.

However, the real breakthrough in both diagnosis and treatment has been sialendoscopy. This technique involves introducing a very thin endoscope—about the size of a delicate wire—directly into the natural opening of the salivary duct inside the mouth. The surgeon can then visualize the duct system from within, identify the exact location of the stone, and in many cases remove it during the same procedure.

Not long ago, treatment options were far more invasive. When stones were deeply lodged or infections recurred, surgeons often removed the entire affected gland.

For the submandibular gland, this required an incision in the neck, a hospital stay, and a recovery period that could last weeks. There was also a significant risk of nerve injury, which could affect tongue movement or lower lip function. While gland excision effectively eliminated the stone, it also meant permanent loss of that gland’s function.

For what is essentially a small obstructing stone, the operation was often disproportionate to the problem. Gland removal also meant a permanent scar on the neck, which can cause significant facial deformity.

Treating Salivary Stone With Sialendoscopy

The advent of sialendoscopy has dramatically changed this landscape. Through the natural duct opening inside the mouth, the surgeon gently widens the duct and introduces the miniature camera. Continuous saline irrigation keeps the view clear.

Once the stone is located, tiny micro-instruments such as baskets or graspers are used to retrieve it. Larger stones can sometimes be fragmented using a LASER before removal.

In addition to extracting stones, sialendoscopy allows the surgeon to dilate narrow ducts, wash out debris, and treat inflammatory conditions. The procedure typically takes less than an hour, is often performed as a day-care surgery, and leaves no external scar.

The benefits of sialendoscopy are substantial. The most important advantage is gland preservation. Instead of sacrificing an entire gland, the obstruction alone is addressed, allowing normal saliva production to continue. There are no visible scars because the procedure is performed entirely through the mouth.

Recovery is typically quick, with most patients resuming normal activities within a day or two. Complication rates are lower compared to open surgery, and success rates are high—often exceeding 90 to 95 percent in appropriately selected cases. Even when stones are larger or located deeper within the gland, sialendoscopy can often be combined with a small intraoral incision, still avoiding external scars and major surgery.

Sialendoscopy and its allied approaches can now tackle almost any stone, whether it’s in the duct or in the gland, with utmost precision, leaving behind a fully functional gland. Despite conventional learnings, even intraglandular stones, large stones, and patients with multiple stones can be effectively treated using this novel technique.

Preventing Salivary Stones

Prevention, while not always possible, can reduce risk. Staying well hydrated helps maintain healthy saliva flow. Good oral hygiene minimizes infection and inflammation within the ducts. Early evaluation of recurrent swelling can prevent chronic damage. Individuals who take medications that reduce saliva production should be particularly mindful of fluid intake and regular dental care.

The story of salivary stones is ultimately one of medical progress. What was once managed through the removal of an entire gland can now often be treated with a fine endoscope and delicate instruments. The transformation has reduced pain, shortened recovery times, minimized complications, and preserved natural gland function.

For patients, it means less anxiety and more confidence in seeking care early. For surgeons, it represents the success of innovation guided by a simple principle: treat precisely, preserve whenever possible, and restore normal function with the least disruption.

Salivary stones may be small, but their impact can be significant. Thanks to sialendoscopy and the expertise of pioneers in the field, patients today have access to safer, more conservative, and highly effective treatment options. In modern salivary gland care, the focus is no longer on removing the gland—it is on saving it.

The consumption of vapes or the practice of vaping has seen a surge among the younger generation. People have often considered vapes to be a substitute for their everyday cigarettes, and therefore, they have replaced their traditional smoking habits. They do not carry the right knowledge about this common practice and fail to take the right measures to cut down on its usage. Research institutions and government bodies are now making collective efforts to establish the facts and make the general populace more aware and healthy.

How Can You Detect The Early Signs Of Oral Cancer?

Oral problems and an increased risk of oral cancer are considered to be the common problems associated with vaping. The presence of harmful chemicals in its formation makes it harmful to the human body. Along with your oral cavity, they can also damage the lining of your mouth. It has been proven that excessive consumption of vapes can lead to an increased risk of oral cancer.

Oral cancer can be prevented with early detection and immediate medical intervention. It can be identified with signs like abnormal bleeding inside the mouth, ulcers that won’t heal, chronic soreness, and red and white patches on the tongue and gums. The common signs are often discarded as an allergy, and people fail to seek the right treatment. Even with the available medical care and support, they are not able to counter this deadly disease.

The Impact of Vaping on Oral Tissues

The risk of vaping is not limited to increased chances of getting oral cancer. It can also impact your overall health. A vape is made with excessive heat and other harmful chemicals, which can damage the tissues of your gums and cause inflammation. It can lead to a condition known as gingivitis. One might also experience a dryness in their mouth, which is caused by reduced saliva production, which is considered to be a defense mechanism against bacterial production.

There can be far-reaching implications of having a constant dry mouth. It can lead to a breeding ground for harmful microbes. It can also increase one’s chances of having tooth decay, foul smell in the mouth, and oral infections.

Also read: Vaping Becomes Major Nicotine Threat Among Children Under 5 in US, Warns Study

The presence of flavoring agents and harmful chemicals in vapes makes them more damaging to the enamel of your teeth. In the short run, it might not seem like a major problem, but it can lead to tooth sensitivity if not handled at the right time.

Which Is More Harmful- Smoking or Vaping?

As the practice of vaping does not include combustion, people consider it safer than regular smoking. They often forget that vapes contain a significant amount of nicotine, which promotes survival and rapid growth of cancerous cells.

Vaping can reduce the blood flow to your gums and affect your healing capabilities. It can also increase your probability of periodontal disease. As the younger generation considers vaping to be a safer alternative, it can lead to its more frequent usage. As vaping does not follow any pattern like traditional smoking, it can be consumed at any time during the day, and increases your exposure to harmful chemicals.

The younger generation has reported an increasing number of oral health issues that are linked to vaping. Some of these problems include inflammation of your gums and decay of

your tooth enamel. As these issues seem visibly minor, they can often get ignored, and the person might not seek the required treatment. Consequently, they might develop long-term oral problems.

The younger generation gets influenced by the internet fads and more affordable alternatives to their daily smoking. As they keep increasing their consumption of vapes, they fail to identify the potential side effects.

Conclusion

The ongoing research has proven that vaping can be detrimental to both your oral and overall health. Research has suggested that this problem is more common among the younger generation, who might feel more inclined to replace the traditional forms of smoking. With ease of usage and accessibility, this malpractice has youngsters across the globe under its grip.

If one does not make the right effort to reduce their usage, it can lead to serious complications in the long run. Both the government officials and healthcare professionals need to spread more awareness about its detrimental effects and make efforts to conduct regular oral checkups. In this way, there will be a community-level effort to put a stop to its usage.