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.

Former US Senator Ben Sasse is battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer that has spread around his body. According to his doctors, he now has four types of cancer: lymphoma, vascular, lung cancer, liver cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

Speaking to The New York Times’s “Interesting Times” podcast, the Republican Senator from Nebraska reflected on his life and impending death.

Sasse was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in December 2025, which remained in the shadows for a long time. Until late October, Sasse had no symptoms. But it started with a lot of back and abdominal pain. Initially, he thought it was due to “some ab muscles pulled from stupid forms of training”.

His doctors thought Sasse had some undiagnosed celiac disease or some dairy allergy. However, a full body scan in December revealed that Sasse’s “torso is chock-full of tumors.”

“In mid-December, I got a three- to four-month life expectancy,” he was quoted as saying.

“They told me over the course of the next couple of days that I already have five forms of cancer: lymphoma, vascular, lung cancer, bad liver cancer, and pancreatic, where it originated,” the former senator added. “So, it was pretty clear that we’re dealing with a short number of months left to live.”

Sasse represented Nebraska in the Senate for eight years before resigning to become the president of the University of Florida in July 2024.

During the interview, Sasse said his condition has improved since last December -- his pain is 80 percent reduced.

"I’m at Day 99 or something since then, and I’m doing a heck of a lot better than I was doing at Christmas," he said.

However, the former senator noted that he deals with nausea, as well as bleeding on his face due to intake of the investigational new drug daraxonrasib.

During the interview, the former lawmaker’s face was covered in dried blood.

Death A Wicked Thief, Says Ben Sasse

Sasse, a father of three, said he felt a “heaviness” with respect to realizing he did not have much time left with his family.

“I didn’t like the idea of my 14-year-old son not having a dad around at 16,” he remarked. “I didn’t like the idea of my daughters, who are 22 and 24, not having their dad there to walk them down the aisle. I felt a real heaviness about that.”

However, the Nebraska Republican said he has “continued to feel peace about the fact that death is something that we should hate.”

“We should call it a wicked thief,” he continued. “And yet, it’s pretty good that you pass through the veil of tears one time and then there will be no more tears, there will be no more cancer.”

What Is Pancreatic Cancer? Know The Warning Signs

Pancreatic cancer has long been one of the toughest challenges in oncology. With a five-year survival rate hovering around 13 percent and recurrence rates approaching 80 percent after treatment, the odds have historically been stacked against patients.

The prevention and early detection remain vital.

Experts warn that pancreatic cancer often masquerades as common ailments, delaying diagnosis. Here are some early symptoms that should never be ignored:

• Abdominal or back pain that worsens over time or eases when leaning forward.
• Unexplained weight loss without changes in diet or exercise.
• Jaundice, including yellowing of the eyes and skin, sometimes with intense itching.
• Changes to urine or stool, such as dark urine or pale, greasy stools.
• New-onset diabetes without obvious risk factors.
• Persistent fatigue unrelated to poor sleep or lifestyle

Three simple lifestyle changes, such as regular physical activity, cutting down sedentary time, and improving sleep duration, may significantly boost your brain's cognitive abilities and reduce the risk of dementia later in life, according to a new study.

Dementia is a neurodegenerative condition affecting an estimated 55 million people globally. It is characterized by a decline in memory, thinking, and social abilities.

Together, the three simple lifestyle changes cut down the risk of late-onset dementia by 25 percent.

Published in the open-access journal PLOS One, the systematic review and meta-analysis of over 69 prospective cohort studies involving millions of cognitively healthy adults aged 35 and above showed the potential benefits of lifestyle behaviors such as regular physical activity, cutting down sedentary time, and improving sleep duration.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a person’s overall risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease—the most common form of dementia—is about 11 percent. However, the study found that with the simple suggested lifestyle changes, the average person’s risk decreases to approximately 8 percent.

The study emphasized that people do not need elaborate and expensive longevity hacks to stay mentally sharp as they age.

The reduction is “fairly comparable to the effect sizes sometimes seen with medications for chronic diseases,” said Akinkunle Oye-Somefun, a researcher at York University in Toronto, who led the study, NBC News reported.

Sitting For Long Periods Worst For Your Brain

The findings showed that avoiding sitting for longer periods had the greatest effect and can have a long-term benefit for the brain.

Sitting for more than eight hours a day increased dementia risk by almost 30 percent, at the same time being regularly active, even just going for a walk every day, decreased dementia risk by an average of 25 percent.

Long sitting hours can also spike a person’s risk of other conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, all of which in turn raise dementia risk.

Getting between seven and eight hours of sleep each night also had a greater benefit on the brain.

Also read: 'Game Of Thrones' Actor Michael Patrick Dies After Battle With Motor Neurone Disease

The risk of dementia increased by 18 percent among those who slept less than seven hours, while sleeping more than eight hours per night also raised the risk of the neurodegenerative disease by 28 percent.

Importantly, moderate physical activity “offsets dementia risks even when other risk factors are present,” said Oye-Somefun, NBC News reported.

However, “many people assume that being physically active cancels out the harm of sitting for long periods. It doesn’t,” Oye-Somefun said. “We shouldn’t do one of these things alone; we should do them all.”

Also read: Simple Brain Training Exercise Cuts Dementia Risk For 20 Years, Study Finds

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a significant decline in mental function that is serious enough to affect everyday life. It commonly impacts memory, thinking, and reasoning skills.

Dementia itself is not a single disease but a collection of symptoms caused by underlying conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia.

Common signs include

• memory problems,
• confusion,
• difficulty finding words,
• changes in mood or behavior,
• trouble completing familiar tasks.

These symptoms usually worsen over time and are not considered a normal part of ageing. Although there is no cure, treatment options can help manage symptoms, and early diagnosis plays an important role in care planning.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that Annabelle Gurwitch, an American author, actress, and television host, developed a "a little persistent cough".

Suspecting it to be a COVID symptom, Annabelle went for a check-up. Her doctor alarmingly informed her about something suspicious on her lungs. Soon after, an X-ray and a biopsy confirmed her diagnosis of stage 4 cancer.

But, here's the catch. Annabelle is a non-smoker. She also lived a healthy lifestyle and exercised every day, and felt like she was in really good health, besides the persistent little cough.

Also read:American Author Annabelle Gurwitch Writes New Memoir On Stage-4 Lung Cancer Diagnosis

HealthandMe spoke to health experts to understand how a persistent cough signals the risk of lung cancer.

If you, too, are a non-smoker who is leading a healthy lifestyle and has no medical conditions other than a persistent cough, then you must visit your doctor right away, advised the experts.

"A persistent cough can be an early warning sign of lung cancer, especially when it shows specific features rather than behaving like a routine respiratory illness," Dr Sameer Khatri, Principal Director - Medical Oncology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, told HealthandMe.

The doctor noted that the cough becomes suspicious when it persists beyond three weeks without a clear cause or fails to respond to standard symptomatic treatment such as cough syrups, bronchodilators, etc.

"A change in a pre-existing smoker’s cough—for example, becoming more frequent, severe, or different in character—is particularly important. In non-smokers, a new, unexplained chronic cough should not be ignored," Dr. Khatri said.

Certain associated symptoms further strengthen the suspicion of cancer. The most significant is hemoptysis, the coughing up of blood or blood-stained mucus, even if minimal.

Other red flags include

• unintentional weight loss,
• chest pain,
• breathlessness,
• hoarseness,
• recurrent pneumonia in the same lung region.
• age >40 years,
• smoking history, occupational exposures.

Persistent cough: TB Vs Lung Cancer

Persistent cough also signals the risk of tuberculosis (TB) -- the world's most deadliest infectious disease. Understanding the differences between these two causes is critical for early diagnosis and timely treatment.

Dr Seema Jagiasi from MOC Cancer Care Center told HealthandMe that the cough in TB may sometimes produce blood-tinged phlegm, but it is usually associated with signs of infection, such as fatigue and a general feeling of illness.

TB is more common in younger populations and in individuals with weakened immunity or poor living conditions.

"In contrast, a cough associated with lung cancer tends to be more insidious. It may start as a dry, persistent cough that gradually worsens over time. Unlike TB, it may not initially present with fever or infection-related symptoms," the doctor explained.

Also read: Suffering From Mid-back Pain? Doctors Say It May Be Spinal TB

One of the key differences lies in progression and response to treatment.

TB is treatable with a course of antibiotics, and symptoms often improve within weeks of starting therapy. However, a lung cancer-related cough persists or worsens despite routine medications.

Dr Jagiasi emphasized that any cough lasting beyond three weeks, especially when accompanied by alarming symptoms, should not be ignored.

"Early investigations, such as chest imaging and further diagnostic tests, can help distinguish between the two conditions," the doctor said.

While both TB and lung cancer may present with a persistent cough, their underlying causes, associated symptoms, and progression differ significantly.

The health experts called for more awareness and the need for timely medical evaluation for the effective management of the disease.