As you grow old, your health starts to deteriorate. Everything, whether it is your mental health or your physical health, starts to slow down. However, with age, your mental health gets overshadowed by your physical health.

Signs You Should Note

If you note these signs in your ageing parents or grandparents, take note of it. Try to get involved with them. It is also important to ensure that they have a separate social circle apart from the family. This way, they can have friends who they can also relate to.

With age, suggests Sinha, you are more prone to be depressed, and anxious. “Mental health conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorders are not something that happens when you grow older. You may have been living with these for the last 40 years, but the management differs, she suggests.

As you grow old, your symptoms start to overlap with other mental health conditions. For the proper treatment professionals use differential diagnosis, suggests Sinha. “The lines become blurred and to differentiate the symptoms from one mental health condition to another becomes difficult,” she says.

Preventive Measures

There are also food habits like eating leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, virgin coconut and beans that help with brain functions.

Sinha suggests that keeping a social circle and continuing your hobbies can help your mind stay healthy. “Men especially face this issue, after they retire, they feel like they are at the loss of authority, and they start to lose control. It is thus important to keep doing things and learning a new skill to keep your brain active. While for women, since they continue taking care of the house, their brain stays active,” she says.

Cognitive stimulation is the key, especially to managing dementia, she notes.

“Just with weight training, you push your body and after a while, it becomes your muscle memory. Same with the brain. However, one should not get into solving too many puzzles, or trivia after being diagnosed with dementia. Because that would mean you are making your already injured brain exercise which might lead to agitation,” she recommends.

How to support?

“The most important part is for the caregiver to understand what is happening and come to terms with the conditions. Because the elderly with cognitive conditions are not able to understand, they cannot be told or instructed to do anything. Thus, the responsibility is solely on the caregiver,” points out Sinha.

So, what can be done?

Awareness

Reach out to therapists and counsellors to know the ways to create such a healthy environment.

Be Patient

She suggests adopting the same approach that you do with kids and with your pets. This is when you focus on gestures, body language and mood over language. Due to cognitive disorders, parents experience a loss of language and the only way to communicate and to understand what they are communicating is through these means.

Be Empathetic

Create a healthy environment by agreeing with them and listening to their stories. The responsibility of creating a safe environment is totally with you.

There might be times when your parents may do socially unacceptable or non-compliance behaviour. But it is important to understand the triggers and ensure that the triggers do not occur anymore.

Help Them Stay Fit

A pharmacist has warned that people taking certain long-term medications should stay alert to subtle symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and an unusually red or sore tongue. According to Superdrug Pharmacy Superintendent Niamh McMillan, as per Mirror, the signs are often easy to dismiss and may quietly develop over time in people with low vitamin B12 levels.

Pharmacist Warns Certain Medicines May Trigger Overlooked Vitamin B12 Symptoms

McMillan explained that vitamin B12 plays a vital role in keeping nerves and blood cells healthy. A shortage can build up slowly, which means early symptoms are often brushed aside or mistaken for everyday fatigue.

She said common warning signs include persistent tiredness or weakness, breathlessness, headaches, dizziness, pale skin, and a sore or red tongue. Some people may also notice pins and needles or numbness in their hands or feet, memory lapses, trouble focusing, or changes in mood such as feeling low or unusually irritable.

Who Is Most At Risk Of Low B12 Levels?

Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs when the body either does not get enough of the vitamin from food or struggles to absorb it properly. McMillan noted that people following vegetarian or vegan diets are at higher risk, as B12 is naturally found mainly in animal products.

Older adults are also more vulnerable, as are people with digestive conditions such as coeliac disease or Crohn’s disease. In addition, those taking certain medications may be affected, particularly long-term acid-reducing drugs such as proton pump inhibitors or diabetes medication like metformin.

Dietary Sources That Help Maintain B12 Levels

To reduce the risk of deficiency, McMillan advised including reliable dietary sources of vitamin B12 wherever possible. Foods naturally rich in the vitamin include meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, and yoghurt.

For people who avoid animal products, fortified foods such as some breakfast cereals and plant-based milks can help support intake. In some cases, supplements may also be useful, especially when diet alone is not enough or absorption is impaired.

When To Seek Medical Advice?

McMillan stressed that anyone experiencing symptoms or falling into a higher-risk group should speak to a healthcare professional. A simple blood test can measure B12 levels, and early treatment can help prevent lasting nerve damage or other complications.

She added that Superdrug Health Clinics offer a Vitamin B12 Injection Service at selected UK locations, following clinical assessment or confirmation of deficiency.

How Medications Can Interfere With Vitamin B12?

Several commonly prescribed medications can affect how the body absorbs or uses vitamin B12. This often happens because the drugs alter conditions in the stomach or gut, making it harder for B12 to be released from food or absorbed into the bloodstream.

Medications Linked to Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The most frequently associated medications include:

• Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs): such as omeprazole, esomeprazole, and lansoprazole
• H2 Blockers: including famotidine and cimetidine
• Metformin
• Oral contraceptives, although experts continue to debate whether these cause a true deficiency
• Colchicine, used to treat gout and known to damage the intestinal lining
• Anticonvulsants, including drugs like phenytoin and phenobarbital, which can affect B-vitamin metabolism
• Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, which can rapidly inactivate existing B12 in the body
• Antibiotics, particularly long-term use of chloramphenicol or neomycin, which can disrupt gut bacteria involved in B12 processing

What To Do If You Take These Medications Long Term?

Experts advise people on these medicines not to stop treatment without medical guidance. Instead, they recommend staying alert for symptoms such as fatigue, tingling or numbness in the hands or feet, brain fog, or a sore, red tongue.

Getting tested is also key. A straightforward blood test can confirm B12 levels, and many doctors now suggest regular screening for patients who take metformin or proton pump inhibitors over extended periods.

It can feel overwhelming to understand the wide range of conditions neurologists deal with. Their work spans cerebrovascular problems such as stroke and carotid artery disease, seizure disorders, and progressive illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. They also treat headaches and facial pain, movement disorders including Parkinson’s, muscle conditions, sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, and many other issues.

“If there’s a nerve somewhere, a neurologist could get involved,” explains Dr. Andrew Dorsch, division chief for general neurology at Rush University System for Health and a specialist in neurologic rehabilitation. “Nerves run through the entire body. That means there are countless ways the nervous system can be affected, and figuring out the cause often requires real detective work.” He notes that many people dismiss neurological symptoms for years, blaming them on ageing or assuming they will pass. That delay can be costly.

What Are Neurological Symptoms?

Neurological symptoms are warning signs that something may be affecting the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. They can look very different from person to person. Some experience headaches, changes in vision, speech, or hearing, or sensations like numbness and tingling.

Others notice tremors, weakness, poor balance, or trouble coordinating movements. Cognitive changes such as memory lapses, confusion, seizures, sleep problems, and intense pain can also fall under this category. These symptoms happen when nerve signals are disrupted, interfering with sensation, movement, thinking, and even consciousness, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Neurological Symptoms That Can Become Life-Threatening

According to TIME, four neurologists shared the symptoms that should never be brushed aside, along with what they could mean.

Double Vision In One Eye

Double vision affecting one eye is a symptom many people underestimate. It can stem from a range of serious conditions, including multiple sclerosis, stroke, aneurysm, myasthenia gravis, brain tumours, or infections of the brain, says Dr. Luis Cruz-Saavedra, a neurologist at Memorial Hermann Health System.

So when does it require action? “Right away,” he says. “Sudden double vision is a reason to go straight to the emergency room.” Doctors will assess vital signs, look for signs of stroke, examine the eyes and nervous system, and may recommend imaging tests such as a CT scan or brain MRI.

Weakness In One Hand Or Leg

Have you noticed one leg dragging when you walk, or found yourself limping without a clear reason? Maybe holding a cup or writing with your usual hand has become difficult. If so, it is time to see a doctor.

“I’m always struck by how many people downplay weakness on one side of the body,” Cruz-Saavedra says, noting this is far from a good thing. “Patients often come in months after it starts. Many assume it’s a pinched nerve, but it could signal a stroke, a brain tumour, multiple sclerosis, or inflammation in the brain.” During evaluation, neurologists assess muscle strength, reflexes, coordination, and walking patterns to narrow down the cause.

Transient Unresponsiveness

Some neurological conditions cause brief moments where a person seems to switch off, then quickly returns to normal without remembering what happened. These episodes are often linked to temporal lobe seizures, which affect brain areas involved in memory and emotional processing, Cruz-Saavedra explains.

Problems With Speech

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States, yet many people fail to recognize its signs and delay seeking help. “I hear stories all the time where someone has stroke symptoms and decides to lie down and wait it out,” says Dr. Enrique Leira, director of the division of cerebrovascular diseases at the University of Iowa.

Stroke symptoms usually come on suddenly and involve a loss of function. Speech changes are a common example. A person may slur words, speak unusually slowly, struggle to find the right words, or have trouble understanding others. In such cases, immediate medical attention is essential, Leira stresses.

Sudden Headache During Physical Effort

Headaches can be tricky for neurologists because there are so many possible causes, many of them harmless. Still, certain types raise red flags. A headache that is extremely intense and appears out of nowhere, rather than building gradually, deserves attention. If it strikes during physical exertion, that concern increases.

“If it’s severe, sudden, and linked to effort, it needs to be checked right away,” Leira says, as it could point to something serious like a stroke.

Numb Feet And Fingers

When patients report numbness, it most often affects their fingers or toes. “That usually means the nerves aren’t sending signals back to the brain properly,” Dorsch explains. “The nerve may be temporarily stunned, or in some cases, permanently damaged.” This differs from tingling, which tends to suggest irritation rather than loss of signal.

The first step is a thorough evaluation to identify which nerves are involved and why. Diabetes is a common cause, but not the only one. Genetic disorders or immune conditions that attack nerves can also be responsible, Dorsch says.

A Sense Of Déjà Vu

Almost everyone experiences déjà vu now and then. But frequent episodes are a different matter. “If it’s happening regularly, it’s worth getting evaluated,” Dorsch advises. Repeated déjà vu can be an early sign of temporal lobe seizures. He recalls treating a patient who experienced these episodes weekly or every few weeks, far more often than is typical.

Difficulty Getting Out Of A Chair On A Regular Basis

With age, stiffness and slower movement are common. Still, certain difficulties stand out. If standing up from a chair becomes a recurring struggle, a medical check-up is important.

“It could be joint-related, but we also need to rule out problems with the muscles, nerves, or spinal cord,” Dorsch says. Conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be involved. “That’s not something I’d want anyone in my family to ignore.”

Changes In Voice

Neurologists watch closely for changes in how someone speaks. One example is hypophonic speech, where the voice becomes unusually soft or breathy, which can be a sign of Parkinson’s disease, says Dr. Alexandru Olaru, a neurologist at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center. Slurred speech, on the other hand, may point to a stroke.

Another concerning sign is wet dysarthria, when speech sounds gurgly, often due to saliva or mucus pooling at the back of the throat. “Muscle loss in that area makes it harder to manage saliva,” Olaru explains. Common causes include Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and multiple sclerosis.

Persistent Muscle Twitches

Occasional muscle twitching is normal. It can happen anywhere in the body and may even be visible under the skin as small ripples. “You can sometimes feel it if you place your hand over the muscle,” Olaru says. Persistent or widespread twitching, however, may warrant further evaluation.

Paranoia

Sudden shifts in behaviour or personality can signal neurological disease. Conditions such as autoimmune encephalitis, frontotemporal dementia, or other cognitive disorders may present this way. One frequent example is new-onset paranoia. A person might believe they are being targeted, betrayed, or plotted against, even when there is no logical basis, Cruz-Saavedra says.

Neurologists also take note when a typically reserved person becomes unusually talkative or disinhibited. “Some people may develop hypersexual behaviour or make inappropriate remarks,” he adds. Others may change in the opposite direction, becoming withdrawn and quiet. Dementia can also show up as new obsessive behaviours or hoarding, Cruz-Saavedra notes.

Been wondering what are Ozempic burps and how the drug works inside your body?

In a podcast episode of The Diary Of A CEO, insulin resistance expert Dr Benjamin Bikman explains how the blockbuster GLP-1 drug can alter the digestion process in your body to reduce weight.

Dr Bikman, a Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at Brigham Young University in Utah explained: "GLP-1 is primarily a satiety hormone. It'll tell the brain that we're done eating and it will slow down the intestines significantly."

Ozempic (semaglutide) is a prescription injectable GLP-1 medication primarily approved for adults with Type 2 diabetes to manage blood sugar levels. However, the drug has gained immense popularity among those trying to lose weight as it can reduce hunger and help people feel full for longer, which forces the body to burn fat deposits to stay functional.

Also Read: UK Toddler Dies Of Rare Kawasaki Disease: What You Need To Know

In clinical trials, people with obesity using semaglutide have shown to lose an average of about 15% of their body weight over 68 weeks. Most people begin to see noticeable results within 8 to 12 weeks of taking the drug.

The official price in India for a once-weekly Ozempic injection pen ranges from approximately ₹8,800 for the 0.25 mg dose to around ₹11,175 for the 1 mg dose per month. Insurance coverage is generally inconsistent for weight loss indications.

How Does Ozempic Change Your Digestion?

According to Dr Bikman, ingested food sits in the stomach and intestines for about six hours on average for digestion. However, when the body receives GLP-1 hormones from injections, the body will considerably slow down the digestion process and food can stay in the body for about 24 hours.

"If we injected ourselves with a GLP-1 drug, which puts an artificial amount of GLP-1 in our body, boom, we shoot it in. Then it would it slows down people's intestines so much that they'll have food sitting in there for 24 hours," he said during the episode.

Experts have previously noted that slowing down the digestion process on purpose using drugs is unhealthy and risky unless done under strict medical supervision to treat a specific condition (such as chronic diarrhea or dumping syndrome as it can lead to gastroparesis.

Gastroparesis is a condition that occurs when the stomach muscles become weak and slow, failing to move food into the small intestine which can reduce nutrient absorption in the body and severe constipation. It can also form a hard mass called a bezoar, which can cause blockages and may require surgery.

What Are Ozempic Burps?

"So, one of the things people talk about is what's called Ozempic burps where they just have this kind of belching bubbling gas because the food is sitting in the stomach for way longer than it's supposed to.

"So, no surprise the people are less interested in food. GLP-1 tells the brain they don't need to eat as much and slows down the intestines," Dr Bikman noted.

READ MORE: Wegovy 7.2 mg: Higher-Dose Weight-Loss Jab Cleared For Launch In UK

Can You Regain Your Ozempic Weight?

Yes. A new BMJ study has found that people who stop using weight-loss medications can regain weight and return their original size within two years.

Researchers have found that those who lose weight using blockbuster GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic could regain about 0.4kg every month after quitting these treatments. In contrast, those who lost weight through exercise, diet and other factors only gained 0.1kg.