The COVID-19 pandemic may be over, but our immune systems are still feeling the impact. After years of battling constant viral threats, from COVID-19 to seasonal flu and other infections, our body’s defense system is exhausted. Many people continue to experience lingering inflammation, frequent illnesses, and slower recovery times. This extended state of immune stress has compromised us further to chronic illness, including autoimmune diseases and even neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. So why is our immune system still in trouble? And how do we give it its power back? Understanding immune exhaustion is the beginning of rebuilding our body's natural immunity.

A weakened immune system makes people more susceptible to disease, mental illnesses, and even sleep disorders. Now, new research indicates that immune system depletion may play an important role in the onset of Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurologic disorder that compromises movement and cognition.

Role of Inflammation in Parkinson's Disease

Dysfunctional immune response is a leading cause of long-standing inflammation within the body, that has been found to contribute towards a multitude of conditions, including cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, depression, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

As people age, their immune system naturally becomes less effective. This deterioration, referred to as immune exhaustion, may be a key contributor to the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease. Rebecca Wallings, a Parkinson’s Foundation Launch Award grant recipient and senior postdoctoral fellow at the University of Florida, believes that an accumulation of exhausted immune cells could be driving neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s patients.

How a Tired Immune System Might Affect Parkinson's?

Parkinson's disease is most commonly linked with the degeneration and loss of dopaminergic neurons—motor nerve cells that produce dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter for movement. While researchers have long suspected inflammation is involved in this neurodegeneration, the mechanisms are not yet well understood.

Wallings' study is on immune cell exhaustion, a process by which aging immune cells fail to control immune responses effectively. Her research indicates that instead of dampening inflammation in Parkinson's patients, attempts should be made to rejuvenate the immune system to regain its functionality.

Energy Deficiency in Immune Cells

One of the major findings of Wallings' work is the function of mitochondrial impairment in immune cell exhaustion. Mitochondria are commonly called the powerhouses of cells, as they are vital for generating energy. As mitochondria age and become inefficient, immune cells fail to function well, potentially accelerating neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease.

Wallings has found that mutations in the LRRK2 gene, a recognized genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease, are linked with defective mitochondrial function and immune cell exhaustion. Her current work includes testing various therapeutic approaches to restore mitochondrial function in immune cells with the potential to enhance the immune system and potentially prevent or treat Parkinson's disease.

Will Rejuvenating the Immune System Help in Treatment?

For decades, the standard practice in treating Parkinson's has been to suppress brain inflammation. Yet Wallings' work indicates that instead of slowing down immune responses, restoring the immune system could be a more successful strategy. By addressing mitochondrial impairment and immune resilience, researchers can potentially reverse or slow down Parkinson's disease.

Wallings is now looking into how to rejuvenate immune cells by fixing mitochondria. She studies immune cells from patients with Parkinson's as well as from healthy subjects and performs experiments on animal models to determine if rejuvenation of the immune system could result in improved disease outcomes.

Lifestyle Factors That May Affect Parkinson's Risk

While there is no cure for Parkinson's disease, some lifestyle adjustments may decrease the chances of developing the illness. Since neurodegenerative diseases are associated with chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction, developing habits that enhance immune function might prove helpful.

Diet: There is evidence to suggest that eating in accordance with the Mediterranean or MIND diets, both high in antioxidants, healthy fats, and anti-inflammatory foods, can encourage brain wellness and reduce Parkinson's risk.

Avoiding Dangerous Substances: Restricting alcohol and nicotine use can maintain a robust immune system and suppress inflammation.

Reducing Stress: Chronic stress weakens immune function, so methods such as meditation, exercise, and sufficient sleep can lead to improved overall well-being.

For most people, grief arrives slowly. For survivors of suicide loss, it crashes in without warning and never quite leaves the room. Around the world, millions of people carry this quiet, complicated grief. This one is laced not only with heartbreak, but often with unanswered questions, guilt, shock, and the haunting feeling that maybe something, anything, could have been different.

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is more than a remembrance; it is a reminder that those left behind are still learning how to live with an absence that reshaped everything. For Harry Corin, *Amitava Kumar, and writer Arianna Rebolini, that reshaping began the moment they learned their loved one had chosen to leave the world.

Their stories are different, their cultures and circumstances varied, but their grief echoes the same truth: suicide does not end a life alone. It alters the lives of everyone who loved them.

“I spent a decade hiding the truth”

Harry Corin, who was raised in St Ives, a small town in England was only 12 when his father died by suicide. At an age when children are learning how the world works, Harry was suddenly thrown into a reality too heavy for words.

For more than a decade, through school, university, and his first jobs—he kept the truth locked inside.

It was fear that speaking about suicide would make people uncomfortable, fear that it would expose the overwhelming pain he had never processed. But the first time he spoke about it openly, something shifted.

He realized how powerful honest conversation could be, and how desperately men needed safer spaces to have them.

Now a mental health speaker and founder of a global workplace wellbeing company, Harry’s life mission is rooted in preventing others from reaching the point his father did. He believes suicide prevention begins long before a crisis, through environments where vulnerability is accepted, emotions are not dismissed, and support is offered without hesitation.

But his journey has also been shaped by the way he experiences the world. Diagnosed with ADHD in his late 20s, he finally had a lens that explained years of inner restlessness. This understanding didn’t erase the pain—but it helped him reclaim a narrative he had once buried.

Also Read: International Day for Survivors of Suicide Loss: History And Its Relevance Today

Losing the heart of his family

In Kolkata, many families live close, emotionally, financially, historically. This was true for *Amitava Kumar, whose beloved uncle, affectionately called 'Choto Kaka', was the youngest of seven brothers.

Amitava remembers him as charming, generous, and deeply loved by nieces and nephews. He had a thriving business and carried much of the joint family’s financial responsibilities after Amitava’s father moved to Delhi. He handled his grandparents’ medical expenses, supported siblings, and was the emotional anchor of the household.

But behind that warmth was a man whose emotional vulnerability was often exploited by friends. His generosity made him an easy target for those who took advantage of his kindness and financial success.

At home, tensions began to grow. Arguments escalated. Pressure mounted. He began drifting away from the family that adored him.

Then came the debts: quiet, creeping, and devastating.

“One day,” Amitava says, “we were dumbstruck to hear that our beloved Choto Kaka had taken his life.”

It was February 1995 when Amitava was 28, and it was the last he saw him—just a few months before his own wedding, which was to be held in May in the same year. His uncle had blessed the photo of his bride and promised to meet her soon.

The family marked his memory with a stone inscription at Brahma Mandir in Pushkar, a way of leaving his soul at the feet of the divine. Yet the void he left remains unfillable.

“Grief becomes complicated when distance exists”

For New York-based writer Arianna Rebolini, grief came from a different angle, not in the heart of a close-knit family, but through a friendship that had drifted apart.

At 28, she learned that her once-inseparable college friend, Alice, had died by suicide. It was a loss wrapped in guilt. They had bonded deeply in their youth, often over their shared struggles with mental health. But adulthood had separated them—new cities, new routines, and the quiet fading that happens between even the closest friends.

“There’s a shame in realizing you weren’t there,” she says. “I wasn’t in a position to know that she needed help.”

Arianna carried the dual weight of grief and self-blame. She dreamt about Alice for years. She combed through old messages. She found a Facebook text from Alice, sent two months before her death, that she had never responded to.

“It still hurts,” she admits.

To heal, Arianna confronted the details of Alice’s final months, refusing to shy away from them, a path many survivors fear but some desperately need. As she immersed herself in Alice’s poetry and art, she found connection, closure, and eventually clarity.

Through years of writing and research, her understanding of suicide transformed. She even wrote a gutsy, riveting memoir that explores suicides, named Better: A Memory About Wanting to Die.

The Invisible Weight Survivors Carry

The stories of Harry, Amitava, and Arianna reveal what most people don’t see:

Survivors of suicide loss often live with:

• guilt, even when it’s undeserved
• unanswered questions that never resolve
• shame imposed by societal silence
• the ache of unfinished conversations
• anger, confusion, love, and longing, all at once

Their grief is not linear. It’s a spiral. Some days are survivable. Others reopen wounds that never fully healed.

Note: Names have been changed to protect identities.

Note: Information about Harry Corin has been taken from his publicly available website, harrycorin.in, and is used with consent.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 720 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.

November 22 is observed as the International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, which brings attention to a form of grief, which is not always talked about. Neuroscience now provides more clarity on how different the experience of losing someone close is. This experience is not just gone for once, but instead as recurring waves of pain, intrusive questions, and long-lasting emotional "aftershocks".

Suicide loss comes in many layers of shocks, guilty, and often confusion. The brain not only processes the loss, but also a rupture. There are many forms of grief, including cognitive, emotional, and sometimes biological, if it is a lost family member, like a daughter, son, sister, or a very close family member.

The amygdala is responsible for detecting fear and danger. After a suicide loss, it can stay hyperactive for months or even years.

Sudden reminders, unanswered questions, anniversaries, or simple triggers—like a song, photo, or notification, can instantly activate the brain’s stress response. Experts suggest since suicide is an unexpected and traumatic incident, the amygdala keeps replaying the alert and thus the survivors could often feel frozen in the moment when they receive the news.

The Thoughts That Loop Relentlessly

The hippocampus helps form memories and gives context to events. After a suicide loss, the brain tries to create meaning around something that often has no clear explanation. This leads to persistent mental looping:

• Could I have stopped it?
• Why didn’t I catch the signs?
• What were they thinking or feeling?

These are not just emotional spirals—they are the hippocampus working overtime, trying to rebuild a narrative that makes sense, even when the event itself defies understanding.

What Is The History Of International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day?

The day was created in 1999, following a US Senate resolution that was introduced by Senator Harry Reid, who lost his father to suicide. The day was officially designated by the United States Congress as a time for those affected by suicide loss to come together for healing and support.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Illinois has also planned multiple free, in-person gatherings for people who have lost someone to suicide. Angela Cummings, who is the executive director of the foundation says, "Grief after suicide is unique, and so is the strength it takes to keep going," as reported by My Journal Corner.

"Survivor Day helps people find understanding and connection through shared experience. It reminds us that even in the midst of loss, hope and healing are possible."

Every year, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention sponsors International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, a program that unites survivors of suicide loss across the world. These events help survivors cope with the tragedy of losing someone to suicide.

Help for suicidal thoughts

• UK: NHS UK Helpline No. 111, works 24 hours every day
• US: Suicide & Crisis Lifeline No. 988, nation wide phone number
• India: iCall: Helpline Np. 9152987821

Permanent hair dyes promise vibrant, long-lasting colour, but many contain a hidden risk: a chemical called p-phenylenediamine, or PPD. While essential for keeping hair shades bold, PPD has been linked to allergic reactions, skin inflammation, and, in rare cases, life-threatening poisoning. Experts warn that even everyday use can trigger unexpected skin issues, making awareness and caution crucial for anyone coloring their hair.

PPD in Hair Dyes: What You Need to Know

Most permanent hair dyes sold in the US and Europe contain an ingredient called p-phenylenediamine (PPD), an aromatic amine. This chemical is essential for keeping hair colour long-lasting and resistant to washing or drying. However, research increasingly links PPD to severe allergic reactions, potential cancer risks, and even life-threatening poisoning.

How PPD Affects Your Skin

Even in normal cosmetic use, the body absorbs only small amounts of PPD, but it can still trigger a variety of health issues. Allergic reactions and contact dermatitis are the most common. About 72 hours after exposure, PPD can provoke immune sensitization and inflammation, which may show up as redness, swelling, blisters, and intense itching.

People with pre-existing skin conditions such as eczema, dandruff, or other rashes are more susceptible. While 1.5% of the general population may react to PPD, this rises to 6% among those already prone to dermatitis.

PPD and Cancer Risk

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies occupational exposure to hair dye as “probably carcinogenic,” but personal use hasn’t been conclusively linked to cancer. A 36-year study in 2020 found no strong association between regular hair dye use and most cancers, although it noted potential links to specific types, including estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer and basal cell carcinoma. Experts caution that these findings are not definitive and require further investigation.

Life-Threatening Risks of PPD Poisoning

While cosmetic exposure carries minimal systemic risk, ingesting PPD can be deadly. Oral exposure can cause rapid multi-organ failure, with initial signs including unpredictable swelling of the neck and airways, known as angioneurotic edema. Even with medical intervention, the mortality rate for severe PPD poisoning is around 14.5%.

Safer Alternatives and Precautions

Rising awareness of PPD’s risks has prompted the development of PPD-free dyes using alternatives like p-toluenediamine sulfate (PTDS). However, research shows that about half of individuals allergic to PPD may also react to PTDS.

The safest way to reduce risk is by performing a patch test 48 hours before every use. Professional users should wear protective gloves, and improved consumer education on potential sensitivities can further minimize danger.

How To Check If You’re Allergic To PPD

Finding out if you’re sensitive to PPD is relatively straightforward. You can visit an allergy clinic for a professional assessment, or do a patch test at home before applying any PPD-based hair dye.

What To Watch For On The Label?

PPD may appear under different names on hair dye packaging. Look out for any of the following terms, as they all indicate the presence of PPD:

• P-phenylenediamine
• Para-phenylenediamine
• 4-aminoaniline
• 1,4-benzenediamine
• p-diaminobenzene