Hearing is one of our major senses that help us live in this world. The WHO reports that 5% plus of the population suffers from impairing hearing loss. As for the rest, more and more, the descriptive terms "hard of hearing" and "deaf" are widely used despite their ambiguity and different intensity of the effects. Understanding their nuances is important to offer right support and treatment to the hearing impaired.

Hearing loss can be either mild or profound, which significantly impacts a person's quality of life. "Hard of hearing" and "deaf" are two terms describing different degrees of auditory impairment, and their differences have to be known in order to provide appropriate support and care. Advances in technology and communication strategies continue to bridge gaps and ensure that individuals with hearing loss can lead fulfilling lives.

Prevention and management of hearing loss require regular hearing assessments, protective measures, and inclusivity. It's going to make the world a better place for everyone when we're aware of this and understand this.

Degrees of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss isn't an isolated condition; rather, it's as varied as degrees:

1. Mild Hearing Loss: Trouble hearing faint or soft noises like whispers or muffled speech.

2. The moderate hearing loss: Cannot understand speech at normal conversation without further assistance.

3. Severe hearing loss: Only can hear speech if it is louder than the normal volume; still able to hear loud speech.

4. Profound hearing loss: Can only hear extremely loud sounds that may just be heard, or cannot hear anything.

The term “hard of hearing” typically describes individuals with mild to severe hearing loss, where some auditory capacity remains. “Deaf,” on the other hand, refers to profound hearing loss, where individuals hear very little or nothing at all, significantly impacting their ability to perceive sound.

Symptoms of Being Hard of Hearing

Symptoms of hearing loss differ with the degree and age of onset. Adults who have hearing loss may find:

- Muffled sounds or a sense that speech is not clear.

- Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments or group conversations.

- Often asking people to repeat themselves or speak louder.

- Turning up televisions, headphones, or other devices.

Some symptoms may include:

Children: May have delayed speech development and unclear articulation or repeat phrases such as "what?" or "huh?"

Babies: Often do not react to very loud noises or react delayed to the sources of noise or do not babble at one year old.

In children, hearing loss often can be detected in its initial phases. This enables intervention in the most efficient way with much support.

Causes of Hearing Loss

There are various causes of hearing loss:

Age

Natural degeneration of the ear structures.

Exposure to Noise

Prolonged exposure to loud sounds at work or during leisure activities.

Infections

Chronic middle ear infections, meningitis, or measles.

Maternal Infections

Conditions like rubella or cytomegalovirus (CMV) during pregnancy.

Injury

Trauma to the head or ear.

Medications

Certain antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and diuretics.

Congenital Conditions

Poorly developed ear structures or inherited conditions.

Physical Causes

Ear drum perforation or accumulated ear wax. Knowing the causes provides preventive measures, early intervention, and treatment.

Treatment and Communication Techniques

For individuals with hearing losses, there are various tools that can be used for self-management and enhancing one's communication:

For The Hard of Hearing

Hearing Aids: Amplification devices that assist individuals with mild to severe hearing loss to hear conversations clearly.

Assistive Listening Devices: Captioned phones or FM systems, which help people in noisy environments to communicate effectively.

Surgical Options: Some people can have damage repaired or a congenital condition corrected, which may restore their hearing.

For the Deaf

Cochlear Implants: Some patients with severe hearing loss will gain an ability to perceive some aspects of sound through cochlear implants.

Sign Language and Lip Reading: The majority of deaf individuals communicate most effectively using these tools. Inclusive communication practices help both groups, including speaking clearly, using gestures, and having visual cues available.

How to Prevent Hearing Loss

Though some causes of hearing loss cannot be avoided, most others are. Here are some protective steps for your hearing:

• Maintain TVs, headphones, and speakers at a normal level of volume.
• Put earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones in place during noisier environments.
• Move away from noisy areas and allow ears to rest. Defend against infections like measles and meningitis.
• Refrain from using cotton swabs on your ears so as not to damage them or get impaction from wax.
• Early detection through hearing tests may also be made prior to any significant loss happening.

How to Care for a Person with Hearing Loss

Dealing with someone with hearing loss requires patience and empathy. Always remember the following tips:

Speak clearly and naturally, but refrain from yelling as this will only distort sound.

- Reduce background noise in conversations.

- Make use of visual aids such as gestures and facial expressions.

- Position yourself in such a way that lip reading is possible if needed.

- Be patient and willing to rephrase if necessary.

Many of us aim for 10,000 steps a day, but new research suggests you might not need to walk quite that much to help lower your risk of dementia. A study using wearable trackers found that even fewer steps can make a real difference. Experts have shared that taking 9,800 steps a day can reduce your dementia risk. What's even better is that you get half of that benefit by just taking about 3,800 steps, or around 4,000. This is great news, as it's a more achievable goal for many people looking to boost their brain health.

It's not just about how many steps you take; how you walk also matters. The study on walking and dementia risk showed that taking purposeful steps and walking with more intensity, like a brisk walking pace, were linked to a lower risk of dementia. So, a faster walk is more helpful than a slower walk. Experts also highlighted the benefits of walking in groups, especially for older adults. Walking with others can build social connections, improve your mood, and fight off feelings of loneliness, all of which are important for your overall well-being.

How Exercise Impact Dementia Risk?

Not being active enough is a big risk factor for dementia, studies have consistently shown that regular exercise for middle-aged and older adults can improve thinking and memory and lower the chances of getting dementia. The charity suggests getting about 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, which is any activity that gets your heart rate up. This can include everyday things like brisk walking, cleaning, or gardening, making it easy to fit into your daily life.

Can More Physical Activity Prevent Dementia?

The NHS also strongly supports the idea that being physically active helps prevent dementia. They explain that not exercising enough can increase your risk of heart disease, becoming overweight, and developing type 2 diabetes – all factors that can raise your dementia risk. Older adults who don't exercise are also more likely to have problems with their memory or thinking.

The NHS suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. This could be brisk walking, cycling, or dancing. They also recommend strengthening exercises twice a week, like gardening or yoga, and encourage you to move regularly throughout the day, even by taking the stairs or standing during phone calls.

Colorectal cancer, once considered a condition affecting primarily those over the age of 50, is no longer limited to aging adults. The disease is increasingly affecting younger adults—millennials and even members of Gen Z. A report by American Cancer Society reveals that every generation of people born after 1950 is experiencing a higher risk of colorectal cancer, a trend that has left researchers and medical professionals stunned.

The disease, which includes both colon and rectal cancers, is growing most rapidly in adults 20 to 39 years old, with a 2% average annual rate of increase in incidence since the mid-1990s. This epidemiologic transition is causing legitimate public health alarms—and at the core of the crisis is an alarming fact: the most likely symptom of colon cancer is one that many will be too ashamed to discuss.

One Symptom That Should Never Be Ignored

In a 2024 study by Joshua Demb, assistant professor and researcher of early-onset colon cancer at the University of California, San Diego, rectal bleeding was the most specific and common early symptom in young adults with colorectal cancer. And yet, it's the one that many people—particularly millennials—are least likely to mention.

Through his interviews with patients, Demb discovered a shared pattern- patients held off on coming in for care because they were embarrassed to discuss "poop" or blood in their stool. This resistance is not anecdotal alone—it is a deeper cultural taboo dating back centuries, especially in Western cultures where bathroom behavior has always been tainted by shame.

Blowing off blood in the toilet or denying pencil-thin stools as benign gastrointestinal problems might cost lives. "When young adults finally come forward, their cancer has usually advanced beyond it should have," Demb said. "Shame about bowel movements can add to delay in diagnosis in a disease where timing is everything."

Why Young People Are at Greater Risk?

Although colorectal cancer is still a slow-growing cancer, specialists caution that its increase among young adults may be the result of both genetic susceptibility and lifestyle choices.

Dietary patterns including high consumption of red and processed meats, low fiber intake, physical inactivity, increased prevalence of obesity, and higher alcohol and tobacco consumption are all potential drivers of this trend. The World Cancer Research Fund suggests aiming for less than 18 oz per week of red meat and focusing on a high-fiber, plant-based diet to lower the risk of colorectal cancer.

"We're observing increasingly urbanized, digitally connected young patients with rapid food intake, extended sitting times, and minimal physical activity," says Dr. Maria Ellis, an oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. "These habits likely lead to inflammation and alterations in the gut microbiome, all conducive to the initiation of early tumors."

The Challenges with Current Screening Guidelines

One of the largest updates to solving this health crisis is screening age eligibility. Routine colonoscopies are suggested beginning at age 45 to 50 in most countries, including the U.S. But if the demographic that is growing quickest is under 40, this model is already outdated.

Even when young adults come with typical presentations—chronic abdominal pain, change in bowel habits, or bleeding per rectum—the suspicion of cancer is usually ignored by patients and doctors. Colonoscopies are painful, costly (several thousand dollars without insurance), and seldom prescribed for individuals in their twenties or early thirties unless there is a family history.

"There's still a lingering thought among primary care doctors that cancer is an 'older person's disease,'" says Dr. Ellis. "That results in young patients being misdiagnosed with hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, or anxiety-related gastrointestinal issues."

Psychological Burden on Young Adults

For young adults and adolescents (AYA), a cancer diagnosis disrupts not only health, but also identity, education, relationships, and planning for the future. A 2025 study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) identified four core areas of support lacking in AYA cancer treatment: academic accommodations, loss of extracurricular activities, disruption of career trajectory, and loss of peer affiliation.

This age group is typically just starting out in their adult lives—beginning careers, dating, or establishing families. Stigma of "poop talk" creates another layer of loneliness and humiliation, compounding the delay in diagnosis and treatment.

How to Identify a Red Flag?

Many of the initial symptoms of colon cancer will look like other diseases like celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or hemorrhoids. But the most important clue to look for is a change from your usual pattern of digestion. If your bowels suddenly change—and remain changed—it's time to see a doctor.

Other signs include:

• Rectal bleeding
• Unexplained abdominal pain
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation
• Pencil-thin stools
• Fatigue or unexpected weight loss

Young adults should not be afraid to speak up for themselves in doctor's offices, even when they do not have a family history of cancer. A second opinion, particularly in the case of a persistent symptom, can be the difference between life and death.

Why Talking About Stool Could Be Life-Saving?

The cultural shame of defecation runs deep—but it's time to break it. Public health initiatives need to incorporate plain language that de-stigmatizes important bodily functions. As Dr. Demb says, "Normalizing conversations about poop isn't just cute or quirky—it's a serious tool in cancer prevention."

Parents, teachers, influencers, and physicians need to all join together in promoting a culture that favors openness regarding gut health. Vocabulary such as "stool" or "rectal bleeding" should not be masked in euphemisms. Millennials, the group that has spearheaded mental health activism and sexual health education, are perfectly placed to help break down this barrier.

Millennials are confronted with an unprecedented health threat that calls for urgency, awareness, and action. Early-onset colon cancer is not only a health problem—it's a cultural one, driven by stigma, misinformation, and outdated screening practices.

A recent study has revealed that 17.4% of college-going women aged 18-25 in Delhi are affected by Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), marking the second-highest prevalence rate recorded in the country. The study, partly funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), was published in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Health. It included a cross-sectional survey of 1,164 participants and a systematic review of studies conducted between 2010 and 2024 across India in similar age groups.

PCOS: A Widespread Yet Under-Researched Disorder

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age. It is characterised by a range of symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, excessive hair growth (hirsutism), acne, and obesity. Despite being widespread, the disorder remains under-researched, especially in young women.

The study points out that the pooled prevalence of PCOS across India in this age group, based on similar diagnostic criteria, stood at 8.41%. By comparison, Delhi’s figure of 17.4% is significantly higher, highlighting a concerning urban health trend. Previous data from the Ministry of Science and Technology has shown that PCOS prevalence in India can vary between 3.70% and 22.50%, depending on region, setting, and socio-cultural factors.

Urban Lifestyle and Its Role

The researchers observed a higher prevalence of PCOS in urban areas with heterogeneous and migrating populations. Many young women move to cities like Delhi for academic and career opportunities, which often leads to psychological stress, disrupted sleep cycles, and unhealthy dietary habits. These factors, in turn, may contribute to the increasing incidence of PCOS.

“This displacement and the resulting lifestyle changes — juggling education, work, and home responsibilities — seem to be closely linked to the rise in PCOS cases,” the study noted.

The research was conducted by Apoorva Sharma, Naorem Kiranmala Devi, and Kallur Nava Saraswathy from the Department of Anthropology, Delhi University, along with Dr. Yamini Swarwal from Safdarjung Hospital. According to Prof. Saraswathy, ethical clearance for the fieldwork was obtained from Delhi University, and the data collection process spanned two years.

Diagnosis and Testing

Of the 1,164 women surveyed, 70.3% had already been diagnosed with PCOS, while 29.7% were newly diagnosed during the course of the study. The researchers also facilitated ultrasound testing for women who displayed symptoms but had not yet been diagnosed.

Socio-Demographic and Caste-Based Disparities

The study found that women from upper and upper-middle socioeconomic classes, as per the Modified Kuppuswamy Scale, were at higher risk. Researchers attributed this to a “nutrition transition” involving increased consumption of processed foods, fats, and sugars, alongside reduced physical activity. This shift has led to increased insulin resistance and obesity—factors known to be linked to PCOS.

Interestingly, the highest prevalence of PCOS was recorded among Scheduled Tribes (21.4%), followed by women from the General Category (19.9%), with lower rates among Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Scheduled Castes. The authors suggest that this might reflect broader inequalities in healthcare access and lifestyle, underscoring the urgent need for targeted health interventions and greater awareness.