My Son Was 1 Day Old When I Learned Our Family Had Been Exposed To Measles. Here’s What Happened Next.

Posted on 28/09/2025 by Boris Clair

I’m at the hospital when I get the call. It’s a Thursday morning, not even 24 hours since my C-section. I’m watching my newborn son nap in his bassinet and trying to enjoy my first meal since surgery.

The caller ID says CHKD Children’s Hospital, so I answer. My 16-month-old daughter was just released from that hospital earlier in the week following a severe bacterial infection that caused her lymph nodes to swell an extraordinary amount.

“Hello?” I say, worried that they uncovered something concerning in her bloodwork.

“Hello, I’m a paediatrician at Norfolk Children’s Hospital. I’m calling to check on Camille, and to let you know that she may have been exposed to the measles during her stay with us.”

My heart dropped, and the post-surgery nausea that had nearly subsided suddenly returned.

The doctor proceeded to tell me that she was reading from a script, and that they (under the advisement of the Virginia Department of Health) were recommending that all young children exposed receive their second measles vaccine as soon as possible. She then asked me about the vaccination status of everyone else who visited my daughter at the hospital, including myself, my parents, my husband and my almost-3-year-old.

Thankfully, both of my daughters had their first measles shot, which grants immunity in up to 95% of individuals. However, I now have a vulnerable infant to consider, and even a small chance of exposing him to this virus with no protection is too big of a risk.

So, under the advice of our paediatrician, I decided to give both of my daughters their second measles-mumps-rubella vaccine early. I didn’t feel entirely comfortable with this decision — especially with my 16-month-old just recovering from an infection and borderline immunocompromised. But it was the best decision available to me.

And because of parents who opt out of vaccinating their kids, I was put in the position to make it.

The recent measles scare in Virginia came from a student at a local elementary school. Though the individual’s vaccination status was not directly stated in a letter from the Virginia Beach Department of Health or in an interview with officials, several local outlets have taken this opportunity to advocate for the safety and continued necessity of childhood vaccinations. Of the 1,491 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. this year, 92% occurred in individuals who were unvaccinated (or who had an unknown vaccination status).

In fact, 2025 boasts more measles cases since the disease was considered eliminated in 2000 — and more than any other year in the past three decades.

Low vaccination rates caused by vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine movements are largely to blame.

In other words, parents who choose not to vaccinate their children play a major role in these outbreaks ― which will continue to rise if nothing changes.

The author's two daughters visiting their newest sibling at the hospital. — The author’s two daughters visiting their newest sibling at the hospital.

As parents, we make hundreds of decisions on a daily basis — some inconsequential, others less so. We’re constantly weighing pros and cons, risks and benefits. In a world that feels more disconnected than ever — when we can bury our heads into our phones and surround ourselves with an echo chamber of conspiratorial ideas — it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.

So let’s zoom out for a minute. In 1900, infectious diseases (such as pneumonia, influenza and measles) killed about 18% of children. Before vaccines and other public health measures, 1 in 5 children did not live to see their first birthday.

Compare that reality to today, when less than 1% of children die before their fifth birthday.

Back then, childhood was inherently dangerous. Even if they lived, those who became infected with a virus such as measles often suffered long-term side effects such as brain damage and a permanently weakened immune system.

The success of public health measures such as vaccines has given people a false sense of security, leading many to conclude that once-tragic diseases are no longer a threat. But it’s only thanks to science that illness and death among children is no longer commonplace.

Nowadays, it’s easy to take our health for granted — especially with anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. steering the narrative at the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services. We have the luxury of arguing over genetically modified organisms and artificial food colors and doubting the effectiveness of the very things that have kept us safe for the past half-century.

I won’t pretend to understand the various circumstances that might lead a parent not to vaccinate their child.

But I do know that as parents (and human beings), we have a responsibility to protect all children. I’m reminded of a quote by author and activist Glennon Doyle who said, “There’s no such thing as other people’s children.” We have an obligation to protect those who cannot opt to protect themselves. This is why I keep my kids home when they’re sick, why I advocate for stricter gun laws and — yes — why I vaccinate my kids.

Because measles is an airborne disease, one infected person can easily pass it on to 18 other people. To achieve herd immunity, 95% of the population must be fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, vaccination rates among children have continued to decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 92.5% of kindergartners in the U.S. reportedly vaccinated against measles last year.

Just this week, a school-aged child in California died due to a delayed measles-related complication known as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). The child contracted the disease in infancy before they were eligible for vaccination. If infected, my newborn son could suffer the same fate.

I don’t want my kids — or anyone else’s — to become another preventable casualty.

So, both of my daughters received their second MMR vaccine ahead of schedule. However, we still aren’t out of the woods, because measles symptoms can appear as late as 21 days after exposure. Additionally, about 5% of children who receive their second vaccine develop a measles-like rash and fever, so it can be difficult to determine whether they have the disease.

Now I’m left to wonder and stress about every little bump that surfaces on my daughters’ skin. And if one of them does develop symptoms, I’ll have to contact the Virginia Department of Health to get them tested, because I can’t bring them to the paediatrician and risk exposing other vulnerable children.

I understand why many parents have grown to distrust medical institutions. I’ve also had my fair share of negative experiences that sometimes make me doubt doctors’ recommendations and interventions.

With so much misinformation circulating on social media, knowing whom to trust can be difficult. But I’m asking you to trust me — a fellow parent, personally affected by your choices, who sincerely wants the best for all of our kids. I’m asking you to trust the health care professionals who have treated your sick child instead of the influencers on social media (who are trying to sell you something) or the corrupt politicians like RFK Jr., who seems to change his opinion often to suit his political agenda.

Despite the fact that a link between vaccines and autism has been disproven over and over, RFK Jr. continues to spread lies and misinformation. He promised Americans that he would find a cause for the “autism epidemic” — a pursuit that won him support among many parents. However, with no formal medical or public health training, the secretary of health continues to undermine the scientific process by hiring incompetent individuals and misappropriating resources to maintain his base of support. For example, he recently employed a known pseudoscientist to uncover a link between vaccines and autism (which, as previously stated, studies have found does not exist).

In light of recent threats to vaccine access, 34 scientific and medical organisations including the American Association of Immunologists and the American College of Physicians have come together to produce a statement reaffirming the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

With so many conspiracy theories circulating on the internet, it can be difficult to know who to trust. As a result, many parents fail to recognise the far-reaching implications of their choices. A once-standard public health measure has become politicised and exploited — and our children will suffer because of it.

Mother Teresa said: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

The consequences of a decision like not vaccinating your child are not hypothetical. By now, hundreds of families in Virginia Beach like mine have been affected by one family’s choices. None of us live on an island, and our actions continue to ripple outward and affect others in unexpected ways.

In this life, we have no choice but to rely on each other. As parents, we have the power to end preventable deaths by vaccinating our children. I hope the vaccine skeptics among us will find the strength to do what’s necessary to keep all of our children safe.

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AI Is Coming For Jobs – But This Surprising Age Group Faces The Biggest Risk

Posted on 28/09/2025 by Boris Clair

While many fear that artificial intelligence is killing their careers, there is now new data to back it up. According to a recent paper, AI is indeed coming for certain people’s jobs.

Stanford University professor Erik Brynjolfsson, along with research scientist Ruyu Chen and postgraduate student Bharat Chandar, analysed millions of payroll records from ADP, the largest payroll provider in the U.S., from late 2022 to this summer to learn who is being most impacted by AI disruption.

Analyzing data from this timeframe is revealing because late 2022 is when OpenAI’s ChatGPT was introduced to the masses. Since then, AI has become a dominant force in our lives, upending whole industries and creating an anxious workforce that worries about being replaced.

But not everyone is affected in the same way. What the researchers found was that one age group, in particular, is vulnerable to AI displacement ― and it might not be who you think.

Entry-Level Workers Under 25 Are The Most At Risk Of Losing Jobs To AI

A new Stanford paper shows exactly who AI is replacing at work.

“The AI revolution is beginning to have a significant and disproportionate impact on entry-level workers in the American labor market,” the Stanford study stated. In the most AI-exposed fields, like software development and customer service, workers ages 22–25 “have experienced a 13% relative decline in employment.”

This finding held even when researchers accounted for factors like interest rate changes, more people being hired after COVID, and remote-friendly jobs.

Chen, one of the study’s authors, told HuffPost that the reason young people are especially vulnerable is that AI is great at doing “textbook knowledge” that college students learn to do.

“Entry-level workers are doing some very well-defined tasks” like analyzing large sets of coding data and basic production work, Chen said. And “AI is pretty good at handling those tasks.”

That’s why older workers have an advantage. While employment opportunities for young people under 25 have shrunk, according to the study, employment for older workers ages 35–49 actually grew during this time period.

That’s because for this age group, hard-won, on-the-job training is invaluable. “They have so much intensive knowledge that AI is not able to replace. They know they can handle customer relationships. They have some firm-specific experience,” Chen said.

David Kryscynski, a professor of human resource management at Rutgers University, said the Stanford paper’s findings align with what he has seen in his research.

“It is much easier for companies to simply not hire new workers than it is to downsize, so it makes sense that this age group would be disproportionately affected,” Kryscynski said.

But Kryscynski doesn’t think older, more experienced workers should come away from this study feeling like their jobs are safe from AI.

“They may be safer for now, but I doubt this safety will last long. Companies will face difficult challenges as AI continues to improve, and they will be forced to reskill,” Kryscynski said. “Age will probably be less important than job type and skills.”

What Can Young People Do To Avoid Getting Replaced By AI

For young people who have been worrying whether the tough labor market is in their heads, the study provides grim confirmation that it’s not.

But all hope is not lost. Some jobs that AI can’t yet automate are actually booming for young people under 25, such as working as a nursing and home health aide. For “health aides, actually, the employment for younger workers is increasing because health aides require lots of social interactions,” Chen said.

But if you are in this age bracket and don’t want to work this kind of job, focus on building unique human skills that AI cannot yet do.

“Carefully consider your abilities to socially interact with other humans, your empathetic skills, your soft communication skills, your leadership abilities, your ability to navigate conflict situations gracefully, your tools to manage morally ambiguous situations,” Kryscynski said.

“If you want to stand out in the future workforce, then avoid offloading your thinking to AI.”

– David Kryscynski, a professor of human resource management at Rutgers University

And when you can, do “cognitive pushups,” he added. Research finds that people who are less experienced at a task rely more heavily on AI-generated answers ― which can often be wrong ― and exert less critical thinking. But wrestling with thorny projects and learning how to deal with difficult co-workers are how you grow.

“One of the things we are seeing with AI is that it makes things too easy. We are seeing a decrease in willingness to struggle through hard things in this newer generation of employees,” Kryscynski said. “If you want to stand out in the future workforce, then avoid offloading your thinking to AI and purposefully invest in challenging tasks that will challenge your brain to connect complex ideas, wrestle with moral ambiguities.”

“There will be a difference between those who are replaced by AI and those who are running the AI in the future, and I suspect that one of these key differences will be about willingness to struggle through challenging cognitive tasks,” Kryscynski said.

Experts Say This Common Behaviour Is The Chicken Way Out Of A Friendship

Posted on 27/09/2025 by Boris Clair

Friendship breakups are the worst. They hurt just as much as a romantic breakup, and sometimes, even more.

As someone who’s been through a ton of friend breakups, I can tell you that the pain never really goes away. Certain platonic relationships have a special level of intimacy that usually can’t be matched by a romantic partner. I mean, I still mourn ex-friendships from 15 years ago. Ex-boyfriends? Hardly.

That’s weird, right? Not at all, according to relationship experts.

A friend breakup can hurt just as much, if not more, than a romantic one.

“Some friendships can feel even deeper than your blood family — especially when you’re not close to blood family,” explained Angelika Koch, relationships and breakup expert at Taimi, an LGBTQ+ dating app. “This can add a layer of complexity when it comes to walking away from a friendship that no longer serves you.”

“Breaking up with a friend can feel more complicated than ending a romantic relationship because we don’t have the same cultural scripts or language for it,” said licensed marriage and family therapist Saba Harouni Lurie, the owner and founder of Take Root Therapy. “With romantic relationships, we understand that sometimes people aren’t compatible or that feelings change, but with friendships, there’s often an expectation that they should last forever or only end due to major betrayals.”

Why More Of Us Are Ghosting

One similarity between friendship breakups and romantic breakups is the upward trend of ghosting, that is, the practice of abruptly ending communication without explanation.

“‘Ghosting’ — as we understand it in 2025 — has increased in frequency over the past decades, likely due to the integration of social apps into everyday life and shifts in communication norms,” said Morgan Cope, assistant professor of psychology at Centre College and an expert on interpersonal relationships. “Around 13% of people report having ghosted someone in the past, and 23% report having been ghosted in the context of romantic relationships.”

“We started to see a shift [in ghosting] after the pandemic in friendships as well as relationships, where people have become more protective of their peace,” Koch said. “The pandemic caused everyone to face their mortality, which caused many people to become protective of their own energy.”

But it’s what Harouni Lurie told HuffPost that I believe encapsulates the root problem behind ghosting: “Unfortunately, most people are not well-versed in having difficult and honest conversations, and may elect to ghost a friend instead of trying to understand if the relationship can grow and change.”

I can relate to what these experts are saying, because even though I’ve been on the receiving end of a ghosted friendship multiple times, I found myself ghosting several friends over the past five years for exactly the reasons Koch highlighted.

I know the sorrow of being discarded by someone I thought was my ride-or-die, so why would I ever engage in the same insensitive behaviour I’ve rebuked for years? Wild as it sounds, I genuinely believed both parties would avoid further heartache if I just cut and ran (or rather, hit that block button). After all, isn’t it easier to hide behind a block button? Or to just leave those texts on read indefinitely?

Turns out I was wrong: While ghosting a friend may feel like a more “gentle” way to break up in the heat of the moment — you avoid a messy argument and potentially hurtful words — it’s not the healthiest approach in the long run.

Ghosting Isn’t A Gentle Way Out Of A Friendship

“Ghosting is cruel when the other person is still reaching out and uncertain about what’s happening,” Rose from New Orleans, who asked to use just her first name to protect her privacy, told HuffPost. “I don’t think it’s gentle — I think it’s callous and cowardly.”

Rose knows the agony of being ghosted all too well. She endured a devastating breakup where she was ghosted by not one but two friends. “I was absolutely gutted by the situation,” she said. “Not just the rejection and abandonment, but the way they closed ranks to keep me out. It was probably the most painful friend breakup I ever experienced.”

If you’re contemplating ghosting a friend you no longer vibe with, you may want to take Rose’s story into consideration first. “Many people have a deep fear of hurting others and move through life trying to cause as little harm as possible,” acknowledged Koch.

But abruptly tossing someone aside comes with significant consequences. “To many people, ghosting — which is a passive way to leave a relationship — feels like a gentle breakup,” Koch continued. “Unfortunately, this can cause confusion and a lack of closure on the end of the friend who is being ghosted.”

“We mustn’t confuse niceness (not having to tell someone you don’t want to see them anymore) for kindness (providing a clear rationale and explaining your feelings) when it comes to ending a relationship,” added Cope.

We Can Blame The Tech (At Least A Little Bit)

I’ll be the first to admit that social media has made me far more comfortable ghosting friends than it should. To be clear — and this is in no way an excuse — the people I’ve ghosted were mainly social media and/or online friends. Since we never saw each other in real life and were interacting primarily through Instagram DMs and texts, it was all too simple to hit that block button.

“I do think social media block buttons have made it easier for some people to cut ties on their end and move on,” agreed Rose, though that doesn’t mean she supports the practice. “With friends from offline, or online friends you’ve got a real built-up history with, I don’t think ‘block and move on’ is the best way to deal with conflict.”

“While we probably have a lot of work to do around learning to communicate,” Harouni Lurie said, “technology has likely exacerbated our problems.”

“With texting, it can be really easy to misunderstand someone and to lose nuance in a conversation,” she continued.

Guilty as charged: Even though I was raised on the art of chatting on the phone for hours on end, I’ve spent the past decade-plus ditching direct conversation with friends and relying almost entirely on texts.

Perhaps, given the potential for misunderstanding, we should reconsider the lost art of phone calls (scheduled only, please!).

Ending A Friendship Respectfully

Although ghosting isn’t a kind way to end a friendship, it’s OK to walk away from certain friends if you feel the relationship isn’t working anymore.

Honesty is the best policy, if that’s the case.

“If you’re the one ending the relationship, having a difficult conversation about the friendship and why it’s not working can afford you the opportunity to practice being honest and authentic, to advocate for yourself, and to have compassion for yourself and for your friend,” Harouni Lurie said.

She also reiterated that while it’s “challenging,” it’s “not impossible to end a friendship amicably.” Harouni Lurie advised approaching the discussion “with compassion, and respect for both your needs and theirs.” Start by acknowledging the good parts of your friendship and what you’ve appreciated about this person. Then, you can share your feelings about why you don’t think you’re compatible anymore.

“Being specific about what isn’t working can be helpful,” continued Harouni Lurie, but it’s important to “focus on your own experience rather than making it about their flaws.” Even though you may be frustrated with your estranged friend’s inability to understand anything about your life (it’s me, hi!), this is not the time to air those grievances.

Some examples Harouni Lurie offered are less critical of your friend and more of an emphasis on what you need:

“I’ve realised I need more space right now.”
“I think we’ve grown in different directions.”

After you’ve explained your reasons, Cope recommended giving your friend the courtesy to respond to your breakup decision.

“These conversations will not be easy,” she warned. “Our brains are motivated to establish and maintain social relationships to help us stay alive and thriving. But when we need to, we can end relationships and friendships in a way that prioritises everyone’s dignity and well-being.”

Attention All Cat And Dog Owners – New Customers Get 20% Off This Vet-Approved Pet Food

Posted on 26/09/2025 by Boris Clair

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI – prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

When it comes to the happiness of our pets, there’s not much we won’t do for them.

From rainy walks to (speaking from personal experience) letting them stomp their heavy paws all over you on the sofa in a bid to find the most perfectly comfortable cuddle spot, we do it all in a bid to give them the very best lives possible.

Their food is a big, if sometimes overlooked, part of making sure they stay happy and healthy. We are what we eat, after all, and cats and dogs are no different.

While you can’t really put a price on the value of their health, if you were to try, you’d probably want that price to fit within a certain budget while not compromising your beloved pet’s well-being.

It’s a delicate tightrope to walk (we’re not exactly made of money), but a Lily’s Kitchen promo code (FIRSTLILY20, which gets you 20% off) might make it a little bit easier.

Lily’s Kitchen is a dog and cat food brand that’s made with natural ingredients like meat, fish, and offal, and formulated with vet-approved recipes.

Lily’s Kitchen has also just dropped a new-and-improved wet cat food range, which includes a new texture and different pack sizes.

The whole idea for the brand began more than 10 years ago when a border terrier called – wait for it – Lily started to suffer from sore skin.

Her owner, Henrietta, tried a host of different treatments, but nothing worked until she started cooking the pooch her own food from scratch.

Just two weeks later, little Lily was back to normal, and Henrietta was left wondering why it was so difficult to find pet food made with quality natural ingredients.

So she enlisted the help of vets and pet nutritionists to help give more dogs and cats food that isn’t just tasty, but healthy too. Why shouldn’t our pets be able to eat as well as us, after all?

If you’d like your pet to get in on this goodness, just use the code FIRSTLILY20 at checkout, and you’ll get 20% off.

6 Signs You’re The Office Overachiever (And How It Can Harm Your Career)

Posted on 26/09/2025 by Boris Clair

You might tell yourself that when it comes to work, the formula is simple: knuckle down, impress your bosses, and the results will speak for themselves.

But Harvard Business Review disagrees. They write, “In most organisations, promotions are governed by unwritten rules – the often fuzzy, intuitive, and poorly expressed feelings of senior executives regarding individuals’ ability to succeed in C-suite positions”.

And according to Rob Phelps at Digital PR, overachieving employees can leave themselves more at risk of burnout than promotion. In fact, the trait can sometimes harm rather than help their career.

Here, he shared six signs you may be the office “overachiever” – and why it might affect your career.

1) You struggle to say no

“Overachievers are not the same as those labelled lazy or weak; they want to be seen as the person who is always able to help, so they add more to their schedule,” Phelps said.

“But there’s a huge difference between being helpful and being overstretched to breaking point.”

Those who say “yes” to everything may be seen as adaptable and dependable in the short term, but can risk overstretching themselves over time – leading to burnout.

2) You’re first in, last out

It can feel like heading in early and leaving late is a sign of diligence.

″’People will make sure they are noticed and that they’re not late, as some may want to be seen as the hardest workers, even when it interferes with health and relationships,” Phelps said.

But this can “lead to presenteeism, a culture where people stay late not because they need to, but because they feel guilty, like they should” – and which is not linked to better productivity.

3) You’re a perfectionist

Double, triple, and quadruple-check every email before hitting “send”?

Phelps stated, “Perfectionists often think they are aiming for success. However, they fear being judged or criticised.

“They believe it’s not good enough. This actually slows them down, and the stress of overwork clearly outweighs any benefits.”

4) Taking work home

Checking your emails at 11pm or mulling over that client pitch before bed isn’t a great idea, tempting as it may seem.

“This can be dangerous as it blurs the lines between work and life until there is no line,” Phelps explained.

“The brain needs downtime to rest and recover from a week at work, but overachievers take their own time away from themselves; therefore, they always feel tense.”

5) Never delegating, or struggling to do so

You might tell yourself that nobody else will be able to meet your high standards, or think that all tasks will be done better by you.

“This is where overachievers can hold themselves back, as they think they are protecting the work quality, but they are really limiting themselves,” Phelps advised.

It can lead workers to carry more mental load than is really necessary or efficient, and can (again) raise the risk of burnout.

6) You solve everyone else’s problems

It’s great to be seen as reliable and helpful, but if your coworkers always turn to you for solutions, you might want to rethink your approach.

“Overachievers like to be the fixer; however, it’s not sustainable to solve everyone else’s problems on top of your own,” Phelps warned.

“You end up with no time, no energy, and no space for yourself.”

Setting boundaries, learning to say no, trusting others to help you at work, and truly switching off once you’re out of the office can all help to prevent these, he ended.

6 Signs A Hedgehog Is In Serious Need Of Help

Posted on 25/09/2025 by Boris Clair

This year’s hot, dry summer has been hard on creatures like hedgehogs, Natural England said, partly because it’s led to fewer insects.

And as they settle down for hibernation, hedgehogs face what the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) call a “complicated and often perilous energy conservation strategy”.

The time before hibernation, which typically begins in November, is therefore key to hedgehog survival.

So it’s a good thing the experts have shared six signs that show a hedgehog is in need of some help, as well as what to do if you notice them.

1) Lethargy

“Hedgehogs don’t sunbathe,” the site advised.

They are usually nocturnal, so spotting them reclining in the day is a sign they’re in urgent need of help.

2) Flies

If there are flies swarming around a hedgehog, it needs help.

“If you find a hedgehog with what looks like small grains of white rice on its face (a common area) or between the spines (prickles) the hedgehog will need URGENT help,” Bruntisland Hedgehog Sanctuary added, as this could be a sign of fly strike.

3) Wobbling as they walk

If a hedgehog seems a little unsteady on its feet, it could have a neurological condition that requires intervention.

4) Obvious injury

Wounds and clear distress are enough to seek help for an affected hedgehog.

5) Trapped hedgehogs

Hedgehogs can get trapped in places like drains, ponds, and holes and need to be removed from these.

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, gardening expert James Lewis said: “To help the hedgehogs, you should cover [kitchen drains], or alternatively you can provide a small ramp to enable them to get out.”

6) Unaccompanied hoglets

If you see a baby hedgehog (hoglet) on its own or next to a dead adult hedgehog, notice it’s squawking a lot, or if it’s out in the day when it’s very cold, it may need rescuing, the RSPCA said.

What should I do if I spot a hedgehog in need?

“If you have found a hedgehog you are concerned about please use gardening gloves or a folded towel to collect it up, bring it indoors and put it in a high-sided box with an old towel or fleece in the bottom for the hedgehog to hide under,” the BHPS said.

You can fill a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel at the base of the box with enough water to keep the animal warm, and also provide a space for them to move off of it if they get too hot.

Leave it in a quiet room and don’t check on the hedgehog more than you strictly have to. Offer meaty cat or dog food – not the dry kind – and water, but don’t force them to eat or drink.

Then, call The Hedghehog Society as soon as possible on 01584 890 801. They’ll be able to offer advice and help you find local help centres.

If you notice severe injury and/or distress, however, take the animal to a vet instantly.

This Nail Change Could Be A Sign Of Lung Issues

Posted on 25/09/2025 by Boris Clair

Darker streaks in your nails, horizontal ridges, and half-white, half-pink or brown nails with a clear line between the colours can all signify health issues.

And it turns out you can spot psoriasis on your nails, too.

So perhaps it shouldn’t be shocking that your nails can also show issues with your lungs and heart through another change to the area.

Cleveland Clinic writes that “nail clubbing” is most often linked to cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions, “like lung cancer, lung infections, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis or cardiovascular disease”.

However, it can have other causes, like Crohn’s disease and liver conditions. It can sometimes simply be a genetic variant that isn’t anything to worry about.

What is “nail clubbing”?

Nail clubbing can start gradually, but it ends with your fingernails curving over rounded fingertips.

The nail looks wider and more bulging ― a bit like an inverted spoon ― and feels softer and “spongier”.

Your nails might feel warm and look red. Before the “clubbing” fully takes place, you might notice your nails widening at the top and beginning to wrap around your fingertips.

It often begins in your thumb and forefinger before spreading to other nails, but it can affect any nail or a few nails at once.

In the early stages, you might want to look out for the “Lovibond angle” sign.

The Lovibond angle is the small dent at the bottom of your nail that you can see from the side. But per the Cleveland Clinic, “In the early stages of nail clubbing, your nail and nail bed look flat from the side”.

And Mount Sinai adds that nails in the early stages of clubbing “may seem to ‘float’ instead of being firmly attached” to your nail bed.

Normal Lovibond's angle vs clubbed fingernail — Normal Lovibond’s angle vs clubbed fingernail

When should I see a doctor about suspected clubbed nails?

The change “can be a sign of many serious, long-term conditions,” the NHS says.

It is linked to “heart and lung diseases that reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood,” Mount Sinai added. Sometimes, this includes lung cancer.

So if you notice changes that suggest clubbing, speak to a doctor as soon as you can.

The condition may be harmless, but it’s improtant to get it checked out anyway.

I’m A Sweaty Sleeper. This Mattress And Duvet Combo Have Changed Everything

Posted on 24/09/2025 by Boris Clair

As you will have noticed stepping out your door this morning – it is now bloody cold! The Autumnal equinox has come and gone and summer is well and truly over.

I look forward to spending the next month simultaneously boiling and freezing at various points during the day. (Layering clothing is more complicated than you’d think.) For many of us, the colder weather also prompts a new bedding dilemma.

For some of us this means wondering if now is the time to swap our duvet for a heavier tog, or turning our mattresses over to let them breathe a bit as we enter central heating season.

But for me, the effort and decision is minimal as I’ve finally found the most comfortable mattress ever, and the most convenient and comfortable duvet, as well.

The best duvet for all seasons (and sweat levels)

For those of us who are sweaty sleepers – whether naturally, or perimenopause-induced – the Simba Hybrid 3-in-1 Duvet really is a lifesaver.

As an American who has lived in the UK for nearly 20 years, it has taken me a very long time to get used to sleeping without a top sheet. (I tried again recently, and decided I think I actually hate it.)

I could never really get on with the idea of sleeping with a duvet in the warm, late summer months until I started using this duvet. Basically, it does what it says on the tin.

There are two parts to the duvet – one layer for the warmer months that’s only 3.5 tog, and another for the cooler months that’s 7 tog. If you’re terrible at fast maths, that’s a total of 10.5 tog if you’re wanting the warmest option available. Together, the layers become one fluffy, warm, cloud of a duvet. And on their own, still delightful.

The layers simply snap together with the little poppers on the edges of the duvet. This week I swapped the 3.5 tog for the 7 tog, and it’s the perfect weight and warmth for these funny months where it’s still warm in the day, and then brisk in the evenings and early mornings.

I’m also a big fan of sleeping with the window open – what’s more pleasant than a cool room and snuggling under a warm duvet? – so this is ideal for me.

The best mattress for hot sleepers

I usually find mattress shopping to be a stressful event. How do you choose without laying on a hundred different mattresses? How do you really know which ones are comfortable? How can you ever be sure?

This is where honest reviews come in handy, so when I say that I absolutely LOVE the Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress, I genuinely mean it.

This is the first mattress I’ve been able to decide on as a newly single person, and it felt like a very big deal. I got to choose the firmness and size that I wanted – and I have to say I feel like a genius for deciding on this one. I went for a King, and what I love about this mattress is that it has a breathable layer and I don’t feel like I’m being boiled alive by a hot hob when I’m sleeping (which some mattresses genuinely feel like).

It’s hard to believe when you first pull a rolled-up mattress out of a box that it’s going to actually unfurl into something that’s both comfortable and also thick enough to support you in your slumber – but it truly is. Because of how my move into my flat happened, I only had a few hours of the mattress being out of the box before I slept on it, and it was absolutely fine. By the next night, it was heavenly.

I continually find the height of this mattress to be really impressive. It has several fancy layers that I can’t exactly pretend to explain or understand all that they do, but crucially I know I can take off the top layer to have it washed, and that there’s a breathable wool layer, as well.

Firmness wise, this is excellent. As an elder millennial who just turned 40 – and spends a lot of money on physiotherapy – I can confirm that this is neither too hard, nor too soft. It’s comfortable and sturdy for all manner of nocturnal activities, and it doesn’t leave you with new cricks in your neck or kinks in your back when you wake. Ideal.

The combination of the Simba Hybrid 3-in-1 Duvet and Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress really have helped give me the most comfortable and supported sleep I’ve had in months. I can’t recommend either enough – particularly if you run hot overnight or like to have options when it comes to your duvet tog.

3 Foods An Expert Thinks Are Ruining Your Sleep

Posted on 24/09/2025 by Boris Clair

You might already know that sleep experts have preferred dinner times, because eating less than two to four hours before your bedtime can mess up your kip.

But speaking to HuffPost UK, sleep psychologist Dr Katherine Hall (who has paired with Comfybedss) shared that the type of food you eat matters, too.

“If you can’t fall asleep or struggle to stay asleep,” she advised, your diet might be at least partly to blame.

Here are three foods she skips before bedtime:

1) Salty food

“Sodium-rich meals result in fluid retention and increased blood pressure, making it hard for the body to switch off completely after eating snacks like crisps or salted nuts,” Dr Hall told us.

A 2006 paper found that salt can lead to delayed bedtimes, increased awakenings in the middle of the night, and less satisfying sleep.

That’s because, the sleep expert said, a salt overload leads to “superficial sleep, where the sleep isn’t very deep and can often involve disturbances like going to the toilet more”.

She recommends avoiding foods like gammon and bacon, as well as other salty snacks, before bed.

2) Acidic food

Though many associate these with heartburn, Dr Hall says not all acidic foods are created equal.

“If we take a deep dive into certain acidic foods, those struggling to sleep will want to avoid some more than others. Tyramine is an amino acid that is normally a great addition to anyone’s diet as it stimulates natural brain activity,” she said.

This acid encourages the release of norepinephrine, which can stimulate the brain too much and keep you awake.

“Foods that are high in tyramine include tomatoes, aubergines, soy sauce, red wine and cheeses,” the psychiatrist shared.

3) Spicy food

“For anyone struggling to sleep, avoid spicy foods altogether,” Dr Hall said.

That’s because “Digesting the various spices and chillies you have in your curries or other hot dishes can severely disrupt our body’s ability to thermoregulate, which essentially means managing our temperature”.

And anyone who’s suffered through a sleepless hot night will know how important temperature is to our sleep.

“Capsaicin is the chemical in spicy food that causes our temperature to skyrocket, so combine this with the energy your body needs to digest the remainder of the meal, and you can really struggle getting some solid sleep,” the expert ended.

This Much Reading May Reduce Dementia Risk

Posted on 23/09/2025 by Boris Clair

In his book How To Prevent Dementia, neurologist Dr Richard Restak extolled the virtues of reading fiction.

“Cognitive reserve theory refers to the representation stored within the brain of the knowledge, experience, and life events that accumulate during the course of a person’s lifetime,” he wrote.

This “reserve,” he argues, acts as a sort of ballast against dementia – and in his words, “Reading for pleasure is perhaps the single most effective activity you can engage in for increasing cognitive reserve.”

No wonder, then, that a 14-year longitudinal study found “a reduced risk of cognitive decline” among people who read more frequently.

How much reading does it take to lower dementia risk?

In this paper, more seemed to be better.

Though reading was generally “protective” of cognitive function in older age, among these participants, “a reduced risk of cognitive decline was observed among older people with higher reading frequencies versus lower ones”.

In this case, a higher reading frequency was classed as reading “twice or more a week”.

And though this was not proven in the study, the scientists added, “We speculate that those with reading habits may read more than an hour a day” – ie every reading session they engaged in lasted more than an hour.

The reduced dementia risk was observed at six, 10, and 14-year follow-up intervals, and applied to participants regardless of education level.

“In conclusion, the current study presents the evidence that more engagement in reading independently predicted a reduced risk of cognitive decline in later life,” the author wrote.

Reading may counterbalance the cognitive risks linked to a lower education level

A lower level of education has been linked to an increased dementia risk.

Not only did this paper find that reading lowered dementia risk regardless of educational background, though, but a 2022 review found that reading more can help to “compensate” for the cognitive health disadvantages of less education.

“Reading activities help to maintain and improve cognitive function in people with low levels of education,” it found.

Well, looks like it’s time to update my library card…