Our brain is just like a muscle and it thrives on exercise. Moreover, it is the fastest-aging organ in the body. Studies show that brain volume naturally decreases with age due to neuronal loss, starting as early as your late 20s or 30s. This process accelerates over time, leading to a decline in cognitive functions such as memory, processing speed, and decision-making.

However, there is a way to counter it. Neurologists across the world agree that frequently playing brain games can prevent brain ageing. Backing them up is research showing that brain-training games may help improve attention levels, memory, response time, logic skills, and other measures of cognitive function if played over a long period.

And the good news is that these brain games are affordable and easily accessible to all. you just need a pen and paper for sudoku and the same goes on for crosswords. However, if you are someone who is up for a high-tech, options for brain games are plentiful.

To give your brain a workout while having fun, try these games and activities:

Sudoku

Crosswords

Elevate

Peak

Happy Neuron

Happy Neuron is another game that organizes its games into memory, attention, language, executive functions, and visual/spatial categories. Training is personalized, and progress tracking is available. While a subscription is required, a free trial lets you explore its offerings. The app is available only for Android users.

Braingle

Queendom

Queendom features personality tests, puzzles, and "brain tools" for cognitive improvement. Free accounts provide limited access, while full reports require payment.

My Brain Trainer

My Brain Trainer offers an online "brain gym" with games and puzzles to boost mental fitness. It recommends 10 minutes of training twice a day. Subscription plans are more affordable than similar platforms and free trials are available.

Digestive problems like bloating, gas, acidity, and constipation have quietly become a common problem in our daily lives. It is common these days to find people experiencing discomfort after meals or feeling unusually heavy. While these problems may not be serious in nature, doctors say these problems have increased in recent times due to changes in the way people live and eat.

• The first major cause of these problems in recent times is the change in the way people eat. It is a known fact that people are now eating more of junk food and less of fiber-rich food. Fiber plays a crucial role in keeping digestion smooth and bowel movements normal. If the amount of fiber in the diet is low, digestion becomes slow, leading to bloating, gas, and constipation.

• Another major cause of these problems in recent times is the sedentary lifestyle people are leading these days. It is a known fact that a person should move around a lot in a day. Lack of physical activity may cause problems in digestion. Simple habits like eating quickly, missing meals, or drinking excessive carbonated beverages are some of the common causes of excessive gas and discomfort.

• Another cause of digestive upsets that is often overlooked is stress. The fact that the brain and digestive system are closely related means that digestive upsets can be caused by emotional stress. When a person is under a lot of stress, hormones are secreted into their system that can slow down digestion. As a result, a person may feel stomach upsets like tightness, bloating, irregular bowel movements, or even develop a medical condition like irritable bowel syndrome depending on their digestive system composition.

• In addition to that, other lifestyle habits like late-night meals, lack of proper sleep, dehydration, or excessive caffeine intake can cause digestive upsets. When a person’s body is out of sync, digestion is not as effective as it should be. As a result, food ferments in the stomach, leading to excessive gas production.

Traditional Remedies

Most people tend to use various remedies when they are feeling unwell.

Also Read: Why Regulatory Clarity Is Important for Safe Aesthetic Procedures in India

Remedies such as the consumption of warm water, fennel seeds, ginger tea, and the intake of probiotics in the form of curd may offer temporary relief. However, it is important to note that these might offer temporary relief and might not be effective if the symptoms of digestive discomfort are recurring.

Digestive discomforts that recur frequently should not be taken lightly. Frequent occurrences of digestive discomforts such as bloating and constipation might sometimes be symptoms of an underlying condition.

Therefore, if the symptoms of digestive discomfort last for weeks and if the symptoms also include the presence of any of the aforementioned symptoms of digestive discomfort, it might be important to consult a doctor.

Gut Problems: Need For Lifestyle Modifications

The relationship between gut health and wellbeing is also well noted. Among the lifestyle modifications that may be implemented for improved digestive health is a healthy and balanced diet, exercising regularly, adequate intake of water, stress levels, and eating at regular times.

It is a normal occurrence for people to experience bloating and gas at some point in their lives. However, if discomfort in the digestive system is a frequent occurrence, it may be a wake-up call from the body that something is amiss and deserves attention. Heeding such a call and making lifestyle modifications may work wonders for the gut.

Aesthetic medicine in India has been expanding rapidly in the past decade. There is increasing demand for more minimally invasive cosmetic treatments such as injectables (botox and dermal fillers), laser treatments, and hair restoration procedures.

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) report, more than 1.29 million procedures have been recorded in 2024 for cosmetic treatments. India has successfully entered the top 5 countries in the world for aesthetic procedures.

Also Read: Why Are Gut Problems Like Bloating, Gas, and Constipation Increasing Today?

Although this shows the increased demand for aesthetic medicine, there is an even larger concern that there is little to no regulation to protect the consumers.

Aesthetic Services: No Regulatory Clarity

Aesthetic services and practices in India have an unclear position which has been increasing concern for stakeholders in the industry. Medical specialties like dermatology and aesthetic medicine have been recognized fields that require training, clinical judgement, and sterile environments, but cosmetology is largely non-medical. However, that is not the case. For instance, there are many beauty centers and spas that offer procedures of medical aesthetic services like chemical peels, laser treatments, and injectables.

Regulatory clarity addresses the issue by describing who can do aesthetic procedures, and the conditions required for them to do so. Absence of such descriptions could allow low-practice and trained personnel to do procedures that carry risk for infection, scarring, burning, or other dissatisfactory results and complications. There are licensing and enforcement ambiguities that are giving the ability to practitioners to call themselves "cosmetic surgeons" without any training in plastic surgery.

Need For Strong Regulatory System

A strong system of regulations is also in the interest of uniformity in clinical practices. Regulations may lay down the minimum requirements for the infrastructure of aesthetic clinics so that they can provide sterile equipment, emergency protocols, and trained medical personnel. Regulations can also mandate obtaining informed consent, so that patients know the risks, benefits, and likely results of a procedure.

A further important role for regulations is to prevent misleading advertisements, and unscrupulous behavior. The competitive field of aesthetics invites patients based on exaggerated, and unfulfilled promises. Patients can be misled if there are no regulations to relatively eliminate the occurrence.

Trust from patients stems from regulatory transparency. Accreditation of clinics and the specialties of staff performing the procedures reassure patients regarding safety, hygiene, and postoperative care. This ultimately increases the standard of the aesthetic industry for patients and ethical practitioners.

As aesthetic medicine continues to develop in India, the evolving regulatory mechanisms will be essential in continuing to promote innovation while ensuring the safety of patients. Greater regulatory documentation, transparency from governing bodies, and public education regarding evolving safety regulations will safeguard the aesthetic space from practitioners prioritizing profit over ethics.

Besides recommending patients needing aesthetic treatment to consult a licensed plastic surgeon or dermatologist, they ensure that intricate aesthetic procedures are performed in clinical environments by qualified personnel.

New Delhi: Meningitis may not have been the talk of the town, but it is now making headlines after an outbreak in the UK wreaked havoc on students—the outbreak recently resulted in the death of two students, and 11 others have been hospitalised. The outbreak is being linked to a nightclub event in Canterbury, Kent. Following this, the UK Health Security Agency contacted 30,000 students, staff, and their family members, along with anyone who visited the club from March 5 to March 7. This was a precautionary measure, they said, and a new report by UK health officials suggests that meningitis B has caused the outbreak. But what is most shocking is how this infection makes its way into your body.

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes around the spinal cord and the brain. It can become very serious if not treated or diagnosed in time. It is a consequence of bacterial or viral infection. Despite being a rare occurrence, the infection can spread through coughs, sneezes, a cold, or physical contact in the form of kissing.

Uncommon ways of contracting meningitis

Some of your daily habits may seem normal, but in turn, they can be among the worst ways to catch meningitis. Some of the most obscure ways are:

Vaping: Reminder—vaping might be common now, but that does not make it a safe practice. It is associated with respiratory disorders and even lung collapse in some cases. When it comes to meningitis, vaping can be a means of passing germs on to another person—for instance, by sharing a contaminated vape. The meningococcus bacteria can harmlessly live in the throat without showing any symptoms, but in order to cause damage, it must cross the nasopharyngeal barrier.

Second-hand smoke: Second-hand smoke may not just cause cancer, but also meningitis. This risk is particularly prevalent in children, as it may increase their chances of developing invasive meningococcal disease, a serious form of meningitis. Experts from the University of Nottingham have noted that breathing in smoke from someone else's cigarette can make one more vulnerable to infection. This makes people more likely to harbour meningitis-related bacteria in the throat and nose, thus leading to infection.

Worm infection: Some types of parasites, such as tapeworms, can cause a rare type of meningitis known as eosinophilic meningitis. These worms take residence in the gut and feed on nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy. This can result in diarrhoea, nausea, and tiredness. If the infection spreads to the brain, it can cause meningitis. Despite being rare, it is still a possibility.

Sharing cutlery: Meningitis can spread through close contact, and sharing cutlery can be one of the most overlooked ways. This can also include sharing toothbrushes. The infection can spread through droplets and saliva.

Unwashed hands: An act of laziness can cost you in the long run; therefore, using a sanitiser or regularly washing hands is a must. Experts say that particles from faeces can linger on the hands, and ingesting them in any way can lead to infections such as meningitis. The infection can also spread through coughing and sneezing.