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.

For most people, the arrival of monsoon brings welcome relief from the scorching summer heat. For physicians, however, it also signals the beginning of a season when managing chronic lifestyle diseases becomes significantly more challenging.

High humidity, fluctuating temperatures and a sharp rise in seasonal infections create conditions that can quietly destabilise diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, even in people whose conditions are otherwise well controlled.

Lifestyle diseases are often thought of as long-term conditions that progress gradually. Yet they are also highly sensitive to environmental changes. During the monsoon, the body works harder to regulate temperature and maintain normal circulation. High humidity reduces the body'sability to cool itself efficiently, increasing the workload on the heart. At the same time, sudden shifts between hot outdoor conditions and cold indoor environments can influence blood vessel function, leading to fluctuations in blood pressure. These physiological changes may seem subtle, but for individuals living with chronic illnesses, they can increase the likelihood of complications.

The season also brings a surge in viral, bacterial and mosquito-borne illnesses. Infections such as influenza, gastroenteritis, dengue, and fungal diseases are becoming more common, placing additional stress on the body. For people living with diabetes, even a relatively minor infection can upset blood sugar control. The body's response to illness triggers the release of stress hormones that increase blood glucose levels. In contrast, changes in appetite and food intake during illness may increase the risk of both hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia if medications or insulin are not adjusted appropriately under medical supervision.

Beyond infections, the monsoon often disrupts everyday routines that are essential for effective diabetes management. Reduced physical activity due to persistent rainfall, missed walks, and a greater tendency to indulge in fried, calorie-dense comfort foods can contribute to poor glycaemic control. Prolonged exposure to damp conditions, particularly from wearing wet or closed footwear for extended periods, also increases the risk of fungal infections and delayed wound healing—complications that people with diabetes are already more susceptible to. While these changes may appear routine, together they can make diabetes significantly more difficult to manage during the rainy season.

Seasonal changes equally influence hypertension, although the effects are often less obvious. Variations in temperature and atmospheric pressure can cause blood vessels to constrict or relax, leading to fluctuations in blood pressure. Dietary habits also tend to shift during the rainy season, with increased consumption of salty snacks, pickles, and processed foods, which contribute to sodium overload and fluid retention. Because hypertension frequently remains symptomless, many people assume they are doing well despite missing medicines or delaying routine blood pressure checks. Unfortunately, uncontrolled blood pressure often comes to light only after a serious complication such as a stroke, heart attack, or acute cardiac event.

By Dr. Manjeeta Nath Das, Associate Director – Internal Medicine, PB Health

A cough that lingers for weeks is often dismissed as a stubborn cold, allergy, or lung infection. However, ENT specialists warned that in some cases, the real cause may be acid reflux, a condition that can affect the throat even without the typical symptom of heartburn.

Doctors told HealthandMe that recognizing the signs early can help patients receive the right treatment and prevent long-term complications.

When Does Acid Reflux Trigger a Chronic Cough?

According to Dr. Nishit Shah, ENT/Otorhinolaryngologist at Bombay Hospital, acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), does not always present with chest burning.

"Sometimes people with reflux do not feel the usual symptom of heartburn in their chest. Instead, the acid from their stomach goes up into their throat, irritates it, which can cause a dry cough that will not go away, a hoarse voice, or a feeling that something is stuck in their throat," Dr. Shah told HealthandMe.

He advised that if a cough lasts for more than eight weeks and does not improve with usual medicines, acid reflux should be considered as a possible cause.

"It is very important to know what is causing your cough because if you just treat the cough, the acid reflux can still be hurting your throat," Dr. Shah said.

Not Every Throat Symptom Is Acidity

Also read: 'Let's Fix Our Food': India Launches New Policy To Fight Childhood Obesity, Boost Nutrition

However, not every throat symptom should be dismissed as acidity.

Dr. Alok Aggarwal, Chairperson, ENT, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said silent reflux often presents as intermittent throat irritation, a sensation of something stuck in the throat, or occasional voice changes.

"These symptoms are often judged as acidity by the common man, and people start self-medicating with antacids and even ayurvedic medicines. Less do they know that this can be a symptom of some underlying ENT disease," he said.

He explained that laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) occurs when food or semi-digested food enters the pharynx, irritating its lining.

"It causes symptoms such as throat irritation, burning sensation, pain in throat, nasal irritation, globus sensation and change in voice," Dr. Aggarwal told HealthandMe.

ENT Evaluation Is Essential

Read More: Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi Sleeps 3 Hours A Night: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

While LPRD is commonly diagnosed, Dr. Aggarwal cautioned that similar symptoms may also be caused by allergic rhino-pharyngitis, chronic rhino-sinusitis, vocal nodules or polyps, laryngeal leukoplakia, and candida infection.

"Though this comes as the most common diagnosis in clinical practice, it often overshadows some very serious conditions which mimic the symptoms, and only after a thorough ENT examination can the exact diagnosis be made," he said.

He added that these conditions can be effectively diagnosed through thorough history-taking, clinical examination, and endoscopic examination.

"As doctors, we need to educate our patients regarding the disease physiology and the differentials it carries before establishing any diagnosis. A timely and adequate intervention with planned treatment can effectively cure the patient in most cases," Dr. Aggarwal said.

Lifestyle Changes May Help Control Symptoms

Dr. Shah recommended avoiding heavy meals, especially at night, limiting fatty foods, maintaining a healthy weight, and sleeping with the head elevated to help manage acid reflux.

"If people know that acid reflux can cause a cough, they can get a diagnosis sooner, get the right treatment and finally feel better," he added.

Dr. Aggarwal stressed the importance of timely medical evaluation.

"Early diagnosis and treatment can avoid unnecessary medications and avoid missing out on serious complications. A stitch in time saves nine," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sparked debate after revealing that she gets very little sleep since taking office.

In a post on X, Takaichi wrote that she had managed to get "five full hours of sleep for the first time in ages"—an improvement from her usual "zero to three hours" a night since becoming prime minister.'.

"On weekdays, by the time I get back to the residence, I'm maxed out on private time just handling bath cleaning, bathing, dinner, washing up afterward, laundry, and some light tidying," she wrote.

"So the late-night hours after that get consumed until dawn with reading materials brought back from the Prime Minister's Office or prepping for … question time."

Takaichi added that whatever free time remained was spent ironing handkerchiefs, catching up on laundry, and repairing clothes.

While the disclosure offered a rare glimpse into the pressures of Japan's highest office, it also sparked a nationwide debate about the health risks of chronic sleep deprivation.

"I think she should rest more," Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki said at a news conference.

"Why doesn't her entourage provide more support to create an environment in which she can make important decisions with a fresh mind?"

However, some of Takaichi's colleagues defended her.

"Each person has their own various circumstances and behind-the-scenes stories, and on the premise of fulfilling responsibilities in public duties, I would be grateful if you could understand," Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ayano Kunimitsu wrote on X.

Also read: Could Poor Sleep Be One of the Earliest Signs of Alzheimer's Disease? Study Says Yes

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

Dr. Nitin Dange, Comprehensive Stroke and Endovascular Neurosurgeon at Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, told HealthandMe that regularly missing sleep can increase the risk of neurological problems over time.

"Currently, due to hectic schedules, people are now sacrificing sleep to meet work deadlines, study longer, or spend more time on screens. Missing a few hours of sleep once in 2-3 months is harmless.

However, chronic sleep deprivation can not only cause irritation and weight gain but also neurological issues. During sleep, the brain processes memories, repairs nerve cells, regulates emotions, and clears waste products that accumulate throughout the day," Dr. Dange said.

A recent research, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, suggests that disruptions in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, during which we dream, consolidate memory, and process emotions, could be among the earliest biological signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Priyam Bordoloi, an Internal Medicine Resident from Assam, also highlighted the dangers of sleeping less than six hours a night.

"When you hit deep sleep, your brain's glymphatic system activates. Think of it as a plumbing system that actively flushes out metabolic waste and neurotoxic proteins (like beta-amyloid) accumulated during the day. When you consistently sleep less than 6 hours, you cut this vital cleaning cycle short. The toxins build up. If you do not fix this, you are actively fast-tracking your risk for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke etc. It's a bad habit we all need to fix," he wrote on X.

Tips To Sleep Better

Experts recommend getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night for optimal brain health.

• Maintain a consistent sleep and wake-up schedule.
• Avoid screens, caffeine, and heavy meals before bedtime.
• Exercise regularly, but avoid intense workouts late at night.
• Keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark.
• Consult a doctor if you snore loudly, stop breathing during sleep, or feel excessively sleepy during the day.