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.

Many women do not consider persistent bloating to be a serious issue because they tend to correlate their symptoms with acidity, excessive gas, overeating, or other temporary issues caused by their digestive system. Many women tend to treat their symptoms on their own by changing their diet or taking over-the-counter medications without looking into what the underlying problem may be. Many women do this because their symptoms initially seem mild. However, it is important to pay attention to any persistent bloating, especially if the bloating occurs on a regular basis, has lasted for at least one month, or is associated with symptoms such as pelvic discomfort, loss of appetite, an increased feeling of fullness, or irregular bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation, etc.).

Is persistent bloating a sign of ovarian cancer?

In an interaction with Health and Me, Dr Parnamita Bhattacharya, Gynaecologist at CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI, spoke about the concerns surrounding persistent bloating and whether it is associated with the risk of ovarian cancer.

One of the most significant concerns surrounding persistent bloating is that women can develop ovarian cancer, especially in the early stages, without knowing or having any obvious signs that they have the disease. Because there are no routine screening tests to detect ovarian cancer in the general population, it is critical for women to be on the lookout for any symptoms of persistent bloating and report them immediately to their doctor. Unfortunately, because women often ignore their symptoms and fail to seek medical attention, by the time they do see a doctor, ovarian cancer has progressed to a later stage of development.

How to know if it is digestion-related bloating?

Not all bloating is related to ovarian cancer. Other common contributing factors to bloating include irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerance, hormonal changes, and lifestyle factors. The significant difference between "normal" bloating and "abnormal" bloating is how long each type of bloating lasts and how quickly the symptoms progress. If your bloating continues despite dietary changes, or if it increases in frequency, you should not ignore the symptoms. You should have them evaluated by a medical professional.

It is important for women to understand the signals sent by their bodies. If you frequently experience bloating, this issue needs to be investigated and not just accepted as normal. If you seek timely evaluation, doctors can determine the source of your problem early on, which greatly increases your chances of a good outcome from a serious diagnosis such as ovarian cancer.

What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer symptoms can be vague and may develop as the disease progresses. Therefore, timely detection is a challenge. Some of the signs of ovarian cancer include:

1. Pain in the pelvic region
2. Swollen belly
3. Loss of appetite
4. Feeling full after small meals
5. Nausea
6. Diarrhoea
7. Constipation
8. Unexpected weight loss
9. Painful sex
10. Extreme fatigue
11. Abnormal vaginal bleeding between periods

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been discharged from the ICU but will remain in the hospital for “some time” as he recovers from pneumonia, according to his spokesperson.

In a post on social media platform X, spokesperson Ted Goodman said Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized earlier this week in critical but stable condition.

Giuliani, who served as New York City's mayor from 1994 to 2001, was previously diagnosed with restrictive airway disease following the infamous 9/11 terrorist incident, where he “took down the mafia, saved New York City, and ran toward the towers on September 11th".

However, the incident left Giuliani with lasting health complications, Goodman said, adding that the former NYC Mayor "is recovering from pneumonia”.

“The virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition,” Goodman said.

Calling him the "same fighter he's always been, and he's winning this fight,” Goodman said that the "mayor and his family appreciate the outpouring of love and prayers sent his way”.

Notably, Giuliani is a longtime ally of President Donald Trump. In 2025, Trump also announced awarding Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor.

What Is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung tissue, most often caused by infections. It can affect one or both lungs and can range from mild to life-threatening, especially in vulnerable populations like the elderly, young children, or those with underlying health conditions.

There are several types of pneumonia, classified based on their causes—bacterial, viral, and fungal—and each has distinct patterns of transmission and severity.

What Causes Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is not a single disease but a syndrome resulting from various infectious agents:

Bacterial Pneumonia: This is the most common type, often developing as a secondary infection after a cold or flu. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent culprit.

Viral Pneumonia: Caused by viruses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), this type often starts in the upper respiratory tract and spreads to the lungs.

Fungal Pneumonia: This type is less common and usually affects individuals with weakened immune systems. It's typically contracted through environmental exposure, such as to soil or bird droppings.

Early Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Pneumonia can be insidious. It often begins with symptoms that mimic the flu: headache, fatigue, and fever. But as the infection progresses, signs become more serious:

• Persistent cough with green, yellow, or even bloody mucus
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain, especially when breathing or coughing
• High fever, chills, and night sweats
• Confusion, especially in the elderly
• Nausea or loss of appetite

In a shocking case, a 68-year-old woman in the US who took antibiotics for inflammation developed an alarming skin reaction, leaving her skin black and blue.

The unusual case, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), noted that the woman developed dark patches on her skin very quickly, within two weeks of starting the drug — a course of minocycline, an oral antibiotic.

Two weeks before the onset of the skin changes, she had started taking 100 mg daily of oral minocycline to treat rosacea, which causes chronic inflammation and redness of the face.

Over the course of six weeks, dark patches appeared on the woman's arms and legs. It ranged from a bruise-like dark blue and purple to jet-black.

Her doctors also noticed blue-gray "hyperpigmentation" on the woman's forearms and shins, as well as on the sides of her tongue. The woman noted that the patches had first appeared on her legs before cropping up elsewhere.

Rosacea is a common skin condition that leads to the formation of small, red bumps and pus-filled pimples on the skin, and evidence suggests that antibiotics like minocycline can help eliminate those bumps.

Writing in the paper, Aarti Maharaj, from the University of Florida, shared that hyperpigmentation is a well-established side effect of minocycline, in which patches of skin become darker than the skin surrounding them.

While the condition typically develops after months of treatment, it may rarely occur with shorter courses, the expert said.

In this case, the woman was diagnosed with type II minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation, which is "defined by blue-gray discoloration of normal skin on the extensor surfaces of the arms and legs," according to Maharaj.

Doctors advised the patient to stop taking minocycline and to avoid sun exposure, as ultraviolet light is thought to worsen hyperpigmentation in these cases. Six months later, the hyperpigmentation in her limbs had "abated somewhat" but was still visible.

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Minocycline And Hyperpigmentation

According to Mayo Clinic, minocycline belongs to the class of medicines known as tetracycline antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth. However, this medicine will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections.

It causes hyperpigmentation:

• Type I shows up as blue-black discoloration on scarred or inflamed skin on the face, rather than on healthy skin on the limbs.
• Type II leads to blue-gray discoloration of normal skin on the extensor surfaces of the arms and legs.
• Type III appears as muddy-brown pigmentation on sun-exposed areas of the body.

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According to a frequently cited study, the side effect shows up in about 28 per cent of people in this population, although that research included only a small number of patients. The true incidence of the side effect is unclear, Live Science reported.

Once a person stops taking minocycline, the pigmentation can take months to years to dissipate, reports suggest. In type III cases, it sometimes never goes away.