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 many women, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) begins with a familiar story—irregular periods, acne, unwanted hair growth or difficulty conceiving. But PCOS is far more than a reproductive disorder. At its core, it is often a complex interplay between metabolism, hormones and reproductive health.

One of the most important, yet frequently overlooked, pieces of this puzzle is insulin resistance. When the body becomes less responsive to insulin, the pancreas compensates by producing more.

Elevated insulin levels can, in turn, contribute to increased androgen production by the ovaries and disrupt the delicate hormonal signals required for regular ovulation. The result may be irregular cycles, fewer ovulations and, for some women, difficulty becoming pregnant.

PCOS And Insulin Resistance Can Affect Women Of Any Weight

Importantly, PCOS and insulin resistance are not synonymous with obesity. Women with a healthy body weight can also have significant metabolic abnormalities. This is why judging metabolic health by appearance alone can be misleading.

The 2023 International Evidence-based PCOS Guideline recognises insulin resistance as an important underlying feature and recommends attention to metabolic risk across the weight spectrum.

Also read: Decoding The Fertility Markers

The Metabolic Risks Go Beyond Fertility

The metabolic implications extend well beyond fertility. Women with PCOS have a higher risk of impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes, making long-term metabolic surveillance an important part of care.

The guideline recommends appropriate glycaemic assessment, particularly when pregnancy is being planned or fertility treatment is being considered.

Also read: Can Regular Consumption of Junk and Processed Food Affect Fertility?

Building A Healthier Foundation For Pregnancy

Yet there is an equally important message of hope: PCOS does not mean infertility, nor does it have to define a woman’s health journey. Lifestyle interventions—including regular physical activity, nutritious eating, adequate sleep and sustainable weight management where appropriate—form the foundation of care and can improve metabolic health.

For a woman planning pregnancy, the goal should not simply be to “get pregnant.” It should be to enter pregnancy metabolically and emotionally healthier, with blood sugar, blood pressure, nutrition, lifestyle and other risk factors appropriately addressed.

Take-home message: PCOS is not merely about irregular periods or cysts on the ovaries. It is a lifelong condition in which metabolic health and reproductive health are deeply connected. Recognising insulin resistance early, looking beyond weight, and providing personalised care can help women protect both their fertility today and their health for years to come.

The view generally is that the occurrence of knee issues is usually associated with age, injury or overexertion. However, there is another reason people ignore: lack of movement. If a person leads an inactive lifestyle, spending long hours sitting at a desk, working from the couch, watching TV or doing nothing physical, the eventual consequences for the knees might arise.

Knees are created for motion, and motion is essential for keeping the flexibility of a joint. Their effective functioning depends on the health of the muscles surrounding your knee. The less active various leg muscles are, including quadriceps and other counterparts, the weaker they will be. The muscles help stabilize the knee and can relieve it from some of the burdens during daily activities performed by the knees.

Remaining seated for an extended time can also lead to stiffness. When you sit for a while, you may feel uncomfortable or stiff in your knees when you finally stand up. While the occasional instance of stiffness may go away with movement, constant stiffness can impact mobility and cause people to wish to move even less.

Another issue is gaining weight. Living a sedentary lifestyle causes individuals to become heavier, and excess weight puts more stress on the knees. In time, this added pressure will lead to increased wear of the joints and the development of knee pain and other problems in the musculoskeletal system.

The positive aspect with respect to your knees is that you don’t have to put in hours at the gym to keep them safe. Small, steady efforts can easily do the trick. You can choose to walk for five minutes after being seated for a long time, stretch regularly, take stairs if you are physically able and do some simple workouts for the legs and thighs to increase strength. Low-impact sports such as swimming, cycling and walking can help you maintain muscle power and flexible joints while avoiding the stress on your knees resulting from extensive workouts.

Persistent pain in the knee, however, cannot be treated as a usual symptom of ageing. Knee swelling or prolonged stiffness, difficulties climbing stairs, instability, or pain that has an impact on routine activities should be addressed by health professionals.

Movement is necessary for knees to be strong and flexible. Therefore, if you want your knees to be strong, you need to use them consistently and perform all activities without remaining still for long.

(By Dr Sujoy Bhattacharjee, Chairman & Chief, Max Institute of Robotic Joint Replacement, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket)

Blocked ears are one of the most common and irritating problems associated with air travel.

While the sensation usually resolves on its own shortly after landing, for 22-year-old Aida Burkins from California, it persisted and eventually led to a frightening diagnosis of rare head and neck cancer.

Blocked Ears Persisted After Flight

Burkins was travelling to Chicago in May 2025 when her ears became blocked. When she returned home, her ears still hadn’t popped.

She later developed unusual symptoms, including hearing loss and bleeding from her throat.

“I started bleeding into my throat, which would only come out of my nose if I was bent at the hip at about 90 degrees,” the 22-year-old told Newsweek. “My hearing got worse and worse. Then I started getting more tired and losing weight.”

Symptoms Were Initially Dismissed

When Burkins sought medical help, her condition was initially dismissed as “just altitude sickness.” After several months, her hearing had deteriorated significantly.

“Everything sounded so muffled, and I had a ringing that wouldn’t go away,” she said.

Burkins eventually saw an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, who discovered a mass and noted that her adenoids — soft tissue in the throat, just behind the nose — were inflamed.

“The doctor told me he had never seen anything quite like what I had going on. He couldn’t be sure it was cancer, but he said it was very suspicious,” she told the outlet.

Diagnosed With Rare Head And Neck Cancer

In February 2026, after undergoing CT scans and two biopsies, Burkins learned that she had a widespread tumour affecting the cervical lymph nodes near the base of her skull.

She was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare type of head and neck cancer that starts in the upper part of the throat behind the nose and near the base of the skull, according to the American Cancer Society.

“Hearing I have cancer, all I thought about was not being able to see my babies grow up or do the things they want to do in life. It was horrifying,” Burkins, who is a mother to a 1-year-old and 3-year-old.

Burkins has since undergone months of chemotherapy and radiation. She is now finishing her treatment and hopes to be cancer-free soon as her body is responding well to the treatments.

What Is Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma?

According to the Mayo Clinic, nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the nasopharynx, the upper part of the throat located behind the nose.

The cancer is rare in the United States and occurs much more often in other parts of the world, particularly Southeast Asia.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma can be difficult to detect early because the nasopharynx is not easy to examine and there may be no symptoms initially.

Symptoms To Watch For

When symptoms do occur, they present non-classic signs which include:

• A lump in the neck caused by a swollen lymph node
• Nosebleeds
• Bloody saliva
• Double vision
• Ear infections
• Facial numbness
• Headaches
• Hearing loss
• Nasal stuffiness
• Ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus
• Sore throat

How Is It Treated?

Treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma usually involves radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of the two, depending on the cancer and the individual patient.