Stress is an inevitable part of life, but its consequences are not just mood swings and mental fatigue. Continual stress makes people produce extra cortisol, a hormone that has a critical role in adapting to short-term challenges, but chronically in high quantities it tends to cause harm to the body causing lots of physical and mental disorders.

The adrenal glands produce cortisol, which helps the body control its "fight, flight, or freeze" response. Cortisol temporarily adjusts blood sugar levels, maintains blood pressure, and assists the immune system, among other functions, in short spurts. But when stress persists, cortisol remains high, and necessary functions of the body are interfered with and rendered more susceptible to disease.

According to one survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, stress negatively affects a third of Americans' physical health. Concerns are reinforced by research where studies have shown 80% of primary care visits are stress-related.

But why does stress have such a profound impact? Elevated cortisol limits the immune system's ability to fight infections, disrupts hormonal balance, and triggers inflammation. Over time, these changes can lead to serious health complications.

Signs That High Cortisol Is Stressing Your Body

Persistent Eye Twitches

Do you have involuntary eye spasms? These harmless but annoying twitches often indicate elevated cortisol. The tiny muscles around the eyes are extremely sensitive to stress, contracting or spasming because of cortisol's stimulant-like effects.

Skin Breakouts and Sensitivity

Your skin often reflects what is going on inside your body, and chronic stress can cause inflammatory skin conditions. Elevated cortisol levels stimulate oil production, which exacerbates acne. It also slows down the healing process, worsens conditions like eczema, and contributes to general irritation of the skin.

Frequent Bloating and Digestive Issues

It also interferes with the body's balance of salt and water, which causes fluid retention and bloating. Excess cortisol also slows down blood flow to the digestive system, which further weakens gut bacteria and causes poor digestion, excess gas, and abdominal discomfort.

Weight Fluctuations

High cortisol stimulates the production of insulin, which can cause blood sugar to drop, making people want to eat sugary, high-fat foods. For many, this becomes an excuse to stress-eat and gain weight. For others, the opposite is true: their appetite disappears under stress, causing them to lose weight.

Unexplained Bruising

If you’re noticing random bruises, elevated cortisol could be the culprit. This hormone weakens skin proteins and the walls of small blood vessels, making your skin more fragile and prone to damage.

Cold Symptoms That Won’t Go Away

Do you feel rundown or experience muscle aches, fatigue, or upset stomach regularly? Elevated cortisol mimics cold-like symptoms. Long-term stress also weakens the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections.

Also Read: Stressed At Work? Your Sleep Might Be Paying The Price, New Study Shows

Vision Problems

Chronic stress can damage your eyesight. Elevated cortisol disrupts blood flow to the eyes, increases eye pressure, and raises the risk of glaucoma. Symptoms like dry eyes, blurred vision, and light sensitivity are also common.

Irregular Menstrual Cycles

Irregular Menstrual Cycles that disrupt the menstrual period. In females, this leads to hormonal distress causing irregular or missed periods. Over time, it may also disturb fertility.

Tinnitus or Persistent Ringing in the Ears

If you hear ringing, buzzing, or hissing sounds without an apparent source, stress might be the culprit. Cortisol affects the auditory system by interfering with blood flow and nerve function and could be the trigger for tinnitus.

Increased Inflammation and Chronic Disease

Increased levels of cortisol contribute to inflammation that can exacerbate conditions such as arthritis and promote the development of heart disease. Chronic inflammation is also associated with mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression.

Long-term Consequences of Increased Cortisol

Left unchecked, high cortisol levels can lead to more than just short-term discomfort. Chronic stress has been associated with serious conditions such as heart disease, psychiatric disorders, and metabolic syndromes. A 2013 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine underlined the link between stress and physical health, with recent research in Neurobiology of Stres supporting these findings.

Ways Managing Stress and Cortisol Levels

Managing stress and cortisol levels is essential for maintaining overall health. One effective approach is practicing mindfulness through meditation or yoga, which helps lower cortisol by calming the mind and promoting relaxation. Regular physical exercise, especially aerobic activities, helps reduce stress hormones and boosts endorphins. Prioritizing sleep is crucial, as lack of rest can increase cortisol levels; aim for 7-9 hours per night.

Another remedy is an overall balanced diet full of anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that could manage cortisol production. Finally, it would prevent burnout and chronic stress if proper boundaries were set at work and in personal life.

One in two children, or half of the world's children, are exposed to multiple overlapping climate hazards that threaten their health, education, and survival, according to a new report released by UNICEF today.

As the climate crisis worsens, children around the globe are facing increasing threats from heatwaves, storms, floods, and droughts, with more than one billion exposed to at least three of these hazards simultaneously, stated the Children's Climate Risk Report 2026.

“The lives of children continue to be upended by the impact of heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods,” said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF.

“Half of the world’s children are now living with at least three overlapping climate threats shaping their daily lives.”

Children Facing Multiple Climate Risks

Also read: 3 Infants Hospitalized In US Botulism Outbreak Tied To Powdered Formula

The report highlights the unprecedented scale at which children are being exposed to multiple climate hazards. These include:

Floods: Nearly one in seven children—around 337 million—live in areas affected by riverine flooding, while 33 million are exposed to coastal flooding.

Drought: More than three-quarters of all children globally (1.8 billion) are exposed to agricultural or meteorological droughts, threatening food security, nutrition, and livelihoods.

Tropical Storms: Around 662 million children live in areas exposed to tropical storms, where intense rainfall and high winds disrupt homes, schools, and health services.

Heatwaves and Extreme Heat: Nearly two in three children worldwide (1.5 billion) are exposed to heatwaves that are becoming more frequent, longer-lasting, or more severe. Additionally, 1.2 billion children are exposed to extreme heat conditions.

Fires and Dust Storms: An estimated 206 million children are exposed to frequent and severe wildfires, while 123 million are exposed to sand and dust storms.

Malaria: More than two in five children globally—around one billion—live in areas with exposure to malaria, a climate-sensitive disease whose transmission is influenced by temperature and rainfall patterns.

Air Pollution: An estimated 2.3 billion children—almost all children worldwide—live in areas where air pollutants are detectable.

“These exposures pose serious risks to children’s health, learning and well-being, particularly where access to cooling, safe water and health care is limited,” the report noted.

UNICEF Calls for Urgent Action

To protect children's rights from climate threats and help communities adapt to growing environmental challenges, UNICEF is urging governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to take immediate action.

Read More: 3 Infants Hospitalized In US Botulism Outbreak Tied To Powdered Formula

The agency called for:

• Reducing emissions and fulfilling existing international climate commitments based on the best available science.
• Protecting children through inclusive climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and responses to loss and damage, while ensuring child-focused services are incorporated into national adaptation and disaster preparedness plans.
• Empowering children and young people to participate meaningfully in climate action through investments in climate education, knowledge, and skills, while safeguarding their rights to expression and participation in decisions that affect their lives.

“When we strengthen health and education systems and improve infrastructure with children in mind, we protect them from today’s climate threats and help secure their future.”

June is observed worldwide as Hernia Awareness Month—a timely reminder that this common condition is widely misunderstood, often ignored, and yet highly treatable when addressed early. It is a fitting moment to look at how the way we live, work, and exercise today may be quietly shaping our risk.

What is a hernia?

Prof. (Dr.) Ashvind Bawa, MS, FACS — Director, The Hernia Institute at Bawa Hospital, Ludhiana, said, "A hernia develops when an organ or fatty tissue protrudes through a weakened area of muscle or connective tissue, most commonly in the abdomen or groin. Although hernias are popularly blamed on heavy lifting alone, the reality is more nuanced. Several features of modern life can quietly raise a person’s risk. As fitness culture grows, high-intensity gym workouts performed with poor technique or excessive loads can cause sudden spikes in intra-abdominal pressure. Importantly, exercise itself does not create a hernia in healthy tissue; rather, repeated, poorly controlled strain may unmask or accelerate weakness at vulnerable points of the abdominal wall, such as the groin, the navel, or the site of a previous surgical scar."

Is obesity contributing to hernia risk?

Obesity, increasingly common in urban populations owing to sedentary routines and energy-dense diets, places sustained pressure on the abdominal wall and is one of the most consistently documented risk factors for both primary and recurrent hernias. Chronic cough — frequently related to smoking, asthma, or other respiratory conditions — transmits repetitive pressure through the abdomen, as does chronic constipation with persistent straining during bowel movements. In men, an enlarged prostate causing straining to pass urine acts in a similar way. Each of these contributes to the cumulative load that a weakened abdominal wall must withstand.

Read more: Can Extreme Heat Trigger Heart Palpitations? Expert Explains Risks

Modern work patterns matter too. Occupations involving repetitive lifting, pushing, or pulling place recurring demands on the abdominal wall, while prolonged sitting in desk-based roles contributes indirectly by promoting weight gain, deconditioning of the core musculature, and reduced overall fitness. It is worth emphasising that these factors do not guarantee that a hernia will form; rather, they raise the probability in individuals who are already predisposed—whether through a family history of hernia, increasing age, a collagen or connective-tissue disorder, or a prior abdominal incision.

Lifestyle changes to reduce hernia risk

First and foremost, maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight increases the mechanical load on the abdominal wall and predisposes it to weakness. A balanced diet built around fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and adequate lean protein supports not only muscle integrity but also overall metabolic health. Stopping smoking is equally important: beyond reducing chronic cough, smoking impairs collagen and tissue healing, which is directly relevant to wound and hernia repair.

Avoiding constipation and the straining that accompanies it helps minimise spikes in abdominal pressure, which makes adequate hydration and a fibre-rich diet meaningful components of risk reduction. Alongside dietary choices, the right type of exercise is key. Regular, moderate activity such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming helps with weight control while improving cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. Gradual, progressive core strengthening—planks, bridges, and controlled abdominal work—can support the abdominal wall, but technique and progression matter far more than intensity. Avoid crash diets and abrupt, very high-intensity regimens, which can lead to muscle loss and injury; a sustainable, gradual plan is safer and more effective.

Finally, adopt safe lifting habits. Bend at the knees and use your leg muscles rather than your back; keep the load close to the body; exhale as you lift rather than holding your breath; and avoid twisting under load. These simple measures reduce strain on both the back and the abdominal wall.

Read more: GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs May Improve Fertility In Men With Obesity, Study Suggests

When to seek medical attention — and what treatment involves

It is important to be clear that a hernia is a structural defect in the abdominal wall. Once a true hernia has formed, no diet, exercise, belt, or “conservative management” can make it disappear — these measures may control symptoms or slow enlargement, but the defect itself does not close on its own. Surgery is the only definitive treatment. The decision on timing, however, should be individualised: many small, painless, easily reducible hernias can be monitored under a planned ‘watchful waiting’ approach in consultation with a surgeon, while symptomatic, enlarging, or high-risk hernias are best repaired in a planned, elective setting before complications arise.

Some signs mean you should see a doctor the same day because the contents of the hernia—often a loop of bowel—may have become trapped and lost their blood supply, which is an emergency. Watch for a bulge that suddenly becomes hard, painful, or will not push back in; pain that is severe or getting worse; the skin over the swelling turning red or dark; feeling sick or vomiting; a swollen, bloated belly; being unable to pass wind or have a bowel movement; or a fever. If any of these happen, go to the emergency department straight away rather than waiting.

Depending on the type and size of the hernia and the patient’s overall health, repair may be performed as open surgery, by laparoscopy, or with robotic assistance, and most repairs use a mesh to reinforce the abdominal wall and reduce the risk of recurrence. Many procedures are now carried out as day-care surgery, allowing patients to return home the same day and resume normal activities sooner. The aim of contemporary care is not only a durable repair but also a comfortable recovery, with techniques chosen to minimise pain and speed return to work and daily life.

Preparing for parenthood is not just about a woman's health. A simple fertility health check can help men understand their reproductive health, identify potential issues early, and improve their chances of starting a healthy family. Here, the expert tells men about the vital tests they should get done if they want to embrace fatherhood.

In an interview with Health and Me, Dr. Mrunalini Jagne (Ahire), Fertility Consultant and IVF Specialist at Motherhood Fertility & IVF, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, listed the most important fertility checks for men, and how they can go a long way in improving quality of life.

When couples plan for a baby, most of the focus is often on the mother’s well-being. However, understand that a father's health also plays an equally important role in conception and pregnancy outcomes. Are you aware? Factors such as age, lifestyle habits, medical conditions, stress, and nutrition can affect sperm quality and fertility. So, men who are planning to become fathers should consider a preconception fertility assessment to ensure they are in the best possible health before trying to conceive. Men shouldn’t miss the following fertility checks.

Fertility tests that men must go for

Semen analysis: A semen analysis is usually the first and most important fertility test for men. It helps to assess:

1. Sperm count (number of sperm)
2. Sperm movement (motility)
3. Sperm shape (morphology)
4. Semen volume

This test helps identify whether there are any issues that could make conception more difficult.

Hormone testing: Hormones play a major role in sperm production. Blood tests may be recommended to check levels of:

1. Testosterone
2. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
3. Luteinising Hormone (LH)
4. Thyroid hormones

Hormonal imbalances can affect fertility and may require treatment.

Lifestyle check: Many everyday habits can influence sperm health. During a fertility evaluation, doctors may assess:

1. Smoking and tobacco use
2. Alcohol consumption
3. Diet and nutrition
4. Exercise habits
5. Stress levels
6. Sleep quality

Making positive lifestyle changes can help improve fertility.

Medical and family history review: Certain health conditions can affect reproductive health. The expert may ask about:

1. Diabetes
2. Thyroid disorders
3. Previous infections
4. Varicocele (enlarged veins in the scrotum)
5. Previous surgeries
6. Family history of fertility problems

If any problems are detected, the doctor will decide the line of treatment for you.

General health screening: Overall health is closely linked to fertility. Screening for obesity, high blood pressure, vitamin deficiencies, and other health concerns can help improve both fertility and long-term well-being.

Simple tests such as semen analysis, hormone evaluation, lifestyle assessment, and general health screening can improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby. Therefore, men should take these tests without wasting any further time and stay updated regarding their fertility health.