Category: Health

New Africa/Shutterstock.com While driving recently, a long-forgotten song came on the radio. I found myself singing along; not only did I know all the lyrics to a song I hadn’t heard in 25 years or more, but I also managed to rap along. How is it that I could give this rendition, but often cannot […]

The Glass Works, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: memorial statue tribute to the victims and key workers of the COVID pandemic Steve Travelguide/Shutterstock A couple of years ago I dug up an artefact buried under soil, grass and leaves in a park close to my home in Exeter. It was not some ancient object but rather […]

The gut microbiome has an important role in many aspects of health. Fotogrin/Shutterstock The gut microbiome plays an important role in many aspects of health, from digestion and immune function to metabolic balance and neurological processes. Several diseases have even been associated with changes in the microbiome’s composition, including inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, obesity […]

The dominant nostril naturally switches multiple times a day. Daniel Hoz/ Shutterstock One of the most bothersome things about being sick or having seasonal allergies is that it makes your nose stuffy and blocked. This makes breathing in through your nostrils frustrating – if not altogether impossible. But even when you aren’t sick, perhaps you’ve […]

stockpexel/Shutterstock Healthy ageing is about staying independent, maintaining mobility and continuing to enjoy everyday activities as you get older. For many people, what matters most is being able to get out of a chair without help, carry shopping home, climb the stairs and recover quickly after illness. One of the most important and well-established factors […]

Hyrox combines cardio and strength exercise. Sandra Sev Jarocka/ Shutterstock Once a niche challenge for hardcore athletes, Hyrox has become one of the fastest-growing fitness trends worldwide. It blends elements of endurance running with functional strength work in a way that appeals to both strength and cardio enthusiasts. Hyrox is a fitness race designed around […]

Vlue/Shutterstock Flashing light can do more than illuminate a room. Delivered at specific rhythms and viewed through closed eyelids, it can produce vivid visual hallucinations, geometric patterns, bursts of colour and sometimes even full scenes in people with no underlying illness and no use of drugs. These experiences are known as stroboscopic hallucinations. They offer […]

F15E fighter jet. CSWFoto / Shutterstock.com Three US F-15E fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait in the early hours of Monday (March 2) in an apparent friendly fire incident during Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israel campaign against Iran. All six crew members ejected safely and are in a stable condition – but “safely” […]

Hayfever season typically runs from March to October. PeopleImages/ Shutterstock Spring is just around the corner. While many look forward to the warmer weather after the long winter months, others may be filled with dread as spring marks the start of hay fever season. If this is you, the good news is there are plenty […]

Some parents keep their baby’s umbilical cord as a sentimental keepsake after birth pu_kibun/Shutterstock Celebrity outfits and endorsements often dominate social media, but Elton John recently drew attention for a very different reason. The musician has been spotted wearing jewellery made from his own kneecaps. After a double knee replacement in 2024, he asked his […]