Many of us may have taken ibuprofen, sometimes two pills at once, especially when we are struggling with menstrual cramps. Well, as good these pills may be in treating the pain, they are not recommended for your health, especially if you are someone who consumes it on a daily basis or frequently. Gastroenterologist Trisha Pasricha, MD, writes in The Washington Post about why should you avoid taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin.

What happens when you consume pain killers?

She writes that NSAIDs are great in treating short term pain. They comprise of a group of drugs that inhibit the production of prostaglandins, which serve as a variety of purposes in the body. Some of which also includes contracting the uterus during menses and regulating blood flow in our vessels.

While one to two doses every now and then is okay, following a regular dosage routine, which could range from several times a month, or twice in an hour or so could lead to health risk. NSAIDs are well known to increase intestinal permeability. This means, these painkillers could damage the lining of your gut.

A 2018 review by Ingvar Bjarnason et. al., also writes about how NSAIDs can reduce the blood flow in the tiny vessels that feeds our guts. It can also disrupt the intestinal cells forming a barrier between the outside world and your insides.

What can be done?

While people with conditions like migraines, chronic back pain or bad period cramps can find NSAIDs to be helpful. It is always advisable to have a chat with your physicians to explore NSAID alternatives.

Pasricha suggests acetaminophen.

However, if someone is in dire need of NSAID, her tip is to take the pill right at the start of your symptoms. She says that the drug can do a far better job at stopping things at the source than chasing after all prostaglandins.

Why is it a concern?

NSAIDs are available as over the counter drug, which means people do not need a prescription for it and can make medical decision about them without the guidance of a physician.

A 2018 study published in the Official Journal of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology by David W Kaufman, et.al., found that 15% of adult ibuprofen users in the US have exceeded the maximum recommended daily dose. The study also mentions that more than a third of ibuprofen users were taking other NSAIDs, like aspirin and naproxen, while consuming ibuprofen at the same time. Out of these, 61% did not realise that they were using NSAIDs.

Pasricha talks about how it ruptures the gut wall, as she herself has rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night "far more times than" she can count "to perform an emergency endoscopy on someone who was bleeding profusely from an ulcer caused by NSAID".

Another 2009 study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology states that as many as 1 in 4 chronic NSAID users will get an ulcer and about 4% will bleed or rupture through the gut wall.

An older study from 2005 titled A quantitative analysis of NSAID-induced small bowel pathology by capsule enteroscopy, found that as 75 percent of people regularly using NSAIDs develop low-grade inflammation in their small bowels. NSAIDs can also lead to development of fatty liver disease. This happens because your gut lining becomes more permeable, more toxins and bacteria from the outside world enters your liver and leads to inflammation.

A 2011 study titled Haemoglobin decreases in NSAID users over time: an analysis of two large outcome trials, states that as many as 6% of people taking NSAIDs regularly have found their blood count dropping within a few months of starting the medicines, this suggests that this is due to the small, slow amount of bleeding in the gut overtime.

Mental health struggles among young children and teens are most likely to get overlooked due to many reasons. That is one of the glaring problems that prompted 16-year-old Imaan Zara Khan to write and direct Unspoken, a movie that follows four teenagers from different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds who navigate their mental health struggles.

Imaan told HealthandMe, "We constantly tell young people to speak up, but what happens when they don’t have the words for what they’re feeling? And even when they do, there’s the fear of being judged, misunderstood or simply not taken seriously. The social visibility cost is simply too high. So, they choose silence instead. I wanted to explore that silence, because sometimes the biggest barrier to seeking help comes long before someone actually asks for it."

The Ministry of Education, Government of India, recently reviewed the draft school mental health policy to foster students' mental wellbeing. The landmark move aims at ensuring adequate resources to protect students' mental well-being by strengthening school systems. Scaling up proven best practices to promote student mental health and psychosocial well-being is one of the primary objectives of the policy.

On World Mental Health Day, we review the government's initiative to comprehend its importance and urgency amid expanding mental health crisis in India's young population.

School Mental Health Policy Aims To Reshape Mental Care For Young Children

Also read: Childhood Fitness Linked To Lower Risk Of Depression In Adulthood: 30-Year Study

The policy entails several key measures to reshape mental healthcare in educational institutions. From identifying early signs of academic stress to proactive screening, it says that schools must routine mental wellness checkups into their academic calendars.

Nandita Bhatla, Vice President and Country Director, WorldBeing India, an international non-profit that works towards integrating mental health wellbeing programs into education systems, told HealthandMe, "India has done well to break the silence. Yet the loss of young lives to suicide tells us that too many children still feel they have nowhere to turn, and that listening cannot wait for a crisis."

She added, "The harder, more important work is making care a routine part of a school day, owned and led by governments, and not dependent on a single programme or a single champion. Schools are the lived reality of millions of our children. When they become spaces to build resilient, hopeful individuals and not mere academic achievers, we know we are on the right path."

The draft also stresses upon building an inclusive and supportive school culture built on a strong foundation of empathy, care, and mutual trust.

The policy also moves away from emergency crisis management. Instead, it aims to create robust, long-term support systems that could help children thrive and stay motivated towards building their future.

Imaan said mental health problems should not be treated as emergencies. She said, "Just as we build physical health through everyday habits, schools should be building emotional resilience, coping skills and mental-health literacy from an early age. But equally important is having a clear, transparent, end-to-end framework that everyone, whether it’s a student, teacher or parent, can understand and navigate."

Also read: Over 2 Hours of Daily Screen Time Linked to Depression, Obesity In Young People: Lancet

Turning Teachers Into Mentors

The policy also focuses on training teachers to be primary mentors for students who could interact with them every day and recognise early signs of conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression. According to the policy, teachers will be trained to identify changes in behaviours and academic burnout.

This does not mean that teachers will replace professional counselors. Additionally, this effort also urges parents to monitor domestic environments.

The policy also plans to channel traditional Indian Knowledge Systems to promote mental wellness among students. It urges schools to integrate mindfulness practices into everyday student activities.

It promotes that these ancient practices can equip students to handle academic pressure, especially during stressful board examinations. The updated curriculum will now support both cognitive growth and development and psychological well-being.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way people work. Tasks that once required hours of effort can now be completed in minutes; therefore, organizations are increasingly using AI tools to improve productivity, reduce costs, and streamline operations. These changes have brought both excitement and fear along with them. That is, will my skills still matter in the future?

The fear of becoming irrelevant in an AI-driven workplace is becoming a source of anxiety for employees across industries. Beyond concerns about job security, many are struggling with the pressure to learn new technologies, keep up with changing expectations and prove their value in an environment where machines are becoming increasingly capable.

The Pressure To Prove Oneself

Workplace anxiety surrounding AI does not always stem from the possibility of losing a job. Sometimes, it comes from the feeling that one must constantly do more to remain employable.

Employees who have spent years developing expertise in a particular field may find it unsettling to see AI tools perform parts of their work in seconds. Writers, designers, analysts, customer service professionals and even experienced managers are being encouraged to adapt to new technologies, often while managing their existing responsibilities.

For some, this creates a persistent sense of falling behind. Learning new tools becomes less about professional growth and more about avoiding obsolescence. The pressure can be particularly challenging when employees are uncertain about which skills will remain valuable or how quickly their roles might change.

Professionals’ Fear Of Uncertainty Affects Mental Health

Prolonged uncertainty about one's career can affect emotional well-being. Employees may experience stress, irritability, difficulty concentrating, disrupted sleep or a loss of confidence in their abilities. Some may begin comparing their productivity with AI-generated outputs, overlooking the judgement, experience and context they bring to their work.

There is also the pressure to demonstrate constant productivity. When technology makes it possible to complete tasks faster, employees may feel expected to produce more within the same working hours. What initially appears to be a tool for reducing workloads can, in some workplaces, create an expectation of doing more with less time.

Over time, this pressure can contribute to exhaustion and burnout, particularly when employees have little control over how new technologies are introduced or how their performance is measured.

However, not everyone experiences AI in the same way. Some employees welcome the opportunity to learn, experiment and move away from repetitive tasks. The impact often depends on individual circumstances, workplace culture, access to training and the level of uncertainty surrounding employment.

The Importance Of A Supportive Workplace

Employers have an important role to play in reducing unnecessary anxiety during technological transitions. Introducing AI without explaining its purpose can leave employees filling information gaps with their own fears.

Clear communication about how AI will affect specific roles, what changes employees can expect and which skills they should develop can help reduce uncertainty. Training should be accessible and practical, allowing employees to learn without feeling that they must master every new tool immediately.

Managers should also recognize that productivity is not the only measure of an employee's contribution. Critical thinking, creativity, communication, ethical judgement and the ability to understand people remain important aspects of professional work.

Creating opportunities for employees to ask questions, express concerns and participate in decisions about AI adoption can help build trust. Organisations should also pay attention to signs of excessive workload, disengagement and burnout rather than assuming that employees will automatically adapt.

Finding A Healthier Relationship With AI

For employees, it may help to approach AI as a skill to develop rather than a competition to win. Identifying the tools relevant to one's role, learning at a manageable pace and strengthening skills that complement technology can make change feel less overwhelming.

It is equally important to recognize that professional worth cannot be measured solely by speed or the number of tasks completed. Experience, sound judgement, empathy and accountability continue to shape meaningful work. If anxiety begins to interfere with sleep, daily functioning or relationships, seeking support from a mental health professional may be helpful.

AI will continue to change the workplace, but the transition does not have to come at the cost of employee well-being. Organizations that combine technological progress with honest communication, meaningful training and respect for their workforce are more likely to create environments in which people can adapt with confidence.

Ultimately, the question is not simply whether employees can keep pace with AI. It is whether workplaces can evolve in ways that allow people to feel secure, valued and capable of growing alongside it.

(By Shilpi Saraswat, Clinical Psychologist, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru)

Effective management of thyroid cancer varies greatly depending on the patient and how the cancer behaves. Even two people with the same type of thyroid cancer might have a very different treatment regimen.

This is because many other factors influence the treatment choice more than the type of cancer. These include factors like the size of the lump, where it is situated, whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes, whether it's grown beyond the thyroid gland, and the chance of it coming back. A person's age and general health also affect the decision on treatment.

How Early Detection Can Expand Treatment Options

This is where early detection plays an important role. When thyroid cancer is spotted at a very early stage, when it is small and considered to be low-risk, aggressive treatment or extensive surgery might not even be required. In selected, low-risk patients, treatment can involve careful monitoring over time with ultrasound and regular check-ups. Treatment might then be considered if the cancer appears to grow or change.

Therefore, if caught early, thyroid cancer might not only result in changes to how the condition is medically managed, but can potentially minimise the impact on a patient’s life. If a cancer is picked up before it's grown or spread, there could be more treatment options available and, in some situations, less invasive options could be suitable. This would typically mean less invasiveness, a quicker recovery and less stress or expense.

Also read: The Neck Lump Most People Dismiss: When Should You Worry About Thyroid Cancer?

Does Every Thyroid Cancer Patient Need Surgery?

However, while this sounds positive, early detection of thyroid cancer does not mean that all such cancers should or can be treated without surgery. And when surgery is needed, its extent depends on what's happening for each patient. Some patients might have to have just a portion of the thyroid removed, while others may have the entire gland out. In cases where there's concern of the cancer spreading to lymph nodes, treatment might address that area too.

The treatment of thyroid cancer is also not necessarily finished once surgery has been completed. Based on how the cancer is behaving and the surgical findings, some patients may or may not require radioactive iodine; for instance, it is not applied to every person diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Those with small, low-risk cancers might be adequately managed with surgery and regular surveillance.

The information identified following surgical removal can refine the strategy for managing thyroid cancer. Reviewing the extracted cancer tissue might give a better insight into what can and can’t be seen on prior ultrasounds. Ultrasound scans and subsequent tests can show whether additional treatment is needed, or if ongoing monitoring is sufficient.

Also read: After 70% of His Tongue Was Removed For Cancer, Lawyer Regains Speech & Returns To Court

Why More Treatment Is Not Always Better

This explains that ‘more treatment is not necessarily better treatment’. Aggressive treatments like extensive surgery or additional treatments may not provide benefit if not indicated and, at the same time, contribute to additional stress and costs and might delay a patient’s full recovery.

The overall aim of thyroid cancer care in the future should be about ensuring that treatment plans are individually tailored to the patient and behaviour of the cancer, for example, to provide good control of cancer without intervention when treatment isn’t warranted. This reiterates the importance of awareness and seeking timely evaluation.

Symptoms That Should Prompt Medical Evaluation

A lump on the neck, change in the voice, difficulty swallowing and/or persisting problems that may include pain could be caused by various diseases, and not all of these lumps necessarily result in cancer but require prompt medical evaluation and testing.

For some patients, monitoring may be recommended, whereas for others surgery may be essential. Therefore, making the decision about therapy should be based on the thoroughness of the evaluation.

A diagnosis provides a classification of what it is; however, it is a comprehensive evaluation including the ability to test it very specifically and to monitor it accurately, which shows how the cancer might behave and what the right choices for therapy are at the right time for a person with thyroid cancer, and to limit unnecessary treatment.