In China, a new trend is reshaping adult coping culture and it’s not herbal tea, meditation apps, or plush toys. It’s adult-sized pacifiers. Once the domain of babies, these silicone soothers have found a surprising audience among stressed-out grown-ups looking for calm, better sleep, or even help quitting smoking.

Available on platforms like Taobao and JD.com for as little as 10 yuan ($1.40) and as much as 500 yuan ($70), they’re marketed with a wellness twist: stress relievers, sleep aids, even bite guards to prevent teeth grinding. Some users swear they help curb late-night snacking or silence a snoring partner. And they’re selling fast! According to South China Morning Post, top vendors are moving thousands every month.

The phenomenon has exploded on Chinese social media. On Sina Weibo, hashtags related to “adult pacifiers” have racked up over 68 million views. Douyin (China’s TikTok) is packed with short videos of young people unboxing, testing, and explaining why they’ve embraced the trend. The most popular pacifiers measure 4.5 centimeters—nearly twice the size of those for infants—and are designed for adult mouths.

For some, it’s about breaking a habit. A Douyin user credited the pacifier with stopping her constant snacking, claiming it even helped with weight loss. Another posted that it helped her finally quit smoking after years of failed attempts. Many describe the sensation as instantly calming, a tactile anchor in a chaotic day.

Is This A Use Of Regression As A Coping Mechanism?

Psychologists point to the “regression phenomenon” to explain why this works for some. When stress overwhelms, people may subconsciously revert to behaviors from an earlier, more secure stage of life. In infancy, sucking is a natural source of comfort and self-soothing. For adults, the pacifier becomes a symbolic return to a time without deadlines, bills, or complex emotional burdens.

“It feels like the safety of childhood,” one office worker wrote in an online review. That feeling can be powerful—especially in high-pressure work environments where people struggle to find moments of rest.

Is Any Medical Caution Needed?

Not everyone is convinced this is harmless. Dentists like Tang Caomin warn that prolonged use can shift teeth, limit jaw movement, and cause temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues. There’s also a risk of sleep disruption or choking if parts come loose during the night. Wang Xueling, director of stomatology at the Aerospace Center Hospital in Beijing, notes that while pacifiers can offer temporary emotional relief, they don’t address the underlying causes of stress.

Psychologist Zhang Mo is more direct: “The real solution is not to treat yourself as a child, but to face the challenge directly.”

This isn’t staying in China. On TikTok, American users have begun posting clips of themselves with adult pacifiers—in traffic, at work, or during intense moments of burnout. Some claim it helps with ADHD-related restlessness, while others admit it’s simply a private comfort they’ve used for years.

A commenter averred to having used pacifiers for 23 years, and another dismissed worries about dental effect: "It hasn't moved my teeth, been using them for 4 years." Nevertheless, critics propose alternatives such as chewing gum or lollipops to meet the same oral fixation without risking dental damage.

It's not just an object that the adult pacifier trend represents; it is what the object stands for. In the face of economic insecurity, social pressure, and constant digital overstimulation, small rituals that give control or comfort can become very attractive. For many, this has been a private rebellion against relentless productivity culture, reminding them that it's okay to need comfort-even if it looks unconventional.

Why Adults Are Reaching for Pacifiers?

The oral fixation and emotional regression psychology lies at the root of this phenomenon. Psychoanalytic theory has it that in the course of human development, the oral stage marks the earliest point. This is where sucking, eating, and all else related to the mouth takes precedence for comfort and bonding purposes. When adults experience stress beyond their coping ability, they may respond unconsciously by regressing to behaviors associated with this stage—behaviors that once consistently brought feelings of safety.

In today's language, this is a type of "self-soothing." Similar to chewing on a pen cap, biting one's nails, or drinking from a straw, pacifier use involves sensory pathways that quiet the nervous system. The rhythmic, repetitive motion can relax breathing, decelerate heart rate, and generate an inconspicuous feedback loop that communicates relaxation to the brain.

But there's an important difference between temporary relief and addiction. Whereas brief use may alleviate anxiety or cut addictive habits like smoking, heavy reliance on such aids can cover up underlying problems—long-term stress, sleep disorders, unresolved emotional trauma—that need more engaged solutions. Therapists warn that such behaviors are better understood as adjunctive coping strategies, not substitutes for solving core issues.

That is, the pacifier can get you through a long commute or a stressful meeting. But it won't address the situation that's causing you to need one in the first place. The true test—and challenge—are in figuring out how to introduce some of that same sense of security into your life without resorting to a silicone substitute.

A recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) showed that more than 40 percent of prostate cancer patients in the country are diagnosed after the cancer has spread.

The 43 percent of late diagnosis cases indicates the significant burden of late detection of prostate cancer in the country. This can not only limit treatment options but also lead to poorer survival outcomes.

The study, published in the Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology, revealed that while more than 80 per cent began treatment within two months, but referral patients experienced longer delays.

Researchers from the ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, in Bengaluru, stressed the need to strengthen referral pathways to ensure timely, stage-appropriate care.

“Our study indicates that over 80 percent of patients commence treatment within two months of diagnosis, but referral systems and delays in care persist,” said corresponding author Prashant Mathur, Director, ICMR-NCDIR, in the paper.

“To address these challenges, the healthcare system must prioritize improving referral efficiency, reducing administrative bottlenecks, enhancing coordination through digital health records, and multidisciplinary tumor boards,” the authors added.

Age, The Strongest Risk Factor For Prostate Cancer

The ICMR study is based on an analysis of 9,347 cases from 96 hospitals under the National Cancer Registry Program.

The researchers found that 75.6 percent of total prostate cancer cases occurred in the age group of 60–80 years, indicating that advanced age remains the biggest risk factor for the condition.

As life expectancy increases, more men reach the higher-risk age group, but awareness and screening practices have not scaled proportionately.

Adenocarcinoma was the most common pathology, constituting 77 percent of cases.

It is the most common form of prostate cancer, accounting for over 95 per cent of all cases. It develops in the gland cells that produce prostate fluid and typically grows slowly over several years.

Further, the ICMR researchers noted that about 57 percent of cases were diagnosed with localized (29.9 percent) or locoregional (27 percent) cancer.

Thirty percent underwent surgical treatment, and 22 percent received radiation therapy. Systemic therapy was the most common single modality treatment.

“Early detection and streamlined referral pathways are essential to improve prostate cancer outcomes in India,” the researchers said.

Prostate Cancer And Its Prevalence In India

Prostate cancer forms in the cells of the prostate -- a gland found only in males and a part of the male reproductive system. It lies below the urinary bladder and in front of the rectum.

Nearly all prostate cancers develop from glandular cells (adenocarcinomas).

Globally, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in 112 countries and the leading cause of cancer death in 48 countries. In 2020, an estimated 1.4 million new cases of prostate cancer and 0.37 million deaths were reported worldwide.

In India, it is the second most common cancer among men, accounting for more than 60 percent of the prostate cancer burden in South-Central Asia. As per the ICMR data, the country reported 34,540 incidences of prostate cancer and 16,783 deaths.

Prostate cancer symptoms include urinary difficulty, a weak stream, or blood in the urine.

As prostate cancer is a slow-developing disease, it often causes no symptoms during the early-stage, leading to delayed medical consultation.

Other reasons for late detection in India include low awareness, limited routine screening -- PSA (prostate-specific antigen) programs; social stigma and hesitation due to embarrassment or cultural taboos.

Lack of access to specialist care, diagnostic facilities, and cancer centers, especially in rural populations, coupled with cost and referral gaps, also leads to delay in diagnosis.

Colon cancer develops from polyps in the colon or rectum, often taking years to show symptoms. The cancer begins when small growths called polyps form on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. Over time, changes in the DNA of these cells can cause the polyps to become cancerous.

As abnormal cells multiply, they replace healthy cells and eventually form a mass known as a tumor. This process develops slowly, often taking up to ten years for a precancerous polyp to turn into cancer and begin showing symptoms.

The American Cancer Society notes that colorectal cancer impacts around 1.9 million people every year.. In India, it is the fourth most common cancer among both men and women. In 2022, there were 64,863 new cases and 38,367 deaths.

Projections suggest that incidence will continue to rise by 2026, reflecting both lifestyle changes and improved detection.

Colon cancer can be difficult to detect because it often develops without obvious symptoms. However, Dr Jordan Karlitz, MD, of Exact Sciences, shared with The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) the three fundamentals of CRC prevention and early detection.

What Are The Three Tips For CRC Screening?

According to the expert, these are the three things you should do to protect yourself:

1. Timely risk screening

2. Knowing your cancer family history

3. Acting on early symptoms

"These are the 3 pillars that everybody needs to be aware of, because I think gaps in any of them could increase the risk of developing CRC and, unfortunately, lead to presenting with more advanced-stage disease," said Dr Karlitz.

Why Is Risk Screening Essential?

Timely screening for colon cancer is essential because it detects precancerous polyps early, allowing for their removal before they turn into cancer and identifies the tumors at highly treatable stages when survival rates are about 90 percent.

Screenings (like colonoscopies) can detect and remove pre-cancerous growths called polyps, preventing the development of cancer. The expert suggested that average risk screening now starts at the age of forty-five; you do not have to wait until age 50.

What Early Symptoms Should You Look Out For?

Colon cancer rarely announces its presence with dramatic symptoms. More often, it whispers — through changes in bowel habits, subtle abdominal discomfort, or unexplained weight loss.

Some of the most commonly missed early signs include:

• Persistent changes in bowel movements: Chronic constipation or diarrhea often dismissed as dietary effects.
• Blood in stool: Bright red or dark blood should not be ignored.
• Unexplained weight loss: Especially when unintentional.
• Abdominal cramps or bloating: Misinterpreted as common digestive issues.

Persistent changes in bowel habits, especially if they last more than a few days, must be taken seriously. Narrow or ribbon-shaped stools may indicate a tumor partially blocking the colon.

A Himalayan zoonotic disease, which is transmitted by mite bites, known as Scrub typhus, is re-emerging. However, the attention and recognition to its threat remains poor. A Mongabay report noted the life of Maya Rai, 38, from Dajeeling, who works throughout the day. Her packed schedule does not allow her to stop working. When there is a febrile illness, it is "just another fever".

However, one monsoon, the fever hit her hard, while she thought it will pass too with some rest. She felt too weak to work. She received no clear diagnosis at the local Public Health Center (PHC), and was sent home with just painkillers. However, her condition did not improve. She experienced fever with cough, nausea, breathlessness and discomfort. Being a wage worker, she missed seven days, which meant no money for a week. She was finally taken to a private hospital in town, hours away from her village and the rapid test confirmed 'scrub typhus'.

This is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium Orientia tsutugamushi. Maya was prescribed antibiotics and was able to survive. However, there are many cases where this febrile fever is treated like any other fever, until it is too late. Many cases arise much later in front of a medical healthcare provider, when complications like acute respiratory distress, liver inflammation, kidney failure, and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) have already happened.

Another case is from rural west Sikkim, where a 35-year-old Ganga Chhetri also had similar symptoms. However, by the time she was diagnosed, her organs were already critical. Ganga was also breastfeeding her two-year-old child and caring for her four-year-old.

Re-emergence of Scrub Typhus

The disease is locally known as kira le toke ko bimari, which literally translates it as a disease from an insect bite. This is re-emerging in the Dajeeling-Sikkim region of the Indian Himalayas, and is a public health concern in India. The cases have been reported across the country in India, as well as in other Southeast Asian countries. This affects one million people annually around the globe.

Scrub typhus was once confined to the Asia-Pacific’s ‘Tsutsugamushi Triangle’, a geographic stretch from northern Japan to Russia and northern Australia. Today, while this has changed, the disease still poses threat to many, including those living in the Himalayan region.

What Is Scrub Typhus And How Does It Spread?

It is an acute, potentially fatal, rickettsial infection that is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi and transmitted by larval mites (chiggers) in rural areas.

At its core, scrub typhus in humans is associated with four interconnected elements: small mammals, particularly rats, tiny parasitic mites, the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, and the environment they inhabit together. The disease is spread specifically by the larval stage of trombiculid mites, commonly known as chiggers. Only the larvae transmit the infection, passing it to humans through their bite.

These chiggers feed on the blood of small mammals such as rats, which play a key role in sustaining mite populations. Rats can also carry Orientia tsutsugamushi and pass the bacteria to mites that feed on them. In contrast, the nymph and adult stages of the mite, typically found in soil and vegetation, do not spread the disease.

Humans become infected when they enter areas infested with mites or environments with high rat populations, allowing infected chiggers to shift from rodents to people. The likelihood of such spillover events increases when rodent numbers grow, mite populations expand, or human contact with rats intensifies.

Factors such as land use changes, shifting weather patterns, natural disasters, deforestation, rapid urbanization, and increased garbage accumulation can create conditions that favor rodent and mite proliferation, thereby raising the risk of disease transmission.