High-intensity drinking is worse than binge drinking. But what exactly does it mean? High intensity is defined as consuming an excessive number of drinks in one session: eight or more for women and ten or more for men.

While binge drinking is characterized by having four or five drinks within two hours.

This distinction emerged as researchers noticed that many of the severe consequences associated with binge drinking—like blackouts and alcohol poisoning—were linked to much higher levels of alcohol intake.

Who are the most at risk?

Heavy drinking habits, formerly associated with youth, are changing. Recent studies show that, while high-intensity drinking has decreased among young adults, it is still common among those in their late twenties. Almost one out of every eight people aged 27 to 28 consume 10 or more drinks every session.

Middle-aged individuals are drinking more heavily. It is more prominent in males over 30 and women aged 18 to 64.

The trend can be seen where the middle-aged uses alcohol as a tool to cope with the day-to-day life, whereas for youth, it is to have fun and to explore the adult life.

Risks and Consequences

High-intensity drinking carries a greater risk than regular binge drinking. It is because when you consume such large volumes of alcohol in such a short period of time, it can boost blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to dangerous levels, usually exceeding 0.2%, as opposed to 0.08% for ordinary binge drinking.

This high BAC level increases the risk of disastrous effects, including:

• Injuries and Accidents
• Alcohol Poisoning
• Blackouts
• Hospitalizations

ALSO READ: Is Your Social Drinking Hurting Your Liver? A Scottish Woman Opens About Developing Chronic Liver Disease

Moreover, repeated high-intensity drinking significantly raises the risk of developing alcohol use disorder and contributes to broader societal harms such as relationship issues, property damage, and physical assaults.

Why is there a change in drinking patterns?

The reason why one opts for high-intensity drinking patterns varies by age. For youth, it is mostly peer pressure and seeking fun. However it does have its own downsides.

For middle-aged and older adults, stress, life pressures, and emotional coping mechanisms are more common drivers. However, studies have shown that alcohol does not help you cope with stress. These motivations highlight the evolving role of alcohol as a tool for both celebration and self-medication, depending on the stage of life.

The Need for Greater Awareness

The rise of high-intensity drinking underscores the importance of addressing its unique dangers. While binge drinking is risky, consuming eight or more drinks exponentially increases the likelihood of harm. Experts emphasize that the “dose makes the poison,” and this extreme form of alcohol use deserves heightened attention.

By understanding the motivations and risks associated with high-intensity drinking, individuals can make informed decisions and seek support if needed, particularly during festive seasons that often encourage overindulgence.

It's hard to find anyone these days whose day doesn't involve a phone, a laptop, or a tablet at some point, often for several hours. We work off them, study off them, unwind by scrolling or watching something on them. All that convenience comes at a cost, though, and it isn't limited to the eyes. Sleep, hearing, posture, general well-being- screens end up touching all of it.

Long Screen Hours Can Strain Your Eyes

Eye strain is usually the first thing people notice. Stare at a screen close-up for long stretches, and the eyes start to dry out, burn, blur, and headaches creep in along with trouble focusing. Part of the problem is that we simply blink less when we're absorbed in something on a screen, which makes the dryness worse.

A few small adjustments help, keeping the screen at a reasonable distance, not having the brightness too high, and something I often recommend to patients: the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something roughly 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It sounds minor, but it eases the strain.

Also read: Salt Stomping Before Bed: Does This Viral TikTok Sleep Hack Actually Work?

Long Hours With Earphones Can Affect Hearing

Screens affect more than eyesight. Long hours spent wearing earphones, particularly at high volumes, can gradually affect hearing. The risk depends on both the volume and the duration of exposure.

Keeping the volume at a comfortable level and taking regular breaks from earphones is a simple enough habit to build. Persistent ringing in the ears, muffled hearing or difficulty following conversations should not be dismissed as fatigue and should be evaluated by a doctor.

Screen Use Can Disrupt Sleep

Sleep is one of the most overlooked casualties of excessive screen use. Phones and laptops used late at night keep the brain stimulated when the body should be winding down for rest. Bright light from screens, along with constant notifications, social media and work-related activity, makes it harder to unwind and fall asleep. Poor sleep, in turn, contributes to daytime fatigue, reduced concentration and irritability.

None of this means giving up technology altogether. It comes down to building healthier digital habits, avoiding screens close to bedtime, keeping phones away from the bed, taking regular movement breaks during work, and spending some time outdoors. For people working at computers for extended periods, maintaining good posture and changing position regularly matters just as much.

Also read: Weekend Workouts: Why Sudden Intense Exercise May Put Stress on Your Heart

There Is No Single ‘Safe’ Number Of Screen Hours

Clinical care today increasingly looks beyond treating disease to identifying everyday lifestyle factors that contribute to long-term health problems, and screen exposure is a good example of this. There isn't a single number of hours that is automatically harmful for every adult; the impact depends on what the screen is being used for, the intensity and duration of exposure, and whether it is interfering with sleep, physical activity or daily functioning.

Being screen-smart, rather than screen-free, is really the aim. Regular breaks, sensible volume levels, better sleep routines and more movement can go a long way in protecting the eyes, hearing and overall health, while still letting technology remain a useful part of modern life.

If symptoms such as persistent eye discomfort, hearing changes, recurrent headaches or ongoing sleep difficulties continue despite cutting down on screen time, it's worth seeking professional medical advice rather than relying on lifestyle adjustments alone.

TikTok has a new sleep obsession every few months. Mouth taping, "cognitive shuffling," and now this: pouring salt onto a tray and stomping on it barefoot before bed. It's called "salt stomping," and doctors have doubts.

What Is Salt Stomping?

The trend was popularised by TikTok creator Tammy Weatherhead, who films herself pouring Epsom salt onto a baking sheet and shuffling her feet on it, according to the New York Post. "If you are not standing on salt before bed, you are missing out," she says in her videos. Other creators pour the salt onto baking sheets, towels or straight onto the shower floor, according to the New York Post.

The practice is framed as a type of "grounding," or direct contact with the earth, which some people normally do by walking barefoot on grass or sand, the New York Post notes. Weatherhead claims the salt version also exfoliates feet, reduces inflammation, and shifts the body into "rest mode" by lowering cortisol and raising serotonin.

Also Read: Heart Valve Clips Explained: How a Tiny Clip Can Help Repair a Leaking Valve

Does It Actually Work?

Doctors say no. Saema Tahir, a board-certified sleep physician, told the New York Post, "There's no evidence that standing on salt calms anything." IOL, a South African outlet, reported the same conclusion. There is currently no scientific evidence that standing directly on salt improves sleep.

There is some research on grounding in general, separate from salt. A small 2004 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that people who slept in contact with a grounding mat had lower night-time cortisol levels. But the study didn't test salt, involved a small group of people, and hasn't been repeated at a larger scale since.

What might actually help is the ritual itself, not the salt. Jacqueline Geer, a sleep medicine specialist at Yale School of Medicine, told Vogue, as reported by Yahoo, that the benefit "lies in the fact that this trend requires a certain level of focus and disconnect" from a busy day. A psychologist identified as Dr. Bostock told the Huffington Post UK there's likely a placebo effect too: "If you believe something helps you sleep, the odds are you will fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer."

The Real Risk: Your Skin

Standing barefoot on salt can cause harm. Chris Winter, a neurologist and sleep specialist, told Vogue, as reported by Yahoo, that salt stomping can cause skin irritation, worsen cracks on the feet, and create small cuts that let bacteria into the body.

What To Do Instead

Sleep experts point to simpler, low-risk habits: calming, repetitive routines before bed that signal to the nervous system it's time to rest, per IOL. Geer's advice, per Yahoo, is to build in a period of focus and disconnection from screens and stress, rather than a specific trick. If anxiety is what's keeping you up at night, that's worth raising with a doctor directly, rather than testing viral hacks with no real evidence behind them.

Heart clips—also referred to as heart valve clips—are part of a minimally invasive medical procedure known as Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER). Designed to repair leaking heart valves without open-heart surgery, this advanced treatment restores proper blood flow, relieves debilitating symptoms, and helps patients return to their daily lives.

Understanding Valve Leakage and Symptoms

The heart's valves rely on thin flaps of tissue called leaflets to regulate blood flow.

• The mitral valve (located on the left side of the heart) typically has two leaflets.

• The tricuspid valve (located on the right side of the heart) usually consists of three leaflets.

When a valve is leaking, the leaflets fail to close completely, leaving a gap. Blood leaks backward through this opening toward the lungs, increasing lung pressure and directly causing chronic breathlessness and fatigue.

Also read: 100% Blockage At 18, 25% Patients Under 40: On World Heart Day, Cardiologists Reveal An Alarming Heart Attack Pattern

How the Clip Repair Procedure Works

During a Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair, cardiologists repair the valve using a tiny clip delivered through the vascular system:

1. Catheter Access: Guided by continuous echo imaging, doctors insert a catheter into a blood vessel in the groin and navigate it directly to the heart.
2. Targeting the Valve: The catheter goes to the left side of the heart for a mitral valve repair or to the right side for a tricuspid valve repair.
3. Identifying the Leak: Imaging pinpoints the exact spot where the leaflets fail to seal.
4. Deploying the Clip: The doctor positions and deploys the clip across the leaking gap, grasping the two opposing leaflets and pulling them closer together.
5. Evaluating the Seal: Before releasing the clip completely, doctors perform an echocardiogram to confirm that the clip is strongly anchored, that the backward leak is fixed, and that the risk of clip detachment (embolization) is negligible.

Immediate Relief and Long-Term Healing

Once the clip brings the leaflets together, backward leakage stops immediately, allowing the entire volume of blood to pump forward as intended.

• 24-Hour Recovery: Pressure inside the lungs drops rapidly once the leak is sealed. Many patients notice a dramatic improvement in their breathing within 24 hours of the procedure.

• 3 to 6 Month Integration: Over a period of three to six months, surrounding heart tissue naturally grows over the clip (endothelialization), permanently integrating it into the heart structure.

Smooth Hospital Stay and Recovery

Because the procedure is catheter-based rather than open-chest, patient recovery is remarkably swift:

• In-Room Extubation: Patients are taken off the ventilator right on the procedure table.

• Minimal Closure Site: The groin entry point is closed cleanly using specialized sutures (such as ProGlide or a figure-of-eight suture).

• Quick Discharge: Patients typically spend just one day in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before moving to a standard room, after which they can return home and resume normal daily activities.