(Credit-Canva)
Just how people have pain tolerance and taste tolerance, some might also have different cold tolerance. Feeling usually cold isn't a sickness itself, but it can signal an underlying health issue. It could be related to your thyroid, the part of your brain that controls temperature (hypothalamus), or how your blood flows. Conditions like anemia, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, or anorexia can also cause it.
Cold intolerance means you feel much colder than normal, not just a little chilly. You might complain about being cold when everyone else feels fine, and extra clothes might not help. Sometimes, only certain parts of your body, like your hands, feel very cold.
If you suddenly start feeling unusually cold, and it doesn't go away, see your doctor. They will figure out what's causing it and how to treat it. Here are some reasons why you could be feeling this way.
Your body needs water to stay at the right temperature. If you don't drink enough water, you can feel cold. Water helps your body hold onto heat. If you are dehydrated, you might also feel dizzy, have a dry mouth, and feel tired. To avoid this, drink plenty of water. You can also get water from fruits, vegetables, and soups.
If your blood sugar is too high for a long time, it can hurt the nerves in your hands and feet. This is called peripheral neuropathy. It can make your hands and feet feel numb, painful, and cold. Also, if your blood sugar gets too low, you can feel chills. So, it is important to control your blood sugar. If you have diabetes, see your doctor regularly.
If you are very thin, you might feel cold more easily. This is because your body doesn't have enough fat to keep you warm. Your muscles also help make heat. So, if you have low muscle mass you will also feel colder. If you are underweight, make sure you are eating a healthy diet.
When you don't get enough sleep, it can mess up your body's temperature control. This can make you feel cold. Not sleeping enough can also hurt your metabolism. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Make sure your bedroom is cool and dark. If you still have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor.
When someone has anorexia, they are very afraid of gaining weight. They might eat very little or exercise too much. This makes their body very thin. Because they have very little body fat, they get cold easily. They may also feel sad, have dry skin, and have trouble thinking. If you think someone has this problem, it is very important to seek out professional help.
Your thyroid is a gland that helps control your body's temperature. If your thyroid doesn't make enough hormones, you can feel cold all the time. This is called hypothyroidism. You might also have dry skin, hair loss, and weight gain. If you have these symptoms, see your doctor. They can give you medicine to help your thyroid.
Iron helps your blood carry oxygen. Oxygen helps your body make heat. If you don't have enough iron, you can feel cold. You might also have pale skin, brittle nails, and trouble concentrating. To get more iron, eat foods like beans, chicken, and fish. Your doctor can also give you iron pills.
Credits: Canva
Venting when angry may feel cathartic, but a meta-analysis suggests it might do more harm than good. According to a 2024 study published in Clinical Psychology Review, researchers at Ohio State University analyzed data from 154 studies involving over 10,000 participants and found that venting rarely helps and may, in fact, intensify anger.
“I think it’s really important to bust the myth that if you’re angry you should blow off steam – get it off your chest,” said senior author Brad Bushman, a communication scientist, in a statement. “Venting anger might sound like a good idea, but there’s not a shred of scientific evidence to support catharsis theory.”
To dig deeper, we spoke to Dr Sumalatha Vasudeva, psychologist at Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Kengeri in
Bengaluru, India. She explains, "There’s a strong belief that venting—shouting, hitting objects, or going to a rage room—helps release anger. This idea, often referred to as catharsis, is deeply rooted in early psychological theory and pop culture."
However, she further adds, "While it feels intuitive, aggressive venting can sometimes amplify anger by increasing physiological arousal and reinforcing aggressive neural patterns. You're addressing the response, not the root cause, which makes the behavior more likely to repeat."
The popular “pressure cooker” analogy, which compares venting to releasing steam to prevent emotional explosion, may be outdated. According to the study, activities that increase physical arousal—such as yelling, punching pillows, or even exercising—can heighten physiological responses, which may worsen anger rather than reduce it.
"Not all expressions lead to healing. Aggressive venting provides temporary relief but not true emotional release. Real healing involves working with the root cause of the anger—not just letting off steam," explains Dr Vasudeva. She also notes that true healing often comes from somatic awareness, breathwork, mindfulness, or energetic practices like Reiki. These help us soothe, witness, and integrate anger instead of acting it out.
“To reduce anger, it is better to engage in activities that decrease arousal levels,” Bushman explained. “Despite what popular wisdom may suggest, even going for a run is not an effective strategy because it increases arousal levels and ends up being counterproductive.”
While expressing emotions is important, the line between healthy reflection and toxic rumination is thin. The study found that what often passes as "venting" becomes repetitive mental replaying of upsetting events, which only deepens the emotional distress. However, it is true that we do feel better after we went, why is that? To this, Dr Vasudeva has an answer, "People often feel better after venting because they believe their emotional needs have been met. But this sense of control is temporary—a surface-level discharge, not a deep emotional resolution."
The idea for the review was also sparked by the growing popularity of rage rooms—commercial spaces where people pay to smash objects as a form of release.
First author Sophie Kjærvik, a communication scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University, said, “I wanted to debunk the whole theory of expressing anger as a way of coping with it. We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important.”
The research draws from the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory, which explains emotions as a mix of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. While cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often used to address the thinking side of anger, this study emphasized the importance of physical calm as well.
The most effective anger-reducing strategies included:
“It was really interesting to see that progressive muscle relaxation and just relaxation in general might be as effective as approaches such as mindfulness and meditation,” said Kjærvik.
Even yoga, which can be moderately arousing, proved useful due to its focus on breath control and bodily awareness. Fun-based physical activity like ball sports, which involve play rather than intense exertion, also helped by lowering physiological arousal.
Dr Vasudeva also seconds this and says, "Mindfulness and breathwork activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the 'rest and digest' state—which promotes emotional balance, clarity, and the ability to respond constructively."
So why do people feel better after venting? According to Bushman, it’s likely due to a false sense of emotional relief. “Any good feeling we get from venting actually reinforces aggression,” he said. The short-term high may trick people into believing venting works, even as their anger worsens beneath the surface.
The researchers emphasized that effective anger management doesn't require therapy sessions or expensive tools. “You don’t need to necessarily book an appointment with a cognitive behavioral therapist to deal with anger,” Kjærvik said. “You can download an app for free on your phone, or you can find a YouTube video if you need guidance.”
(Credit-Canva)
Heart health or cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality in the world. In 2019, 17.9 million people died due to cardiovascular diseases with 85% of these deaths attributed to heart attacks and strokes. There are many types of cardiovascular diseases, many of which are chronic diseases. While the numbers of death due to heart attacks may seem high, new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows these numbers have actually decreased. However, while these numbers went down, chronic diseases have seen a rise.
To understand how heart disease deaths have changed, researchers looked at national data from 1970 to 2022, focusing on adults aged 25 and older. Heart disease covers many different heart problems. Even though heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. (responsible for 24% of all deaths in 2022), the total number of deaths from heart disease actually went down by 66%.
Deaths from ischemic heart disease (the most common type, caused by blocked arteries) dropped significantly, from 91% to 53% of all heart disease deaths. Deaths from heart attacks (often the first sign of ischemic heart disease) fell by a huge 89%, making up less than a third of all heart disease deaths in 2022. But the study also found a big increase in other heart conditions, which now account for nearly half of all heart disease deaths. The three conditions that rose the most were:
Deaths from this condition, caused by long-term high blood pressure, went up by 106%. It now makes up 13% of all heart-related deaths.
Deaths from this condition, where the heart can't pump enough blood over time, rose by 146%. It now accounts for 12% of all heart-related deaths.
Deaths from arrhythmias, where the heart beats too fast, too slow, or unevenly, soared by 450%. They now make up 4% of all heart-related deaths.
One of the study's authors mentioned that while these trends are "quite clear," some changes in how deaths were categorized might have caused small inaccuracies. Also, the study didn't fully consider how other health problems or things like race might have affected the results. For example, some heart problems might have been underestimated if they stemmed from ischemic heart disease.
Despite these minor points, experts agree the study provides "valuable insights" and is a "well-designed, large-scale study" using over 50 years of data.
Experts believe the drop in some heart disease deaths is due to better ways to diagnose problems and improved care. This includes new medicines and procedures that help restore blood flow to the heart.
However, many people who survive a heart attack go on to develop other heart conditions like heart failure or arrhythmias. When you combine this with a growing older population and rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, it creates "the perfect storm for chronic cardiac disease." This new "wave of chronic heart disease deaths" mainly affects older adults and those with several health issues.
To keep your heart healthy, focus on a few key areas: know your numbers by tracking your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight, as early detection of issues is vital. Stay active with at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly; even walking can significantly improve heart function. Eat a nutritious diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, following heart-healthy guidelines. Avoid smoking or seek help to quit, as it's a primary cause of heart disease. Finally, manage stress and get enough sleep, as these often-overlooked factors are crucial for reducing your heart risk.
(Credit-Canva)
For many health-conscious people, sugar is the biggest health mistake they can make. Having earned a bad reputation, many people avoid sugary foods and opt for sweet fruit drinks instead. However, these juices and sugary drinks may be worse for your health than sweet desserts are. New research suggests that how you get your sugar might be just as important as how much you have.
A new study published in the journal Advances in Nutrition, indicates that drinking sugary beverages like soda may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes more than eating sugary foods such as cookies and cakes.
Experts say this research is important because it shows the way sugar is consumed really matters. Instead of just saying "cut all sugar," we now have strong proof that where the sugar comes from, its form, and what it's eaten with are key to your health risk.
The study found that at how different types of sugar affect health, researchers reviewed the habits of over 500,000 people. Their main finding was surprising: sugar from solid foods wasn't linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, but sugar from drinks was.
Specifically, for every extra 12-ounce sugary drink you had daily, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes went up by 25%. Even fruit juice had an effect, with an extra 8-ounce serving raising the risk by 5%.
Interestingly, sugar from food not only didn't connect to diabetes risk, but in some cases, it seemed to offer some protection. Having a small amount of table sugar or total sugar (including natural sugar) daily was actually linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
These findings together show that "not all sugars are the same."
It's important to remember that this study only shows a connection between sugary drinks and type 2 diabetes, not that they directly cause it. While most studies considered things like body weight and smoking, other lifestyle habits could still play a role. For example, people who drink a lot of these beverages might also be less active, which can affect diabetes risk. Still, experts say the study is very thorough.
Sugary drinks might be more harmful because they don't have the fiber, protein, or fat that typically slow down digestion in solid foods.
This means liquid sugar gets into your bloodstream very quickly. This causes a sudden jump in blood sugar and insulin levels, and your brain doesn't get the signal that you're full. This fast intake can also make it hard for your liver to process the sugar, especially the fructose part.
In large amounts, fructose turns into fat in your liver. This buildup of fat is linked to metabolic problems that lead to type 2 diabetes. Other things in sugary drinks, like chemical additives and artificial colors, can also mess with your body's balance. Basically, sugary drinks like sports drinks, sodas, and cocktails are generally "bad for your health and should be had with care—or ideally, not at all."
Sugary drinks can feel addictive. If you find yourself hooked, try to slowly reduce how much you drink, just like you would with alcohol or tobacco. It helps to plan ahead for when you usually crave a soda.
You can start by mixing plain sparkling water with an equal amount of fruit juice or soda. Then, week by week, slowly reduce the amount of the sugary drink until you're mostly just drinking sparkling water. If it helps, add a little lemon or lime juice for flavor. Make this your new habit.
© 2024 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited