Emotional control is something everyone learns over time. Everyone deals with things differently, some people have a difficult time controlling their emotions, while others find it easier to compartmentalize and figure out a solution. However, having an emotional breakdown/meltdown is completely different then feeling stressed or panicked. An emotional meltdown is when you feel so overwhelmed that you can't control your feelings. It's like hitting a breaking point.

You might cry a lot, get really angry, or feel panicky. WebMD explains that it's not a medical problem, but it's a sign you're under a lot of stress. Everyone has meltdowns sometimes, especially when life gets tough. It doesn't mean you're weak or broken. It just means you're human. Meltdowns happen when your needs aren't being met, like needing more rest or help. It's your body's way of saying something's wrong. You can learn to handle stress better and have fewer meltdowns.

What Prompts An Emotional Breakdown?

Many things can cause a meltdown. Not sleeping enough makes you grumpy and stressed. Skipping meals makes you feel shaky and unable to focus. Doing too much at once makes you feel overwhelmed. Big changes in your life, like a new job or a breakup, can make you feel wobbly. Not talking about problems with people you care about can also make things worse. If you have meltdowns often, think about what makes them happen. Maybe you need to eat more regularly or learn to talk about your feelings. Some things are easy to fix, and some take more time.

Can You Stop A Meltdown When It’s Happening?

When you feel a meltdown coming, stop and take a breath. Your face might get hot, your hands cold, and your breathing fast. Pay attention to how you feel. Don't try to fix the problem right away. First, calm down. Your brain can't think clearly when you're upset. Try grounding techniques, like feeling your feet on the floor or touching your fingertips together. Deep breathing helps too. Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four, and pause for four. Do this until you feel calmer. You can't change the problem right away, but you can change how you react to it.

After a meltdown, you might feel embarrassed, ashamed, or relieved. Don't just ignore it. Think about why it happened. Did you try to do too much? Learn from it. If you're embarrassed, ask yourself why. It's okay to have feelings. If you felt relieved, it means you needed to let your feelings out. But try to express them in a healthy way before you have a meltdown. You don't have to apologize for how you feel, but you might need to apologize for how you acted. If you yelled or threw things, say sorry and make a plan to do better next time. If you have meltdowns often, talk to a therapist. Be kind to yourself; everyone gets overwhelmed sometimes.

Can You Prevent It?

You can learn to stop meltdowns before they start. Make time to relax every day. Do things you enjoy, like exercising or reading. Listen to your body. If you feel tense, tired, or have headaches, you're probably stressed. Do something to relax. Don't ignore bad feelings. Talk about them. Naming your feelings helps you control them. Ask for help from friends and family. They can help you with tasks or just listen. Spend time in nature; it's calming. Do things that make you laugh and have fun. If you're still feeling overwhelmed, talk to a therapist. They can teach you ways to cope with stress.

For 25-year-old Kaela Knight, a nail artist from Colorado, taking tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound, brought an unusual side effect: skin so sensitive that even a light touch hurt.

Knight started treatment in September 2024 at 210 pounds and eventually reached 125 pounds. But during her second month, as her dose increased from 2.5 mg to 5 mg, she began experiencing burning sensations.

"I always describe it as feeling like a sunburn without any visible redness or irritation," she told the Daily Mail.

The sensation affected her hips, forearms and neck. Episodes lasted 24–48 hours, although some persisted for about a week.

Other patients taking Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and also Mounjaro have reported similar experiences.

Known as allodynia, this nerve-pain condition makes normally harmless sensations, such as clothing brushing against the skin or a light touch, painful. Patients describe it as a sunburn without visible redness or irritation.

Although it is not an established side effect of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound, medical reports have documented similar symptoms. A direct link remains unproven.

"I have [areas] all over that are burning. It's driving me nuts," one Reddit user wrote. Another said painkillers and lidocaine gels offered little relief.

Some patients report improvement after reducing their dose or stopping treatment.

Also read: Ozempic Hair: GLP-1 Drug Use Linked To 7% Higher Baldness Risk In Men

Why Could Weight-Loss Injections Cause Burning Skin?

Semaglutide, used in Ozempic and Wegovy, mimics the GLP-1 hormone. Tirzepatide, used in Mounjaro and Zepbound, targets GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

Dr Richard Siegel, an endocrinologist at Tufts Medicine, told the Daily Mail that these drugs could potentially affect nerve signalling through the brain and spinal cord.

Another theory involves changes in the fat layer beneath the skin during weight loss, which could affect nerve sensitivity. Neither explanation has been proven.

What Do Medical Reports Reveal?

An October 2025 report documented two cases:

• A 56-year-old woman developed painful skin sensations after switching to semaglutide 2.4 mg. Symptoms resolved without treatment after six weeks.
• A 75-year-old man with type 2 diabetes developed widespread burning after switching to tirzepatide. Symptoms resolved after he discontinued it and returned to oral semaglutide.

Some patients report improvement over time or after reducing their dose.

Dr Siegel said symptoms can last days to weeks, potentially becoming less noticeable as the body adjusts to treatment, much like nausea and constipation.

"It's possible something similar is happening here, where temporary changes in receptor activity alter nerve signaling at first, but become less noticeable as the body adjusts," he said.

Read More: Stopping Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Linked To 22% Higher Heart Attack, Stroke Risk: Study

Newer Weight-Loss Drugs May Carry A Higher Risk

Clinical trials have also recorded dysesthesia, a broader category of abnormal sensations, including burning and tingling. It is not necessarily the same as allodynia.

In a high-dose oral semaglutide trial, dysesthesia occurred in fewer than 3% of 334 participants, compared with none receiving placebo.

Phase 3 trials of retatrutide, an experimental drug targeting GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors, reported:

• 9 mg dose: 8.8%
• 12 mg dose: 20.9%
• Placebo: 0.7%

Who Is More Vulnerable To Allodynia?

Risk factors remain unclear. Dr Siegel believes higher doses could play a role.

"As best as I can tell, it would mostly be people on higher doses of these medications," he said.

He also suggested that people with greater pain sensitivity, including those with fibromyalgia, might be more susceptible.

What Should Patients Do?

Patients experiencing unusual skin burning or sensitivity should consult their doctor. Dose adjustments or alternative treatments may be considered, but medication should not be changed or stopped without medical advice.

Allodynia can also occur with shingles, migraines and nerve damage, so symptoms should not automatically be attributed to weight-loss drugs.

Dr Siegel recommends recording when symptoms occur, where they appear and what makes them better or worse.

Persistent or worsening pain should be medically evaluated.

When was the last time you took the stairs without thinking twice, walked to the market without needing a break, or said yes to an outing without worrying about how tiring it might be?

Sometimes, the first sign that something has changed with your health is not a new symptom, but an activity you have quietly given up. A morning walk gets shorter, a flight of stairs calls for a pause, or a favourite weekend outing starts to feel like too much effort. It is easy to put these changes down to age, but they may be telling you something worth investigating.

A simple “activity audit” can help you connect the dots. Instead of asking only whether you feel unwell, compare what you could comfortably do a few years ago with what you can manage today.

Could you walk the same distance without stopping? Have stairs that once felt routine become difficult? Have you cut back on morning walks, stopped playing a favourite sport or become less inclined to leave the house? Do everyday activities such as grocery shopping, gardening or household chores require more effort than before?

These questions are particularly relevant after age 45, when declining stamina may be attributed entirely to ageing. However, a persistent change in exercise tolerance or everyday activity should not automatically be dismissed as a normal consequence of ageing.

Breathlessness during activity, unusual fatigue, dizziness or light-headedness, swelling in the feet or ankles, and palpitations can occur in people with heart valve disease. These symptoms can also have other causes, but if they are persistent, unexplained or worsening, they warrant discussion with a healthcare professional.

Heart valve disease can develop gradually, allowing people to adapt their routines without recognising the underlying problem. Someone who becomes breathless while walking may take shorter routes, while another person may avoid stairs or social activities that involve physical exertion. Eventually, these adjustments can become part of daily life, making it harder to recognise a change in health.

Looking back can help restore that perspective. A simple three-part comparison offers a useful starting point: What could I do before? What can I do now? What changed in between?

Family members can also help identify differences that an older relative may have overlooked. A parent who once travelled regularly may begin avoiding trips, while someone who enjoyed gardening, shopping or meeting friends may increasingly prefer to stay home. These observations cannot establish a diagnosis, but they can prompt a timely conversation about health.

If breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness, swelling, or palpitations are new, persistent, or interfering with everyday activities, consulting a doctor can help determine the cause. Depending on the symptoms and medical history, the evaluation may include a physical examination and an echocardiogram, commonly called a 2D echo. This ultrasound test helps assess the heart's structure and how its valves function.

An activity audit is not a diagnostic test. Its purpose is to help people recognise changes that might otherwise go unnoticed and decide when to seek medical advice.

Growing older does not necessarily mean giving up the activities that make everyday life enjoyable. Paying attention to changes in physical ability can help distinguish an expected adjustment from a potential health concern.

Start your activity audit today. Think about three activities you could comfortably do a few years ago but now find difficult, tiring or have stopped altogether. Note when these changes began and whether you have experienced symptoms such as breathlessness, unusual fatigue, dizziness or palpitations. If you notice a persistent or unexplained decline, schedule a consultation with your doctor and discuss whether further evaluation, including an echocardiogram, may be appropriate.

The question is simple: What have you stopped doing, and could your health be the reason? Taking that first step can help you understand the change and decide what to do next.

(By Dr. Sumanto Mukhopadhyay, a Senior Consultant Interventional and Structural Cardiologist, Apollo Hospital, Kolkata)

In a shocking viral trend, women in Kenya are reportedly inserting cetirizine, an allergy medication, into their vaginas in an attempt to achieve vaginal tightening and enhance sexual pleasure.

The practice has prompted warnings from pharmacists and health authorities, who caution that the drug is not meant for vaginal use and could pose health risks.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) has warned against the practice, stating that the medicine is not intended for vaginal use.

"Cetirizine is an allergy medicine, taken by mouth. It is not approved or tested for any other purpose, and definitely not for vaginal use," the PSK said in a statement issued on Thursday.

It advised women who had tried the practice to stop and seek medical attention if they experienced pain, bleeding, burning, itching, unusual discharge or fever.

What Is The Cetirizine Vaginal Tightening Trend?

Also read: Is Your Allergy Medicine Safe? FDA Recalls Antihistamine Tablets Over Life-Threatening Contamination Concerns

Posts circulating on Kenyan social media, particularly TikTok, claim that cetirizine can reduce vaginal moisture and create a sensation of tightness during sex, BBC reported.

The claims have sparked online debate, with some users endorsing the practice and others questioning its safety.

The trend has also reportedly increased demand for the drug, with local media reporting price rises and shortages at some pharmacies in Nairobi.

What Is Cetirizine And Why Is Its Misuse Dangerous?

Cetirizine is an oral antihistamine used to relieve allergy symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and hives.

Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) clarified in a public safety alert issued on November 4 that cetirizine is used to treat allergic rhinitis and urticaria. It is intended for oral use and should be taken only as directed by a healthcare professional.

The Board stressed that "the drug is not approved for vaginal use or tightening and that no established scientific evidence supports such claims".

On the other hand, inserting the tablets may cause vaginal irritation, burning, soreness, pain and discomfort. It may also disrupt the vagina's natural protective environment and increase infection risk.

The PSK cautioned against confusing dryness with tightening.

"Dryness is not tightness... instead, it may increase friction, discomfort, and the risk of tissue injury," it said.

Taking more than the recommended cetirizine dose can also cause excessive sleepiness, dizziness, restlessness, confusion, shaking, a rapid heartbeat and difficulty passing urine, the PPB warned.

Kenya's Health Ministry Raises Concern

Read More: California Reports 4 Cases Of Deadly Clade I Mpox virus: What To Know About Local Transmission Risk

Kenya's health ministry had also flagged the trend a day earlier. Ouma Oluga, a senior health official, expressed concern that social media users were dismissing medical warnings without considering the consequences, the BBC reported.

He suggested that authorities could introduce a system to monitor medicine distribution and purchases to identify potential misuse. No formal decision has been announced.

Pharmacists Warn Of Shortages And Misuse

The PSK said it had received reports of increased cetirizine demand, rising prices and shortages at some pharmacies.

It urged retailers not to exploit the trend, warning that people who need the drug for allergies could struggle to access it. Pharmacists were also advised against knowingly dispensing medicines for misuse.

The PPB urged women not to insert cetirizine or other oral medicines into the vagina and to consult healthcare professionals about vaginal dryness or sexual health concerns rather than follow unverified online advice.