Are you watching too much porn? Psychologists have developed a test to measure whether someone is watching too much porn. The scale was developed after there was significant evidence that watching too much can harm health. This scale helps therapists diagnose problematic pornography use (PPU). This is a type of compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD), which can affect a person's mental and sexual relationships and may lead to sexual violence.

As reported in the DailyMail, PPU is on the rise, and experts fear that it may lead to conditions like erectile dysfunction, anxiety, and depression, alongside withdrawal symptoms. This is why the experts have come up with a scale to detect PPU.

We spoke to relationship counsellor Ruchi Ruuh, and asked her what could happen if someone watches too much porn and how it affects their sex life? "Frequent exposure to porn can heavily shape sexual scripts, creating distorted ideas about what sex should look like, who should initiate it and what is considered desirable or acceptable. What the whole experience does is that it creates unrealistic physical expectations," she explains.

Ruuh points out that the bodies and genitals depicted in porn form an idealised image which leads to dissatisfaction with their own bodies and their partner's natural appearances.

What Is Porn?

Ruuh explains that it is a performance practised by professionals under guidance. It showcases sex as a flawlessly coordinated and intense, act. It is devoid of pressure, emotions and pauses that are very much a part of a real sexual encounter. This is what creates stress when one tries to replicate such acts in real life.

Another problematic aspect is the glorification of kinks. Most Porn has some kind of kink, performed flawlessly with partners completely in sync and enjoying it. "Porn often highlights extreme or niche kinks as commonplace. While this may normalise exploration, it can also lead to people feeling pressured to engage in acts they’re not ready for or genuinely uncomfortable with," she notes.

Real-life communication, consent and vulnerability are often missing in porn, leading viewers to expect sex to be spontaneous and instinctive.

Porn Leads To Unrealistic Expectations In A Relationship

Due to the unrealistic depiction of genitals, like hairless, symmetrical or surgically enhanced body parts, it can lead to criticism of a partner's body. Many also believe that sex should mirror pornographic perfection. It also misunderstands certain that not all acts can bring pleasure to your partner and that there are certain acts where your partner can draw boundaries.

Affecting The Young Minds

DailyMail reports that the UK has the second highest incidence of internet porn searches in the world, with an average of 1,66,00,000 searches each month. A quarter of 16 to 21-year-olds first saw porn on the internet and were still in primary school. By the age of 13, 50% of them have already been exposed to it. As per a 2015 report published in the Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences, in India, 63% of youths in urban areas reported watching porn, with 74% accessing it through their mobile phones. The online erotic comic is also accessed in India.

Ruuh points out that young viewers may think that kinks are common and desired by everyone when it is not actually the case. "They might force, coerce, even shame their partners for being vanilla. Believing that extreme acts, such as BDSM or group sex, are the default rather than exceptions or consensual choices between partners."

There is also an overemphasis on aesthetics, on how the partners look or behave, which may be dissatisfactory in real circumstances. It also creates a perception that sex must escalate or surprise, rather than valuing it as an emotional connection and trust.

"Porn has no real representation of how a relationship dynamic works and how the emotional safety and intimacy ultimately lead to sexual desire. This missing gap makes individuals value the desire for novelty over intimacy which can be detrimental to forming a healthy relationship," says Ruuh.

It also creates anxiety in the bedroom. For instance, your partner may experience performance anxiety for not being "adventurous enough", or body image issues, kink pressure and fear of judgment, which might come from the expectation to perform unrealistic acts.

"Porn often creates a gap between what's fantasy vs the reality. It involves exaggerated scenarios that might seem appealing during solo play for imagination but feel impractical, uncomfortable or even undesirable in real-life settings. This over-reliance on porn’s extreme visuals or specific kinks can create arousal triggers that might not translate into partnered sex, causing frustration or a sense of disconnection. For example, someone might fantasize about certain acts during solo sex, influenced by porn, but find their partner uncomfortable with them. Sex is doing things, two people understanding and pleasing each other accordingly. With Porn, only a one-sided understanding of sex is created, which might make it hard to prioritize shared enjoyment and mutual consent during intimacy," explains Ruuh.

Can It Also Impair People's Communication?

Ruuh says that it could make people feel embarrassed about expressing desires influenced by porn, worrying their partner will find them strange or abnormal. Sometimes, the person also expects their partner to know their kinks, just like what porn shows. Most porn does not show any backstory of how two people or more came to a conclusion on what acts must they perform, this could lead to an unrealistic expectation that your "partner already knows what you want".

"Since porn rarely depicts discussions about emotions, boundaries or consent, viewers may lack the tools and vocabulary to articulate their own needs or respect a partner’s," she says.

So What Does The Porn-Test Scale Do?

Developed by academics from Nottingham Trent University, the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale has questioned hundreds of porn users, of both sexes and led to an 18-point questionnaire which can be carried out at home too.

The test found that men are more likely to score highly in this than women, regardless of their sexual orientation.

The test is developed around the 6 core elements of PPU. These include: salience, which refers to how important pornography is to a person's life; mood modification: how much they use masturbation to porn as a way of making them feel a certain way. Conflict: how much does masturbation to porn impact on the significant others, if it gets in the way of their work or other commitments. Tolerance: is masturbation to porn a necessary requirement to achieve a certain mood; relapse, which refers to attempts to abstain and then return to the problematic behaviour patterns; and lastly withdrawal: unpleasant feelings and emotional states that occur after quitting or attempting to quit porn.

A retracted eardrum, also called tympanic membrane atelectasis, is a condition where the eardrum gets pulled inward toward the middle ear. Normally, the eardrum (or tympanic membrane) acts as a boundary between the outer and middle ear, transmitting sound vibrations to tiny bones that help us hear. But when it collapses inward, that delicate process can be disrupted.

The condition is often silent at first, meaning people may not realize they have it. But in some cases, it can escalate, causing discomfort or even permanent hearing damage.

Spotting the Symptoms

In most cases, a retracted eardrum doesn’t cause any noticeable symptoms. But when the retraction becomes severe enough to affect structures inside the ear, individuals may experience:

• Earache
• Temporary hearing loss
• Fluid discharge from the ear

If left untreated, a chronic retracted eardrum can lead to permanent hearing loss.

Why Does It Happen?

The most common cause of a retracted eardrum is Eustachian tube dysfunction. These narrow tubes connect the middle ear to the back of the nose and help regulate ear pressure.

When they don’t work properly, pressure inside the ear drops, effectively pulling the eardrum inward.

Some common triggers include:

• Recent or recurring ear infections
• Cleft palate
• A poorly healed eardrum after rupture
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids

Upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold

How Doctors Diagnose It

Diagnosis typically begins with a discussion about symptoms and any recent infections. A doctor will then use an otoscope, a tool with a light, to look into the ear canal. This allows them to visually confirm if the eardrum is abnormally positioned or collapsed.

Treatment Options: When to Wait and When to Act

Not all retracted eardrums require immediate treatment. In mild cases, doctors often recommend a “watch and wait” approach, as pressure may normalize naturally over a few months.

For more advanced cases, several interventions are possible:

Decongestants or nasal steroids: These can improve airflow in the ear and relieve pressure.

The Valsalva maneuver: This self-administered technique involves closing your mouth, pinching your nose, and gently blowing as if trying to pop your ears. It should be performed under medical guidance.

If the condition begins to affect hearing or causes persistent pain, surgical options may be considered.

Surgical Interventions

Two common surgical treatments are:

Tube Insertion (Myringotomy):

Often used in children with recurring ear infections, this procedure involves placing small tubes into the eardrum to help ventilate the middle ear.

Tympanoplasty:

In more severe cases, part of the damaged eardrum may be removed and replaced with cartilage from the outer ear. This stiffens the eardrum, preventing future collapses.

What’s the Prognosis?

The outlook largely depends on the severity. Minor retractions usually resolve without intervention and don’t cause long-term damage. However, more serious cases, especially those that persist or press against ear bones, may result in hearing loss and need medical or surgical correction.

Experts recommend seeking medical attention if you notice ear discomfort, hearing changes, or frequent infections. Early diagnosis can prevent long-term issues and protect one of your most important senses, your hearing.

In a surprising discovery that bridges the gap between creepy crawlies and cutting-edge neuroscience, researchers at Virginia Tech have identified unique compounds in millipede secretions that could pave the way for future treatments for pain and neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, depression, and schizophrenia.

Led by chemist Emily Meyers, the research team uncovered naturally occurring alkaloids in the defensive secretions of the Andrognathus corticarius, a species known colloquially as the Hokie millipede. The millipede, which lives under decomposing leaves and branches on the university’s Blacksburg campus, produces a chemical cocktail that not only deters predators but may influence neuroreceptors in the brain.

“These compounds are quite complex, so they’re going to take some time to synthesize in the lab,” said Meyers, who specializes in studying underexplored ecological sources for potential new drugs.

A Hidden Chemical Arsenal

The compounds, dubbed andrognathanols and andrognathines by Meyers’ team, belong to a class of complex alkaloids. They were discovered after researchers collected several millipedes from wooded areas on campus and analyzed the contents of their defensive glands using a suite of chemical tools.

The results were striking: some of these secretions had a disorienting effect on ants, one of the millipede’s presumed predators. But that’s not all, several of the compounds were found to interact with a neuroreceptor known as Sigma-1. This receptor has been linked to multiple brain disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease.

In addition to warding off predators, the researchers discovered that the compounds may also serve a social function, possibly helping millipedes signal their location to family members in leaf-littered environments.

From Defense to Drug Discovery

This study, recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is not Meyers’ first foray into studying arthropod chemistry. She has been collaborating with entomologist Paul Marek, and together, they have previously suggested that the family of alkaloids found in millipede secretions could have significant therapeutic potential.

“Millipedes have been around for hundreds of millions of years. They’ve developed these intricate chemical defense systems, and we’re only beginning to understand their value,” said Meyers.

While the compounds show promise, the next hurdle is a familiar one in drug discovery: scalability. The compounds exist in trace amounts in the wild, and researchers need larger quantities for in-depth testing and potential pharmaceutical development.

The Road Ahead

The team is now exploring partnerships with laboratories that can synthesize the compounds in bulk, which would allow for further testing on their biological activity and medicinal properties. Meyers emphasized that while the research is still in its early stages, the potential applications are broad, from pain management to novel treatments for complex neurological conditions.

“Nature has always been a wellspring of inspiration for medicine,” said Meyers. “And sometimes, the most powerful solutions come from the smallest and most unexpected creatures, like a tiny millipede under a log.”

With this groundbreaking discovery, scientists are reminded once again that the natural world may hold secrets that, once unlocked, could transform human health in unimaginable ways.

When we hit peak COVID, with people being urged to stay at home and only to leave during emergencies, the issue of how we may be able to diagnose people with the virus, while making sure they aren’t contaminated in the process of getting the test, gave the rise to at-home tests While people were questioning how accurate it was, these at home tests prove to be of great health in difficult times. While now that COVID has died down, people are still opting for at-home test, so researchers looked into a new way to diagnose cancer. To be exact, skin cancer.

University of Michigan researchers have developed a new skin patch that could one day allow for easy, at-home testing for melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. The patch, called the ExoPatch, uses a simple test strip with two lines—much like a home COVID-19 test—to give quick results without needing a painful biopsy or blood test. This technology could help people detect melanoma much earlier.

What Is Skin Cancer: Causes & Prevention

Skin cancer is a type of cancer that begins when skin cells grow abnormally. These cells can harm and destroy healthy tissue. Sometimes, they can even spread to other parts of the body.

There are many kinds of skin cancer. The most common types are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. While these are common, they are also highly curable. The most dangerous form is melanoma, which is more likely to spread and is therefore harder to treat.

Causes and Prevention

Most skin cancers are caused by a lot of sun exposure, so they typically appear on parts of your body that get the most sun. You can lower your risk by protecting your skin with clothing or sunscreen. For cancers that appear on parts of the skin not exposed to the sun, the cause is often different. To stay safe, it's important to regularly check your skin for any changes and tell a doctor about anything you notice.

How the ExoPatch Works

The ExoPatch is a small silicone patch with tiny, star-shaped needles. These needles are so small they only go into the very top layer of the skin and don't draw blood, making the process less painful. The needles are coated with a special gel that attracts and collects exosomes, which are tiny packets released by cells. Cancerous cells release specific exosomes that can indicate the presence of a tumor.

After wearing the patch for just 15 minutes, you can remove it and place it in a liquid that dissolves the gel and releases the exosomes. You then dip a test strip into the liquid. If two lines appear, it means melanoma exosomes were found. If only one line appears, the test is negative.

Science Behind the Test

Exosomes were once thought to be cellular waste, but scientists now know they carry information like DNA and RNA and are used by cells to communicate. Cancer cells use exosomes to prepare other tissues for tumors to spread. By detecting these specific cancer exosomes, the ExoPatch could catch cancer earlier than previous methods. In initial tests on mice, the patch was able to successfully tell the difference between healthy skin and melanoma tissue, collecting 11.5 times more cancerous exosomes from the melanoma samples.

The ExoPatch is still in the early stages of development, but the researchers are optimistic about its potential. After further testing on humans, this technology could be modified to detect other cancers with solid tumors, such as lung, breast, colon, and prostate cancer. The team has applied for a patent for the patch, which they believe could have huge applications for at-home disease detection in the future.