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

Naturopath and health educator Barbara O'Neill believes many of the foundations of good health are simple, inexpensive, and often overlooked.

In an interview with HealthandMe, she spoke about her journey into natural healing. Barbara said her interest began when she was looking for alternatives to repeated medication use for her children.

"I was pulled towards natural healing because I didn't want to give my children drugs," she said, recalling how her first child underwent four courses of antibiotics within six weeks.

That experience prompted her to explore other ways of managing common health issues such as earaches and discomfort.

On Ayurveda And Traditional Healing

Barbara said she sees similarities between her philosophy of health and Ayurveda. "I believe that there's a lot of similarities between what I believe," said the 72-year-old, adding that she supports approaches that work and do not cause harm.

While acknowledging that medicines can save lives in emergencies, she argued that long-term healing depends on creating the right conditions for the body.

"Yes, in a crisis, a drug may save a life, but drugs can't heal us. That's why it's time to go back to the old ways," she said.

According to Barbara, understanding how the body functions is key to understanding healing.

"When you understand how they function, then you begin to understand what they need. And if you give the body the right conditions, the healing will accelerate," she told HealthandMe.

The Healthy Habits

Barbara said that sleep, hydration, exercise, and natural foods are key to better health. She also called out modern lifestyles, which often encourage people to stay awake too late, particularly because of technology; and recommended getting enough sleep.

"Start going to bed earlier and aiming for eight hours sleep a night," she said.

Barbara also emphasized daily movement, whether through running, walking, push-ups, squats, or stretching.

"Every day, I make a point of moving my body," she said.

Why Barbara O'Neill Doesn't Take Supplements

At a time when supplements have become a multi-billion-dollar industry, Barbara revealed that she does not take any supplements herself.

"I take no supplements," she said, noting that she advocates focusing on fundamental health habits.

"What should be there instead is exercise every day, eating food in its natural state, drinking adequate water, and going to bed early," she said.

While she is not opposed to supplements, she believes they are often unnecessary.

"There are times where they may be necessary, but most of the time we don't need them," she added.

Natural Food And Stress Management

Barbara also encouraged people to eat foods in their natural state and suggested a simple dietary habit for Indians.

"Eat dal every day," she said.

For stress management, she said both sleep and meditation are important. She described beginning each day with prayer, reflection, and quiet time.

Barbara said that the human body has an innate ability to heal when supported by healthy habits.

"I want people to remember that they live in a body that can heal. So please look after it," she told HealthandMe.

Many working women who are pregnant tend to dismiss signs such as headaches, swelling, or vision changes, thinking that they are common during pregnancy. However, these issues can be caused by preeclampsia, a serious condition that requires timely attention, especially among busy working women.

What is preeclampsia?

Dr Prachi Sarin Sethi, Senior Consultant – Obstetrician, Gynaecologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon, Motherhood Hospitals, Gurgaon, said, "Pregnancy comes with many physical changes, and it is common for women to experience discomfort such as swelling, fatigue, or headaches. However, sometimes these symptoms may point to something more serious, namely preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related condition that can affect both the mother and baby. Working women tend to ignore the signs of this condition and struggle in silence. Preeclampsia is a condition that usually develops after the 20th week of pregnancy. It is mainly characterised by high blood pressure and can affect organs such as the liver and kidneys. If not managed in time, it can lead to serious complications for both mother and baby."

What are the causes of preeclampsia?

The exact cause of preeclampsia is not known. Certain factors increase the risk, including:

1. High blood pressure before pregnancy
2. First pregnancy
3. Multiple pregnancies (twins or more)
4. Obesity or diabetes
5. High stress levels and lack of rest

What are the symptoms of preeclampsia?

Many symptoms of preeclampsia are mistaken for normal pregnancy changes. These include:

1. Persistent headaches
2. Swelling in the face, hands, or feet
3. Blurred vision or light sensitivity
4. Sudden weight gain
5. Pain in the upper abdomen

Consequences of untreated preeclampsia

Working women may ignore these signs due to work pressure, long hours, or frequent travel, assuming they are just tired or stressed. If left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious complications such as:

1. Preterm delivery
2. Low birth weight of the baby
3. Organ damage in the mother
4. Seizures (a severe condition called eclampsia)

Early detection and proper care can help manage the condition and reduce risks.

This is why working women miss the signs

In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, many women continue working through pregnancy without slowing down. Long working hours, stress, irregular meals, and lack of rest tend to worsen symptoms. Many women delay check-ups or ignore warning signs, thinking they are minor issues.

What can women do?

Report any signs and symptoms, such as headaches and vision changes, to a doctor. De-stress by practising yoga and meditation. Monitor blood pressure regularly, avoid overexertion, and maintain a balanced diet consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and pulses. Avoid junk, oily, and canned foods. It is also necessary to stay hydrated, attend regular health check-ups, and follow-up appointments.

Osteoarthritis (OA), long considered a “wear-and-tear” disease of old age, is increasingly being diagnosed in people as young as 30, according to new research.

The review by researchers at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals suggests OA should be viewed as a heterogeneous syndrome rather than a single disease. The condition is driven by a combination of biological, biomechanical, metabolic, genetic, and molecular factors, but in youth obesity and poor lifestyle is surging the cases.

“Osteoarthritis is no longer confined to the elderly — we are now seeing patients as young as 30, often driven by obesity and sedentary lifestyles. This research makes clear that osteoarthritis is not a single disease but a spectrum of conditions,” said Dr. (Prof.) Raju Vaishya, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

Noting that a one-size-fits-all approach may not help, the expert stressed the need for personalized treatment that recognizes the specific phenotype in each patient.

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Six Disease Subtypes Identified

The review, published in International Orthopaedics, identifies six disease subtypes, including inflammatory, metabolic, and pain-sensitization variants. Researchers recommend MRI-based tools and biomarker panels to guide treatment decisions.

Emerging technologies such as AI-assisted MRI scoring and PET-MRI with 18F-NaF may also enable earlier detection and better patient classification, although wider clinical adoption will require standardized protocols and large-scale validation studies.

Osteoarthritis Burden Rising Worldwide

More than 500 million people worldwide live with osteoarthritis, accounting for 7.6 per cent of the global population. According to Global Burden of Disease estimates, prevalence has increased by 132 per cent over the past 30 years and is projected to rise by another 60 per cent by 2050.

Women, people with obesity, and those with previous joint injuries are disproportionately affected.

What Is Osteoarthritis And Its Symptoms?

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Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones gradually wears down, causing joints to become stiff, painful, and less mobile.

The disease commonly affects the knees, hips, and small joints of the hands, although it can occur in almost any joint.

Common symptoms include:

• Joint pain
• Joint stiffness
• Difficulty moving affected joints
• Swelling
• Joint tenderness
• A grating or crackling sensation during movement
• Pain and stiffness after periods of inactivity
• Enlarged or knobbly joints
• Reduced range of movement
• Muscle weakness or muscle loss

How To Prevent Osteoarthritis

Experts say maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, avoiding prolonged sedentary behaviour, and preventing joint injuries can help lower the risk of osteoarthritis.

One of the biggest challenges in osteoarthritis treatment is the “care gap.” Many patients are too young or not yet severe enough for surgery but may spend years relying on medications that relieve symptoms without addressing the underlying mechanics of joint stress.

Research suggest gait retraining — adjusting the way a person walks — could help bridge this gap. Unlike medication or surgery, gait retraining is non-invasive and may offer a sustainable long-term solution.

Currently, gait retraining often requires specialized tools such as motion-capture systems and pressure-sensitive treadmills. However, newer approaches, including smartphone-based video analysis and sensor-equipped “smart shoes,” are being developed to make the technique more accessible.

Experts caution against making major changes to walking patterns without professional guidance, as improper adjustments may place additional strain on other parts of the body.