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Supersonic jets are making a comeback – but despite the hype, don’t expect to book yet

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-james-1178340">Chris James</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Late last week, American company Boom Supersonic flew faster than the speed of sound with its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft. It’s now the first <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-supersonic-achieves-supersonic-flight">piloted non-military aircraft to break the sound barrier</a> since the Concorde was retired from service in 2003.</p> <p>It’s the first step in Boom’s ambitious goal to have <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/united">supersonic airliners carry passengers by 2029</a>.</p> <p>But what exactly is supersonic travel? There are good reasons why it’s not more common, despite the hype.</p> <h2>What is supersonic flight?</h2> <p>The Mach number is defined as a plane’s speed divided by the speed that sound waves move through the air. To “break the sound barrier” means to fly faster than the speed of sound, with Mach numbers greater than 1.</p> <p>The Mach number is an important ratio: as a plane flies, it disturbs the air in front of it. These disturbances move at the speed of sound. In supersonic flight these disturbances combine to form shock waves around the vehicle.</p> <p>When people say you can see a fighter jet before you hear it, they’re referring to supersonic flight: <a href="https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/top-10-worlds-fastest-fighter-jets">fighter jets can travel at around Mach 2</a>.</p> <p>The sound from the fighter jet is trapped inside its shock wave; until the shock wave moves to your position on the ground, you won’t hear the plane.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=360&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=360&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=360&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=452&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=452&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=452&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Illustration of how disturbances propagate in subsonic, Mach 1, and supersonic flow.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transonico-en.svg">Chabacano/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>The allure of supersonic travel</h2> <p>For efficiency reasons, most passenger jets cruise slightly slower than the speed of sound, at around Mach 0.8 (this is subsonic flight).</p> <p>Boom plans to build <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">an airliner called Overture</a> that can fly at Mach 1.7. Flying supersonically can drastically decrease flight times. The company claims a trip <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/summer-travel-trends-future-travel-onboard-overture">from New York to Rome</a> on Overture could take just four hours and 40 minutes, instead of eight hours.</p> <p>Boom isn’t the only company working on this lofty goal. American firm Spike Aerospace is also developing a supersonic business jet, <a href="https://www.spikeaerospace.com/spike-s-512-supersonic-diplomat/">with the tagline</a> “delivering the world in half the time”.</p> <p>This is the value proposition of supersonic passenger travel.</p> <p>In limited ways, it did already exist in the 20th century. However, due to timing, bad luck and the laws of physics, it didn’t continue.</p> <h2>Remember the Concorde?</h2> <p>Designs for supersonic airliners began in the mid-20th century, and by the 1970s we had supersonic passenger flight.</p> <p>There was the little-known <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-144">Russian Tupolev-144</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Concorde">Concorde</a>, a Franco-British supersonic airliner operated by British Airways and Air France from 1976 to 2003.</p> <p>Concorde had a capacity of <a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/concorde-cabin--passenger-experience">up to 128 passengers</a> and cruised at Mach 2. It regularly travelled from London to New York <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/what-happened-concordes">in around three hours</a>. The flights were expensive, mainly shuttling business people and the rich and famous.</p> <h2>Why supersonic passenger flight didn’t take off</h2> <p>Concorde was designed in the 1960s when it seemed like supersonic passenger transport was going to be the next big thing.</p> <p>Instead, the Boeing 747 <a href="https://www.boeing.com/commercial/747-8">entered commercial service in 1970</a>. Cheap, large and efficient airliners like it blew Concorde out of the water.</p> <p>Designed to cruise efficiently at supersonic speeds, Concorde was extremely fuel inefficient when taking off and accelerating. Concorde’s expensive, “<a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-03-concorde-technical-feat-financial-fiasco.html">gas guzzling</a>” nature was a complaint levelled against it for most of its lifetime.</p> <p>A catastrophic <a href="https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/tu-144-crash-puzzle-persists-50-years-after-fatal-paris-display/153782.article">1973 Paris air show crash</a> of the competing Russian airliner, Tupolev Tu-144, also shifted public perception on supersonic flight safety at a time when many airlines were considering whether or not to purchase Concordes.</p> <p><a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/airframe-detail">Only 20 Concordes were manufactured</a> out of the <a href="https://simpleflying.com/concorde-orders/">planned 100</a>. It is still disputed today whether Concorde <a href="http://www.concordesst.com/faq.html">ever made money for the airlines who operated it</a>.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Illustration of a shock wave propagating from a supersonic aeroplane and hitting the ground to produce a sonic boom.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Supersonic_shockwave_cone.svg">Cmglee/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Noise is a real problem for supersonic flight</h2> <p>Remember the fighter jets? When a plane travels supersonically, its shock waves propagate to the ground, <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104540/sonic-boom/">causing loud disturbances called sonic booms</a>. In extreme cases they can shatter windows and damage buildings.</p> <p>In the early 1970s, sonic boom concerns led the United States government to <a href="https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/features/supersonic-travel-dead-on-arrival/">ban supersonic passenger flight over land in the US</a>. This hurt the Concorde’s potential market, hence its only two regular routes were trans-Atlantic flights principally over the water.</p> <p>The Concorde was also a very loud plane at take off, since it needed a lot of thrust to leave the ground.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3x9hO7n5WiA?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Video footage of the final Concorde takeoff from New York’s JFK airport.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>The future of supersonic travel</h2> <p>A future for supersonic travel relies on solving some or all of the issues Concorde faced.</p> <p><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/">NASA and Lockheed Martin’s Quesst project</a> aims to show sonic boom can be dissipated to manageable levels. They plan to fly their X-59 supersonic aircraft over US cities and gauge responses from citizens.</p> <p>Quesst aims to use the geometry of the X-59, with a long elongated nose, to dissipate sonic booms to a weak “thump”, hopefully allowing supersonic airliners to travel over land in the future.</p> <p>Spike Aerospace’s Spike S-512 Diplomat concept also aims to be a <a href="https://www.spikeaerospace.com/quiet-supersonic-flight/">“quiet” supersonic aircraft</a> with a less disruptive sonic boom.</p> <h2>Can Boom surpass Concorde?</h2> <p>Boom Supersonic don’t plan to fly supersonically over land. Their plan is to fly over land at Mach 0.94, which they claim will allow <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">20% faster overland travel</a> than standard passenger airliners, even subsonically.</p> <p>They also claim the design of their engines will ensure Overture is <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/the-new-sound-of-supersonic-q-a-with-booms-principal-acoustic-engineer">no louder than modern subsonic airliners when it takes off</a>.</p> <p>In terms of gas guzzling, they plan to use up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel to reduce emissions and <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-supersonic-and-dimensional-energy-announce-sustainable-aviation-fuel-offtake-agreement">their carbon footprint</a>.</p> <p>Concorde was made of aluminium using design tools available in the 1960s. Modern design methods and modern aerospace materials such as titanium and carbon fibre should also allow Overture and similar craft to weigh much less than Concorde, improving efficiency.</p> <p>While Boom are currently receiving a lot of interest, <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">with orders from many airlines</a>, Concorde did have similar commitment before it become available. <a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/concorde-orders-and-options">Most of it didn’t eventuate</a>.</p> <p>Additionally, Concorde was the product of an analogue era when the idea of flying to London or New York for the day for an important business meeting seemed like a necessary thing. In a world of remote work and video meetings, is there still a need for a supersonic airliner in the 2020s?</p> <p>For now, supersonic airliners like Overture are likely to remain in the realm of the rich and famous, like Concorde did. But with modern technological advances, it will be interesting to see whether supersonic passenger travel once again becomes reality – or even goes mainstream. Only time will tell.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/248656/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-james-1178340"><em>Chris James</em></a><em>, UQ Amplify Senior Lecturer, Centre for Hypersonics, School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Boom Supersonic </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/supersonic-jets-are-making-a-comeback-but-despite-the-hype-dont-expect-to-book-yet-248656">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Around 3% of us will develop a brain aneurysm in our lives. So what is it and how do you treat it?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theresa-larkin-952095">Theresa Larkin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-nealon-1481995">Jessica Nealon</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a></em></p> <p>Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands announced on air that he <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-03/kyle-sandilands-brain-aneurysm-diagnosis/104888826">has a brain aneurysm</a> and needs urgent brain surgery.</p> <p>Typically an aneurysm occurs when a part of the wall of an artery (a type of blood vessel) becomes stretched and bulges out.</p> <p>You can get an aneurysm <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/aneurysm">in any blood vessel</a>, but they are most common in the brain’s arteries and the aorta, the large artery that leaves the heart.</p> <p>Many people can have a brain aneurysm and never know. But a brain (or aortic) aneurysm that ruptures and bursts can be fatal.</p> <p>So, what causes a brain aneurysm? And what’s the risk of rupture?</p> <h2>Weakness in the artery wall</h2> <p>Our arteries need strong walls because blood is constantly pumped through them and pushed against the walls.</p> <p>An <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/aneurysms">aneurysm</a> can develop if there is a weak part of an artery wall.</p> <p>The walls of arteries are made of three layers: an inner lining of cells, a middle layer of muscle and elastic fibres, and a tough outer layer of mostly collagen (a type of protein). Damage to any of these layers causes the wall to become thin and stretched. It can then balloon outward, leading to an aneurysm.</p> <p><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4399795/">Genetics</a> and <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/cerebral-aneurysms">certain inherited disorders</a> can cause weak artery walls and brain aneurysms in some people.</p> <p>For all of us, our artery walls become weaker as we age, and brain aneurysms are more common as we get older. The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557867/">average age for a brain aneurysm</a> to be detected is 50 (Sandilands is 53).</p> <p>Females have a higher risk of brain aneurysm than males <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507902/">after about age 50</a>. Declining oestrogen around menopause reduces the collagen in the artery wall, causing it to become weaker.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646696/original/file-20250204-15-i55mtq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646696/original/file-20250204-15-i55mtq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646696/original/file-20250204-15-i55mtq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646696/original/file-20250204-15-i55mtq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646696/original/file-20250204-15-i55mtq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646696/original/file-20250204-15-i55mtq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646696/original/file-20250204-15-i55mtq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="An illustration showing a brain aneurysm." /><figcaption><span class="caption">A brain aneurysm occurs when a part of the wall of an artery balloons out.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/human-brain-blocking-stroke-aneurysm-disease-2171173339">Alfmaler/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>High blood pressure can increase the risk of a brain aneurysm. In someone with high blood pressure, blood inside the arteries is pushed against the walls with greater force. This can <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3163429/">stretch and weaken the artery walls</a>.</p> <p>Another <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/hsvd-facts/contents/introduction">common condition</a> called atherosclerosis can also <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/cerebral-arteriosclerosis">cause brain aneurysms</a>. In atherosclerosis, plaques made mostly of fat build up in arteries and stick to the artery walls. This directly damages the cell lining, and weakens the muscle and elastic fibres in the middle layer of the artery wall.</p> <h2>Several lifestyle factors increase risk</h2> <p>Anything that increases inflammation or causes atherosclerosis or high blood pressure in turn increases your risk of a brain aneurysm.</p> <p><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6527044/">Smoking and heavy drinking</a> affect all of these, and nicotine <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6214667/">directly damages</a> the artery wall.</p> <p>Sandilands mentioned <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/radio/kyle-sandilands-reveals-shock-health-diagnosis-i-may-be-dead/news-story/62f9f05c6f0a03702632ec8d622cf97a">his cocaine use</a> in discussing his diagnosis. He said: "The facts are, a life of cocaine abuse and partying are not the way to go."</p> <p>Indeed, cocaine abuse <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/brain-aneurysm/causes/">increases the risk of a brain aneurysm</a>. It causes very high blood pressure because it causes arteries to spasm and constrict. Cocaine use is also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1878875023017400">linked to worse outcomes</a> if a brain aneurysm ruptures.</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ejn.15992">Stress</a> and a <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6243058/#:%7E:text=High%2Dfat%20diets%20(HFDs),many%20organs%20(see%20text).">high-fat diet</a> also increase inflammation. <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/atherosclerosis#:%7E:text=Atherosclerosis%20is%20thickening%20or%20hardening,activity%2C%20and%20eating%20saturated%20fats.">High cholesterol</a> can also cause atherosclerosis. And <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/hsvd-facts/contents/risk-factors/overweight-and-obesity">being overweight</a> increases your blood pressure.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.121.022277">A study</a> of more than 60,000 people found smoking and high blood pressure were the strongest risk factors for a brain aneurysm.</p> <h2>Is it always a medical emergency?</h2> <p>About <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557867/">three in 100 people</a> will have a brain aneurysm, varying in size from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557867/">less than 5mm to more than 25mm</a> in diameter. The majority are only discovered while undergoing imaging for something else (for example, head trauma), because small aneurysms may not cause any symptoms.</p> <p>Larger aneurysms can cause symptoms because they can <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-aneurysm/symptoms-causes/syc-20361483">press against brain tissues and nerves</a>.</p> <p>Sandilands described “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-03/kyle-sandilands-brain-aneurysm-diagnosis/104888826">a lot of headache problems</a>” leading up to his diagnosis. Headaches can be due to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-aneurysm/symptoms-causes/syc-20361483">minor leaks of blood</a> from the aneurysm. They indicate a risk of the aneurysm rupturing in subsequent days or weeks.</p> <p>Less than <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46015-2">one in 100 brain aneurysms will rupture</a>, often called a “brain bleed”. This causes a <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/subarachnoid-hemorrhage#:%7E:text=A%20subarachnoid%20hemorrhage%20is%20bleeding,brain%20and%20inside%20the%20skull.">subarachnoid haemorrhage</a>, which is a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/subarachnoid-haemorrhage/">type of stroke</a>.</p> <p>If it does occur, rupture of a brain aneurysm is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507902/">life-threatening</a>: nearly one in four people will die within 24 hours, and one in two within three months.</p> <p>If someone’s brain aneurysm ruptures, they usually experience a sudden, severe headache, often described as a “<a href="https://www.bafound.org/blog/three-signs-your-bad-headache-might-be-a-ruptured-brain-aneurysm/">thunderclap headache</a>”. They may also have <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/cerebral-aneurysms">other symptoms of a stroke</a> such as changes in vision, loss of movement, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness.</p> <h2>Surgery can prevent a rupture</h2> <p>Whether surgery will be used to treat a brain aneurysm depends on its size and location, as well as the age and health of the patient. The medical team will balance the potential benefits with the risks of the surgery.</p> <p>A small aneurysm with low risk of rupture will usually <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2323531/">just be monitored</a>.</p> <p>However, once a brain aneurysm reaches <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507902/">7mm or more</a>, surgery is generally needed.</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/brain-aneurysm/treatment/#:%7E:text=A%20cut%20is%20made%20in,permanently%20clamped%20on%20the%20aneurysm.">surgery to repair a brain aneurysm</a>, the surgeon will temporarily remove a small part of the skull, then cut through the coverings of the brain to place a tiny metal clip to close off the bulging part of the aneurysm.</p> <p>Another option is <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/endovascular-coiling">endovascular</a> (meaning within the vessel) coiling. A surgeon can pass a catheter into the femoral artery in the thigh, through the aorta to the brain. They can then place a coil inside the aneurysm which forms a clot to close off the aneurysm sac.</p> <p><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007372.htm">After either surgery</a>, usually the person will stay in hospital for up to a week. It can take <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/brain-aneurysm-clipping-surgery#recovery">6–8 weeks</a> for full recovery, though doctors may continue monitoring with annual imaging tests for a few years afterwards.</p> <p>You can <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-prevent-a-brain-aneurysm#prevention">lower your risk of a brain aneurysm</a> by not smoking, moderating alcohol intake, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/248882/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theresa-larkin-952095">Theresa Larkin</a>, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-nealon-1481995">Jessica Nealon</a>, Senior Lecturer in Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/around-3-of-us-will-develop-a-brain-aneurysm-in-our-lives-so-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-treat-it-248882">original article</a>.</em></p>

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When news is stressful, how do you balance staying informed with ‘doomscrolling’?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-harrison-1552123">Lisa Harrison</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p>It all begins innocently – a late-night peek at your favourite social media site before bed. You catch a headline that grabs your attention with “breaking news” you can’t afford to miss.</p> <p>Like following digital breadcrumbs, one click leads to another. Before you know it, you’re tumbling down a rabbit hole of endless updates and emotionally charged social media posts. Two hours later, your shoulders are tense, your stomach is in knots, but you can’t put your phone down.</p> <p>This endless scrolling through bad news – known as “<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/doomscrolling-dangers">doomscrolling</a>” – sneaks up on us.</p> <p>It’s important to stay in touch with what’s happening in the world. Being informed helps us make better decisions, engage meaningfully in our communities, and respond effectively to changes that affect our lives and those around us.</p> <p>But just like a healthy diet, we must be smart about our news consumption to avoid it <a href="https://theconversation.com/doomscrolling-is-literally-bad-for-your-health-here-are-4-tips-to-help-you-stop-190059">taking a toll on our health</a>.</p> <p>The good news is there are proven ways to stay informed without letting it take over your life. Research shows <a href="https://academic.oup.com/poq/article/84/S1/332/5866766">setting clear boundaries</a> around your news consumption can make a huge difference. So, how can you strike the right balance?</p> <h2>How to set boundaries with news consumption</h2> <p>It’s worth considering why you feel compelled to stay constantly informed. Ask yourself: “will this information change what I can do about it?”.</p> <p>Often, we scroll not because the information is actionable, but because <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245195882400071X">we are trying to gain a sense of control</a> in an uncertain world.</p> <p>Research shows scrolling through negative news <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-29/negative-effects-doomscrolling-young-people-existential-anxiety/104268178">can disrupt your sleep and increase anxiety</a>. To make sure your media consumption is intentional, there are a few steps you can take.</p> <p>Be picky with the news sources you read. Choose a few trusted outlets instead of letting social media algorithms decide what you see. It’s like sticking to a balanced meal plan, but for your mind.</p> <p>While engaging with the news, pay close attention to how you’re feeling. When you notice physical signs of anxiety or emotional distress, that is your cue to take a break.</p> <p>Set aside time earlier in the day with clear boundaries around your news consumption: maybe with your morning coffee or during your lunch break, whatever works for your schedule. Consider implementing a “digital sunset”, too. This is a cut-off time for news and social media, ideally an hour or two before bedtime, to give your mind time to process what you have learned without disrupting your sleep.</p> <p>The world will always be there, but you will be in a better head space to process what is happening.</p> <h2>You don’t have to feel helpless</h2> <p>Taking breaks from consuming news is not burying your head in the sand – it’s practising self care. Studies have shown that <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/strain-media-overload">people who set healthy boundaries</a> around news consumption are often better equipped to engage meaningfully on important issues and take constructive action when needed.</p> <p>When you check the news, be an active consumer. Instead of endless scrolling:</p> <ul> <li> <p>choose one or two in-depth articles to read thoroughly</p> </li> <li> <p>discuss the news with colleagues, friends and family to process your feelings</p> </li> <li> <p>look for solution-focused news stories that highlight positive change</p> </li> <li> <p>take meaningful action on issues you care about.</p> </li> </ul> <p>There are also various apps and tools that can help you form healthier digital habits. <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-focus-addicted-to-your-online-world-theres-an-app-for-that-98951">Productivity apps</a> use various approaches to help you stay focused, providing ways to snap you out of mindless scrolling.</p> <p>News curation apps and apps that allow you to save articles to read later can help you establish a balanced news diet, and remove the urgent need to read everything immediately.</p> <p>Many smartphones now come equipped with <a href="https://theconversation.com/rethinking-screen-time-a-better-understanding-of-what-people-do-on-their-devices-is-key-to-digital-well-being-243644">screen time management</a> features, such as Apple’s Screen Time or Android’s Digital Wellbeing. You can use these to monitor your scrolling habits and to manage how much time you spend on social media or news apps.</p> <p>One useful feature is to block apps from use during certain times of day or after you’ve used them for a set amount of time.</p> <h2>Stay mindful, stay engaged</h2> <p>Staying informed doesn’t mean staying constantly connected. By mindfully setting boundaries and using supportive tools, you can keep up with important events while protecting your wellbeing.</p> <p>If you’re trying productivity apps and other tools, start small. Choose one tool that resonates with you rather than trying everything at once. Set realistic goals that fit your life, and use these apps’ insights to understand your habits better.</p> <p>Pay attention to what triggers your doomscrolling and adjust your settings accordingly. Remember, these tools work best when combined with offline activities you enjoy.</p> <p>The goal isn’t to disconnect completely, but to find a sustainable balance between staying informed and maintaining peace of mind. With thoughtful boundaries and the right support tools, you can stay engaged with the world while keeping your mental health intact.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/248017/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-harrison-1552123">Lisa Harrison</a>, Lecturer in Digital Communications, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-news-is-stressful-how-do-you-balance-staying-informed-with-doomscrolling-248017">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

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How do mosquito repellents work? A chemistry expert explains

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-eldridge-1494633">Daniel Eldridge</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>It’s summertime, and for many of us that means plenty of time outside – and, unfortunately, mosquitoes.</p> <p>The combination of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-your-summer-might-be-full-of-mosquitoes-according-to-a-scientist-98369">increase in temperature and plenty of water</a> is ideal for these blood-sucking insects to make their presence felt.</p> <p>In the best-case scenario, they are a pest, delivering a highly unpleasant sting. At the other end of the spectrum, they are vectors for diseases responsible for <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/global-health/impact/fighting-the-worlds-deadliest-animal.html">more human fatalities than any other animal on Earth</a>.</p> <p>To keep them at bay, many of us will reach for the bottle of insect repellent or citronella candles in order to avoid the bite and incessant itching that comes with it. But how do these repellents actually work?</p> <h2>A complex interplay</h2> <p><a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-technology/why-mosquitos-bite-you-and-how-make-them-stop">A great deal</a> of research has gone into understanding how and why female mosquitoes – they are the ones that bite us – are attracted to people.</p> <p>There is evidence showing they are attracted to the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-mosquitoes-detect-people">carbon dioxide</a> we exhale, lactic acid found in our sweat, and a variety of other <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24315103/">skin odours</a> and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6482070/">volatile compounds</a> we give off. The interplay between all these factors is quite <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8906108/">complex</a>.</p> <p>To ward off mosquitoes, physical barriers such as netting make for the best protection. However, while you might put netting around a backdoor patio and barbecue, doing this for any large space is simply not practical.</p> <p>This is where repellents come in.</p> <h2>DEETerrent</h2> <p>There are a variety of mosquito repellents available.</p> <p>The most tried-and-true products are based on a substance called N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, more commonly referred to as DEET.</p> <p>This molecule has been commercially available since 1957, <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/05/17/protecting-military-flying-foes">after the United States military discovered</a> it was an effective insect repellent.</p> <p>DEET is often used as a <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/health/insect-repellent/how-safe-is-deet-insect-repellent-safety-a4952100929/">point of comparison</a> for <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa011699">studies</a> investigating alternatives. <a href="https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ps.5476?casa_token=prUg_pX7fjAAAAAA%3AuEKT5PGXWU1mO4fakwQ9NSEY-0uVYBEz25zWxXjMOp5AxX5UFWENJc1UF_JdsKA45x3sSHpmJSLJSwM">Studies show that</a>, provided they are used according to direction, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4041896/">DEET products are safe and effective</a>.</p> <p>For example, it is recommended that when required, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9458079/">sunscreen is applied</a> before the repellent. DEET products are not recommended for infants.</p> <p>The exact mechanism by which DEET repels mosquitoes and other insects is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336934.2015.1079360#d1e132">still explored</a> <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13258-020-00991-z">today</a>.</p> <p>Many studies link its success to mosquitoes having receptors that sense the presence of DEET, deterring them from closely approaching our skin. Some investigations suggest that when DEET is detected, it <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18339904/">inhibits mosquitoes’ attraction</a> to us, while others show evidence that mosquitoes “<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2518096/pdf/zpq13598.pdf">smell and avoid</a>” DEET.</p> <p>There are also numerous reports demonstrating mosquitoes don’t bite when they <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdfExtended/S0960-9822(19)30402-6">land on</a> DEET-treated skin. This is because DEET acts as a contact-based repellent and conveys a chemical message to mosquitoes to leave. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336934.2015.1079360">Studies</a> <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdfExtended/S0960-9822(19)30402-6">suggest</a> that DEET likely works through a combination of the processes described here.</p> <h2>Effective alternatives</h2> <p>Another more recent family of mosquito repellent products rely on an active ingredient called picaridin (or icaridin).</p> <p>The current consensus is that picaridin products are safe, and highly effective. For many, they are considered appealing as they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962207014673?casa_token=zzPMhkW9QtIAAAAA:Euk6hjWnuiem6OAq020Xv0Pu70K7LfN_siLGcK1DIyOZn-mbH7U9tKK115rAK0rYbWQ2oaMGfg#bib49">don’t have as strong a scent</a> as DEET.</p> <p>Picaridin products have been reported to be <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4270489/">equally effective</a> as DEET, or in some cases, even <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/25/suppl_1/S10/4990399">slightly superior</a>, though the outcome depends on their concentration too.</p> <p>The other repellent regularly reported as being effective is para-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD).</p> <p>This is produced by chemical treatment of <a href="https://www.phrp.com.au/issues/december-2016-volume-26-issue-5/a-review-of-recommendations-on-the-safe-and-effective-use-of-topical-mosquito-repellents/">oil of lemon eucalyptus</a>.</p> <p>Untreated, this oil isn’t effective at repelling mosquitoes. However, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199606)10:4%3C313::AID-PTR854%3E3.0.CO;2-O">several</a> <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.wem.2015.11.007">studies</a> have shown that PMD is an effective mosquito repellent.</p> <p>The ability of these repellents to deter mosquitoes is <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4270489/">dose</a> <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/25/suppl_1/S10/4990399">dependent</a>.</p> <p>In all cases, it’s important that an appropriate dose is applied, with re-application sometimes required to keep protection to a maximum. The performance of these products varies according to many other variables too, including <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4270489/">the species of mosquito</a>.</p> <h2>What about citronella?</h2> <p>Citronella products, including candles and topical formulations, are popular choices for keeping mosquitoes away.</p> <p>However, in systematic testing, these <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2015/361021">have been shown</a> to be <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa011699">far less effective</a> than DEET.</p> <p>Studies have also shown that <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/17/1/24/2996380?login=false">citronella candles don’t</a> <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4617422/">fend off mosquitoes</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8827606/">as much</a> as you might like.</p> <p>There are many other repellent products on the market.</p> <p>Given the widespread interest in preventing mosquito bites, natural remedies abound. It’s important to recognise that natural <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/17/1/24/2996380?login=false">isn’t necessarily more effective</a> and it <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-does-a-chemical-do-addressing-misconceptions-about-chemistry-104085">isn’t necessarily safer</a>.</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa011699">most reported studies</a>, DEET and picaridin are reported as having the greatest duration of protection (of the order of hours) and greatest effect on the mosquitoes. They are more thoroughly tested than many alternatives.</p> <p>When others are tested, they are often found wanting.</p> <p>One study described sound-based devices as being the repellent equivalent of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/17/1/24/2996380?login=false">snake oil</a>. And although repellent bracelets contain working ingredients, they are largely ineffective in that form. This is because of insufficient concentrations of the active ingredient being “emitted”.</p> <p>When it comes to preventing disease transmission via mosquitoes, the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4041896/">benefits</a> of the proven repellents far outweigh the risks.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244403/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-eldridge-1494633">Daniel Eldridge</a>, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-mosquito-repellents-work-a-chemistry-expert-explains-244403">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Top 10 must-do activities around the world in 2025

<p>Global travel brand <em>Time Out</em> has revealed their annual list of the best activities around the world. </p> <p>From a canoe trip in Australia to wildlife encounters in Singapore, here are the top 10 must-do activities and experiences around the world. </p> <p><strong>10. Take a micro cruise through the Arctic. </strong></p> <p>This year, Micro-cruise specialist Secret Atlas will be taking 12 passengers at a time through the Arctic, for a more "intimate, once-in-a-lifetime, eco-conscious trip". </p> <p>The cruise will take guests on a wildlife-spotting journey through Svalbard's lesser-known northern reaches, while the other cruise will sail past the icebergs in Northeast Greenland, including a visit to one of the most remote towns on earth. </p> <p>These trips, however, aren't cheap with prices starting at £15,500 (around AUD $30,500) for two weeks.</p> <p><strong>9. Explore the cross-border towns of Gorizia, Italy, and Nova Gorica, Slovenia</strong></p> <p>These three towns make up 2025's European Capital of Culture, with over 400 events to be held throughout the year, including a piano performance on a 200m-high bridge, as well as a food and wine event called Tastes Without Borders.</p> <p><strong>8. Go on a wildlife-spotting adventure in Singapore's new Rainforest Park </strong></p> <p>The Mandai Wildlife Reserve is opening its fifth zoological park, Rainforest Wild Asia, this year, with 10 different zones, as well as 29 different species of animals, perfect for a family outing. </p> <p><strong>7. Discover Vietnam by a vintage steam train</strong></p> <p>Time Out explained that two of the "beautifully restored vintage trains" date all the way back to the 60s, and will take passengers between "the central city of Da Nang and the former royal capital of Hue."</p> <p><strong>6. Visit the Musée Granet celebrating the father of post-impressionism</strong></p> <p>Aix-en-Provence in France is celebrating the life of post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne in his hometown, with the exhibition displaying almost 100 of Cèzanne’s works, as well as tours around the artist’s childhood home, former estate and art studio. </p> <p><strong>5. Visit the long-awaited Harlem's Studio Museum, New York</strong></p> <p>The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, was first opened 56 years ago, with an archive of almost 9,000 pieces from all kinds of creators. It was closed for construction almost seven years ago and will finally re-open in autumn. </p> <p><strong>4. Fly directly to Greenland </strong></p> <p>The grand opening of their brand-new international airport will make this stunning location <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">more accessible</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> for travellers wanting to view the Northern Lights and all of the territory's natural wonders. </span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">3. Visit the world's first museum telling stories of migration though art</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The Fenix museum in </span>Katendrecht, Rotterdam will open on May 16 and is the first museum telling stories of migration through art. </p> <p><strong>2. Walk, ride or cycle along Murray River, Australia</strong></p> <p>"The Murray River is the crowning jewel of Australia’s Echuca region," said <em>Time Out’s</em> Saffron Swire. </p> <p>With the opening of a new multisport adventure trail this year, cyclists, hikers and paddlers alike will get to enjoy the river in a new way. </p> <p><strong>1. Join a once-every-quarter-century spiritual celebration in Rome, Italy</strong></p> <p>Italy's capital will celebrate its spiritual Jubilee this year, a Catholic festivity that's held every 25 years, with Italy expert Rebecca Ann Hughes recommending the Seven Churches Pilgrimage, "which began in the 16th century and involves a 25km walk through the city and countryside between the major basilicas." </p> <p>Check out the full list <a href="http://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/best-things-to-do-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

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Why do some people’s hair and nails grow quicker than mine?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-moscova-310728">Michelle Moscova</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Throughout recorded history, our hair and nails played an important role in signifying who <a href="https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/gender-culture-and-social-constructs-in-body-focused-repetitive-behaviors">we are and our social status</a>. You could say, they separate the caveman from businessman.</p> <p>It was no surprise then that many of us found a new level of appreciation for our hairdressers and nail artists during the COVID lockdowns. Even Taylor Swift reported <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/taylor-swift-reveals-shes-cutting-hair-covid-19/story?id=74757540&amp;t">she cut her own hair during lockdown</a>.</p> <p>So, what would happen if all this hair and nail grooming got too much for us and we decided to give it all up. Would our hair and nails just keep on growing?</p> <p>The answer is yes. The hair on our head grows, on average, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9917549/">1 centimeter per month</a>, while our fingernails grow an average of just <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11436330/">over 3 millimetres</a>.</p> <p>When left unchecked, our hair and nails can grow to impressive lengths. Aliia Nasyrova, known as the Ukrainian Rapunzel, holds the world record for the longest locks on a living woman, which measure an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TdlEIQdVwo&amp;t=81s">impressive 257.33 cm</a>.</p> <p>When it comes to record-breaking fingernails, Diana Armstrong from the United States holds that record <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwql937j-7Q">at 1,306.58 cm</a>.</p> <p>Most of us, however, get regular haircuts and trim our nails – some with greater frequency than others. So why do some people’s hair and nails grow more quickly?</p> <h2>Remind me, what are they made out of?</h2> <p>Hair and nails are made mostly from keratin. Both grow from matrix cells below the skin and grow through different patterns of cell division.</p> <p>Nails grow steadily from the matrix cells, which sit under the skin at the base of the nail. These cells divide, pushing the older cells forward. As they grow, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5383514/">the new cells slide</a> along the nail bed – the flat area under the fingernail which looks pink because of its rich blood supply.</p> <p>A hair also starts growing from the matrix cells, eventually forming the visible part of the hair – the shaft. The hair shaft grows from a root that sits under the skin and is wrapped in a sac known as the hair follicle.</p> <p>This sac has a nerve supply (which is why it hurts to pull out a hair), oil-producing glands that lubricate the hair and a tiny muscle that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546248/">makes your hair stand up</a> when it’s cold.</p> <p>At the follicle’s base is the hair bulb, which contains the all-important hair papilla that supplies blood to the follicle.</p> <p>Matrix cells near the papilla divide to produce new hair cells, which then harden and form the hair shaft. As the new hair cells are made, the hair is pushed up above the skin <a href="https://www.jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(15)41553-2/fulltext">and the hair grows</a>.</p> <p>But the papilla also plays an integral part in regulating hair growth cycles, as it sends signals to the stem cells to move to the base of the follicle and form a hair matrix. Matrix cells then get signals to divide and start a new growth phase.</p> <h2>Unlike nails, our hair grows in cycles</h2> <p>Scientists have identified <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9917549/">four phases of hair growth</a>, the:</p> <ol> <li> <p>anagen or growth phase, which lasts between two and eight years</p> </li> <li> <p>catagen or transition phase, when growth slows down, lasting around two weeks</p> </li> <li> <p>telogen or resting phase, when there is no growth at all. This usually lasts two to three months</p> </li> <li> <p>exogen or shedding phase, when the hair falls out and is replaced by the new hair growing from the same follicle. This starts the process all over again.</p> </li> </ol> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/637402/original/file-20241210-15-gtv259.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/637402/original/file-20241210-15-gtv259.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=308&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/637402/original/file-20241210-15-gtv259.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=308&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/637402/original/file-20241210-15-gtv259.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=308&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/637402/original/file-20241210-15-gtv259.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=387&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/637402/original/file-20241210-15-gtv259.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=387&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/637402/original/file-20241210-15-gtv259.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=387&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Stages of hair growth graphic" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hair follicles enter these phases at different times so we’re not left bald.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/stages-hair-growth-cycle-vector-isolated-2433656865">Mosterpiece/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Each follicle goes through this cycle <a href="https://www.longdom.org/open-access/a-note-on-the-human-hair-follicle-from-the-origin-to-the-death-93871.html?t">10–30 times in its lifespan</a>.</p> <p>If all of our hair follicles grew at the same rate and entered the same phases simultaneously, there would be times when we would all be bald. That doesn’t usually happen: at any given time, only one in ten hairs is in the resting phase.</p> <p>While we lose about <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9917549/">100–150 hairs daily</a>, the average person has <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9917549/">100,000 hairs</a> on their head, so we barely notice this natural shedding.</p> <h2>So what affects the speed of growth?</h2> <p>Genetics is the most significant factor. While hair growth rates vary between individuals, they tend to be <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4201279/">consistent among family members</a>.</p> <p>Nails are also influenced by genetics, as siblings, especially identical twins, tend to have <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_121-1">similar nail growth rates</a>.</p> <p>But there are also other influences.</p> <p><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9917549/">Age makes a difference</a> to hair and <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_121-1">nail</a> growth, even in healthy people. Younger people generally have faster growth rates because of the slowing metabolism and cell division that comes with ageing.</p> <p><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7432488/">Hormonal changes</a> can have an impact. Pregnancy often <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7432488/">accelerates</a> hair and nail growth rates, while menopause and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7432488/">slow growth rates</a>.</p> <p>Nutrition also changes <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6380979/">hair</a> and <a href="https://ijdvl.com/nails-in-nutritional-deficiencies/?t">nail</a> strength and growth rate. While hair and nails are made mostly of keratin, they also contain water, fats and various minerals. As hair and nails keep growing, these minerals need to be replaced.</p> <p>That’s why a balanced diet that includes sufficient nutrients to support your hair and nails is essential for maintaining their health.</p> <p>Nutrient deficiencies may contribute to hair loss and nail breakage by disrupting their growth cycle or weakening their structure. Iron and zinc deficiencies, for example, have both been linked to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6380979/">hair loss</a> and <a href="https://ijdvl.com/nails-in-nutritional-deficiencies/?t">brittle nails</a>.</p> <p>This may explain why thick hair and strong, well-groomed nails have long been associated with perception of good health and high status.</p> <p>However, not all perceptions are true.</p> <h2>No, hair and nails don’t grow after death</h2> <p>A persistent myth that may relate to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/vampire">the legends of vampires</a> is that hair and nails continue to grow after we die.</p> <p>In reality, they only <em>appear</em> to do so. As the body dehydrates after death, the skin shrinks, making hair and nails <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2151163/">seem longer</a>.</p> <p>Morticians are well aware of this phenomenon and some <a href="https://www.adomonline.com/mortuary-man-reveals-how-he-handles-nails-of-the-dead/?t">inject tissue filler</a> into the deceased’s fingertips to minimise this effect.</p> <p>So, it seems that living or dead, there is no escape from the never-ending task of caring for our hair and nails.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241556/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-moscova-310728">Michelle Moscova</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, Anatomy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-peoples-hair-and-nails-grow-quicker-than-mine-241556">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Do natural fabrics really keep us cooler in summer? Here’s the science

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nisa-salim-1442233">Nisa Salim</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>The Bureau of Meteorology has warned Australia is facing one of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-12/australia-facing-one-of-hottest-summers-on-record-bom/104464014">hottest summers on record</a>. As the weather warms, many of us reach for light-coloured clothes in natural fabrics, such as cotton and linen.</p> <p>But why are natural fabrics like these so much better at keeping us cool when the weather is hot?</p> <p>Here’s what the science says.</p> <h2>Natural fabrics and sweat: a match made in heaven</h2> <p>In hot weather, we sweat. As sweat evaporates, it carries heat away, which helps cool the body down.</p> <p>In hot weather, then, we want clothes that help take moisture away from the body as efficiently as possible.</p> <p>Natural fabrics are made using fibres extracted from plant- or animal-based sources such as cotton, linen, hemp, wool and silk.</p> <p>The primary component of all plant-based fibres is cellulose. Animal-based fibres are made up of proteins such as keratin and silk fibroin.</p> <p>Cellulose molecules are rich in compounds called hydroxyl groups that attract water and moisture. In scientific terms, they are hydrophilic – they love water.</p> <p>So, clothing made of cotton and linen is highly hydrophilic. It tends to absorb moisture and disperse it across the fabric, allowing it to evaporate more easily.</p> <p>This takes the sweat away quickly, making it more comfortable and breathable and allowing us to stay cool in sweltering temperatures.</p> <p>One downside of the natural fabrics is they wrinkle quickly (some people, of course, like that look).</p> <p>And on a really hot, sweaty day, natural fabrics can get heavy and wet.</p> <p>Animal fibres are basically proteins, and their properties vary depending on the source.</p> <p>Wool has been bio-engineered over millions of years to be comfortable to wear. Wool fibres are hydrophilic on the inside and hydrophobic on the outside, meaning they’re both water resistant and good at wicking moisture away.</p> <p>On the other hand, silk fabrics are very good at helping regulate temperature; they keep us cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather.</p> <h2>Synthetic fabrics: less wrinkly, more sweaty</h2> <p>Synthetic fabrics, on the other hand, are lighter and tend to wrinkle less.</p> <p>Common synthetic fabrics (such as polyester, nylon and acrylic) are all made from petroleum-based chemicals.</p> <p>Most synthetic fibres are made of long chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms and do not contain the hydroxyl groups we discussed earlier.</p> <p>Such fibres are therefore hydrophobic – they hate water. This means the water can’t spread evenly across the fabric and evaporate easily.</p> <p>They trap sweat against the skin, making the clothes less breathable and comfortable when the weather is warm and humid.</p> <p>However, some synthetic fabrics used in certain types of active wear can wick sweat away from body.</p> <p>And some semi-synthetic fabrics such as rayon or tencel (which are made from wood pulp or cotton with synthetic fibres) are more breathable than other synthetic fabrics such as polyester or nylon.</p> <h2>Fabric weave makes a difference, too</h2> <p>The colour of the clothing is also a contributing factor to keep you cool during summer. Light colours reflect sunlight away from you and help to keep the body cooler.</p> <p>There is some evidence dark colours absorb the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X23012054">sunlight and associated heat</a>, making the surface of the skin warmer than normal.</p> <p>Another factor affecting breathability and comfort of clothing is the way the fabrics are woven.</p> <p>Fabrics that are loosely woven (sometimes known as “open weave”) with thinner materials naturally have more airflow, which helps you keep cool.</p> <p>For a quick, non-scientific test, hold a fabric up and see how much light passes through it. The more light you can see, the more breathable it likely is.</p> <p>The way the fabric is treated can play a role, too; such as for softening and wrinkle resistance.</p> <p>Using a fabric softener when you do a load of laundry usually doesn’t affect fabric breathability; softeners modify the surface of the fabric but don’t change the internal structure or porous nature of the fabrics.</p> <p>Wrinkle resistance is the ability of the fabric to stay smooth and polished even after washing. Synthetic fabrics are inherently wrinkle resistant. Natural fibres are more prone to wrinkles but can be chemically treated on the fabric surface during manufacturing to make them wrinkle resistant.</p> <p>Such treatments, however, may form layers on top of the fabric blocking the airflow, leading them to be less breathable.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/240909/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nisa-salim-1442233">Nisa Salim</a>, Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-natural-fabrics-really-keep-us-cooler-in-summer-heres-the-science-240909">original article</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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‘Is this all there is?’ Retirement can be a painful transition if we don’t adjust our thinking

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-moore-1446031">Susan Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>The age at which Australians can receive the pension has <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/seniors/benefits-payments/age-pension">risen to 67</a>, meaning many of us are working longer. But the length of time we are expected to spend retired has also risen, because <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/life-expectancy/latest-release">we are living longer</a>.</p> <p>It’s not unreasonable to expect the retirement phase will last about 20 years, perhaps longer. How should people approach it?</p> <h2>Are retirees satisfied?</h2> <p>In 2018 a colleague and I <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Women-and-Retirement-Challenges-of-a-New-Life-Stage/Moore-Rosenthal/p/book/9781138045231">surveyed nearly 1,000 Australians</a> aged 55 and over who described themselves as fully or substantially retired from the workforce.</p> <p>Most were very satisfied (51%) or satisfied (35%) with their retirement, and the majority rated their post-retirement life satisfaction as better (47%) or the same (39%) as it had been when they were working.</p> <h2>What do retirees like most?</h2> <p>Retirees in our survey talked about freedom. Freedom to sleep in, travel, catch up with friends and family, renovate, garden, get fit, try art classes, learn Italian and if they can afford it, spend up big.</p> <p>But even freedom can have a downside. One woman from the survey said after four months she got sick of it, asking “Is this all there is?”</p> <p>So what did retirees miss most? Money was a big issue for nearly 20%, and about one-third felt their financial position had worsened, even though the group had mainly worked in professional and white-collar jobs.</p> <p>But the things they missed most were social – the opportunity to make new friends, to engage in new activities, and to feel useful. They said things like:</p> <blockquote> <p>I miss the companionship of working in a team. Miss some of the social connections that I once enjoyed.</p> </blockquote> <p>Work not only provides income and social contact, it also has the capacity to engender a sense of meaning and purpose. Some retirees commented specifically on this</p> <blockquote> <p>I miss the sense of purpose. While it was hugely stressful, I felt useful. Now I keep feeling at a bit of a loss as if I should be doing something.</p> </blockquote> <h2>Identity loss</h2> <p>There’s also the issue of <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203786338/marienthal-marie-jahoda-paul-lazarsfeld-hans-zeisel">identity loss</a>. Work provides us with status; it enhances our sense of self. Achievement of work goals can build confidence and self-esteem.</p> <p>When we meet a new person, often the first question they ask is “what do you do for a living?” It can feel as though your work defines you as a person, rather than your many-faceted self.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, our study respondents frequently commented on retirement as challenging their sense of identity.</p> <h2>The retirement journey</h2> <p>So it is important to remember retirement is not just an event, it’s a process.</p> <p>In any <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2011.tb01102.x">major life transition</a>, it’s necessary to adapt our roles and expectations. Even the most exciting life changes, such as becoming a parent or winning a lottery, involve psychological work.</p> <p>We are likely to experience strong emotions, both positive and negative, as we experiment, fail, lose heart, try something else and eventually adjust to a new reality.</p> <p>These adjustments might be greater for retirees who go from full-time work to full-time leisure, than for those who move gradually through part-time or casual work or who quickly take up new activities they’ve been planning for years.</p> <p>Mark Cussen, a financial planner specialising in retirement, argues the retirement journey takes us through <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/07/sixstages.asp">several psychological stages</a>, including a honeymoon phase in which new retirees feel relieved as the constraints of working life are removed.</p> <p>However, the initial sense of freedom loses its novelty value. Some retirees then go through a phase of disenchantment. Life can feel boring, lacking in purpose or weighed down by domestic duties and activities that do not challenge or bring joy.</p> <h2>The ‘best years of our lives’</h2> <p>The final phase is adaptation, involving a re-orientation of identity from worker to someone who finds meaning and purpose in a different set of activities.</p> <p>This change usually involves renegotiating relationships with family and friends as well as experimenting with new activities, interests and friendship groups.</p> <p>Over time, most retirees develop a new, non-work identity. New routines, different social worlds and re-imagined goals are established. Many describe these years as the best of their lives.</p> <h2>What makes a successful retirement?</h2> <p>Research <a href="https://academic.oup.com/workar/article-abstract/2/2/262/2428266?login=false">assessing the strongest predictors</a> of adjustment to and satisfaction with retirement is complex because there are so many potential variables to be measured and controlled.</p> <p>But these are often distilled down to several key factors including physical health, finances, psychological health, leisure activities, and social integration.</p> <p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21463050/">Studies assessing gender difference</a> in adjustment to retirement are equivocal, but somewhat dated. Nevertheless, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228590652_Renegotiating_identity_and_relationships_Men_and_women's_adjustments_to_retirement">many commentators agree</a> women generally have fewer problems adapting socially.</p> <p>Women tend to have stronger non-work networks, are more integrated into their communities and have a more multifaceted sense of identity than those men who define themselves largely in terms of their work.</p> <p>However, the average woman is <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Retirement/Rosenthal-Moore/p/book/9780815347088?srsltid=AfmBOoo--YAKvrHK8gDkQ0Cd1qI7A0PHOjgEZ-VqzDRAJb4KvEt5eMpt">less financially prepared</a> for retirement than a man as a result of taking time off work for children or other caring responsibilities. Women also dominate many of the lower paid jobs.</p> <p>But for both sexes, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/workar/article-abstract/2/2/262/2428266">studies indicate</a> pre-retirement planning helps ensure a secure retirement.</p> <h2>Work out what’s important</h2> <p>Money isn’t everything. Lifestyle planning including post-retirement activities, new roles and interests,prioritising mental and physical health and maintaining your social contacts are also vital aspects of a workforce exit strategy.</p> <p>How are you planning to stay mentally stimulated? What strategies do you have in place to manage stress and maintain good physical health? And what about friendships? Loneliness is being <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2024/221/6/loneliness-epidemic-holistic-view-its-health-and-economic-implications-older-age">described as an “epidemic”</a> among the elderly, especially those without a partner.</p> <p>How will you build a new social life that may include but does not rely on former work colleagues? How will you negotiate a family life that keeps you connected without becoming a domestic slave?</p> <h2>A well-planned retirement</h2> <p>Retirement has the potential to be a wonderful phase of life in which it is possible to strengthen relationships and achieve goals that you didn’t have time for in your middle years when you were consolidating your career and home life.</p> <p>It’s a time to live out some of your dreams, work through a bucket list perhaps, and have some fun as well as planning what sort of legacy you will leave for future generations.</p> <p>What’s the secret? In short, plan your finances, maintain a healthy lifestyle, stay socially integrated, challenge yourself mentally, stay positive and be flexible.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241265/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-moore-1446031"><em>Susan Moore</em></a><em>, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-this-all-there-is-retirement-can-be-a-painful-transition-if-we-dont-adjust-our-thinking-241265">original article</a>.</em></p>

Retirement Life

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Many people don’t measure their blood pressure properly at home – here’s how to get accurate readings

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/niamh-chapman-2262829">Niamh Chapman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dean-picone-2264237">Dean Picone</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eleanor-clapham-2264235">Eleanor Clapham</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em></p> <p>Measuring your blood pressure at home means you can take readings over several days to get a better picture of your health, instead of one-off measurements at the doctor’s clinic.</p> <p>It’s important you follow specific steps to get an accurate reading.</p> <p>But <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.23678">our study</a> found most Australians do not measure their blood pressure correctly at home and very few were told the steps to follow.</p> <p>We have created <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/">resources</a> to help people measure their blood pressure at home, understand their readings and take action with their health-care team.</p> <h2>High blood pressure is a big issue</h2> <p>High blood pressure is a major health problem in Australia and globally.</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.51350">One in three Australian adults</a> have high blood pressure, also called hypertension. This is when your <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/blood-pressure-and-your-heart">blood pressure</a> is <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15026">at or above 140/90mmHg</a> (mmHg refers to millimetres of mercury, a standard measurement of blood pressure).</p> <p>High blood pressure is the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10881002/">leading contributor</a> to preventable health issues and early death among Australians because it is the main risk factor for heart disease, stroke, dementia and kidney disease.</p> <h2>Why measuring blood pressure is important</h2> <p>High blood pressure often has no symptoms. So the only way to know if you have it is to measure it.</p> <p>You may also need to check if your blood pressure has lowered after starting medication or if you’re making changes to your lifestyle, such as doing more exercise, giving up smoking or reducing salt intake. Low blood pressure (<a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/blood-pressure-low-hypotension">hypotension</a>) can also be an issue.</p> <p>But blood pressure changes based on how we are feeling, what we’ve eaten or the activities we have just been doing.</p> <p>These normal responses mean our blood pressure can change from minute to minute and hour to hour. This is why there are specific, recommended steps to follow to reliably measure your blood pressure and to be able to compare readings taken days, months and years apart.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="lBVm6" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0px none currentcolor;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lBVm6/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <hr /> <h2>Mistakes are common</h2> <p>We surveyed and interviewed 350 people (who were all measuring their blood pressure at home) from around Australia to find out how Australians measure blood pressure at home and if they receive any education to help them know what to do.</p> <p>Our study found no one followed all of the specific, recommended steps to measure their blood pressure. Instead they said they measured their blood pressure at different times of the day after doing different things.</p> <p>We found most people measured their blood pressure while sitting down (90%) and with the cuff on their bare arm (77%), which is the right thing to do.</p> <p>While 58% of people took two blood pressure measures each time, which is correct, only 40% used the average of the two blood pressure readings. Very few (15%) measured their blood pressure over several days in both the morning and evening.</p> <p>Only half of the people in our study used a blood pressure device that had been <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/what_device_should_i_use">clinically validated</a>. This means the device has been <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.10237">tested for accuracy</a> by the manufacturer according to <a href="https://www.iso.org/sectors/health">international standards</a>, not just safety.</p> <h2>Consultation and communication</h2> <p>Regardless of whether or not a doctor had recommended they measure their blood pressure at home, most people (78%) reported their blood pressure readings to their doctor.</p> <p>These findings tell us doctors often use home blood pressure readings to help diagnose and manage high blood pressure. This emphasises how important it is to ensure people measure blood pressure correctly.</p> <p>Many people were measuring their blood pressure a few times a week or month. But most <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4671913/">guidelines</a> recommend blood pressure only needs to be measured at home: every day over a week, every six months; and ideally before you see your doctor and after you start or change blood pressure medication.</p> <p>Measuring blood pressure at home can bring peace of mind, which many study participants described. But measuring your blood pressure too often may create unnecessary stress, potentially leading to higher blood pressure readings.</p> <p>Instead, it’s better to agree with your doctor how often you should measure your blood pressure and to follow the recommended steps each time to make sure your readings are as accurate and useful as possible.</p> <h2>Support for blood pressure measurement</h2> <p>We found few people had received any education or guidance from health-care professionals about how to measure their blood pressure at home.</p> <p>Instead, many study participants looked for information online to help them know what their blood pressure numbers meant and changes they could make to lower their blood pressure. They were less interested in learning how to measure accurately.</p> <p>So we have worked with people who measure and manage their blood pressure at home to create a <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/">simple guide</a> to help you choose a blood pressure device, measure your blood pressure accurately, understand your blood pressure readings and take action to control your blood pressure.</p> <hr /> <p><em>For more information about managing your blood pressure at home, <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/">see our resources</a>. You can also check if your blood pressure device has been <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/what_device_should_i_use">tested for accuracy</a>.</em><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244161/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/niamh-chapman-2262829">Niamh Chapman</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Hypertension and Patient Engagement, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dean-picone-2264237">Dean Picone</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eleanor-clapham-2264235">Eleanor Clapham</a>, PhD candidate, School of Health and Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/many-people-dont-measure-their-blood-pressure-properly-at-home-heres-how-to-get-accurate-readings-244161">original article</a>.</em></p>

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There are 2 main ways to stretch – the one you should choose depends on what you want your body to do

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p>Picture this: you’ve just woken up and rolled out of bed. Your feet hit the floor, and your legs buckle. They are in absolute agony – that run yesterday has really come back to haunt you.</p> <p>And then you remember you forgot to stretch before and after your run. Surely that’s the reason you’re so sore today. Or is it?</p> <p>We’ve all heard about the importance of stretching before and after exercise. But does it really make a difference? Here’s what the science says.</p> <h2>What is stretching?</h2> <p>There are many different types of stretching, but the two most common are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22319684">static and dynamic stretching</a>.</p> <p>Static stretching involves moving a muscle (or muscles) into a lengthened position and holding this for a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15292749/">short period of time</a> – often anywhere between 15 and 90 seconds.</p> <p>A common example of this would be keeping your heels on the ground while leaning forward to touch the ground with a straight knee to stretch your hamstring muscles.</p> <p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21373870/">dynamic stretching</a> involves actively moving your muscles and joints back and forth through their available range of motion.</p> <p>Common examples include swinging your legs back and forth, from side to side, or swinging your arms in circles.</p> <h2>Stretching before exercise</h2> <p>The main reasons people stretch before exercise are to increase flexibility, improve performance, and reduce the risk of injury.</p> <p>While we know stretching <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29223884/">increases flexibility</a>, its effect on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17909411/">performance</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18027995/">injury</a> is less clear. But let’s look at what the evidence says for each one.</p> <p><strong>Flexibility</strong></p> <p>Both static and dynamic stretching increase flexibility, although static stretching seems to have a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254623000571">slightly larger effect</a>.</p> <p>Short-term static stretching inhibits your <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/why-does-stretching-feel-good#:%7E:text=Research%20has%20shown%20that%20static,of%20your%20sympathetic%20nervous%20system.">sympathetic nervous system</a> (your fight or flight system), which reduces the stiffness of your <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254624000693#bib0010">muscles and tendons</a>. This makes you more flexible straight after stretching.</p> <p>In the long term, static stretching is thought to make you more flexible by increasing the length of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37318696/">your muscles and tendons</a> or by simply making you <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28801950/">more tolerant to the discomfort caused by stretching</a>.</p> <p><strong>Performance</strong></p> <p>When it comes to improving performance, this will depend on the type of physical activity you’re doing.</p> <p>If you are about to move your body through large ranges of motion – something like gymnastics or dancing – then the improvements in flexibility following stretching will likely result in better performance.</p> <p>On the flip side, research has shown static stretching may <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26642915/">impair performance</a> by up to 5% in activities that rely on maximum strength and power, such as shotput and powerlifting.</p> <p>This might be because of the reduced nervous system activation we mentioned earlier, making it more challenging for your muscles to produce force.</p> <p>However, significant impairments only seem to occur when stretching for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26642915/">more than 60 seconds</a>. Stretching for less than 60 seconds appears to impact performance minimally (by around 1%).</p> <p>On the other hand, dynamic stretching increases <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12762825">muscle temperature</a> and the speed at which your nerves <a href="https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/apnm-2015-0235">send messages to your muscles</a>, which might improve muscle performance.</p> <p>Dynamic stretching has been shown to <a href="https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-023-00703-6">enhance strength and power by a small amount</a>. This might make it a better option before activities that are performed explosively, such as sprinting, jumping, lifting weights or playing team sport.</p> <p><strong>Injury and soreness</strong></p> <p>When it comes to reducing injury, whether stretching before exercise is beneficial remains unclear.</p> <p>Many studies have shown stretching <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24100287/">doesn’t have an effect</a>. But a lot of these look at the effect of stretching on all types of injuries, which might not show its true effect.</p> <p>For example, a broken arm from a tackle would be grouped with a calf strain, but it seems logical that stretching is more likely to reduce the risk of the calf muscle strain than the broken arm.</p> <p>A <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11332-024-01213-9">recent review</a> did explore the effect of stretching on different types of injuries and found static stretching may reduce the risk of muscle, but not tendon, injuries. To date, there’s no evidence to suggest stretching would reduce the risk of broken bones and contact injuries.</p> <p>There’s very little research exploring whether dynamic stretching alone can reduce injury risk. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-023-01847-8">One study</a> showed dynamic stretching can improve joint stability, which might reduce the risk of joint injuries (such as ankle sprains). But more research is needed to make any conclusions with confidence.</p> <p>Many people also stretch before exercise to help prevent muscle soreness after exercise. However, <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004577.pub3/full">research has shown</a> stretching before exercise has no meaningful impact on muscle soreness after exercise.</p> <h2>Stretching after exercise</h2> <p>The main reason people stretch after exercise is to improve recovery and reduce muscle soreness. The most common approach is static stretching.</p> <p>However, like stretching before exercise, research doesn’t indicate stretching after exercise reduces <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27447321/">muscle damage or soreness</a>.</p> <p>It has also been suggested <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4831894/">really intense stretching can damage your muscles</a>, which might even make muscle soreness worse. But this isn’t a consistent finding, and may only happen to certain people.</p> <p>However, stretching does <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21386722/">promote relaxation</a>. So gentle stretching could be a nice way to wind down after an intense exercise session.</p> <h2>So, what should you do?</h2> <p>Maybe a lack of stretching isn’t the reason you were sore after you run after all. Your legs are probably aching because you simply ran further, or harder, than you normally do.</p> <p>But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stretch.</p> <p>The available evidence suggests doing some dynamic stretching before exercise will increase flexibility and improve your performance, whether you’re planning to go for a run, play a team sport, or lift weights.</p> <p>Static stretching can be great if you want to increase your flexibility, just don’t do it right before intense exercise. And after exercise, some gentle static stretching can help transition the body to a more relaxed state.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244048/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, Lecturer in Exercise Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-2-main-ways-to-stretch-the-one-you-should-choose-depends-on-what-you-want-your-body-to-do-244048">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Ant stings can be painful. Here’s how to avoid getting stung this summer (and what to do if you do)

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sam-robinson-2237268">Sam Robinson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>With the start of summer just days away, many of us will be looking forward to long sunny days spent at the beach, by the pool, out camping or picnicking in the park.</p> <p>Insects also love summer. This is when most of them <a href="https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2016/12/experts-predict-increased-insect-activity-this-summer/">breed and feed</a>. But this shared appreciation of the season can sometimes lead to conflict.</p> <p>Insects have long been prey to many species, including birds, mammals, amphibians and other insects. As such, they’ve evolved a diverse range of defences – perhaps none more familiar to humans than the sting.</p> <p>Many ants have a sting at their rear end which they use to deliver venom. It’s not the sting itself that causes pain, but rather <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38839-1">the venom</a>. Ant venom contains a cocktail of different chemicals, some of which have evolved specifically to manipulate nerve endings in our skin to cause pain.</p> <p>Let’s look at some of the different ant stings you might experience this summer in Australia, and how to respond.</p> <h2>Bull ants</h2> <p>Bull ants (also known as bulldog ants, jumper ants, or jack jumpers) are large, for an ant. Some species can reach a length of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecia_(ant)#:%7E:text=Each%20of%20their%20eyes%20contains,mm%20(1.5%20in)%3B%20M.">4 centimetres</a>. They are easily recognisable with their large eyes, long mandibles (jaws) and aggressive nature.</p> <p>Their sting is immediate, hot, sharp, and unmistakable, not dissimilar to that of a honeybee. The intense pain will last only a few minutes, before it’s replaced by some redness and swelling around the sting site.</p> <h2>Green-head ants</h2> <p>Green-head ants are also called green ants (but not to be confused with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oecophylla_smaragdina">green tree ants</a> of northern Australia which do not sting). Green-head ants are common, and love our grass lawns.</p> <p>At around <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green-head_ant">6 millimetres long</a>, they are significantly smaller than bull ants. They can be recognised by their shiny green and purple exoskeleton.</p> <p>Green-head ants tend to be less aggressive than bull ants, but they can still deliver a meaningful sting. The pain of a green-head ant’s sting can build more gradually, and create an intense, sticky ache.</p> <h2>Fire ants</h2> <p>Fire ants (or red imported fire ants) are originally from South America. They were first detected <a href="https://www.fireants.org.au/stop/how-fire-ants-arrived-in-australia">in Brisbane in 2001</a>, thought to have hitched a ride in shipping containers, and have since spread across south-east Queensland.</p> <p>Fire ants are reddish-brown and black and range in size from <a href="https://www.fireants.org.au/look/appearance">2–6 millimetres long</a>.</p> <p>You’re most likely to encounter fire ants at their nests, which look like a pile of powdery soil. A fire ant nest doesn’t have an obvious entry, which is a good way to distinguish them from other similar ant nests.</p> <p>Disturbing a fire ant nest will awaken an angry mass of hundreds of ants and put you at risk of being stung.</p> <p>The initial pain from an individual sting is like an intense, hot itch, though manageable. But fire ant stings rarely occur in single digits. One ant can sting multiple times, and multiple ants can sting one person, which can lead to <a href="https://theconversation.com/fire-ants-are-on-the-march-heres-what-happens-when-they-sting-218908">hundreds of stings</a>. Fire ant stings can lead to pus-filled ulcers and scarring in the days afterwards.</p> <p>If you live in an area where there are fire ants, it’s worth taking a few minutes to educate yourself on how to <a href="https://www.fireants.org.au/look">recognise and report</a> them.</p> <h2>Electric ants</h2> <p><a href="https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Wasmannia_auropunctata">Electric ants</a> are another nasty accidental import, originally from Central and South America. Currently restricted to <a href="https://www.outbreak.gov.au/current-outbreaks/electric-ants">Cairns and surrounds</a>, these are tiny (1.5 millimetres long) yellow ants.</p> <p>Like fire ants, these ants will typically defend <em>en masse</em>, so many will sting at once. Their sting is more painful than you’d expect from such a tiny creature. I liken it to being showered in red hot sparks.</p> <p>If you think you see electric ants, you should report this to <a href="https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/biosecurity/animals/invasive/restricted/electric-ant">Biosecurity Queensland</a>.</p> <h2>Aussie ants aren’t the worst</h2> <p>You might be surprised to hear Australian ants don’t even make the podium for the most painful ant stings. Among the prize winners are <a href="https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/10878/sting-wild">harvester ants</a> (North and South America) which cause an extreme, sticky ache, likened to a drill slowly turning in your muscle – for as long as 12 hours.</p> <p>The gold medal goes to the sting of the bullet ant of South and Central America, which <a href="https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/10878/sting-wild">has been described</a> as:</p> <blockquote> <p>Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch nail embedded in your heel.</p> </blockquote> <h2>How to avoid getting stung (and what to do if you do)</h2> <p>Fortunately, the solution is usually very simple. Look before you sit on the ground or lay out your picnic blanket, avoiding areas where you see ant nests or lots of foraging ants.</p> <p>Choice of footwear can also be important. In my experience, perhaps unsurprisingly, most stings occur on thong-wearing feet.</p> <p>If you do get stung, in most cases it’s going to get better on its own. Pain will usually subside after a few minutes (sometimes a little longer for a green-head ant sting). The redness, swelling and itch that typically follow can last for a few days.</p> <p>In the meantime, if needed, <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/insect-bites-and-stings">an ice pack</a> will help with the pain. If it’s particularly bad, a local anaesthetic cream containing lidocaine may offer some temporary relief. You can get this over the counter at the pharmacy.</p> <p>A small proportion of people may have an allergic reaction to ant stings. In very severe cases this might involve <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/insect-bites-and-stings#anaphylaxis">trouble breathing</a> or swallowing. If you or someone you’re with experiences these symptoms after an ant sting, seek urgent medical attention.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241582/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sam-robinson-2237268">Sam Robinson</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ant-stings-can-be-painful-heres-how-to-avoid-getting-stung-this-summer-and-what-to-do-if-you-do-241582">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Readers response: What's one thing you must do when visiting Australia?

<p>We asked our readers what travellers shouldn't miss when they head to Australia. Here's what they said.</p> <p><strong>Jim Bell</strong> - The one thing you must do is to take a couple months there. We were there for 3 weeks and it wasn't nearly long enough to see and do everything we wanted to.</p> <p><strong>Lorraine James</strong> - Land in Brisbane and take a cruise ship to Tasmania. Princess does a cruise stopping in Sydney, Bega, a country town on the coast and then of course Port Arthur old penal settlement then Hobart ,Tasmania. Get a taste of Australia.</p> <p><strong>Deedee Cullum</strong> - If you’re in a major city then catch a train for the day. Eg, Sydney to Blue Mountains or Melbourne to Dandenongs. That way you’ll see some bush without the bother of driving.</p> <p><strong>Anne Hare</strong> - Go see Uluru in the Northern Territory. It's a long way from the coast but it will astound you.</p> <p><strong>Suzanne Maree Saxelby</strong> - Remember to visit the outback. It has a beauty that the coastline doesn't have.</p> <p><strong>Janette Mitchell</strong> - Take the XPT train from Sydney to Coffs Harbour. So much beautiful scenery &amp; Coffs Harbour is a great place to stay.</p> <p><strong>Mattie Smith</strong> - Don't just stick to the coast! Australia has so much to offer. </p> <p><strong>Avis Tolcher</strong> - Visit the Whitsundays. So beautiful.</p> <p><strong>Judith Turpin</strong> - Wander through the Daintree on foot. Swim in a deep fresh water hole. Take your children on a guided night walk through the forest. Magic!</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Domestic Travel

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7 things you can do if you think you sweat too much

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-freeman-223922">Michael Freeman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p>Sweating is our body’s way of cooling down, a bit like an internal air conditioner.</p> <p>When our core temperature rises (because it’s hot outside, or you’re exercising), sweat glands all over our skin release a watery fluid. As that fluid evaporates, it takes heat with it, keeping us from overheating.</p> <p>But sweating can vary from person to person. Some people might just get a little dewy under the arms, others feel like they could fill a swimming pool (maybe not that dramatic, but you get the idea).</p> <p>So what’s a normal amount of sweat? And what’s too much?</p> <h2>Why do some people sweat more than others?</h2> <p>How much you sweat depends on a number of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145">factors</a> including:</p> <ul> <li> <p>your age (young kids generally sweat less than adults)</p> </li> <li> <p>your sex (men tend to sweat more than women)</p> </li> <li> <p>how active you are.</p> </li> </ul> <p>The average person sweats at the rate of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145">300 millilitres per hour</a> (at 30°C and about 40% humidity). But as you can’t go around measuring the volume of your own sweat (or weighing it), doctors use another measure to gauge the impact of sweating.</p> <p>They ask whether sweating interferes with your daily life. Maybe you stop wearing certain clothes because of the sweat stains, or feel embarrassed so don’t go to social events or work.</p> <p>If so, this is a medical condition called <a href="https://www.dermcoll.edu.au/atoz/axillary-hyperhidrosis/">hyperhidrosis</a>, which affects <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1346-8138.16908">millions of people</a> worldwide.</p> <p>People with this condition most commonly report problematic armpit sweating, as you’d expect. But sweaty hands, feet, scalp and groin can also be an issue.</p> <p>Hyperhidrosis can be a symptom of another medical condition, such as an <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.1167890/pdf">overactive thyroid</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145">fever or menopause</a>.</p> <p>But hyperhidrosis can have no obvious cause, and the reasons behind this so-called primary hyperhidrosis are a bit of a mystery. People have normal numbers of sweat glands but researchers think they simply over-produce sweat after triggers such as stress, heat, exercise, tobacco, alcohol and hot spices. There may also be a genetic link.</p> <h2>OK, I sweat a lot. What can I do?</h2> <p><strong>1. Antiperspirants</strong></p> <p>Antiperspirants, particularly ones with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ics.12852">aluminium</a>, are your first line of defence and are formulated to reduce sweating. Deodorants only stop body odour.</p> <p><a href="https://www.drugs.com/mtm/aluminum-chloride-hexahydrate-topical.html#:%7E:text=Aluminum%20chloride%20hexahydrate%20is%20an,excessive%20sweating%2C%20also%20called%20hyperhidrosis.">Aluminum chloride hexahydrate</a>, <a href="https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB11081">aluminium chloride</a> or the weaker <a href="https://cosmileeurope.eu/inci/detail/807/aluminum-zirconium-tetrachlorohydrex-gly/">aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex glycinate</a> react with proteins in the sweat glands, forming a plug. This plug temporarily blocks the sweat ducts, reducing the amount of sweat reaching the skin’s surface.</p> <p>These products can contain <a href="https://www.termedia.pl/Journal/-7/pdf-46948-10?filename=Hyperhidrosis.pdf">up to 25%</a> aluminium. The higher the percentage the better these products work, but the more they irritate the skin.</p> <p><strong>2. Beat the heat</strong></p> <p>This might seem obvious, but staying cool can make a big difference. That’s because you have less heat to lose, so the body makes less sweat.</p> <p>Avoid super-hot, long showers (you will have more heat to loose), wear loose-fitting clothes made from breathable fabrics such as cotton (this allows any sweat you do produce to evaporate more readily), and carry a little hand fan to help your sweat evaporate.</p> <p>When exercising try <a href="https://pathprojects.com/blogs/news/how-to-make-an-ice-bandana-for-trail-running-and-hiking?srsltid=AfmBOorsJpNUDs_ZkAkJDFbDFFSeT5TtWsU4aqI4-_hHWbl_wuZLsgHn">ice bandanas</a> (ice wrapped in a scarf or cloth, then applied to the body) or wet towels. You can wear these around the neck, head, or wrists to reduce your body temperature.</p> <p>Try also to modify the time or place you exercise; try to find cool shade or air-conditioned areas when possible.</p> <p>If you have tried these first two steps and your sweating is still affecting your life, talk to your doctor. They can help you figure out the best way to manage it.</p> <p><strong>3. Medication</strong></p> <p>Some <a href="https://www.termedia.pl/Journal/-7/pdf-46948-10?filename=Hyperhidrosis.pdf">medications</a> can help regulate your sweating. Unfortunately some can also give you side effects such as a dry mouth, blurred vision, stomach pain or constipation. So talk to your doctor about what’s best for you.</p> <p>Your GP may also refer you to a dermatologist – a doctor like myself who specialises in skin conditions – who might recommend different treatments, including some of the following.</p> <p><strong>4. Botulinum toxin injections</strong></p> <p>Botulinum toxin injections are not just used for cosmetic reasons. They have many applications in medicine, including blocking the nerves that control the sweat glands. They do this for many months.</p> <p>A dermatologist usually gives the injections. But they’re only subsidised by <a href="https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&amp;q=18362&amp;qt=ItemID">Medicare</a> in Australia for the armpits and if you have primary hyperhidrosis that hasn’t been controlled by the strongest antiperspirants. These injections are given up to three times a year. It is not subsidised for other conditions, such as an overactive thyroid or for other areas such as the face or hands.</p> <p>If you don’t qualify, you can have these injections privately, but it will cost you hundreds of dollars per treatment, which can last up to six months.</p> <p><strong>5. Iontophoresis</strong></p> <p>This involves using a device that passes a weak electrical current through water to the skin to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S254243272030014X">reducing sweating</a> in the hands, feet or armpits. Scientists aren’t sure exactly how it works.</p> <p>But this is the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9826940/">only way</a> to control sweating of the hands and feet that does not require drugs, surgery or botulinum toxin injections.</p> <p>This treatment is not subsidised by Medicare and not all dermatologists provide it. However, you can buy and use your own device, which tends to be cheaper than accessing it privately. You can ask your dermatologist if this is the right option for you.</p> <p><strong>6. Surgery</strong></p> <p>There is a procedure to cut certain nerves to the hands that stop them sweating. This is <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/3/786/pdf">highly effective</a> but can cause sweating to occur elsewhere.</p> <p>There are also other surgical options, which you can discuss with your doctor.</p> <p><strong>7. Microwave therapy</strong></p> <p>This is a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09546634.2022.2089333">newer treatment</a> that zaps your sweat glands to destroy them so they can’t work any more. It’s not super common yet, and it is quite painful. It’s available privately in a few centres.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239397/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-freeman-223922"><em>Michael Freeman</em></a><em>, Associate Professor of Dermatology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/7-things-you-can-do-if-you-think-you-sweat-too-much-239397">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Forget Bob Geldof: this is why you don’t like Mondays

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leon-lack-1142">Leon Lack</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p>Feeling sluggish? Grouchy even? Difficulties getting out of bed? Mondayitis can happen to the best of us. But rest assured: it’s a phenomenon science can actually explain.</p> <p>In fact, there are a range of explanations: perhaps you hate your job and/or are bullied at work; or maybe you <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmin5WkOuPw">live it large at the weekends</a> and come down with a crash on Mondays.</p> <p>But perhaps the most common cause involves our body clock – i.e. our circadian rhythms – and how our weekend sleeping habits throw our normal rhythms out of whack.</p> <h2>Blue Monday</h2> <p>As Sally Ferguson of the University of South Australia explained in <a href="https://theconversation.com/keeping-time-how-our-circadian-rhythms-drive-us-17">a recent article for The Conversation</a>, your circadian rhythm is your “natural pacemaker”. It controls a range of bodily cycles including the 24-hour cycle that regulates your degree of alertness at various times of day.</p> <p>Normally, our rhythm helps sustain our wakefulness until the end of the day and sustain our sleep until we’re ready to arise in the morning.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1062/original/mondayitis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1062/original/mondayitis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=291&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1062/original/mondayitis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=291&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1062/original/mondayitis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=291&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1062/original/mondayitis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=365&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1062/original/mondayitis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=365&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1062/original/mondayitis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=365&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Image courtesy of Leon Lack.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>The above image shows how the normally-timed circadian “bed” (approximately 11pm to 7am) is surrounded by periods of low sleepiness (or alertness): this is also known as the “sleep forbidden zone” and the “wake-up zone”.</p> <p>In both, your body “wants” you to be awake: in the “sleep forbidden zone” you’ll find it hard to get to sleep, and in the “wake-up zone”, your body will “try” to wake you up.</p> <p>If the timing of your body clock changes – by partying till the wee hours, for example – these two zones can shift, making it harder to get to sleep at certain hours.</p> <p>In practice, this means that if you stay up a couple of hours later than normal one night, the “sleep forbidden zone” will drift to between 8pm and midnight, making it very difficult to get to sleep until after midnight.</p> <p>If this drifting occurs when it is necessary to get up early – e.g. on weekdays – you’ll lose sleep and be tired the next day.</p> <p>If this happens most days of the week, you’ll build up a sleep debt over the week that you will probably want to “pay off” when you have the opportunity to do so – on the weekend for most of us.</p> <h2>Sleep-in, and pay the price</h2> <p>How do you catch up on sleep on the weekend? You could go to bed earlier on Friday or Saturday night or you could sleep in later on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Ah, the luxury of the weekend sleep-in! Isn’t that what weekends are for?</p> <p>Unfortunately, though, that long-awaited weekend lie-in can cause problems come Monday.</p> <p>By sleeping in, you actively delay your body clock <em>again</em>, which can make it hard to get to sleep on Sunday night and leave you not feeling properly awake until later on Monday morning.</p> <h2>I don’t like Mondays (tell me why!)</h2> <p>Thanks to your weekend lie-in(s), your circadian rhythms have drifted away from their normal position and so, when that alarm clock starts bleating, you’re still at your lowest body temperature (see image above).</p> <p>You are expected to be up and out into the world while still in your “circadian bed”.</p> <p>Sure, you’ll probably feel better by noon with the help of the circadian “wake-up zone” (and maybe a stiff coffee or two) but the bad start to Monday has put you behind and you spend the rest of the week in catch-up mode.</p> <p>This vicious cycle is a problem for many, particularly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_owl_(person)">“night owls”</a> whose rhythms are delayed even more than normal.</p> <p>So what can be done?</p> <p>Minimising the number of late bedtimes you have is a good start, as this will reduce your need for catch-up sleep.</p> <p>And if you do need to have catch-up sleep on the weekend, don’t sleep in late: get up about the same time you normally would and, if you need it, have a siesta instead.</p> <p>You’ll feel better for it come Monday morning.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leon-lack-1142">Leon Lack</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-bob-geldof-this-is-why-you-dont-like-mondays-828">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Why do I get so anxious after drinking? Here’s the science behind ‘hangxiety’

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/blair-aitken-1510537">Blair Aitken</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-rothman-2231560">Rebecca Rothman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>You had a great night out, but the next morning, anxiety hits: your heart races, and you replay every conversation from the night before in your head. This feeling, known as hangover anxiety or “<a href="https://adf.org.au/insights/what-is-hangxiety/">hangxiety</a>”, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hup.2623">affects around 22%</a> of social drinkers.</p> <p>While for some people, it’s mild nerves, for others, it’s a wave of anxiety that feels impossible to ride out. The “Sunday scaries” may make you feel panicked, filled with dread and unable to relax.</p> <p>Hangover anxiety can make even simple tasks feel overwhelming. Here’s why it happens, and what you can do about it.</p> <h2>What does alcohol do to our brains?</h2> <p>A hangover is the body’s way of recovering after drinking alcohol, bringing with it a range of symptoms.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/23/5691">Dehydration and disrupted sleep</a> play a large part in the pounding headaches and nausea many of us know too well after a big night out. But hangovers aren’t just physical – there’s a strong mental side too.</p> <p>Alcohol is a nervous system depressant, meaning it alters how certain chemical messengers (or neurotransmitters) behave in the brain. Alcohol relaxes you by increasing <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22857-gamma-aminobutyric-acid-gaba">gamma-aminobutyric acid</a> (GABA), the neurotransmitter that makes you feel calm and lowers inhibitions. It decreases <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22839-glutamate">glutamate</a> and this also slows down your thoughts and helps ease you into a more relaxed state.</p> <p>Together, this interaction affects your mood, emotions and alertness. This is why when we drink, we often feel more sociable, carefree and willing to let our guard down.</p> <p>As the effects of the alcohol wear off, your brain works to rebalance these chemicals by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886918305762">reducing GABA and increasing glutamate</a>. This shift has the opposite effect of the night before, causing your brain to become more excitable and overstimulated, which can lead to feelings of anxiety.</p> <p>So why do some people get hangxiety, while others don’t? There isn’t one clear answer to this question, as several factors can play a role in whether someone experiences hangover-related anxiety.</p> <h2>Genes play a role</h2> <p>For some, a hangover is simply a matter of how much they drank or how hydrated they are. But genetics may also play a significant role. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.12699">Research</a> shows your genes can explain almost half the reason why you wake up feeling hungover, while your friend might not.</p> <p>Because genes influence how your body processes alcohol, some people may experience more intense hangover symptoms, such as headaches or dehydration. These stronger physical effects can, in turn, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hup.2623">trigger anxiety during a hangover</a>, making you more susceptible to “hangxiety.”</p> <h2>Do you remember what you said last night?</h2> <p>But one of the most common culprits for feeling anxious the next day is often <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0091450915604988">what you do while drinking</a>.</p> <p>Let’s say you’ve had a big night out and you can’t quite recall a conversation you had or something you did. Maybe you acted in ways that you now regret or feel embarrassed about. You might fixate on these thoughts and get trapped in a cycle of worrying and rumination. This cycle can be hard to break and can make you feel more anxious.</p> <p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107619">Research</a> suggests people who already struggle with feelings of anxiety in their day-to-day lives are especially vulnerable to hangxiety.</p> <p>Some people drink alcohol to unwind after a stressful day or to make themselves feel more comfortable at social events. This often leads to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9756407">heavier consumption</a>, which can make hangover symptoms more severe. It can also begin a cycle of drinking to feel better, making hangxiety even harder to escape.</p> <h2>Preventing hangover anxiety</h2> <p>The best way to prevent hangxiety is to limit your alcohol consumption. The <a href="https://adf.org.au/reducing-risk/alcohol/alcohol-guidelines">Australian guidelines</a> recommend having no more than ten standard drinks per week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day.</p> <p>Generally, the more you drink, the more intense your hangover symptoms might be, and the worse you are likely to feel.</p> <p>Mixing other drugs with alcohol can also increase the risk of hangxiety. This is especially true for party drugs, such as ecstasy or MDMA, that give you a temporary high but can lead to anxiety as they wear off and you are <a href="https://adf.org.au/insights/drug-comedowns">coming down</a>.</p> <p>If you do wake up feeling anxious:</p> <ul> <li> <p>focus on the physical recovery to help ease the mental strain</p> </li> <li> <p>drink plenty of water, eat a light meal and allow yourself time to rest</p> </li> <li> <p>try <a href="https://www.headspace.com/mindfulness/mindfulness-101">mindfulness meditation</a> or deep breathing exercises, especially if anxiety keeps you awake or your mind races</p> </li> <li> <p>consider journalling. This can help re-frame anxious thoughts, put your feelings into perspective and encourage self-compassion</p> </li> <li> <p>talk to a close friend. This can provide a safe space to express concerns and feel less isolated.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Hangxiety is an unwelcome guest after a night out. Understanding why hangxiety happens – and how you can manage it – can make the morning after a little less daunting, and help keep those anxious thoughts at bay.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/240991/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/blair-aitken-1510537">Blair Aitken</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Psychopharmacology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-rothman-2231560">Rebecca Rothman</a>, PhD Candidate in Clinical Psychology, School of Health Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-get-so-anxious-after-drinking-heres-the-science-behind-hangxiety-240991">original article</a>.</em></p>

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What causes the itch in mozzie bites? And why do some people get such a bad reaction?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Are you one of these people who loathes spending time outdoors at dusk as the weather warms and mosquitoes start biting?</p> <p>Female mosquitoes <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153618">need blood</a> to develop their eggs. Even though they take a tiny amount of our blood, they can leave us with itchy red lumps that can last days. And sometimes something worse.</p> <p>So why does our body react and itch after being bitten by a mosquito? And why are some people more affected than others?</p> <h2>What happens when a mosquito bites?</h2> <p>Mosquitoes are attracted to warm blooded animals, including us. They’re attracted to the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-entomological-research/article/abs/role-of-carbon-dioxide-in-hostfinding-by-mosquitoes-diptera-culicidae-a-review/2506B86EF63852B2D02EC3FCEE1E3B8B">carbon dioxide</a> we exhale, our body temperatures and, most importantly, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-08/mosquitoes-climate-change-skin/104548122">the smell of our skin</a>.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/abstract/S1471-4922(21)00237-3">chemical cocktail</a> of odours from bacteria and sweat on our skin <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00532-8">sends out a signal</a> to hungry mosquitoes.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X21000522">Some people’s</a> skin smells more appealing to mosquitoes, and they’re more likely to be bitten than others.</p> <p>Once the mosquito has made its way to your skin, things get a little gross.</p> <p>The mosquito pierces your skin with their “proboscis”, their feeding mouth part. But the proboscis isn’t a single, straight, needle-like tube. There are multiple tubes, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/07/480653821/watch-mosquitoes-use-6-needles-to-suck-your-blood">some designed</a> for sucking and some for spitting.</p> <p>Once their mouth parts have been inserted into your skin, the mosquito will inject some saliva. This contains a mix of chemicals that gets the blood flowing better.</p> <p>There has even been a suggestion that future medicines could be inspired by the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2018/03/29/mosquito-saliva-vital-to-the-discovery-of-future-drugs.html">anti-blood clotting properties</a> of mosquito saliva.</p> <p>It’s not the stabbing of our skin by the mosquito’s mouth parts that hurts, it’s the mozzie spit our bodies don’t like.</p> <h2>Are some people allergic to mosquito spit?</h2> <p>Once a mosquito has injected their saliva into our skin, a variety of reactions can follow. For the lucky few, nothing much happens at all.</p> <p>For most people, and irrespective of the type of mosquito biting, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1024559/full">there is some kind of reaction</a>. Typically there is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161589023002304?via%3Dihub">redness and swelling of the skin</a> that appears within a few hours, but often more quickly, after just a few minutes.</p> <p>Occasionally, the reaction can cause pain or discomfort. Then comes the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2023-01-20/mosquito-bites-itchy-calamine-heat-ice-antihistamine-toothpaste/101652608">itchiness</a>.</p> <p>Some people do suffer severe reactions to mosquito bites. It’s a condition often referred to as “<a href="https://www.webmd.com/allergies/what-is-skeeter-syndrome">skeeter syndrome</a>” and is an allergic reaction caused by the protein in the mosquito’s saliva. This can cause large areas of swelling, blistering and fever.</p> <p>The chemistry of mosquito spit hasn’t really been well studied. But it has been shown that, for those who do suffer allergic reactions to their bites, the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091674904022183">reactions may differ</a> depending on the type of mosquito biting.</p> <p>We all probably get more tolerant of mosquito bites as we get older. Young children are certainly more likely to suffer more following mosquito bites. But as we get older, the reactions are less severe and may pass quickly without too much notice.</p> <h2>How best to treat the bites?</h2> <p>Research into treating bites <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0161589023002304">has yet to provide</a> a single easy solution.</p> <p>There are many <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/outdoor-health/home-remedies-for-mosquito-bites">myths and home remedies</a> about what works. But there is little scientific evidence supporting their use.</p> <p>The best way to treat mosquito bites is by applying a cold pack to reduce swelling and to keep the skin clean to avoid any secondary infections. Antiseptic creams and lotions may also help.</p> <p>There is some evidence that <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10309056/">heat may alleviate</a> some of the discomfort.</p> <p>It’s particularly tough to keep young children from scratching at the bite and breaking the skin. This can form a nasty scab that may end up being worse than the bite itself.</p> <p>Applying an anti-itch cream may help. If the reactions are severe, <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/insect-bites-and-stings">antihistamine medications</a> may be required.</p> <h2>To save the scratching, stop the bites</h2> <p>Of course, it’s better not to be bitten by mosquitoes in the first place. Topical <a href="https://theconversation.com/insect-repellents-work-but-there-are-other-ways-to-beat-mosquitoes-without-getting-sticky-171805">insect repellents</a> are a safe, effective and affordable way to reduce mosquito bites.</p> <p>Covering up with loose fitted long sleeved shirts, long pants and covered shoes also provides a physical barrier.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/are-mosquito-coils-good-or-bad-for-our-health-88548">Mosquito coils and other devices</a> can also assist, but should not be entirely relied on to stop bites.</p> <p>There’s another important reason to avoid mosquito bites: millions of people around the world suffer from mosquito-borne diseases. More than <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria">half a million people die</a> from malaria each year.</p> <p>In Australia, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005070">Ross River virus</a> infects more than 5,000 people every year. And in recent years, there have been cases of serious illnesses caused by <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/how-rains-pigs-and-waterbirds-fueled-shocking-disease-outbreak-australia">Japanese encephalitis</a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1256149/full">Murray Valley encephalitis</a> viruses.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-causes-the-itch-in-mozzie-bites-and-why-do-some-people-get-such-a-bad-reaction-243044">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

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These 12 things can reduce your dementia risk – but many Australians don’t know them all

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joyce-siette-1377445">Joyce Siette</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-dodds-1378067">Laura Dodds</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p>Dementia is a <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/provisional-mortality-statistics/jan-may-2022">leading</a> cause of death in Australia.</p> <p>Although dementia mainly affects older people, it is an avoidable part of ageing. In fact, we all have the power to reduce our risk of developing dementia, no matter your age.</p> <p>Research shows your risk of developing dementia could be <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">reduced by up to 40%</a> (and even higher if you live in a <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(19)30074-9/fulltext">low or middle-income country</a>) by addressing lifestyle factors such as healthy diet, exercise and alcohol consumption.</p> <p>But the first step to reducing population-wide dementia risk is to understand how well people understand the risk factors and the barriers they may face to making lifestyle changes.</p> <p>Our new <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">paper</a>, published this week in the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">Journal of Ageing and Longevity</a>, found most older people are aware that dementia is a modifiable condition and that they have the power to change their dementia risk.</p> <p>We also found the key barrier to making brain healthy lifestyle choices was a lack of knowledge, which suggests a public awareness campaign is urgently needed.</p> <h2>What we did</h2> <p>We began by <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">reviewing</a> the published research to identify 12 factors shown to reduce dementia risk. We surveyed 834 older Australians about their awareness of the 12 factors, which were:</p> <ol> <li>having a mentally active lifestyle</li> <li>doing physical activity</li> <li>having a healthy diet</li> <li>having strong mental health</li> <li>not smoking</li> <li>not consuming alcohol</li> <li>controlling high blood pressure</li> <li>maintaining a healthy weight</li> <li>managing high cholesterol</li> <li>preventing heart disease</li> <li>not having kidney disease</li> <li>not having diabetes</li> </ol> <p><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">The Lancet</a> subsequently published its own list of factors that help reduce dementia risk, which covered much the same territory (but included a few others, such as reducing air pollution, treating hearing impairment and being socially engaged).</p> <p>Of course, there is no way to cut your dementia risk to zero. Some people do all the “right” things and still get dementia. But there is <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">good evidence</a> managing lifestyle factors help make it <em>less likely</em> you will get dementia over your lifetime.</p> <p>Our study shows many older Australians are quite aware, with over 75% able to correctly identify more than four of the factors in our list of 12.</p> <p>However, few were able to name the less well-known risk factors, such as preventing heart disease and health conditions like kidney disease.</p> <p>The good news is that close to half of the sample correctly identified more than six of the 12 protective factors, with mentally active lifestyle, physical activity and healthy diet in the top three spots.</p> <h2>Two key issues</h2> <p>Two things stood out as strongly linked with the ability to identify factors influencing dementia risk.</p> <p>Education was key. People who received more than 12 years of formal schooling were more likely to agree that dementia was a modifiable condition. We are first exposed to health management in our school years and thus more likely to form healthier habits.</p> <p>Age was the other key factor. Younger respondents (less than 75 years old) were able to accurately identify more protective factors compared to older respondents. This is why health promotion initiatives and public education efforts about dementia are vital (such as Dementia Awareness Month and <a href="https://www.memorywalk.com.au/">Memory, Walk and Jog initiatives</a>).</p> <h2>How can these findings be used in practice?</h2> <p>Our findings suggest we need to target education across the different age groups, from children to older Australians.</p> <p>This could involve a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajag.13049">whole system approach</a>, from programs targeted at <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858574/#:%7E:text=Family%20Coaching%20has%20specific%20goals,to%20problem%20solve%20challenging%20situations.">families</a>, to educational sessions for school-aged children, to involving GPs in awareness promotion.</p> <p>We also need to tackle barriers that hinder dementia risk reduction. This means doing activities that motivate you, finding programs that suit your needs and schedule, and are accessible.</p> <h2>What does this mean for you?</h2> <p>Reducing your dementia risk means recognising change starts with you.</p> <p>We are all familiar with the everyday challenges that stop us from starting an exercise program or sticking to a meal plan.</p> <p>There are simple and easy changes we can begin with. Our team has developed a program that can help. We are offering limited <a href="https://www.brainbootcamp.com.au/">free brain health boxes</a>, which include information resources and physical items such as a pedometer. These boxes aim to help rural Australians aged 55 years and over to adopt lifestyle changes that support healthy brain ageing. If you’re interested in signing up, visit our <a href="https://www.brainbootcamp.com.au">website</a>.</p> <p>Now is the time to think about your brain health. Let’s start now.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191504/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joyce-siette-1377445">Joyce Siette</a>, Research Theme Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-dodds-1378067">Laura Dodds</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/these-12-things-can-reduce-your-dementia-risk-but-many-australians-dont-know-them-all-191504">original article</a>.</em></p>

Mind

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"What did we do?": Bride shares heartbroken reaction to empty wedding

<p>A bride has recalled the devastating moment she made a grand entrance to her wedding, only to discover almost no guests showed up. </p> <p>Kalina Marie took to TikTok to share the gut-wrenching video of the moment her and her new husband Shane stepped inside the lavishly decorated hall with their son, as they tried to come to terms with the fact that only a handful of people showed to celebrate with them. </p> <p>“This is our entrance to our Masquerade ball,” Ms Marie, who is from Oregon in the US, wrote in the caption of her clip, which has since amassed over seven million views. </p> <p>“The Masquerade ball that I have talked EXCESSIVELY about for the last 10 months. The same ball that I not only digitally invited over 75 people to. But ALSO spent money to send 25 beautiful invitations out to."</p> <p>“FIVE PEOPLE SHOWED UP!!!!!!! Like, are you kidding me!?!? As you see in the video, we enter the venue. And no one is there. The invite said 1pm. My mum messaged me at 1:15pm that no one was there. My husband and I finally showed up at 2 o’clock, to five people, in a venue planned for 40.”</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7433899067664551198&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40kalina_marie_23%2Fvideo%2F7433899067664551198&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-pu-sign-useast8.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast8-p-0068-tx2%2F7f29587f56a44788903eea92cd974c62_1730839526%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26x-expires%3D1731499200%26x-signature%3DbUQfTW%252F8BrelG0Dy5rCNSzBBbiQ%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&amp;key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>She said she “dreamt” that she would walk into a bunch of people “hooting and hollering” for them, but instead ended up having to “hold herself together” because she had “no idea” how to deal with her venue being almost completely empty.</p> <p>“All the wasted food and drinks,” Ms Marie continued. “All the empty tables and chairs. Every moment of my reception changed to adapt.”</p> <p>“It just makes me think, like, why? What did we do? Am I that bad of a person? What did my husband ever do to deserve any of this?” she questioned. “Why couldn’t we matter enough for people to show up?”</p> <p>She revealed that it makes her “sick” that she still has “friends” who haven’t even messaged her to congratulate her or tell her why they didn’t come, adding, “I honestly can’t wrap my head around this yet.”</p> <p>The heart-breaking video quickly wrapped up millions of views and comments, with many empathising with the new bride, with one person writing, "This hurts my heart for you."</p> <p>Thousands of others tried to lighten the mood, praising Ms Marie for how beautiful she looked and vowing to attend a do-over wedding.</p> <p>“NAH, RE-DO THIS. WE ALL SHOWING UP,” read a top comment, while another wrote, “Let’s do it over. This time invite me and the rest of us. We’ll show up and out. I love you beautiful and congratulations!!” </p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

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Your friend has been diagnosed with cancer. Here are 6 things you can do to support them

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephanie-cowdery-2217734">Stephanie Cowdery</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anna-ugalde-2232654">Anna Ugalde</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/trish-livingston-163686">Trish Livingston</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/victoria-white-1888110">Victoria White</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>Across the world, <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-mounting-need-for-services">one in five</a> people are diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. By age 85, almost <a href="https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/what-is-cancer/facts-and-figures">one in two</a> Australians will be diagnosed with cancer.</p> <p>When it happens to someone you care about, it can be hard to know what to say or how to help them. But providing the right support to a friend can make all the difference as they face the emotional and physical challenges of a new diagnosis and treatment.</p> <p>Here are six ways to offer meaningful support to a friend who has been diagnosed with cancer.</p> <h2>1. Recognise and respond to emotions</h2> <p>When facing a cancer diagnosis and treatment, it’s normal to experience a range of <a href="https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/impacted-by-cancer/emotions#:%7E:text=It's%20likely%20that%20feelings%20will,these%20feelings%20ease%20with%20time">emotions</a> including fear, anger, grief and sadness. Your friend’s moods may fluctuate. It is also common for feelings to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-014-2492-9">change over time</a>, for example your friend’s anxiety may decrease, but they may feel more depressed.</p> <p>Some friends may want to share details while others will prefer privacy. Always ask permission to raise sensitive topics (such as changes in physical appearance or their thoughts regarding fears and anxiety) and don’t make assumptions. It’s OK to tell them you feel awkward, as this acknowledges the challenging situation they are facing.</p> <p>When they feel comfortable to talk, follow their lead. Your support and willingness <a href="https://www.cancervic.org.au/get-support/stories/what-to-say-and-not-say.html">to listen without judgement</a> can provide great comfort. You don’t have to have the answers. Simply acknowledging what has been said, providing your full attention and being present for them will be a great help.</p> <h2>2. Understand their diagnosis and treatment</h2> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pon.4722">Understanding</a> your friend’s diagnosis and what they’ll go through when being <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/caregivers/what-a-caregiver-does/treatment-timeline.html">treated</a> may be helpful.</p> <p>Being informed can reduce your own worry. It may also help you to listen better and reduce the amount of explaining your friend has to do, especially when they’re tired or overwhelmed.</p> <p>Explore reputable sources such as the <a href="https://www.cancer.org.au/">Cancer Council website</a> for accurate information, so you can have meaningful conversations. But keep in mind your friend has a trusted medical team to offer personalised and accurate advice.</p> <h2>3. Check in regularly</h2> <p>Cancer treatment can be isolating, so regular check-ins, texts, calls or visits can help your friend feel less alone.</p> <p>Having a normal conversation and sharing a joke can be very welcome. But everyone copes with cancer differently. Be patient and flexible in your support – some days will be harder for them than others.</p> <p>Remembering key dates – such as the next round of chemotherapy – can help your friend feel supported. Celebrating milestones, including the end of treatment or anniversary dates, may boost morale and remind your friend of positive moments in their cancer journey.</p> <p>Always ask if it’s a good time to visit, as your friend’s immune system <a href="https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/body-systems-and-cancer/the-immune-system-and-cancer#:%7E:text=to%20fight%20cancer-,Cancer%20and%20treatments%20may%20weaken%20immunity,high%20dose%20of%20steroids">may be compromised</a> by their cancer or treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. If you’re feeling unwell, it’s best to postpone visits – but they may still appreciate a call or text.</p> <h2>4. Offer practical support</h2> <p>Sometimes the best way to show your care is through practical support. There may be different ways to offer help, and what your friend needs might change at the beginning, during and after treatment.</p> <p>For example, you could offer to pick up prescriptions, drive them to appointments so they have transport and company to debrief, or wait with them at appointments.</p> <p>Meals will always be welcome. However it’s important to remember cancer and its treatments may <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/nutrition#effects-of-cancer-treatment-on-nutrition">affect</a> taste, smell and appetite, as well as your friend’s ability to eat enough or absorb nutrients. You may want to check first if there are particular foods they like. <a href="https://www.cancervic.org.au/downloads/resources/booklets/nutrition-cancer.pdf">Good nutrition</a> can help boost their strength while dealing with the side effects of treatment.</p> <p>There may also be family responsibilities you can help with, for example, babysitting kids, grocery shopping or taking care of pets.</p> <h2>5. Explore supports together</h2> <p>Studies <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35834503/">have shown</a> mindfulness practices can be an effective way for people to manage anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis and its treatment.</p> <p>If this is something your friend is interested in, it may be enjoyable to explore classes (either online or in-person) together.</p> <p>You may also be able to help your friend connect with organisations that provide emotional and practical help, such as the Cancer Council’s <a href="https://www.cancer.org.au/support-and-services/cancer-council-13-11-20">support line</a>, which offers free, confidential information and support for anyone affected by cancer, including family, friends and carers.</p> <p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5659099_Systematic_review_of_peer-support_programs_for_people_with_cancer">Peer support groups</a> can also reduce your friend’s feelings of isolation and foster shared understanding and empathy with people who’ve gone through a similar experience. GPs <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34333571/">can help</a> with referrals to support programs.</p> <h2>6. Stick with them</h2> <p>Be committed. Many people feel <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11120751/">isolated</a> after their treatment. This may be because regular appointments have reduced or stopped – which can feel like losing a safety net – or because their relationships with others have changed.</p> <p>Your friend may also experience emotions such as worry, lack of confidence and uncertainty as they adjust to a <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/survivorship/new-normal">new way of living</a> after their treatment has ended. This will be an important time to support your friend.</p> <p>But don’t forget: looking after <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/caring-for-someone-with-cancer">yourself</a> is important too. Making sure you eat well, sleep, exercise and have emotional support will help steady you through what may be a challenging time for you, as well as the friend you love.</p> <p><a href="https://www.deakin.edu.au/faculty-of-health/research/cancer-carer-hub">Our research</a> team is developing new programs and resources to support carers of people who live with cancer. While it can be a challenging experience, it can also be immensely rewarding, and your small acts of kindness can make a big difference.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239844/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephanie-cowdery-2217734">Stephanie Cowdery</a>, Research Fellow, Carer Hub: A Centre of Excellence in Cancer Carer Research, Translation and Impact, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anna-ugalde-2232654">Anna Ugalde</a>, Associate Professor &amp; Victorian Cancer Agency Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/trish-livingston-163686">Trish Livingston</a>, Distinguished Professor &amp; Director of Special Projects, Faculty of Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/victoria-white-1888110">Victoria White</a>, Professor of Pyscho-Oncology, School of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-friend-has-been-diagnosed-with-cancer-here-are-6-things-you-can-do-to-support-them-239844">original article</a>.</em></p>

Caring