Many diseases share the same symptoms, causing people to get confused and either undermine or overwhelm themselves with worries. With the current flu season on the rise, people in the United States are being very careful about their health and are taking necessary precautions to make sure they do not catch any more respiratory illnesses. Often these diseases show symptoms like coughing and wheezing, nothing that warrants anything more than a general doctor’s visit, sometimes people even think it it is a simple cold, but it could be something worse!

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on 28 February, last Friday on Respiratory Virus Activity Levels reported a moderate number of people are seeking medical help for respiratory illnesses. The flu is sending many people to the emergency room, RSV Respiratory syncytial virus has been sending many people to the ER along with COVID-19.

While flu test results are slightly less positive than last week, COVID-19 and RSV test results are about the same. In our community's wastewater, the flu virus is still very high, COVID-19 is moderate, and RSV is low. Looking forward, we expect COVID-19 emergency room visits to stay low. While flu visits are still high, they should start to go down soon.

So, even though it might feel like winter is ending, these viruses are still active, and we need to be careful. They are not going away quickly and can still spread easily. Here are some symptoms that should be treated with urgency right now.

Severe Dehydration

When you're really sick, you might not feel like eating or drinking. This can lead to dehydration, which is when your body doesn't have enough water. If your pee is dark yellow, or you feel dizzy, you might be dehydrated. If you pass out, get confused, or your heart beats really fast, you need to go to the hospital right away. Healthcare professionals can give you fluids through a needle to help you feel better. Being dehydrated is very dangerous, and it is important to take it seriously.

Breathing Difficulties

If you're having trouble breathing, or if you're breathing really fast, that's a big sign. It could mean that you have pneumonia or that your body isn't getting enough oxygen. Shortness of breath is always a reason to go to the emergency room. Your body is telling you that something is seriously wrong. It is very important to seek help right away. Do not wait it out at home.

Low Oxygen Levels

If your lips or fingers start to turn blue, that means you're not getting enough oxygen. Also, if you're so tired that you can barely get out of bed, that's another sign that you need to go to the hospital. These are serious symptoms that mean your body needs help right away.

Who’s Most at Risk for Severe Symptoms?

Some people are more likely to get very sick from these viruses. Pregnant people, little kids, and older adults are at higher risk. Also, people who have health problems like heart or lung disease, or people with weak immune systems, are more likely to have serious problems. Older adults are often hospitalized with the flu, COVID, and RSV. These groups need to be extra careful to avoid getting sick. It is very important that these groups get vaccinated.

RSV is especially dangerous for babies and young children. It's one of the main reasons why young kids end up in the hospital. This virus can make it very hard for them to breathe. It is very important to protect young children from this virus, especially in the first few years of their lives.

Many packaged baby foods marketed as healthy may contain hidden sugars and ultra-processed ingredients that can shape a child’s taste preferences and long-term health.

Brightly packaged baby cereals, fruit pouches, snack puffs and flavored yoghurts use “natural”, “organic” and “doctor recommended” labels to advertise their nutritional value and reassure parents.

“What shocked me was the top ingredient in 71% of these baby foods wasn’t a fruit or vegetable, it was one or more additives,” said Dunford, who is also a consultant at The George Institute for Global Health.

However, packaged baby food is instead packed with artificial additives and highly processed components such as carrageenan, xanthan and guar gum.

Why Ultra Processed Baby Foods?

The majority of packaged baby foods are classified as ultraprocessed because they undergo extensive industrial manufacturing and contain ingredients rarely found in a home kitchen.

Rather than using whole, simple foods, many manufacturers rely on heavy processing steps that strip away natural nutrients.

Key Indicators of Ultra Processed Food

Refined Bases: Many ready-to-eat snacks, like puffs, use refined starches and flours as their primary ingredients instead of whole grains.

Not Real Whole Fruit: Many brands often claim whole fruit however; they only provide taste and sweetness without the beneficial fiber and nutrients of the original fruit.

Hidden Sugars and Fillers: Products like flavored cereals frequently contain maltodextrin, added sugars and flavor enhancers to improve palatability.

Industrial Additives: To ensure shelf stability and consistent texture, these foods are often loaded with stabilizers, preservatives, and emulsifiers.

Which Additives That Parents Should Know About?

Even when a product claims to have "no added sugar," it can still be packed with sweeteners. Manufacturers frequently use fruit juice concentrates, corn syrup solids and glucose-based ingredients to enhance flavor.

These concentrated sugars train a baby’s developing palate. Early exposure to intense sweetness can create a lifelong preference for sugary foods, increasing the risk of poor dietary habits in adulthood.

2. "Natural Flavors"

The term "natural flavor" is often misunderstood. While the origin of the flavor must be a natural source, the final additive is often heavily modified in a laboratory.

These substances are engineered to make processed food taste more appealing than it naturally would, which can distort a child's appreciation for the taste of whole, fresh foods.

3. Stabilizers and Gums

To ensure a product looks perfect after sitting on a shelf for months, companies add stabilizers and industrial gums.

These additives create a permanent, uniform texture that prevents the food from separating or changing consistency during storage.

How To know If Baby Food Is Ultra Processed?

Hidden sweeteners: Sweeteners like dextrose, glucose syrup, malt extract, and corn solids are just fancy names for Sugar.

Go For Shorter lists: Avoid long lists of chemical sounding names.

Why Does Early Nutrition Matter?

Nutritious food: Babies require high nourished foods high in vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and proteins rather than just calories.

Freshness: Fresh consistently provide higher levels of essential nutrients compared to any packaged or processed product.

Palate Programming: This stage establishes a child’s lifelong food habits. Processed baby foods can systematically eliminate whole food choices by training the child to prefer artificial textures and flavors.

Adulthood: Early nutrition is a key pillar of foundational health; the quality of food a baby eats now sets the biological template for their health in adulthood.

How To Give Baby Nutritional Food?

Natural Choices: Simple combinations such as mashed fruits, steamed vegetables, dal, khichdi, and curd provide essential nutrients without artificial components.

Minimal Processing: If buying packaged, choose single-ingredient products, plain vegetable purees or unsweetened cereals to avoid hidden flavors.

NOTE: A shorter ingredient list is always the safest and healthiest choice for your child.

Endometriosis is traditionally defined by the presence of tissue similar to the lining of the uterus, the endometrium growing in locations where it doesn't belong, such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries and pelvic cavity.

Since this tissue is hormonally responsive, it bleeds and causes inflammation during a menstrual cycle.

While experts have long categorized this as a condition solely affecting women, rare clinical cases have shattered this assumption and revealed that the biological blueprint for endometriosis exists in the male body

as well.

What Causes Endometriosis?

• Retrograde menstruation: Fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity instead of out of the body. These cells may stick themselves to the inner pelvic lining and organs from where they multiply.

• Transformed peritoneal cells. Hormones or immune factors might transform cells that line the inner side of the abdomen, called peritoneal cells, into cells that are like those that line the inside of the uterus.

• Embryonic cell changes. Hormones such as estrogen may transform embryonic cells in the earliest stages of development into endometrial-like cell growths during puberty.

• Surgical scar complication. Endometrial cells may attach to scar tissue from a cut made during surgery to the stomach area, such as a C-section.

• Endometrial cell transport. The blood vessels or tissue fluid system may move endometrial cells to other parts of the body.

• Immune system condition. A problem with the immune system may make the body unable to recognize and destroy endometriosis tissue.

What Are Symptoms Of Endometriosis?

• Severe Abdominal Pain
• Bloating
• Painful periods
• Pain with sex
• Pain with bowel movements or urination.
• Excessive bleeding
• Infertility
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Nausea

How Does Endometriosis Develop In Men?

They help in the formation of the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and upper vagina. However, men develop the Anti Mullerian Hormone, also known as AMH which regresses the formation of these ducts.

Men can develop the ducts when exposed to estrogen. Typically, those who are undergoing prostate cancer treatment, hormone replacement therapy or suffering from obesity take estrogen.

Consistent exposure to estrogen can actually transform those inactive cells or remnants of Mullerian Ducts into endometriosis tissues and pave the way for the development of the disease.

How Common Is Endometriosis?

While the disease is almost diagnosed in women, documented cases in men confirm that they hold the biological potential to develop endometriosis.

American actress Christy Carlson Romano’s shocking announcement of a positive cancer screening test has reignited the debate on the rising early onset of cancers among women, as well as the importance of early screening.

Cancer is everywhere, said Romano, 41, in a tearful video on social media platform Instagram.

The former Disney star noted that she underwent cancer screenings, along with her husband, Brendan Rooney, as her family has a history of cancer.

“My husband’s came back completely negative,” she said, adding, “Mine did not come back negative. So basically, what that means is that I may have stageable cancer.”

The ‘Even Stevens’ star shared that she next aims to get a PET scan, which will help her gauge the stage of the cancer.

Early-onset Cancers Rising Among Women Under 50

While the news of Romano's positive cancer test has left fans shocked, it also highlights the fact that cancer is increasingly shifting its attack to women under 50.

A 2025 study by Duke Cancer Institute in the US revealed that for women younger than 50, the risk of developing cancer is 82 percent higher than that of men, up from 51 percent in 2022.

The 2025 annual report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) also showed that cancer rates in young and middle-aged women are rising past those of men in the same age group, but especially among women under age 50.

While breast cancer has emerged as the most common among women under 50, it is followed by thyroid cancer, melanoma, and skin cancers. Cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer are other names. Uterine cancer, also known as endometrial cancer, is also killing more women than ever.

Notable names include Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, who was 42 when she announced her cancer diagnosis two years back. American actress Olivia Munn reported a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 43.

Similarly, Indian actress Sonali Bendre was 46 years old when diagnosed with high-grade metastatic cancer in July 2018. Others with young cancer onset include Hina Khan, Chhavi Mittal, Dipika Kakkar, and Tahira Kashyap. Young TV actresses Dolly Sohi and Priya Marathe reportedly succumbed to cancer.

According to studies, besides genetic factors, increased intake of highly processed foods, sugary beverages, lack of exercise, the surge in stress levels, exposure to air pollution, microplastics, and mindless intake of antibiotics, and even increased screen time are major contributors to the deadly disease.

Other possible risk factors include alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, smoking, and obesity.

Why Is Early Screening Important?

Late diagnosis is a major driver of cancer deaths. On the contrary, early screening can help detect changes in the body's cells before cancer develops and spreads.

It can also help in cancers, which present no symptoms until the late stage.

It not only improves survival rates but also helps with less invasive and more effective treatments.

Regular screening measures include mammograms, Pap smears, colonoscopies, Low-dose CT Scans, and PSA tests, which reduce mortality by identifying cancer at early and manageable stages, preventing its progression and the risk of death.