Overview

This is a disease that is transmitted from mosquitoes to humans and affects many people in the world. Found in densely populated countries and continents, like Africa, Asia and the tropics of the Americas, this has severe symptoms. This viral disease is caused by the Chikungunya virus of the Togaviridae. First identified in the United Republic of Tanzania in 1952 and subsequently in other countries like Africa and Asia. Since 2004 the outbreak of CHIKV virus has become more widespread and caused partly due to the viral adaptations allowing the virus to be spread more easily by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The transmission has been noted to persist in countries where there is a large population, but interestingly, the transmission has been interrupted on islands where a high proportion of the population is infected and then immune.

Symptoms

The onset of the disease is usually in 4-8 days and after a bite of an infected mosquitoes, it is characterized by an abrupt onset of fever and then joint pain. This joint pain is severed and lasts for a few days but may prolong for months maybe even years. Other signs are joint swelling, muscle pains, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. These symptoms also overlap with those of dengue and Zika virus and can be misdiagnosed. Most people fully recover from the infection and experience only mild and sometimes the infection even goes unrecognized. However, there have been cases of eye, heart, and neurological complications. The elderly and newborns are more susceptible to the infection and if they have any underlying conditions then they are likely to become severely ill increasing the risk of death.

Diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis and treatment of the virus may be done by blood sampling and other tests like reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR). Other tests detect the activity of the antibodies. These can be detected in the first week after illness onset and can be detected for about 2 months. Many clinical measures can be taken to address fever and joint pain. But there is no specific anti-viral drug treatment for the virus.

Preventing Chikungunya

As this disease is caused by the bite of a mosquito, you must reduce the opportunities to let the mosquito breed. Mosquitoes bite during the day and night, and for people who live in risk areas like southeast Asia, Africa and tropical regions of America, many outbreaks happen each year. The best way to prevent it is to protect yourself from the mosquito's bite. You also must get vaccinated before travelling to any of these regions. Use insect repellent, and wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. You can also treat your clothes and gear with permethrin. As we all know, they tend to breed in humid places and places where they have access to water, so try to close the rooms that are air-conditioned with screens and windows. Use nets and mosquito repellents if you are sleeping outside. There are many different types of mosquito repellents like paper, liquid etc, and they are quite effective. If your job needs, you to be stationary for long hours or frequently go outside you must take the necessary precautions.

High blood pressure is a serious health issue, but it usually causes no obvious symptoms until significant harm has already occurred. This makes it difficult for many patients to stay consistent with their medication. When you do not feel any immediate change after missing a pill, it becomes easier to forget doses or stop altogether.

Many people assume it is “not a big deal” to skip a dose now and then, or even to quit the medicine completely. In reality, blood pressure medication is often meant to be taken long term, sometimes for life, though certain medicines may need to be stopped or switched during pregnancy. In some cases, people may be able to gradually reduce or fully stop their medication if major lifestyle changes lead to a clear and lasting drop in blood pressure.

How Does Blood Pressure Medicines Work?

Blood pressure medicines, also called antihypertensives, lower high blood pressure in different ways. They may relax blood vessels, lessen how hard the heart has to work, or reduce the amount of fluid in the body. These effects help lower the risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes.

According to Medline Plus, these drugs work by blocking hormones that tighten blood vessels, helping the kidneys flush out excess salt and water, slowing the heart rate, or stopping calcium from tightening the arteries, which allows blood to move more freely.

What Happens When You Stop Taking Blood Pressure Medications?

If you miss a dose, it is usually best to take it as soon as you remember, unless it is close to the time for your next dose. Skipping one dose is generally less risky than taking too much. To avoid forgetting, it helps to take your medication at the same time every day and link it to a daily habit. For example, morning pills can be taken with breakfast, while evening pills can be kept near your toothbrush.

Along with choosing a regular time, your doctor may also suggest a specific time of day. One large study found that taking blood pressure medicine at bedtime significantly lowered the risk of heart attack.

Is It Safe To Stop Your Blood Pressure Medicine If Your Numbers Improve

According to Health Central, it is understandable to think about stopping your medication once your blood pressure readings improve and you feel well. However, you should never stop taking these medicines, especially all at once, without speaking to your doctor first.

Stopping blood pressure medication suddenly can lead to withdrawal effects that vary in severity, including:

• Blurry vision
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Irregular heartbeat
• Lightheadedness
• Rebound hypertension
• Rebound water retention
• Shortness of breath

When high blood pressure is no longer treated, your readings may return to previous levels or rise very quickly and dangerously, leading to what doctors call a hypertensive crisis. This is defined as a blood pressure reading above 180/120. It is a medical emergency and raises the risk of:

• Blindness
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Kidney damage
• Stroke

The harm caused by a hypertensive crisis is not always reversible and can sometimes be life-threatening.

When Can You Stop Taking Blood Pressure Medicine?

If you and your doctor decide that trying life without blood pressure medication is possible and something you want to explore, the safest approach is tapering. This means slowly reducing the dose over time rather than stopping suddenly.

Before doing this, you will need to regularly monitor your blood pressure at home while still on medication and share those readings with your doctor. If your numbers stay consistently at the lower end of the normal range while on treatment, such as around 115/80 mmHg or lower, your doctor may consider gradually reducing your dependence on medication.

Disclaimer: This information is meant for general awareness only and should not be treated as medical advice. Blood pressure medications affect each person differently, and stopping or changing your dose without proper medical guidance can be dangerous. Always speak to a qualified doctor or healthcare provider before starting, adjusting, or discontinuing any medication.

People who are prescribed a widely used medication are being advised to contact a doctor if they notice certain symptoms. As per Mirror, health officials say these “serious” side effects should not be delayed or ignored and may need medical review sooner rather than later. Diltiazem is a drug commonly given to manage high blood pressure. It is also sold under brand names such as Adizem, Angitil, Tildiem, Viazem, and Zemtard.

Doctors prescribe it to people with high blood pressure to lower the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. The medicine helps by reducing blood pressure and allowing the heart to pump blood more easily through the body. However, new warnings linked to the drug have now been highlighted.

What Is Diltiazem?

Diltiazem belongs to a group of medicines called calcium channel blockers. It is used to treat high blood pressure, long-term stable angina, which causes chest pain, and certain types of irregular heartbeats. The drug works by relaxing blood vessels and easing the strain on the heart. According to Medline Plus, common side effects may include dizziness, headaches, swelling, and a slower heart rate. It is mainly prescribed for hypertension, angina, and heart rhythm conditions such as atrial fibrillation. In some cases, it is also used in cream form to help treat anal fissures.

The NHS website also states that diltiazem may be used to:

• Prevent chest pain linked to angina
• Lower the number of attacks in people with Raynaud’s phenomenon
• Support the healing of an anal fissure

Like most medicines, diltiazem can cause side effects, although many people may not experience any. The NHS notes that there are several “common” side effects patients should be aware of.

Diltiazem Common Side Effects

These effects are seen in more than one in 100 people. The NHS explains: “They are usually mild and do not last long. There are ways to help manage them.”

They include:

• Swelling in the hands, ankles, or feet
• Headaches
• Dizziness or feeling light-headed
• Feeling tired, weak, or generally unwell
• Feeling hot, flushed, or noticing redness of the skin
• Itching or a burning feeling on the skin where the cream or ointment is applied
• Stomach discomfort
• Indigestion
• Constipation

The NHS adds: “Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if coping advice does not help, or if a side effect continues or becomes troublesome.”

Diltiazem Serious Side Effects

In rare cases, diltiazem may lead to “serious side effects.” These are reported in fewer than one in 10,000 people.

According to the NHS, you should “stop taking diltiazem and contact a doctor or call 111 immediately” if:

• You experience severe stomach pain
• The whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow, which may be harder to notice on brown or black skin and could point to liver problems
• You become aware of your heartbeat or notice palpitations

You should also call 999 or go straight to A&E if you have chest pain that does not ease after a few minutes, or if chest pain is new or worse than usual when you already have angina. This may indicate a heart attack and requires urgent medical attention.

Before "brain health" became a buzzword, Rudolph E Tanzi started to write the science behind it. Tanzi is a neurology professor at the Harvard, and co-director of the Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital is known for discovering three key Alzheimer's genes. In his 46-year career, he wrote hundreds of journal articles that helped in shaping the modern understanding of neurodegenerative illness.

In 2023, neuroscientist also teamed up with holistic health advocate Deepak Chopra to write Super Brain, a book that pushed against the idea that brain has fixed limits. The belief also sits at the heart of SHIELD, which a lifestyle framework developed by Tanzi to protect long-term brain health. It focuses on six pillars:

• Sleep
• Handling stress
• Interaction with others
• Exercise
• Learning
• Diet

Tanzi now 67, says these principles are not just theoretical, but he credits his own research and daily habits for helping him stay mentally sharp, physically active and deeply engaged in his work.

“I’m doing more work and having more fun and excitement than ever,” he says. “Your world can feel young or stagnant based entirely on the health of your brain. Most people do not realize that.”

Let us look deeper into SHIELD:

Sleep

Tanzi aims for seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. Sleep, he explains, is not just rest. It is active maintenance for the brain.

During deep sleep, the brain clears out toxins, including amyloid proteins that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms appear. Each deep sleep cycle works like a rinse for the brain.

Rather than following a fixed bedtime, Tanzi plans backward from his wake-up time to ensure at least seven hours of sleep. An hour before bed, screens go off and phone scrolling stops. If sleep falls short, he recommends short power naps, even brief ones.

Handling stress

Chronic stress is one of the biggest threats to brain health. It raises cortisol levels, which Tanzi describes as toxic to the brain over time.

He believes modern life has amplified stress through constant notifications, emails and social media. His primary tool to counter this is meditation, especially practices that quiet the constant internal chatter many people experience.

Tanzi suggests closing your eyes periodically during the day and focusing on images rather than words. Let thoughts come and go without turning them into sentences. He also warns against living mentally in the past or worrying excessively about the future instead of staying present.

Reducing this internal noise, he says, boosts creativity, intuition and mental clarity.

Interaction with friends

Social connection matters more than many people realize. Loneliness has been linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline.

The key, Tanzi says, is interacting with people you genuinely enjoy. Stressful social interactions do not count. Even regular texting or phone calls can help.

Because many of his friends live far away, Tanzi stays connected through small, intentional check-ins with different friend groups each day. Used this way, social media can actually support brain health instead of draining it.

Read: Neurologist Shares 10 Eating Habits For A Longer, Healthier Life

Exercise

Regular movement improves blood flow to the brain and helps form new nerve cells, particularly in areas affected early by Alzheimer’s disease. Exercise also releases hormones that help break down harmful amyloid buildup.

Tanzi cycles on a stationary bike for 30 minutes every other day and walks on alternate days. He points to research showing that even modest increases in daily steps can meaningfully reduce dementia risk.

Learning new things

Learning builds new synapses, the connections that store memories and support thinking. When these connections weaken, cognition suffers.

As people age, Tanzi says they often become less adventurous and rely on the same mental patterns. That stagnation harms the brain.

To counter this, he constantly learns new music on the keyboard, writes his own compositions, reads widely and watches documentaries. New experiences keep the brain flexible and resilient.

Diet

Diet plays a central role in brain health, largely through the gut microbiome. When gut bacteria are balanced, they produce compounds that reduce inflammation and help clear amyloid from the brain.

Tanzi follows a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts and seeds. He is mostly vegan but not rigid. His snacks tend to be crunchy whole foods that gut bacteria thrive on.

He is also increasingly focused on environmental factors that affect the brain. His upcoming book will explore what he calls the “killer P’s,” including plastics, pollution, periodontal bacteria and processed foods, and how they quietly shape long-term brain health.