Category: Health

Our internal body clock helps regulate sleep, alertness and mood, following a roughly 24-hour cycle influenced by light and darkness. vetre/Shutterstock Ever wondered why a bad night’s sleep can leave you irritable, anxious or sad? Poor sleep affects our emotions, but its timing also plays a role. Our circadian rhythms are nearly 24-hour cycles that […]

Pain can make a possible threat to the body feel urgent, prompting us to take protective action. Michaelvbg/Shutterstock When you step into an ice-cold lake, it would be nice if your body warned you about possible harm with a polite message: “Your feet may be at risk. Would you kindly consider stepping out?” Instead, your […]

LONDON — A UK parliamentary petition calling for compulsory education about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and neurodivergence in primary and secondary schools has passed the 10,000-signature threshold. The milestone legally obliges the UK Government to issue an official written response to the proposal. The campaign was launched by 36-year-old North Yorkshire campaigner and speaker […]

Tatiana Yashina/Shutterstock Millions of people take antihistamines for allergies, but some of these medicines can make you sleepy, slow your reactions and affect your concentration. Others are much less likely to have these effects. Knowing the difference can help you choose an allergy treatment that won’t interfere with your day. Antihistamines work by blocking histamine, […]

Chay_Tee/ Shutterstock Once a supplement favoured mainly by fitness fanatics, creatine has quickly become one of the most widely used dietary add-ons in the world. While its advantages for strength and athletic performance are supported by evidence, it’s increasingly being recommended for its mental health effects. In fact, a recent review has even suggested the […]

When people view sexualised images of women, they tend to remember them less well than sexualised images of men; a quirk of memory that psychologists link to objectification. But in our new study, my colleagues and I found an unlikely “fix” – applying a mild electrical current to the forehead. Objectification means seeing someone as […]

Sometimes our brain plays tricks on us. MAYA LAB/ Shutterstock It’s three in the morning. You’ve woken from a dead sleep because you’ve heard a thud in the darkness or a floorboard creaking downstairs. Or perhaps you’ve woken because you have the unmistakable sensation you’re not alone. During daylight, these phenomena might be dismissed as […]

An MRI scan can show changes in the brain's structure, but the findings don't always explain a person's symptoms. Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock In 2007, researchers in the Netherlands scanned the brains of 2,000 people aged 45 and over who were going about their ordinary lives. Seven in every 100 had signs of a stroke they never knew […]

buritora/ Shutterstock As a GP, I know that chest pain is one symptom that makes people worry. The immediate concern is that it’s a sign there’s something seriously wrong – such as a problem with their heart or lungs. But these aren’t the only reasons that chest pain can happen. For many otherwise healthy people, […]

Daria 'Bastet' Felis/Shutterstock.com The shape of your bottom cannot tell you anything about your hormones, whatever recent social media posts claim. The only way to find out your levels of cortisol, oestrogen or anything else is a blood test. A heart-shaped bottom, influencers say, signals healthy oestrogen, while an H shape means too much cortisol. […]