When you’re a university student you’ll do anything to avoid having a hangover.
Uni is known for its excessive drinking culture with most parties and events involving alcohol. Sure drinking is fun, but who really wants to be severely hungover the next day?
Well, this generation of students might have found a way to hack the drinking life: BORGs. Yes I know it sounds like an alien species but it in fact stands for “blackout rage gallon,” and it’s become the drink of choice for many US students.
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The hashtag ‘borg’ currently has 73.3 million views on TikTok, so clearly it’s popular.
“It’s essentially a hack to drink a bunch, have a crazy night, and not feel terrible the next day,” user @justaddbuoy says.
The drink is made with half water, half vodka, a caffeinated flavour preservative and powdered electrolytes. God knows if it tastes any good, but the students on TikTok say it works like a charm.
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TikTok user Erin Monroe who is credentialed in substance use prevention says she likes the borg.
“You get to decide what goes in here, you get complete control over this and that means even if you don’t want to put liquor in, you don’t have to,” she says.
She also notes that it’s in a closed bottle so it limits the risk of someone spiking your drink.
Not everyone is a fan of the borg though. One user commented on cooky_colin’s video saying “so it’s watered down vodka? why not just put the water flavoring in the vodka and just drink that.”
Another user shared the same concerns “liquid to alcohol ratio is very low tho, it’s like drinking beer.” One user worried about the temperature of the drink said, “it would be warm by the end of the night.”
Though the aim is to reduce the negative effects of heavy drinking David Jernigan, a professor in the department of health law, policy, and management at Boston University, told Boston 25 News, drinking borgs wont “meaningfully reduce the risks of drinking.”
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“There’s still a dangerous drug in that drink. It’s called alcohol,” he adds.
Most of us are aware that certain habits are flat-out terrible for our hearts. Smoking? Forget about it. A sedentary lifestyle — yep, that will eventually get you.
But with diet culture still running rampant, the foods that are “good” and “bad” can feel a bit murkier. The keto diet, for example, encourages piling on the bacon. And while it may help you lose weight, something about chomping on bacon every day feels — not great.
While none of these foods will kill you if eaten once in a while, cardiologists say these are the foods they never, or very rarely, eat.
Chopped liver
Some of us wrinkle our noses at the thought of eating chopped liver, while others absolutely love it. If you fall into the former category, you’re in luck. Dr. Eleanor Levin, a cardiologist at Stanford University, says she never eats liver.
“Liver is a red meat that’s extremely high in fat,” Levin said. “In general, I avoid red meat because it’s very high in saturated fat and trans fats, and in addition to being bad for the heart, saturated fat can provoke osteoporosis. Liver is especially bad because it’s also the organ that filters out toxins, so any toxins are typically just sitting there. I used to eat chopped liver when I was a kid, but I haven’t since I became a cardiologist.”
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Breakfast sausages
Sad, but true: Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist based in Minneapolis, said she avoids breakfast sausages at all costs.
“These are high in sodium (promoting higher blood pressure) and a rich source of saturated fats, which raise cholesterol readings,” Klodas said. “Plus, because we only have so much room in our stomachs, foods like breakfast sausages can displace other items that might be more health-promoting.”
Klodas noted that all processed meats, including sausages, ham and bacon, have been classified as carcinogens by the World Health Organisation.
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Neither the bacon nor sausage in your breakfast sandwich are a good idea, especially first thing in the morning when your stomach is empty.
Margarine
If you’re still eating fake butter, it’s time to stop, because margarine is just flat-out bad for you.
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“Margarine seems like a great idea in theory, but it turns out to be just as bad as butter,” said Dr. Harmony Reynold, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health. “A study found that with each tablespoon of margarine per day, people were 6% more likely to die over the median 16 years of the study. Olive oil is better, and each tablespoon of olive oil was associated with a 4% lower risk of death. With that in mind, I tell my patients to use olive oil whenever possible, even for cooking eggs, or toast. When nothing but the taste of butter will do, it’s still better to use mostly olive oil with a skinny pat of butter for flavour.”
Steak
Sorry, steak lovers, but this is another food you should probably avoid most of the time.
“I avoid really fatty red meat, like highly marbleised steak, because it’s very high in saturated fat,” Dr. Leonard Lilly, the chief of cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, said. “Clinical studies have shown that saturated fat consumption is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.”
Lilly noted that most people can get away with eating small amounts of almost anything on rare occasions, so he’s guilty of the occasional steak.
Bacon
You were waiting for this one, right? Dr. Francoise Marvel, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University, said she typically avoids this salty, delicious breakfast delicacy.
“Bacon is an example of highly processed red meat that is high in saturated fat and increases the bad cholesterol — called low-density lipoprotein LDL — which is linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke,” Marvel said. “The way bacon is processed is through ‘curing’ the pork, which usually involves adding salts, sugars and nitrates. The large amounts of salt (or sodium) used in this processing may increase blood pressure and fluid retention, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body. Increased blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease as well.”
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Chemicals added to the meat, like nitrates, have been linked to cancer and other health problems, Marvel added.
“It should be noted there is a varying amount of processing and ingredients used by different bacon manufacturers,” Marvel said. “But overall, to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems, limiting the intake of processed red meat like bacon is beneficial.”
Next time you order breakfast, Marvel suggests swapping two slices of bacon for two slices of avocado. Your heart will thank you.
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Heaven on your taste buds, hell on your heart’s health.
Deep-fried chicken
Fried chicken may be a trendy menu item these days, but it isn’t great for your heart.
“The one food that I rarely eat is deep-fried chicken,” said Dr. Sanjay Maniar, a cardiologist based in Houston. “Regularly eating fried foods will increase your risk of heart disease and stroke by increasing the amount of saturated and trans fats in the body.”
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These unhealthy fats can raise LDL (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels, which serve as the building blocks for fatty buildup (atherosclerosis) in the blood vessels of the body, Maniar said.
“You can get great flavour by adding fresh herbs and grilling or baking chicken rather than deep frying it,” Maniar said. “You’ll keep the taste, but save the calories.”
Doughnuts
Many doughnuts are fried in oils that contain trans fats, which makes them hard on your heart, according toDr. Jayne Morgan,a cardiologist based in Atlanta.
“Trans fats raise cholesterol levels and blood sugar, contributing to Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke,” Morgan said. “Trans fats are often ‘disguised’ on labels as partially hydrogenated oils, so read your labels and avoid them.”
Still, not all doughnuts are fried in oils that contain trans fats. Dunkin’, for example, fries its doughnuts in palm oil, which is free of trans-fat. Palm oil does contain saturated fat, which isn’t great for your heart when consumed in excess — so make sure you’re eating doughnuts in moderation.
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Processed ham
Maybe the last time you ate bologna was when you were in school, or maybe it’s still part of your diet. In any case, it’s probably best to skip it, according to Dr. James Udelson, chief of cardiology at Tufts Medical Center.
“In some ways, bologna is a symbol in that it incorporates many things that should generally be avoided, including highly processed meats, which are very high in salt content and associated with risk of cardiovascular disease down the line,” Udelson said. “It is important to note that the key to dietary heart health is following the American Heart Association’s recommended Mediterranean-style diet, which is high in vegetables, whole grains, fish and some lean meats, nuts and legumes.
If you eat any of these foods once in a while, you’ll be fine. After all, who can pass up the occasional slice of bacon and a fresh doughnut? But do as these cardiologists suggest — avoid them when you can.
Former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona has revealed how often she washes her bed sheets and it’s safe to say that people have mixed opinions. The mother of five wrote in her weekly OK! column that changing the sheets too often is a “hassle.”
“I live in a big house with a lot of kids [five], so it’s a hassle. I probably change my sheets every fortnight,” Katona says.
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This is perfectly normal for some, whilst other people think you should clean your bed sheets more often.
But what’s the expert opinion on the matter?
How often should we change our sheets?
“Ideally, you should be washing your bed sheets every single week. Every night, the average person sweats at least 200ml of liquid, which naturally seeps through to your duvet,” Martin Seeley, the CEO and sleep expert at MattressNextDay says.
Other studies show that the average bedding has around 20,000 dust mites which can trigger anyone who suffers from allergies, causing them to have a runny nose or congestion.
80% of dust mites are made up of your dead skin, which you naturally produce more of overnight, so ideally you should be washing your bedding at least once a week.
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“However, if you tend to get night sweats or get hot flushes, you should wash your bed sheets even more often,” Seeley explains. “If your bedding feels damp or ‘clammy’ in the morning, you should strip them and wash them straight away.”
Seeley adds: “In addition, some medical conditions require that your bed is as clean as it can be with no bacteria or dust to trigger allergies.”
“Suppose you suffer from a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, or a respiratory condition like asthma. In that case, it may be aggravated by dust mites or bacteria built up in a dirty bed. Therefore, you should wash your sheets as often as possible.”
How should you be cleaning your bedding?
Seeley recommends washing your bedding at 60 degrees temperature for killing germs. But he adds that “you will however need to combine this wash with a good detergent to protect your bedding and keep it extra soft.”
“When possible, you should always air dry your sheets, too. Not only does using a tumble dryer make your bedding more wrinkly, but as one the most energy-intensive appliances in your home, the costliest dryer can cost Brits £175 per year.”
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Try to hang your sheets outside, this can allow the creases to naturally fall out. “Plus the ultraviolet rays of the sunlight will remove any bacteria and bleach your sheets, which is extra beneficial for those with white sheets,” Seeley explains.
You should also let your mattress air out for at least 30 minutes in the morning before making your bed.
The expert adds: “This is because dust mites tend to thrive in warmer environments, therefore, letting your mattress air allows it to cool down, decreasing the number of dust mites it attracts.”
Unplugged is the UK’s original ‘off grid cabin’ escape which invites anyone who is a self-proclaimed busy body the ultimate break to switch off by embracing a ‘digital detox’ to help improve their overall well-being.
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Let’s be honest, most of us are constantly connected, if not glued to digital devices, inundated with notifications, and stuck in the trend of being fashionably ‘busy’ all the time.
It’s ideal for people who are constant busybodies, workers, parents, and couples. Whilst at Unplugged, visitors will spend 72 hours without any screen time. Within that time, guests will reap the benefits of a true digital detox by improving problems associated with high screen time, such as brain fog, poor sleep quality and anxiety.
Cabin at Unplugged
On arrival, guests will be asked to lock their digital devices, including mobile phones, in a lockbox for three days. These are then swapped for an old-school Nokia mobile (Snake included), a physical map to explore the scenic surroundings, and an instant camera with film.
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Also within the cabins include; books, board games, and a functioning kitchen for cooking and dining with no WIFI available.
“What happens when you remove all distractions from the equation and truly switch off and relax? The result: a recharged mind, a clearer perspective, and a sense of calm that has been missing,” co-founder Hector Hughes says.
“50% of the adult UK population spend 11 hours a day behind the screen so we’re offering them a truly unique opportunity to spend less time distracted by their devices and give them the time to think, create & achieve.”
Unplugged currently have sixteen beautiful cabins around London and Manchester, with plans confirmed to expand this number to 50 in other UK locations by the end of 2023.
Can you give up all things digital for three days? You can book your digital detox here.
People with anxiety tend to have persistent fear and worry about everyday situations. In most cases, these feelings are unwarranted — the result of considering “what ifs” that are unlikely to happen.
However, for those with anxiety, these concerns are very real and can be extremely distressing.
When someone comes to you with a worry they have, it’s important to know how to respond. But unfortunately, not many people know what to say in these situations, and they end up being unintentionally impolite.
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“People say rude things to those with anxiety because they simply do not understand it, and society has not learned how to properly handle these conversations,” said Kelly McKenna, a licenced clinical social worker and anxiety expert.
“It might also make you feel uncomfortable when someone else shares their emotions and vulnerabilities with you, which could lead to comments that come off rudely.”
HuffPost spoke with a few therapists and mental health professionals to get insight on the impolite things you can tell someone with anxiety and why they aren’t helpful.
‘It’s All In Your Head – Stop Worrying So Much.’
Trust us when we say that the person with anxiety knows that it is in their head ― that’s one of the hardest parts. And those with anxiety can’t simply stop worrying so much. It’s not like they can flip a switch to make their anxiety magically disappear. If it was that easy, people wouldn’t feel so anxious all of the time.
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“Although one might say this to help ease someone’s anxiety about a situation, it’s actually very dismissive and invalidating,” said Dr. Kristin Gill, a psychiatrist and the chief medical officer at Minded, an online psychiatry company designed for women. “It can come across like something is ‘wrong’ with the person experiencing anxiety and may cause more frustration.”
‘Calm Down’
Anyone with anxiety can tell you that they’ve been told to “calm down” before. (Trust us: If we could, we would.)
This kind of comment can be extremely invalidating, especially in moments of distress.
“It’s dismissive and communicates to the person experiencing anxiety that they are too much and are probably irritating whoever is saying this,” said Crystal Britt, a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of Get Psyched Therapy & Coaching. “Anxious people typically already feel like they’re burdening people, so this one just drives the point home.”
‘At Least You Don’t Have It As Bad As…’
You may be familiar with the saying “comparison is the root of all evil,” and a similar idea applies when talking about anxiety. While someone may not have the same set of issues as a friend or family member, that doesn’t make their problems any less valid — they are just different.
“Comparison to a perceived worse lived experience can belittle the emotional experience of the person you’re supporting,” said Leia Charnin, a licenced psychologist in North Carolina. “When comparisons like this are received, the listener may feel ashamed that they feel anxious. Thus, this feedback can make the receiver feel worse.”
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Phrases like “calm down” and “just power through it” dismiss what someone with anxiety is going through.
‘Just Power Through It’
It can take a lot of courage to be vulnerable about anxiety with another person, and being met with this phrase can minimize what someone is actually going through.
“It’s not always possible to ‘power through it,’” Gill said. “Someone with a clinical anxiety disorder might not be able to get over it with the snap of a finger. They need support and encouragement to work through their anxiety and make steps towards progress.”
‘You Just Need To Sleep/Exercise/Pray More’
It’s true that sleeping and exercising may help improve symptoms associated with anxiety. However, when someone comes to you expressing concern and worry, this is one of the last things they want to hear.
“Listen, if one simple tweak in our day could fix our anxiety, we would have already done it,” Britt said. “This statement feels like a trump card, communicating that you’re done having a conversation about this. Mental health issues rarely have simple solutions.”
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‘It’s Not A Big Deal’
While it may not seem like a big deal to you, the person feeling anxious would highly disagree. That’s one of the most challenging aspects about having anxiety — everything seems worrisome.
“‘It’s not that big of a deal’ is a form of emotional bypassing. While factually this response may make sense to the speaker, the receiver may feel ignored, misunderstood and even more alone,” Charnin said. “This type of message can unintentionally ignore what is important at that moment to the person with whom you’re speaking.”
The common cold can be pretty uncomfortable. If you have one, you are likely experiencing a combo of miserable symptoms like a sore throat, stuffy nose and body aches that can feel like they go on forever.
Although many of us managed to avoid some rough bugs in the last few years due to restrictions like masking and social distancing, that is no longer the case. More and more people are getting sick with non-COVID illnesses that sometimes stretch on for weeks.
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“Colds usually last three to ten days, but in some instances, you may be experiencing symptoms for three to four weeks,” said Dr. R. Peter Manes, an otolaryngologist atYale Medicine.
While it is totally normal for a cold to hang on longer than two weeks, there are some things you should be aware of to make sure the prolonged symptoms aren’t a sign of something more serious. Here’s what to know if your sickness just won’t go away:
First, test to make sure your cold is not a sign of another illness
“COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) all spread in similar ways and have symptoms that overlap with those of the common cold,” said Dr.John Swartzberg, a clinical professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health.
By the time people reach their teen years, they have a sense of what a typical cold feels like, Manes said. However, the symptoms can be conflated with other illnesses like COVID. It’s always best to test to see what you’ve got.
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While most people are familiar with at-home COVID tests, there’s also an option to requestat-home kits where you send your sample off to a lab to test for the flu and RSV along with COVID-19. You can also visit your doctor, who can run the tests for you.
Pay attention to your symptoms
If you’ve ruled out other infections but your symptoms are progressively getting worse, this could be unrelated to your cold, experts said.
For instance, symptoms like prolonged shortness of breath, wheezing or chest pain are not associated with a cold. “These could be a sign of an asthma attack, pneumonia, or in the case of chest pain, even a heart attack,” Manes said. If you have any of these signs, it is important to not dismiss them and to get medical attention immediately.
Even though the common cold is caused by viruses, another possibility is that you could be having a bacterial infection ― like pneumonia or sinusitis ― following your viral infection as the body can be transiently weakened by a cold, said Dr. Marwan Azar, an infectious diseases physician at Yale Medicine.
Individuals who are immunocompromised are likely to be predisposed to a secondary bacterial infection after going through a cold. See a physician if you have any associated symptoms of a bacterial infection, such as a cough with thick phlegm, significant facial pain or swelling, Azar recommended.
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Pay attention to your symptoms and how they progress when you’re sick.
A long cold could be because of lingering inflammation
“If you have ongoing cold symptoms, such as a recurring cough or an irritated throat for longer than two weeks, it’s generally not because of a persistent infection but due to consequences of lingering inflammation from a cleared infection, specifically postnasal drip,” Azar said.
Postnasal drip occurs when your body produces mucus in the nasal and sinus cavities during a head cold and it drips down the back of your throat, leading to a tickle that prompts coughing. It takes time for your immune system to flush out all the mucus, so you may experience lasting congestion for a couple of days or even a week after the virus is no longer in your system.
This can get worse at night as the mucus can drip down more easily in a horizontal position, Azar said.
You also may not be giving yourself enough time to recover
Your symptoms may not go away if you’re not giving them a chance to resolve. Adhering to your normal, busy schedule ― one filled with long work hours, housework, exercise or social activities ― can prolong your symptoms. Make sure you’re adequately resting, hydrating, getting enough sleep and more.
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If that’s a struggle for you, find one thing you can cross off your to-do list, like nixing your weekly workouts or forgoing a few chores for an extra hour of sleep. You can also try over-the-counter medications to help abate your symptoms so you can give yourself the best chance to recover.
See your doctor ASAP if you’re still not improving
If you’re treating your cold properly and your symptoms haven’t improved after three weeks, see a doctor.
Symptoms like wheezing with shortness of breath, lingering high fever, severe sore throat, and a cough that brings up considerable mucus, can be a sign of something serious if experienced for an extended period of time, so it’s important to get medical attention, Swartzberg said.
Your physician will be able to order tests for other illnesses (if you haven’t tested already) and conduct a physical exam to understand the severity of your symptoms. If left untreated, your symptoms can cause further complications and infection, so you’ll want to have it checked out.
Recently I’ve been pondering how our mind’s expectations often block us from experiencing more richness and possibility. Even when we set goals and invite new desires, we can easily stop ourselves from taking accessible actions to advance. This month I ran into my own personal example of this phenomenon.
One aspirational goal that I set months ago was to eventually do an hour-long group training session at my gym called UltraFit. That class looked intimidating from the online videos I’d seen of it. You can see the description on the UltraFit web page if you’re curious, with lines like “Our most intense workout yet. Get ready to challenge your mental and physical limits.”
Here’s a 2-minute video preview of UltraFit:
The video includes such inviting phrases as:
“We created UltraFit to serve our high-intensity fitness fanatics.”
“UltraFit is advanced. It is no joke.”
“helps our competitive athletes stay in peak physical condition”
“We help them get through the hard work, the type of training that people don’t want to do on their own.”
Am I competitive athlete? No. But I loved the idea of building up enough fitness to handle this class – eventually. 😅
I’ve been doing GTX group training sessions with a few different trainers at this gym since Summer 2022, with some breaks for injury, illness, and travel. GTX stands for Group Training eXperience. Doing a 6am workout with other early risers who are into fitness is such a beautiful way to get my day started. I love the social aspect of working out with trainers and trainees in small groups.
GTX can be challenging, especially the Zone 4 sessions (higher heart rate exercises). UltraFit seemed pretty next-level relative to the GTX sessions though.
After some remodeling that our gym did in December, the UltraFit class which used to be on the third floor was moved down to the second floor – the floor where I normally do GTX sessions and also train on my own. Now the GTX and UltraFit sessions both use the same training area in the center of the second floor, so it’s much easier to observe.
Last Thursday morning when I was starting a cardio session on my own, I noticed that an UltraFit session was going to begin soon. I hopped on a treadmill close enough to observe. It seemed like a great opportunity to at least watch part of it, so I could form a clearer vision of what I might eventually build towards.
I was captivated from the start and ended up staying on that treadmill for 92 minutes, so I could watch the whole hour-long session. There were around seven people doing the training together.
I was using my Beats Fit Pro headphones to listen to an audiobook, but instead of only using noise cancelling mode, I sometimes switched to transparency mode. Transparency mode acts like a hearing aid, so it amplifies nearby sounds. This let me hear the trainer’s words more clearly, which gave me more insights into the training session.
By the end of it, I was thinking, that actually looks doable. I could surely do the first 45 minutes at least. The last 15 minutes looked tough, but I felt I could handle that too, although it was sure to get my heart rate pretty high. It wasn’t as intimidating in-person as it looked from the video, and the people actually doing the training didn’t look like the super fit athletes in the video either. They were generally fit, but not THAT fit.
I recognized a few of my fellow GTX trainees in UltraFit too, and I thought that if they could do it, so could I.
So I boldly signed up for the following week’s class. After I described what I saw and encouraged her to join me, Rachelle opted to try it with me too. We normally do the GTX sessions together – often enough that if we don’t show up together, the trainer will invariably ask us where the other one is.
We went to our first UltraFit session this morning at 6am.
The format was similar to the session I observed in its overall structure but with different exercises. It was challenging but doable, just as I thought. I couldn’t do all the moves perfectly – far from it – but I did my best. My heart rate peaked at 185 bpm, which is about as high as I’m physically capable of, so it really did push me to my limit in that regard.
In terms of intensity, it’s probably comparable to a Zone 4 GTX workout, which we just did yesterday. But whereas GTX has a more even, wave-like distribution of intensity, UltraFit starts fairly out mild and gradually builds to a peak of intensity over the course of the hour.
Each time we’d get on the treadmill, we’d sprint faster than before but for shorter durations, with sprinting rounds being 2 minutes, then 1 minute, then 45 seconds, 30 seconds, and the last couple of rounds being 15 seconds all out.
The hardest part was returning to the floor to do more high intensity exercises while still trying to catch my breath after sprinting fast at the end. The class had this flow of building up fatigue with round after round of sprinting and core exercises, and then you have to do more physical challenges while you’re already tired, and near the end, also breathless.
I liked the experience, which gave me a delightful sense of accomplishment afterwards, and Rachelle and I chatted with the instructor for a while afterwards. I’m sure I’ll do it again, maybe even next week. I like how it challenges me in different ways than the GTX sessions.
I wasn’t thinking that I’d accomplish my stretch goal of successfully completing an UltraFit class this soon. I figured it was still many months away. I’m glad I got the chance to visually audit the class first, which helped me picture myself just going for it.
This was a good reminder that our limits tend to be more mental than physical or financial. It’s amazing how our expectations can block us from opportunities and experiences that are more accessible than we realize.
What got me around that block in this case was exercising my curiosity to watch a class without having to commit to it. I leaned in to probe the goal a bit more, and that helped to crack my self-limiting thoughts about it.
That said, I might be pretty sore tomorrow unless my mind can find a way around that expectation too. 😉
The invitation for you is to consider how you might be blocking a seemingly distant stretch goal or desire due to your expectations regarding how you think it’s likely to show up. Are you piling on unnecessary prerequisites? How could you lean in with some noncommittal curiosity?
These expectation traps can be hard to spot within ourselves. One way to spot them is to ask where you wouldn’t feel that you belong. What experiences are other people having that you don’t feel ready for yet?
I had previously felt that I had to do a lot more training to earn the right to claim a spot in an UltraFit session. If I showed up before then, I’d surely be an impostor, right? I imagined a group of people like the ones in the video taking one look at me and saying, “Are you lost?” And that turned out to be pure fiction.
This morning I replaced the old frame with a new frame based on actual truth, including a fabulous UltraFit trainer named Gina encouraging Rachelle and me to come back for more. That feels like a lovely little graduation to have gone through – not physically as I had assumed would be necessary, but mentally and emotionally in terms of giving myself permission to access new experiences that were genuinely accessible.
I really think that LifeTime Athletic ought to consider replacing that video though. 🤣
Basically, anywhere on your body can sometimes feel itchy, but some places are a little more unsettling than others.
If you’ve ever experienced itchiness, or irritation on your breasts or even your nipples, you know the frustration of needing to scratch a place you can’t easily access in public. Unfortunately, there are various reasons and treatments for itchy breasts, so it might take time to figure out the issue.
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But that doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless. Below, dermatologists break down the potential causes and offer advice for itchy breasts.
Eczema is a common reason.
“Eczema of the breast is a common cause of itchy breasts and nipples,” said Dr. Azadeh Shirazi, a dermatologist based in La Jolla, California. “The tissue and skin is more sensitive and more prone to irritation.”
The most common form of eczema is atopic dermatitis, which typically manifests as itchy, dry, irritated skin around creases like the backs of the knees and elbows. It can, however, occur on the breasts and nipples as well. There’s also contact eczema, or contact dermatitis, a similar itchy flare-up that stems from contact with an irritant.
“Itchy breasts or nipples can be caused by an irritant dermatitis, such as excessive rubbing or chafing on harsh fabrics,” said Dr. Lauren Penzi, a New York-based dermatologist. “It can be caused by a true allergic contact dermatitis to certain ingredients in soaps, fabrics, laundry detergent, etc.”
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She pointed to a study that found Cl+Me-isothiazolinone, cobalt chloride, thimerosal, nickel sulfate, and 4-tert-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin were common causes of nipple eczema. These ingredients are sometimes used in clothing, cleaning products, cosmetics and other personal care items.
“For those who may be experiencing a sensitivity to something they are coming into contact with ― which can be a new detergent, a new bra or undergarment, a new soap or clothing ― it can help to avoid fragrance or certain ingredients that can be irritating on the skin,” said New York City dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick.
She recommended sensitive skin-friendly detergents like All Free and Clear and skincare brands like Vanicream, which offers products free of fragrances, dyes, lanolin, parabens and formaldehyde. Also, be mindful of the synthetic fabrics and dyes in the clothing you buy.
“I recommend washing new undergarments before wearing them as many manufacturers use chemicals that leach out onto the skin, causing itching and rashes,” Shirazi said.
Sakan Piriyapongsak / EyeEm via Getty Images
Itchy breasts and nipples can be signs of a variety of medical conditions.
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The issue can also be a result of body and skin changes.
“Itchy breasts are often caused by dry skin, breast growth ― due to pregnancy, puberty or weight gain, for example, ― hormonal changes, mastitis, yeast infection and breastfeeding,” said Dr. Hadley King, a dermatologist in New York City. “Nipples often get dried out and irritated from breastfeeding.”
Be mindful of irritation from friction or rubbing, as this can also lead to itchiness. Sometimes, itchy breasts may also have to do with seasonal changes, especially in the colder months.
“Extreme temperatures like a really hot shower or cool, dry weather can all lead to skin irritation, itching, and inflammation,” Shirazi noted. “The breasts and nipples are often forgotten, and we tend to skip moisturising this delicate area.”
Garshick also encouraged moisturising year-round, especially when your skin feels dry and inflamed.
“In these cases, using a moisturising cream or ointment can be helpful to nourish the skin as well to provide a protective barrier to keep moisture in and minimise potential friction and external irritation,” she said. “Thick creams such as Cerave moisturising cream or Vaseline Healing ointment work well for this.”
In rare cases, itchy breasts may indicate something more serious.
“There is a rare but important entity called Paget’s disease of the breast that can present like an eczema of the nipple,” Penzi said. “It usually presents as persistent scaling, eczematous, or ulcerated lesion involving the nipple-areolar complex.”
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Paget’s disease typically only affects one nipple, so pay attention if you notice irritation on only one side.
“Itching and rashes can be a sign of Paget’s disease of the breast linked to underlying breast cancer where cancer cells from an existing breast tumour travel through the milk ducts to the nipple and areola,” Shirazi echoed.
Inflammatory breast cancer is another rare diagnosis that can sometimes lead to itchiness. Other symptoms may include swelling, discolouration, tenderness and other rapid changes in the breast over a period of weeks.
It’s important to contact a doctor if things don’t improve.
“There are lots of common causes of itchy breasts and nipples that are not concerning or indicative of a more serious underlying condition,” King explained. “But if common causes are ruled out, and the itching does not improve, particularly if it is unilateral and accompanied by a rash, then it’s important to have this evaluated by a doctor in order to make sure that it’s not breast cancer.”
A dermatologist can help you determine the cause of this issue and the best course of treatment. In the rare case of cancer, you may need a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Even if cancer is not a factor, seek medical attention if your itchiness doesn’t improve over time or respond to traditional treatments.
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“If at-home treatments are not sufficient, it is best to see a board-certified dermatologist as a prescription topical may be needed, such as a prescription topical steroid or topical non-steroid anti-inflammatory,” Garshick said. “In some cases, an oral medications such as steroids, JAK inhibitors or injectable medications, such as Dupixent, can be helpful as well. For some individuals, where there is a concern for a contact allergy, it can help to consider patch testing, a type of allergy testing.”
So you may have a hard time figuring out whether you’re putting others at risk. However, there are rules you can follow and things you can know to help protect those around you — and to ease other concerns about your infection, too.
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Here, experts share guidelines for how long you might be able to spread Covid and when you’re most contagious, including with the viral strain that is currently dominant.
Most people are contagious for about 10 days
It’s not always clear how long a person is contagious because, like a lot of things with Covid, the exact timeline depends on many factors, said Dr Stuart Ray, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
But, Ray said, the conventional wisdom is that you are contagious and must isolate for five full days after your symptoms begin — with your first day of symptoms counting as day zero.
But keep in mind that you aren’t in the clear after five days.
“It’s often said then that you should wear a mask after that to try and protect others because it’s hard to be certain how long you’re infectious,” Ray said.
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“That period often lasts up to 10 days,” he added — and once again, your first day of symptoms counts as day zero.
Long story short, you are likely contagious for about 10 days after symptoms begin. You should isolate for the first five days and wear a mask on at least days six through 10.
But you’re most infectious at certain points
The phase when you’re most contagious starts about 48 hours before you test positive and ends five days after your symptoms begin, according to Dr Neha Vyas, a family medicine doctor at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. She called this the “period of maximal contagiousness.”
So, you’ll want to be extra careful at this stage — though it’s hard to know if you’re sick before you have symptoms, which makes those first 48 hours really tricky.
Meanwhile, the amount of time between infection and symptoms has got shorter and shorter as Covid mutates, which means omicron sub-variants like XBB — currently the dominant strain in the US — can spread faster.
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If you’re exposed to someone who tests positive for Covid, you can test yourself even before you have symptoms. Or, if you recently attended a crowded indoor event, you can take a test a few days later. Beyond that, there isn’t really a way to know you’re infected before you start showing symptoms.
And in the later period of your illness, remember that you can still spread Covid, which is why it’s important to wear a mask until at least the 10-day mark.
If you have symptoms after 10 days, you could still spread the virus
Anyone whose symptoms persist past day 10 and who continues to test positive can likely pass the virus to others. If that’s you, keep wearing a mask and avoiding indoor spaces and events, Ray said.
“If you are immunocompromised or you had a really [severe] Covid infection … then you could be contagious still for 20 days” after symptoms begin, added Vyas.
Long periods of contagiousness like this are rare, she stressed. But if you fall into either of those two categories, talk to your doctor for further guidance.
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If possible, you should isolate from others in your home for five days. After that, mask-wearing is important.
At-home antigen tests are a good way to tell if you’re still contagious
It’s not uncommon for someone to test positive on a lab test for weeks after a COVID-19 infection, “but it would be very unusual for someone to test positive for weeks on an antigen test,” Ray said.
Antigen tests are the type that you may have picked up from the pharmacy or received from the government.
Ray added that a positive antigen test is correlated with a virus’s ability to grow and infect. So if you have a positive antigen test, you are likely contagious.
And that works the other way around, too.
“We generally say if your symptoms are completely resolved and you have a negative test, you’re unlikely to be infectious,” Ray said.
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If you want to be extra cautious, you can take two COVID tests
If you’re past the 10-day mark and no longer symptomatic, but you’re feeling anxious about potentially spreading the virus to a loved one, there are things you can do.
“You can take two Covid tests 48 hours apart,” Vyas said. “If they’re both negative, you can [be] fairly certain that you’re not contagious anymore.”
She added that most people won’t need to do this as long as they follow the 10-day guidance. But if you’re nervous about passing on the virus, this is a good tactic.
If you live in a home with others, you should do what you can to protect them.
“If possible, a contagious individual should use a separate bedroom and bathroom, especially during this five-day period [after symptoms begin],” said Dr Ali Khan, the chief medical officer at Oak Street Health.
When that isn’t possible, wear a well-fitting mask around other people in your home.
Khan added that an infected person should have their own tableware and sheets, and that they should avoid high-touch items.
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“Don’t forget to wash your hands frequently,” Khan said — and this goes for people who are not infected, too.
Lastly, to protect both yourself and your loved ones, make sure you’re up to date on your Covid boosters.
“It’s definitely not too late to get Covid and flu shots, as they will still curb severe symptoms, even if you do contract illness,” Khan said.
Experts are still learning about Covid-19. The information in this story is what was known or available at the time of publication, but guidance could change as scientists discover more about the virus.To keep up to date with health advice and cases in your area, visit gov.uk/coronavirus and nhs.uk
You’ve likely heard talk in the news about XBB1.5, an Omicron variant that has become a dominant strain of the Covid-19 virus in the US and that experts warn could soon become so in the UK, too.
While for the most part this Omicron variant is similar to previous ones, there are a few things to know about XBB1.5, especially if you believe that it may have hit your household.
What symptoms of XBB1.5 are common in children?
Experts agree that symptoms tend to be the same as those we’ve seen before.
“I have not seen any evidence to suggest the main symptoms of XBB variant are different from previous variants,” Dr. Ruth Kanthula, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist at MedStar Health, tells HuffPost.
“It’s hard to tell about loss of taste and smell in young kids,” says Dr. Tanya Altman, a paediatrician and author of Baby and Toddler Basics.
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Altman says she has noticed that kids tend to be less interested in eating while they are sick, and ask for “more flavourful or spicy foods after they recover, which to me suggests their taste may not have fully recovered yet.”
Altman describes the majority of Covid infections that she is seeing now as mild – with kids having less serious symptoms than adults, such as shortness of breath. She adds that children seem to be recovering quickly after testing positive.
“This could be due to the fact that most of the population has some sort of immunity from previous infections or vaccines, or the virus is now weaker, and I think it’s likely a combination of both,” she continues.
It’s important to note, however, that a child can have two respiratory viruses at the same time, which may cause their symptoms to be more severe. Other viruses in heavy circulation right now include RSV and the flu, which some have dubbed, along with Covid-19, the “tripledemic”.
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How contagious is XBB1.5?
The “main difference that has been observed with XBB variant compared to other Covid-19 variants is that XBB variant spreads quickly,” says Kanthula.
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Because the XBB1.5 variant has quickly come to account for a large portion of infections, scientists think that it may be more highly transmissible than other variants.
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mother having video call with a pediatrician while holding ill daughter in her lap.
“The XBB.1.5 variant has a mutation virologists believe is helping the virus better bind to cells and thus be more transmissible,” Johns Hopkins professor of molecular microbiology and immunology Andy Pekosz explained in a Q&A on the university’s website.
Practically, this means that the virus could infect many members of a household, or a school classroom, in a short amount of time.
In addition to being more highly transmissible, XBB1.5 also seems to be “immune-evasive,” according to Pekosz, meaning that there may be a lot of breakthrough infections in people who have previously had Covid, are immunised, or both.
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What should I do if I think my child has XBB1.5?
If your child has any of the symptoms listed above, it makes sense to give them a Covid-19 test. Note that these tests will only tell you whether your child is positive for Covid-19, not which viral strain they have.
Treat your child’s symptoms just as you would any other respiratory virus, with rest, fluids and acetaminophen/ibuprofen for fever or aches. As always, says Altman, if your child has a fever for more than four days, isn’t keeping fluids down, has trouble breathing or looks really sick, call your doctor.
For infants under three months, you should contact your doctor if they have a fever of 38°C or higher or miss two feeds, as young infants can become very sick with different respiratory viruses.
Does my child need to quarantine if they are infected?
As the NHS website explains, you have Covid-19, you can pass on the virus to other people for up to 10 days from when your infection starts. Many people will no longer be infectious to others after five days.
Anyone with Covid is currently advised by the NHS to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days, and avoid meeting people at higher risk from Covid-19 for 10 days, even if those people have had a Covid-19 vaccine.
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“If a child or young person aged 18 or under tests positive for Covid-19, they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days. This starts from the day after they did the test,” the guidance continues.
“Children and young people tend to be infectious to others for less time than adults. If they’re well and do not have a temperature after 3 days, there’s a much lower risk that they’ll pass on Covid-19 to others.”
While it’s frustrating to have to keep your child home from school, particularly if they’re not feeling ill, Altman says: “Covid is one that you really don’t want to spread to others, especially those who are high risk, so please keep your kids home when sick, mask if you need to leave your house with sick kids and keep them away from others as much as possible.”
How can I prevent my child from getting XBB1.5?
“I think the goal now is to learn to live with Covid, just as we live with flu, RSV and other contagious respiratory illnesses,” says Altman.
Stay home when sick, wash hands, disinfect surfaces, teach kids to cover their faces when they cough or sneeze, and mask when appropriate (such as days six to 10 of a Covid-19 infection.)
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Even though XBB1.5 is known to evade immunity, “based on past experience we know that vaccination can protect against developing severe disease,” says Kanthula, so you should make sure your children have been vaccinated and had boosters.
Altman says she believes that the hybrid immunity of three doses of vaccination and one illness seems to offer the most protection against reinfection.
Experts are still learning about Covid-19. The information in this story is what was known or available at the time of publication, but guidance could change as scientists discover more about the virus.To keep up to date with health advice and cases in your area, visit gov.uk/coronavirus and nhs.uk
