With the extra busy schedules people have these days, fitness tracking apps have helped many people time and track their exercise time, calories burnt and the time taken to do so. These apps also remind us to drink water, not exceed our calorie limits for the day, as well as keep exercising. However, sometimes these devices can have an adverse impact on our health. Instead of making us feel better, they can make us feel anxious or stressed. This generally happens when we become too focused on the numbers and start to worry if they aren't perfect. It's important to understand that while these trackers can be helpful, they shouldn't control our mood or make us feel bad about ourselves.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association also found that people with heart problems who used trackers were more worried about their symptoms. With so many people using these devices, it's becoming a common problem. 20% of wearable users felt anxious and always contacted their doctors when they received an irregular rhythm notification. They also found that these devices meant increased monitoring and worrying, higher usage of AFib (atrial fibrillation) specific health care etc. These findings suggest that while wearables can help patients monitor their AFib, they may also lead to increased anxiety and health care use. More research is needed to fully understand the effects of these devices on patients, doctors, and the health care system.

Signs These Apps May Be Getting Too Much For You

We can become too focused on achieving certain goals, like a certain number of steps or a perfect sleep score. This can lead to stress and anxiety when we don't meet those goals, instead of simply using the information to support a healthy lifestyle.

Your Metrics Influence Your Mood

If your happiness or sadness depends on the numbers your fitness tracker shows, it's a sign you might need a break. Getting a low score can make you feel like you've failed, even if you've been making healthy choices. It's normal to feel a little disappointed when you don't reach a goal, but your overall mood shouldn't be affected. If you notice that your mood changes a lot based on your tracker's data, it might be time to step away from it for a while.

You Constantly Try To Interpret Your Numbers

If you find yourself constantly searching online to understand what your tracker's data means, it's a warning sign. Trying to interpret every number can lead to more worry and confusion. You might start to believe you have health problems that don't exist. It's important to remember that these trackers are tools, not medical professionals. Spending too much time trying to decode the data can increase your anxiety instead of helping you.

You Feel Anxious When You Can’t See Your Data

If you feel nervous or anxious when you forget your tracker or it's not working, you might be too dependent on it. You should be able to feel comfortable and relaxed without constant data. If you feel panicky when you can't see your numbers, it's a sign you need to learn to be okay without them. You should be able to trust your body's signals instead of relying only on the tracker.

You’re Ignoring How Your Body Feels

If you rely only on your tracker and ignore what your body is telling you, it's a problem. Your body's signals are important. For example, you might feel well-rested, but if your tracker says your sleep quality is low, you might start to doubt yourself. It's important to listen to your body and not just the numbers. Your body knows when it's tired, hungry, or needs rest. The tracker is a tool to support your health, not replace your body’s signals.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus had a significant impact on the eyes, causing conjunctivitis (pink eye), with red, itchy, watery, or painful eyes.

A new study now shows that eye symptoms may also be key in understanding the severity of long COVID, a collection of symptoms that last three months or longer after your first COVID symptoms.

The new study, published in the journal Clinical Ophthalmology, showed that the new onset of eye symptoms in people with long COVID may be an indicator of more severe disease.

Also read: Long Covid Causes Lasting Brain Inflammation And Lung Injury, Reveals Study

Key Findings

Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine analyzed survey data from 595 adults who self-reported having long COVID in surveys conducted from May 2022 to October 2023. They found that nearly 60 percent of people reported new-onset of ocular symptoms.

The findings suggest that ocular symptoms in long COVID may be interpreted as vision-related manifestations that cluster with systemic post-COVID conditions. The symptoms include a new onset of :

• blurred or lost vision,
• dry eyes,
• floaters or flashes

Notably, individuals with ocular symptoms reported:

• A greater overall symptom burden,
• Financial difficulties,
• Challenges in everyday life.

Also read: Long COVID: The Story Of Those Who Are Still Dealing With Symptoms And Illnesses

What is Long COVID

Long COVID includes a wide range of symptoms or conditions that may improve, worsen, or be ongoing. While anyone who gets COVID-19 can develop Long COVID, studies have shown that some groups of people are more likely to develop Long COVID than others, including:

• Women
• People who have experienced more severe COVID-19 illness, especially those who were hospitalized or needed intensive care
• People with underlying health conditions
• People who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine

While many of the Long COVID conditions remain to be fully recognized, some people have more than one symptom that can be moderate to severe, and also impact the quality of life. According to the US CDC, they include:

• Tiredness or fatigue
• Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes called “brain fog”)
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Headache
• Dizziness on standing
• Fast-beating or pounding heart (known as heart palpitations)
• Chest pain
• Cough
• Joint or muscle pain
• Depression or anxiety
• Fever
• Loss of taste or smell

A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has raised serious concerns about growing doctor burnout, especially among junior and senior resident doctors, and warned that it is now affecting both doctor well-being and patient safety. Noting that overworked doctors are a risk for patient safety, the panel said that fatigue-driven errors and burnout could compromise care.

To tackle this, the committee recommended that the government introduce and strictly enforce a formal “Clinical Duty Hours Regulation” policy. This should mandate fixed rest periods and monitored duty rosters, with oversight mechanisms to prevent violations, stated the panel in its 172nd report presented before the Parliament.

The recommendation comes amid growing concern over long, unregulated shifts in teaching hospitals, where residents often work extended hours with limited rest.

The panel warned that such conditions not only increase the likelihood of clinical mistakes but also contribute to burnout and mental health stress among young doctors.

What The Parliamentary Panel Said

The Panel noted that due to persistent human resource shortages, the working hours of junior and senior residents doctors often stretch from 24 to 36 hours. This increases risk of clinical errors and burnout, thereby compromising patient safety. Thus it recommended a mandatory working-hour regulatory framework:

• to minimize fatigue-induced clinical errors
• safeguard their mental and physical well-being,
• improving patient safety.

However, it noted the contractual engagement must not substitute regular appointments, as excessive reliance on contractual staff may dilute institutional accountability and continuity.

Instead, the panel has recommended adopting a "Total Support model for medical professionals" to attract and retain qualified doctors and specialists in the public health system.

Also read:India Must Integrate Technology To Build Preventive, Holistic Healthcare: Experts

What Is Clinical Duty Hours Regulation policy

The policy calls to:

• Ensure mandatory rest periods, monitored rosters.
• Ensure the presence of senior faculty in wards and in operating theatres during peak hours
• Align faculty schedules with clinical demand
• Offer Structured mentorship
• Protected teaching time for trainees to gain supervised clinical experience
• Improved working conditions, including accommodation, transportation, and administrative support, on par with the facilities afforded to senior civil servants,
• Transparent career progression with time-bound promotions.
• Integrate Yoga and the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) within the workforce to address depression and psychiatric issues.

Also read: Doctors Share Preventable Risk Factors That Can Land You in the Emergency Ward

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is distinct from depression, which influences every aspect of life and often involves persistent thoughts of hopelessness or worthlessness. Burnout typically involves limited manifestations to the work environment, although its impact can resonate into other areas.

Symptoms of Burnout

1. Exhaustion: Prolonged mental and physical depletion of your energy levels.

2. Depersonalization: Cynicism and lack of concern creep into relationships and communication.

3 Reduced Personal Achievement: Your work loses worth, and you may feel you are not up to standards, giving in to frustration and reduced originality.

These signs frequently coincide with physical signs (headaches, muscle pain, sleeplessness), emotional signs (self-doubt, loneliness, unhappiness), and behavioral signs (social withdrawal, outbursts of anger, abandonment of obligations).

Continuing the legacy of football legend Joe Thompson, his wife Chantelle revealed she is pregnant with his baby after IVF treatment using frozen embryos.

Joe Thompson died in 2025 after developing cancer for a third time - beating the illness twice.

But after the former Manchester United star was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma for a third time, which had spread to his lungs, he died aged 36.

"It just means absolutely everything. I know it's never going to replace Joe obviously. Joe's Joe. But to be able to bring his baby into the world again is beautiful," Chantelle said.

She said Joe had two visions of their family with a baby boy before he died, and he even gave her the name for the baby boy he predicted, and she got pregnant on her first attempt of IVF after he had died.

How Egg Freezing Works

Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is an option that has gained significant traction in recent years. It offers women the ability to pause their biological clock and preserve the possibility of having children in the future.

Egg freezing takes a woman's unfertilized eggs from her ovaries and stores them at sub-zero temperatures to be utilized later. It is made to enable women to keep their fertility intact, especially if they are not yet ready to have a baby.

Dr. Pavithra M, Obstetrician, Gynecologist, and Infertility Specialist, told HealthandMe that the workup begins with hormone workup and evaluation of various parameters, such as age, body mass index (BMI), and ovarian reserve.

"On the second day of the menstrual cycle, baseline ultrasound scanning is performed to assess the number of follicles; thereafter, various tests of blood are conducted to assess hormone levels. If a woman's parameters are all normal, then she is administered hormonal injections for about 10-12 days."

It causes ovarian hyperstimulation and multiple mature eggs, monitored through ultrasound scans. A trigger shot is administered once the follicles have reached optimal size to help with final egg maturation. It takes 34-35 hours from the trigger shot, wherein eggs are retrieved by minimally invasive procedures under general anesthesia.

"Using a transvaginal ultrasound probe with a needle, each follicle is punctured, and the follicular fluid is aspirated. The retrieved eggs are then screened for quality before undergoing vitrification—a rapid freezing technique that minimizes ice crystal formation and cellular damage," Dr. Pavithra added. The eggs are then stored in liquid nitrogen tanks for long-term preservation.

While egg freezing is possible at various stages of life, experts recommend doing it at an optimal age -- in the late 20s or early 30s when the eggs are of higher quality-- for better outcomes.