One minute you are laughing at a joke, and the next, you are overwhelmed with frustration. People wonder why a comment from a friend, something said in casually, becomes a personal attack all of a sudden. These emotional roller coasters aren't just teenage drama—they have real causes. So, what's really behind these unpredictable shifts in mood? While many associate them with PMS, there's often more to them than just hormonal fluctuations.

Mood swings are rapid, sometimes unexplained changes in emotions, they are a nuisance and can be quite frustrating, not letting you concentrate, connect with people, or even enjoy activities of daily living. If you are on this emotional roller coaster, it may be time to look beyond PMS and the other reasons that are causing these shifting moods.

What Exactly Are Mood Swings?

Mood swings are sudden and intense changes in mood that may leave you feeling happy one moment and irritable or sad the next. Although they are common and generally harmless, they can sometimes interfere with daily life. Mood swings manifest differently for different people—some may experience heightened emotions, others may feel more irritable, and some might struggle with motivation. As common as they seem, knowing what causes them might help you in handling them well.

What Causes Mood Swings?

Mood swings are often regarded as a normal part of growing up, much like changes in body hair or physical development. While they can be frustrating, they usually aren't a cause for concern.

There are many reasons why one might experience mood swings, including stress, irregular sleep patterns, poor eating habits, and social challenges such as misunderstandings with friends or school pressure. However, there's also a scientific reason behind them.

During your teenage years, your brain is developing at a rapid pace. Whether you are choosing a new hair color or questioning personal beliefs, your cognitive abilities are changing. This means your brain is working hard to process emotions, information, and social interactions in new ways. Although this is a healthy and natural process, it can sometimes feel overwhelming, leading to unpredictable mood shifts.

1. Hormonal fluctuations

Hormones have a major influence on emotions, and an imbalance can greatly impact mood. Even though PMS, pregnancy, and menopause are common known causes of hormonal mood swings, changes in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels can affect anyone at any time regardless of gender. During puberty, the "feel-good" neurotransmitter serotonin is produced at a lower level than at any other time in life, making teens especially susceptible to mood swings. This is why adolescence is so often characterized by emotional turmoil.

2. Caffeine and Sugar

Do you have those periods sometimes where after finishing your morning cup of coffee you suddenly get wired up only to crash after an hour? Consuming too much caffeine and sugar creates immediate spurts of release of dopamine and serotonin levels for that euphoria effect but quickly leads to doldrums of a cranky, whiny, anxiety, or sheer fatigue. Now, it is also believed that caffeine somehow influences sleep and leads to mood disorders, so be vigilant with your intake, especially when it triggers moody behavior.

3. Dehydration and Nutrient Deficiencies

Even just a little dehydration changes the cognitive function and mood, and increases irritability, poor concentration and difficulty keeping up with what used to be an easy activity. The worst part is there are studies which show that dehydration encourages angry feelings and fear. In addition, deficiencies in such essential nutrients as magnesium can lead to mood disturbances.

Magnesium is an essential nutrient for the proper functioning of the brain and regulation of mood. Low levels of magnesium have been associated with anxiety and depression. Proper hydration and a balanced diet can stabilize mood swings.

4. Stress and Anxiety

Life's pressures—be it from work, relationships, or personal expectations—can be a huge source of mood swings. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, the body's main stress hormone, which heightens emotional responses. Chronic stress can lead to irritability, anxiety, and even depression. Stressors need to be identified and managed with mindfulness, exercise, and deep breathing.

Also Read: Feeling Moody On Your Periods? These Tips Could Help You Feel Better

5. Fatigue and Sleep Deprivation

Quality sleep is critical to emotional regulation, yet so many individuals suffer from poor rest. Lack of sleep has been proven to hinder the brain's capacity to regulate emotions, making most people hypersensitive, irritable, and prone to mood swings. Lack of quality sleep also interferes with the production of serotonin, making it harder to stabilize the mood. Developing a good sleep habit, avoiding screen time before bedtime, and establishing a calming pre-bed ritual can stabilize mood swings.

6. Underlying mental health conditions

Mood swings that are persistent and interfere with daily life may be a symptom of an underlying mental health disorder. Depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder often present with fluctuating emotions. If you experience prolonged periods of sadness, are unable to maintain relationships, or have changes in appetite and sleep patterns, it may be time to seek professional guidance. Early intervention and appropriate treatment can make a big difference in managing mood swings related to mental health.

7. Exploration of Identity and Emotional Development

Growing up can be an emotional struggle, particularly at adolescence and in young adulthood. Trying to define personal values, sense of fashion, or whom one would fall in love with may stir emotional battles with self. However much this process is considered to be a part of growing up, it becomes overbearing at times. Therefore, turning to close friends or relatives, as well as therapy sessions, will prove helpful for greater clarification of situations.

How to Manage Mood Swings

Understanding the root cause of your mood swings is the first step in managing them effectively. Here are some strategies to help stabilize emotions:

• Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.
• Reduce sugar and caffeine intake, and incorporate magnesium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to prevent mood-related dehydration.
• Engage in relaxing techniques such as meditation, journaling, or deep breathing.
• Exercise releases endorphins that will naturally help your mood improve.
• If these mood swings overwhelm or persist, consult a therapist or medical doctor.

You may have heard people say that they are allergic to things, whether it is gluten, soy or peanuts. These people avoid these items, even going as far as not dining in certain places where there is a possibility of cross contamination.

While it may seem like an overreaction, allergy symptoms can range from just a few rashes to cause of death. There are many people who did not and still do not take allergies seriously. As one of the most common allergies, many people who have close ones with peanut allergy, many places have opened “nut-free” zones including schools, offices and many public spaces.

While there is no cure for allergies, a new clinical trial results show that exposure therapy with peanut allergies has proven successful.

Why Do We Need Exposure Therapy?

The research team reported in the journal Allergy, April 2025, that a significant majority of the participants, more than two out of every three (67%), were able to eat at least five peanuts without triggering an allergic reaction after undergoing the treatment. This marks a positive step forward in managing this common and often severe allergy.

Seeing as expansive as the risk associated with allergies is, researchers have continued working towards proper cures and treatments. While there are precautions like avoiding the allergens, reducing exposure, when a person with a sever, allergy is exposed to the allergens, the chances of them going into anaphylaxis is a lot, so many people care EpiPens or epinephrine shot that can counter allergic reactions for a while.

How Does Exposure Therapy Work For Peanut Allergies?

The way exposure therapy works is pretty simple but needs to be done carefully. People who are allergic to peanuts are given very, very small amounts of peanut protein every day. Over time, the amount is slowly increased. It's like gently introducing the body to the thing it's allergic to, little by little. This helps the body learn that peanuts aren't actually a threat, and it starts to react less strongly. It's a gradual process, but the goal is to build up a person's ability to handle peanuts without having a dangerous allergic reaction.

In this study, 21 adults who were allergic to peanuts took part. Every day, they ate a small amount of peanut flour mixed in with their food. The goal was for them to be able to eat a small amount of peanut flour every day for at least a month without any problems. After that, they were tested to see how much peanut they could eat. The researchers were very happy with how well the treatment worked, saying that the results were similar to what they've seen in studies with kids.

The study showed some really impressive results in how much more peanut the participants could handle after the treatment. The researchers mentioned that on average, the amount of peanut they could eat without a reaction went up by a hundred times!

Why Are Researches Like This Important?

What makes this study really important is that it's the first-time scientists have specifically looked at how well exposure therapy works for adults with peanut allergies. Usually, this kind of treatment is done with kids because their bodies are still growing and changing. However, this new research shows that even adults, whose bodies are already fully grown, can still become less allergic to peanuts with this type of treatment. This opens up a whole new possibility for adults who have lived with this allergy for many years and haven't had many treatment options before. Many said that the treatment was "life-changing" and they no longer lived in constant fear of their allergy.

Every three seconds someone in the world develop dementia. Forgetting things every now and then is normal, it happens to everyone. However, nobody expects to lose their sense of being, all the memories and life experiences that make you who you are. Dementia is the condition that makes all of these fears come true. It is a collective name for different brain syndromes which affect one's memory, thinking, behavior as well as emotions.

Many symptoms of dementia are vague, especially early ones, and they can easily mislead people. However, a new technological advancement may help people get diagnosed early, through shoes.

How Can Shoes Help Us Diagnose Dementia?

This new technology, published in Science Advances in April 2025, works by using special insoles you put inside your shoes. These insoles have tiny sensors that can feel the pressure when you walk or stand. What's really clever is that these sensors don't just feel pressure; they turn that pressure into tiny electrical signals. These signals carry hidden information about how you move and how your body is working, kind of like secret messages from your feet that can tell a story about your health without you even realizing.

How Do These Shoes Work?

The electrical signals created by the smart insoles are then sent wirelessly to a special application on your smartphone, just like getting a text message. This app takes all that data and turns it into easy-to-understand pictures and information about how you walk and stand. It can show exactly where you put the most pressure on your feet and how your movement changes over time. Even more impressively, the app uses smart computer programs to learn and recognize different ways you move, like sitting, standing, or running, giving a detailed look at your daily activities.

For patients who might be developing health issues, the smart insoles could provide early clues that doctors can use to make diagnoses sooner. For athletes, this technology can help them understand their posture better, which can prevent injuries and improve their performance. If someone is recovering from an injury, the insoles can track their progress and make sure they are healing correctly.

Researchers have already discovered that the way people walk can change when they have certain health problems, especially conditions that affect the brain and nerves, like Parkinson's disease. People with Parkinson's might start to shuffle their feet or lean to one side when they walk. The team behind these smart insoles believes that by having much better sensors in shoes, doctors could get a more accurate and earlier warning sign of these kinds of conditions just by analyzing someone's walk. This could lead to earlier treatments and better management of these challenging illnesses.

Why Is Early Diagnosis Important?

According to Alzheimer’s Disease International there are 55 million people living with dementia in 2020.

Their research shows that most of the people who have dementia have not received proper treatment for the same. About three quatre of the people who have been diagnosed with dementia lack treatment or have access to healthcare. Even in high-income countries only about 20-50% of people receive the proper care they need.

This treatment gap can only be fixed when people start getting a diagnosis. Not just receiving care, but receiving early diagnosis and treatment is crucial for proper dementia care, as explained by World Alzheimer Report 2011.

Whooping cough or pertussis, has been making headlines for its comeback across the United States. As per the recent data, there have been 8,485 reported cases for far this year. This is double the number recorded at the same time last year. The resurgence had already led to the deaths of two infants in Louisiana and a 5-year old child in Washington state over the past six months.

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium. It is most dangerous for infants and young children, particularly before they are old enough to receive their first dose of vaccine at two months of age.

Why Are Cases Increasing?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, whooping cough cases dropped due to the increase in the use of masks, social distancing, and other preventive measures. However, it has made a comeback after 2 to 5 years as these preventive measures have decreased.

There is another factor in the increase of cases, it is the decline in vaccine rotes. As per an AP report, kindergarten vaccination coverage dropped last year, and vaccines exemptions reached an all-time high in the United States.

Public health officials worry that growing vaccine hesitancy could further fuel outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like whooping cough.

Pregnant women are also recommended to receive the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine to protect their newborns. Unfortunately, vaccination rates during pregnancy remain suboptimal, leaving many babies vulnerable in their first months of life.

Which States Reported The Highest Cases?

There are certain states that have reported more numbers than others. As of the recent data, Pennsylvania reported 207 cases so far, whereas Michigan has seen an even sharper rise in cases. In 2025, Michigan has reported 516 cases, mostly among children, between ages 5 to 17. Michigan, in the last year, reported 2,081 pertussis cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women get vaccinated against pertussis. Adults who missed vaccinations earlier in life should also receive a dose to ensure protection.

How Does It Affect Your Body?

According to the CDC, Bordetella pertussis bacteria attach to the cilia (small hair-like structures) lining parts of the upper respiratory tract. The bacteria release toxins that damage the cilia and cause swelling, leading to severe coughing fits.

Symptoms of whooping cough can vary depending on a person’s age and vaccination status. Initial symptoms often resemble a common cold: runny nose, mild cough, and low-grade fever. However, as the disease progresses, patients may experience uncontrollable, violent coughing fits that can make it hard to breathe. The characteristic "whoop" sound often occurs when the patient gasps for air after a coughing fit.

Who Is More At Risk?

Babies under 1 year old are most at risk for severe complications, including pneumonia, seizures, and even death. Individuals with underlying health conditions like asthma or those who are immunocompromised also face a higher risk of serious illness.

How It Spreads And How Can It Be Prevented?

Whooping cough spreads easily through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People can remain contagious for at least two weeks after symptoms begin. Some individuals may only have mild symptoms yet can still unknowingly transmit the bacteria to vulnerable groups like infants.

The best way to prevent whooping cough is vaccination. Practicing good hygiene, such as frequent handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes, can also help limit the spread. In some cases, preventive antibiotics (post-exposure prophylaxis) may be recommended for those who have been in close contact with an infected person.