Tag Archives: Health News

Your Social Media Habit Could Be Causing This Common Health Complaint

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If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us know that we spend too much time on our phones and on social media. The allure of endless information, memes, TikToks is incredibly hard to ignore, especially when everyone you love seems to be on there, too.

Yes, we should cut down and honestly, yes, we would be happier for it but the habit is a tough one to break.

According to a new study, though, we might be doing more than just creating endless cycles of dopamine. We may actually be causing and increasing inflammation in our bodies.

How social media causes inflammation

Almost a fifth of Brits (18%) already experience inflammation and, according to a new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, our social media habits can contribute to it.

“The results showed that the amount of social media use—assessed objectively by a screen-time app—was not only associated with higher inflammation at a single time point, but also increased levels of inflammation five weeks later,” says David Lee, an assistant professor of communication at the University at Buffalo and the paper’s lead author.

Studies have long shown the detrimental impacts that social media can have on our mental health with researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology finding that college-wide access to Facebook led to an increase in severe depression by 7% and anxiety disorder by 20% and this new research highlights just how harmful it can be to the entire body.

While this is an interesting advancement, Lee says there’s still more that needs to be assessed: “Given the prevalence of social media use in our daily lives, more research is needed to investigate these potential health effects using diverse methodologies.

“The next crucial step is to move beyond measures of screen time to really understand how and why social media use can have these effects.”

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All The January 2023 Strikes Set To Hit As Industrial Action Continues

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With Christmas done and dusted, many of us are now looking forward to New Year and the fresh start it brings.

However, strike action has only just begun, with more dates planned across different industries into January.

Bus drivers, ambulance drivers, rail staff and more are all set to take action in the coming week, with disruption expected as a result.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the strikes in January 2023.

Rail strikes

Strikes by the RMT and ASLEF trade unions will bring rail services to a halt across the UK from Tuesday January 3 to Saturday January 7.

RMT union members at Network Rail are striking once more over pay and conditions.

The train strikes will affect the following train operators:

  • LNER
  • Northern trains
  • Avanti West Coast
  • Southeastern
  • Cross Country
  • Chiltern Railways
  • Greater Anglia
  • Govia Thameslink (plus Gatwick Express)
  • London Underground
  • West Midlands Trains (plus London Northwestern Railway)
  • Great Western Railway
  • Transpennine Express

Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, explained the reasoning for the strike action: “We don’t want to go on strike but the companies have pushed us into this place. They have not offered our members at these companies a penny – and these are people who have not had an increase since April 2019.”

People are being advised to avoid travelling between January 3 – 7 if possible.

Highway workers strikes

If your plan to get around the railway strikes was to take to the roads, we’ve got some bad news.

National Highways traffic officers in the PCS union across the UK will strike on January 3 and 4.

The strike action will see control centre staff walk out and officers will normally deal with the aftermath of road accidents will also stop work on the two dates.

The PCS union says the walkout could cause delays to reopening carriageways and motorways affected by any accidents on the strike action dates.

Nurses

The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) has announced strike action on January 18 and 19 in England following previous action on December 15 and 20.

The RCN wants members to see a pay rise of 19%.

RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January.

“I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.”

Ambulance drivers

Some ambulance staff in England will take part in two strikes next month, on January 11 and 23.

Services in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West will be affected as union members campaign for pay rises that are above inflation rates.

The strikes will affect non-life threatening calls only but is likely to put even more pressure on emergency care.

Bus drivers

Meanwhile in London, Abellio bus drivers in south and west London will take action over eight days throughout January.

The strikes will take place on January 4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26.

Transport for London has urged Unite and the Abellio bus company to work together to avoid disruption, with some of the proposed strike dates clashing with RMT train strikes.

Teachers in Scotland

Two teachers’ strike days will take place in Scotland in January 2023.

Teachers will walkout on both January 10 and 11 after a 6.85% increase for the lowest paid was rejected.

Although the action is currently exclusive to Scotland, teaching unions in both England and Wales are balloting members over pay, which could mean strikes further south in the coming weeks.

RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January.

“I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.”

Ambulance drivers

Some ambulance staff in England will take part in two strikes next month, on January 11 and 23.

Services in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West will be affected as union members campaign for pay rises that are above inflation rates.

The strikes will affect non-life threatening calls only but is likely to put even more pressure on emergency care.

Bus drivers

Meanwhile in London, Abellio bus drivers in south and west London will take action over eight days throughout January.

The strikes will take place on January 4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26.

Transport for London has urged Unite and the Abellio bus company to work together to avoid disruption, with some of the proposed strike dates clashing with RMT train strikes.

Teachers in Scotland

Two teachers’ strike days will take place in Scotland in January 2023.

Teachers will walkout on both January 10 and 11 after a 6.85% increase for the lowest paid was rejected.

Although the action is currently exclusive to Scotland, teaching unions in both England and Wales are balloting members over pay, which could mean strikes further south in the coming weeks.

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Jamie Oliver Reveals ‘Deeply Scary’ Long Covid Battle Of Wife Jools

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Jamie Oliver has opened up about his wife Jools’ “deeply scary” two-year long Covid battle.

The TV chef hailed the mum-of-five as “an absolute superstar”, revealing the 47-year-old has been “really affected” by the virus.

He told the Daily Mail Weekend magazine: “She’s had bad Covid and long Covid so she’s been really affected by it, sadly.

“She’s okay but still not what she wants to be. It’s been two years, she finds it deeply scary.”

Jools and Jamie Oliver
Jools and Jamie Oliver

Samir Hussein via Getty Images

Jamie explained they had seen specialist medical professionals but have been unable to solve her symptoms as the condition is still being learnt about.

“We’re all over Harley Street like a rash but no one really knows anything. The data on long Covid is still piling in. She’s been an absolute superstar,” he said.

There are 1.8million Britons estimated to have long Covid, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

This month, experts from King’s College London said there appears to be three “subtypes” of the condition, each with their own set of symptoms including, fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, muscle ache and heart palpitations.

David M. Benett via Getty Images

Jamie and Jools have been married for 22 years and have five children together.

Speaking about his relationship, the TV chef said: “Me and Jools have been together since we were 18.

“We went to London with nothing but dreams and aspirations. Luckily, we were able to solidify our relationship before it all kicked off. Then we did it together. It was exciting.

“When I first started going out with Jools, she was like, ‘I’ll never be able to have kids.’ She had polycystic ovaries. But here we are with five.”

The couple are parents to Poppy, Daisy, Petal, Buddy and River.

Jamie Oliver, Jools Oliver and their family pictured in 2016.
Jamie Oliver, Jools Oliver and their family pictured in 2016.

Ian Lawrence via Getty Images

Oliver added: “I haven’t done teenage boys yet but I found teenage girls very hard. I tried to be an on-point dad, I’d give myself nine out of 10 for effort.

“The the minute they get to 13, you’re dumped. You’re outside looking in. All you want is a few hugs a day and to be appreciated but there’s a lot of chemistry going on.

“You never get the kid back after 13, they completely change. Just when you start to get them back, they’re off to university. So it’s like a bereavement.”

In 2020, Jools revealed she had had a miscarriage during lockdown and the couple have spoken openly in the past about losing “five little stars in the sky”.

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Why You Might Be Asked To Travel Across The Country For Surgery

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People who remain on the waiting list for health treatments are being asked whether they are prepared to travel to receive treatment.

NHS England is set to “virtually eliminate” the list of those who have waited more than two years for treatment, the chief executive has said, as patients are given the option to be treated more quickly at hospitals in different parts of the country.

Of course, this plan will do little to help those without access to transport, those who need to juggle healthcare alongside care responsibilities, and those on zero hours contracts or self-employed, who need to take limited time off work to avoid pay losses.

The number who have waited for two years or more to receive treatment has fallen from a peak of 22,500 in January to 6,700, after the Covid-19 pandemic caused waiting lists to mount.

People who remain on the waiting list are being asked whether they are prepared to travel to receive treatment. More than 400 have agreed, with 140 booked in for surgery at a different hospital.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “As part of the biggest and most ambitious catch-up programme in NHS history, staff are now on track to virtually eliminate two-year waiters by the end of July.

“But the NHS will not stop here, from delivering one million tests and checks through our newly rolled-out community diagnostic centres to new state-of-the-art same-day hip replacements, staff are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to treat patients quicker, especially those who have been waiting a long time.”

The NHS has said it will cover travel and accommodation costs to patients “where appropriate”.

Three patients who had been waiting to receive treatment at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust went on to receive treatment at Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust more than 100 miles away, with a further two booked in.

Meanwhile, South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre has treated 17 patients from the South West of England, and a further 11 are expected to receive treatment in the coming weeks.

Patients who opt to wait longer, or patients in highly-specialised areas that may require a tailored plan, however, will not necessarily have been treated by the end of July, the NHS warns.

The fall in waiting list numbers comes after the busiest ever May for emergency care, with 2.2 million A&E visits and almost 78,000 of the most urgent ambulance call-outs.

Pritchard added: “One of the benefits of the NHS is that hospitals can work together to bring Covid backlogs down together and so if people can and want to be treated quicker elsewhere in the country, NHS staff are ensuring that it can happen.

“Once again, NHS staff are demonstrating the agility, resilience and compassion that shows when they are given the tools and resources they need, they deliver for our patients.”

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Innovations like this are helping to tackle waiting lists and speed up access to treatment, backed by record investment, and there are over 90 community diagnostic centres delivering over one million checks and scans in the last year.”

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of the NHS Providers organisation, said the health service is “nearing the target” of clearing the backlog of all people who have been waiting for more than two years for hospital care.

She told BBC Breakfast: “The NHS is doing incredibly well and we are seeing those figures coming down significantly week by week. I never like to say ‘Yes, it will definitely happen’, but I think it’s testament to the hard work of trust leaders up and down the country that that we are nearing that point.”

Asked abut the call for more nurses, she said: “We’ve known for a very long time that workforce is a significant challenge.

“I think one of the things we have to remember is that the challenges we are facing now, post-pandemic, were there before the pandemic and the pandemic has simply exacerbated them.

“So we’ve got funding challenges that have come from a decade’s worth of a funding squeeze; demand was already going up before the pandemic; we had challenges in terms of social care which we’ve got now and they are increasing significantly.

“But we’ve also got this workforce shortage, which is incredibly serious.

“We’ve called on the Government to establish a fully funded and costed long-term workforce plan so we can sort this out once and for all but we know there are big challenges there across the nursing workforce, across the doctor workforce and other parts of the NHS staffing structure.”

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I Tried TikTok’s ‘Pressure Points’ Sleep Hack To Nod Off In Seconds

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Sleep, O sweet sleep, where art thou? Some nights it’s impossible to doze off, all the world’s thoughts heavy on your eyelids.

So whenever I see a trick or vital TikTok that promises a hack to make you fall asleep instantly, I’m hooked.

This week, I came across a content creator who goes by @YoungerYouDoc, teaching people “how to become the youngest version of themselves”.

In one video, he demonstrates how rubbing your wrists for two to three minutes can help you nod off. This is because a spot on your wrist provides one of several pressure points for sleep, according to reflexologists.

“There are four acupressure points starting at the pinky side of the wrist crease and moving up the inner forearm,” Dr Shari Auth, chief healing officer and co-founder of WTHN, told Bustle.

“They are good for insomnia and are excellent to rub at bedtime. These points are commonly used by acupuncturists to treat sleep, palpitations, and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.”

So, for the last two nights I’ve tried the trick to see how it affects me. And unfortunately, it didn’t help at all.

Perhaps I had the wrong point (I watched a video about pressure points and it seems I did rub the suggested area). But what stopped me from falling into a slumber was being conscious that I was rubbing my wrist.

Before I fall asleep I like to be as still as possible, so I think for me it felt unnatural to keep rubbing for a few minutes.

I also switched hands in case one wrist was more effective than the other. But after doing it for a while, my wrist started getting warm and I decided to give up.

I also didn’t sleep very well and it took me longer to fall asleep than it would usually (though that might be unrelated).

As far as sleep hacks go, I prefer content creator Justin Agustin’s method.

In another viral video, he explained how his two-minute method was adopted by military personnel who often sleep in rough conditions.

It consists of incrementally relaxing your body, then imagining a warm light travelling through your body, while focussing on your breathing. Then you clear your mind of all stresses.

To do this, Agustin advises imagining one of two scenarios; the first is lying in a canoe in a calm clear lake, with a blue sky above you. The other is lying in a velvet black hammock under a pitch black sky.

Any time your thoughts try to distract you, repeat the words ‘don’t think’ 10 times.

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, Agustin explains, you’d need to do this every day for six weeks to see it work effectively enough to fall asleep within two minutes.

It might sound tedious, but it might be worth it in the long run.

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Monkeypox Vaccine: Who Will Soon Be Offered A Jab?

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People who are at highest risk of catching the monkeypox virus will soon be offered a vaccine in an effort to reduce transmission.

The UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has revealed that some men who have sex with men will soon be offered the Imvanex jab – originally designed to treat smallpox – to curb the largest recent outbreak outside of Africa.

Here’s why.

Who is at high risk and why?

Monkeypox is not sexually transmitted, but can be passed on through close contact which is why it has become associated with sex.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes that the outbreak stemmed from sexual activity by men at raves in Spain and Belgium.

More than 99% of the current 793 reported UK cases are among men, most of whom identify as gay or bisexual.

Anyone – regardless of sexual orientation – is at risk of contracting the virus if they are in close contact with someone infected with monkeypox, or infected clothing or bedsheets.

But, men who have sex with men and who have multiple partners are considered at the highest risk – this includes those who take part in group sex, or go to venues where sex occurs on the premises – due to the origins of this particular outbreak.

The agency said data suggests there are higher levels of transmission “within, but not exclusive to, the sexual networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men”.

UKHSA’s head of immunisation Dr Mary Ramsay said: “By expanding the vaccine offer to those at higher risk, we hope to break chains of transmission and help contain the outbreak.”

Is this the first group to be offered the vaccine?

No – vaccines were offered to health workers who look after monkeypox patients as well as cleaners disinfecting areas which may have been exposed to the virus.

Close contacts of confirmed cases were also offered the vaccine.

NHS England will soon provide more details about how those who are eligible can receive a jab, although people are advised not to approach the NHS until contacted.

Vaccines have never been used in Africa to impact monkeypox, even though it is endemic in some countries.

It’s also worth noting that this vaccine is not designed specifically for monkeypox. Although Imvanex was used to eradicate smallpox worldwide, it has been found to be 85% effective against this current virus.

Hand of a patient with monkeypox infection and close-up view of monkeypox virus particles, computer illustration

KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images

Hand of a patient with monkeypox infection and close-up view of monkeypox virus particles, computer illustration

Does this news mean there’s cause for concern?

Well, it’s unclear at the moment.

No deaths outside of Africa have yet been reported from this outbreak, although confirmed cases have suffered from fever, swollen glands and a rash which develops into fluid-filled lumps.

There are currently 793 cases in the UK out of more than 2,100 cases around the world – far lower numbers compared to when the Covid vaccine rollout first began.

However, the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) supported the decision to start handing out the smallpox vaccine. This panel advised the government to start its vaccination programme for Covid last year.

The WHO has described the outbreak outside of the continent as “unusual and concerning”, and is considering declaring it a global emergency.

Dr Ramsay warned: “Although most cases are mild, severe illness can occur in some people, so it is important we use the available vaccine to target groups where spread is ongoing.”

Professor Paul Hunter from University of East Anglia’s school of medicine also told Sky News that vaccination was “the right thing to do”.

He added: “What we have seen with monkeypox is a significant and continuing increase of the second wave despite control measures having been in place for a few weeks.

“So it is certainly looking like the current strategy of ring vaccination is not working.

“This is probably down to difficulties in identifying cases and their contacts rapidly enough, possibly due to stigma.”

He suggested that “we should be ready to start offering the vaccine to female sex workers” as well, because the virus does not discriminate by sexual orientation or sex.

The WHO has also called for the virus to be renamed after experts appealed for a “non-discriminatory” alternative.

If you think you have monkeypox…

You’ll have to do a PCR test similar to the Covid test. For monkeypox, it involves three swabs, two for the skin, and a throat swab.

You are still allowed to travel on public transport if you suspect you’ve caught the virus, but wear a mask and cover any lesions.

If you need to isolate, do not share a bathroom if you can avoid it and isolate in one room. Make sure not to share bedding or towels, avoid contact with your pets and have no sexual contact.

Try to avoid other communal spaces, too, such as the kitchen.

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This Is The Exact Age Your Hangovers Become Hell, Apparently

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Remember being 21, drinking whatever you could get your hands on (i.e the cheapest booze) with nary but a piece of toast to line your stomach? And somehow the next morning, you were still fine to make it to uni, or work, or just a day of youthful hedonism?

Well yeah, at some point that changes and out comes the hangover from hell to humble you.

There’s something about getting older that makes you more likely to experience the dreaded hangover sickness – headaches, a raging stomach, nausea, and other fun things.

And now, researchers have put a number on when you’re most likely to feel rough. And sorry 34-year-olds, it’s not looking good.

Greeting cards company Thortful carried out a survey of 2,000 people and found that post 34, you’re likely to start getting raging hangovers. And after 35, the dreaded after effects of drinking seem to last two days.

The survey found that we only start realising our boozy limits at age 37, while a year later is when people feel ‘too old’ to go out-out.

You’d think that as we get older, and thus more acclimatised to drinking, our bodies would be used to it. But actually it’s kind of the opposite.

“This means there are more toxins in our bodies for longer as they’re broken down more slowly into carbon dioxide and water,” Booker previously told HuffPost UK.

But before it can get to the CO2 and water stage, alcohol is broken down by the liver into a number of different substances, including the compound acetaldehyde. Dr Niall Campbell, consultant psychiatrist at Priory’s Roehampton Hospital, explained that as we age, our ability to metabolise acetaldehyde is reduced.

“That’s what you can smell on a heavy drinker’s breath the morning after the night before,” he said. “High acetaldehyde levels in heavy, steady drinkers is increasingly implicated in causing cancer.”

To add insult to injury, we’re just not fit as we once were. “More body fat and less muscle make the alcohol we consume more concentrated in the body, leading to dehydration and worsening the dreaded hangover,” Booker said.

After your mid-twenties it takes the body longer to recover from anything due to increasing levels of inflammation and chronic diseases, which your immune system and liver are busy fighting, said Dr Campbell.

You’re also more likely to be taking prescription medication as you get older. “These medicines can alter the way your body breaks down alcohol, leaving you with a worse hangover,” he said

Booker recommends drinking more water before, during and after boozing to limit the effects of alcohol as we age. But of course, the only way to truly avoid a hangover (and the long term damaging impacts of alcohol) is to cut your intake altogether.

Oh goody.

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Hopeful Parents Might Soon Get Paid Time Off For IVF. Here’s Why They Need It

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Employees undergoing fertility treatment could soon be entitled to statutory time off work, under a proposed law being brought before parliament.

The law suggests that fertility appointments should be treated in the same way as antenatal appointments during pregnancy.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have already recently given roughly 8,000 of their staff the right to three days off a year specifically for fertility treatment, The Mail on Sunday reports. (Though it’s worth noting that free IVF treatment under the NHS has faced huge cut backs in recent years.)

Under the latest bill, proposed by Tory MP Nickie Aiken, all companies would have to give both women and their partners time off for fertility treatment. It’s hoped the change will help those who may currently be going through multiple rounds of tough IVF treatments in secret.

“Undergoing treatment while juggling a career is very tough,” Aiken said. “Many people feel they cannot tell their employer for fear of being overlooked for a promotion or being made redundant.”

Why is this new proposed law so important for hopeful parents?

Becky Kearns, Co-Founder of Fertility Matters At Work, tells HuffPost UK this law is potentially game-changing, because it gives people “permission to talk to their employer about going through treatment (if they choose to) rather than feeling like they have to hide it”.

“We know from our research that 61.1% did not feel confident talking to their employer about trying for a baby,” she explains.

“Many fear that there will be an impact to their career in asking for time off to attend appointments and so a law in place to give a statutory right and protection against unfair treatment will help them to know that this is recognised by their employer.”

She adds that IVF is often seen as a ‘lifestyle choice’ rather than a treatment for a medical condition – though the World Health Organisation describes infertility as a “disease of the reproductive system”. The proposed law would help to right this wrong.

How will this benefit people who are having IVF?

Kearns believe this will benefit hopeful parents as IVF is a gruelling process over the course of a number of weeks involving numerous, frequent and unpredictable appointments. “From my own personal experience, taking time off for fertility appointments felt very different to when I finally became pregnant and was ‘allowed’ by law the right to attend antenatal appointments,” she says.

“It not being recognised or even allowed within many organisations creates additional stress and burden on top of an already emotionally draining process. This law would mean that over time fertility appointments would also be expected, accepted and acknowledged as a statutory right.”

What are some of the work challenges women face when undergoing fertility treatment?

When going through IVF or other fertility treatments, women face “a very real fear of not being seen as committed to their jobs, of being overlooked for promotion or even selected for redundancy if their employer knows,” Kearns says.

“It’s also a hugely personal experience, one that still often has stigma and shame attached to it,” she adds.

“Planning is hugely difficult as it often depends on how your body responds to treatment and when your period starts as to when treatment can begin, the appointments can be every other day and sometimes at late notice depending on blood test and scan results.”

In a 2020 survey by the community interest company, 83% of respondents said Covid (and working from home) had made it easier to plan and squeeze in fertility treatments. But now most of us have returned to the workplace – at least some of the week – things will get harder again.

“There’s the physical challenges of the hormones that are injected, also the challenge of finding an appropriate place to administer injections and pessaries whilst at work, one woman told us she had to hide her in a sandwich box in a fridge,” Kearns explains.

“Financial worries are huge too with the cost of treatment often running into the thousands, another stress when you need to take time off work – some are told to use annual leave or unpaid leave, we found that 69.5% took sick leave during treatment.

“Most predominantly is the mental health challenge, we found that 68% felt their treatment had a significant impact on their mental and emotional wellbeing, having to hide appointments and the huge grief that this process brings about can make it even more of a challenge, to the extent that 36% considered leaving their employment due to treatment.”

Let’s hope the bill marks the start of the change that’s needed.

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An ‘Unknown’ STI Is Doing The Rounds And It Affects Women Of Colour More

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An STI which is virtually unknown to the public is likely to be found in Black, Asian and other minority women more frequently, according to new research.

While more common than other sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea, the virus Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) is largely not known about to large swathes of people.

But new research shows that it is more common among ethnic minority women and can appear with common symptoms or asymptomatically.

Without treatment, the condition can have serious consequences, increasing the likelihood of HIV and pregnancy complications, which is why it’s important we get clued up on it.

The research, presented by Preventx at the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV annual conference, found that TV is also more common among heterosexual people. They studied 8,676 women from six English local authority areas who had completed remote STI tests.

While women of colour were most likely to be affected, Black women were particularly found to be at risk.

In the study, they found that 5.2% of women from Black, Caribbean and African heritage who had vaginal discharge – a common symptom of the infection – ended up testing positive for TV.

For all other women, the risk of having and displaying signs of the condition were 3.5%, with white women facing lower chances, at 3.4%.

Even in Black women who did not show any symptoms, the chances of TV remained higher among them, with a positivity rate more than twice as high as for white women. For Black women, this figure was eight times more likely, whereas for white women it was twice.

But it might not be genetic differences that predispose more women of colour to the condition than white women – it could be to do with levels of social deprivation.

For the first time, scientists also considered the relationship with poverty and rates of TV.

They found that the highest levels of TV were found in disadvantaged areas, with 5.9% of women in the most deprived neighbourhoods (in which women of colour are more likely to reside) testing positive for TV. In affluent areas, this number is at 1.4%.

Dr John White, medical director at Preventx and consultant physician in sexual health commented on the study, saying: “Trichomoniasis is a relatively unknown STI among the general population, but it can cause significant pain and discomfort. I know from the patients in my care that it can also cause a lot of emotional distress for the person infected too.

“Women, in particular, can remain infected for years – and their distressing symptoms are often misdiagnosed or dismissed. If untreated, TV can also increase the chance of acquiring HIV in at-risk communities, as well as cause complications in pregnancy.”

Scientists hope more research and testing is done to understand and treat the condition.

Dr White added: “Our new data shows worryingly high positivity rates, with certain communities more affected than others. As TV can easily be diagnosed with remote NAAT tests, it is vital that more high-quality TV testing is carried out across the UK, helping us to understand more about the distribution of this infection.

“This will allow us to address the consequences of undiagnosed TV and reduce transmission.”

What is TV and what are the symptoms?

TV can affect both men and women. According to the NHS, symptoms of trichomoniasis usually develop within a month of infection. However, up to half of all people will not develop any symptoms (though they can still pass the infection on to others).

The symptoms of trichomoniasis are similar to those of many other STIs so it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose.

Symptoms in women

Trichomoniasis in women can cause:

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This Is How Much Sleep You Actually Need (Spoiler: It’s Not 8 Hours)

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How much sleep are you getting? Judging by how you’re feeling, you’d probably say ‘not enough’.

Many of us dealing with the drudgery of the day often don’t feel very well rested and are likely to wish for more snoozing time. But actually, we might be sleeping too much already, depending on our age.

The ideal amount isn’t actually eight hours for those over 38 years old, according to scientists who conducted a major new study.

The University of Cambridge and Shanghai’s Fudan University examined the sleeping habits of nearly 500,000 adults aged between 38 and 73 and found that the ideal amount of sleep may be seven hours.

Participants were tested on their cognitive abilities and asked about their sleeping patterns, wellbeing, and mental health.

Researchers also sourced brain-imaging and genetic data for up to 40,000 participants in the study to get a better insight into their wellbeing.

Interestingly, they found that getting too much sleep and not enough has the same consequences. While traditionally, we’re told to get eight hours, scientists found that this amount, or any more (or less than seven) have a negative effect on our bodies as we age.

They found that too much sleep and not enough both had a detrimental effect, causing mental health issues and ‘worse cognitive performance’.

The study also showed that being consistent is key, so getting six hours one day and then nine the next can still leave you feeling groggy and tired.

So, why exactly do we feel a brain fog when we wake up some mornings?

Researchers say that it could be due to slow-wave deep sleep being disrupted during shorter bouts of slumber. This means the brain doesn’t have enough time to clear out the toxins.

Not only is getting the right amount of sleep better for your overall wellbeing, it’s good for our memories. That’s because scientists found that the hippocampus – the memory centre – is also affected by a lack of or excess of sleep.

So the older you get, the more you might want to get into the routine of achieving seven hours a day. This also has the added benefit of decreasing the likelihood of illness.

Prof Barbara Sahakian from the University of Cambridge, one of the study’s authors, said: “Getting a good night’s sleep is important at all stages of life, but particularly as we age. Finding ways to sleep for older people could be crucial to helping them maintain good mental health and wellbeing and avoiding cognitive decline, particularly for patients with psychiatric disorders and dementia.”

The Sleep Foundation also has similar advice for the ideal slumber time, based on age group.

It suggests that older adults should aim for seven-eight. While the Cambridge study says to go for the lower number in that range, as long as you feel well-rested with the amount you currently get, then it’s all good.

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