Health

What to do to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19

Maintain at least a 1-meter distance between yourself and others to reduce your risk of infection when they cough, sneeze or speak. Maintain an even greater distance between yourself and others when indoors. The further away, the better.

Make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people. The appropriate use, storage, and cleaning or disposal are essential to make masks as effective as possible.

  • Here are the basics of how to wear a mask:

Clean your hands before you put your mask on, as well as before and after you take it off, and after you touch it at any time.
Make sure it covers both your nose, mouth, and chin.

When you take off a mask, store it in a clean plastic bag, and every day either wash it if it’s a fabric mask or dispose of a medical mask in a trash bin.
Don’t use masks with valves.

For specifics on what type of mask to wear and when read our Q&A and watch our videos. There is also a Q&A focused on masks and children.
Find out more about the science of how COVID-19 infects people and our bodies react by watching or reading this interview.

  • How to make your environment safer

Avoid the 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded, or involve close contact.
Outbreaks have been reported in restaurants, choir practices, fitness classes, nightclubs, offices, and places of worship where people have gathered, often in crowded indoor settings where they talk loudly, shout, breathe heavily or sing.

The risks of getting COVID-19 are higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time together in close proximity. These environments are where the virus appears to spread by respiratory droplets or aerosols more efficiently, so taking precautions is even more important.

Meet people outside. Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoor ones, particularly if indoor spaces are small and without outdoor air coming in.
For more information on how to hold events like family gatherings, children’s football games, and family occasions, read our Q&A on small public gatherings.
Avoid crowded or indoor settings but if you can’t, then take precautions:
Open a window.

WHO has published Q&As on ventilation and air conditioning for both the general public and people who manage public spaces and buildings.
Wear a mask.

  • Don’t forget the basics of good hygiene

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. This eliminates germs including viruses that may be on your hands.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose, or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you.

Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately into a closed bin and wash your hands. By following good ‘respiratory hygiene’, you protect the people around you from viruses, which cause colds, flu, and COVID-19.
Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently especially those which are regularly touched, such as door handles, faucets, and phone screens.
 

  • What to do if you feel unwell

Know the full range of symptoms of COVID-19. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include loss of taste or smell, aches, and pains, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, red eyes, diarrhea, or a skin rash.

Stay home and self-isolate even if you have minor symptoms such as cough, headache, mild fever until you recover. Call your health care provider or hotline for advice. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house or have someone near you, wear a medical mask to avoid infecting others.

If you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. Call by telephone first, if you can, and follow the directions of your local health authority.

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Amazing benefits of eating garlic, keep healthy in changing lifestyle

Its consumption purifies the blood. All the unnecessary toxins present in the body get flushed out by the consumption of garlic. Garlic is rich in the compound allicin, which protects harmful LDL cholesterol from oxidation. In addition, it also eliminates LDL cholesterol from the body.

Not only can you stay healthy by consuming it, but it will also help keep you strong. Along with this, it will keep away from many diseases occurring in the body.

21 Jul 2025

How to Balance Hormones Naturally: What Actually Works (Without Expensive Supplements or Pseudo-Science)

Description: Struggling with hormonal imbalance? Here's an honest guide to balancing your hormones naturally — what actually works, and what's just wellness industry hype.

Let me paint a picture you might recognize.

You're tired all the time, no matter how much you sleep. Your skin is breaking out like you're 15 again. Your periods are all over the place — too heavy, too painful, or just... gone. You're gaining weight even though you're eating the same way you always have. Your mood swings from anxious to irritable to just flat-out exhausted. Your hair is thinning. You're craving sugar constantly. And your sex drive? What sex drive?

You go to the doctor. They run some tests. Everything comes back "normal." They shrug and maybe suggest birth control or antidepressants.

But you know something's off. And you're right. Your hormones are probably out of balance.

Here's what nobody tells you: hormonal imbalance is incredibly common. And most of it can be improved — genuinely improved — through lifestyle changes that don't require expensive supplements, restrictive diets, or turning your life upside down.

I'm not talking about miracle cures or detox teas. I'm talking about evidence-based strategies that address the root causes of hormonal imbalance: blood sugar chaos, chronic stress, inflammation, poor sleep, and nutritional deficiencies.

So let's cut through the wellness industry nonsense. Let's talk about what actually works to balance your hormones naturally — and what's just expensive placebo wrapped in Instagram-friendly packaging.


First — What Does "Hormonal Imbalance" Even Mean?

Hormones are chemical messengers that control basically everything in your body: metabolism, mood, energy, sleep, reproduction, appetite, stress response, and more.

The main hormones people struggle with:

  • Estrogen and progesterone (reproductive hormones — too high, too low, or out of ratio causes problems)
  • Cortisol (stress hormone — chronically elevated wreaks havoc)
  • Insulin (blood sugar hormone — insulin resistance is epidemic)
  • Thyroid hormones (T3, T4 — control metabolism and energy)
  • Testosterone (yes, women need it too — affects energy, muscle, libido)

Hormonal imbalance happens when:

  • One or more hormones are too high or too low
  • The ratio between hormones is off (like estrogen dominance)
  • Your body isn't responding properly to hormones (like insulin resistance)

Common signs of hormonal imbalance:

  • Irregular or painful periods
  • Acne, especially hormonal acne on the jawline
  • Weight gain, especially around the belly
  • Fatigue that doesn't improve with rest
  • Mood swings, anxiety, or depression
  • Hair thinning on your head or unwanted hair growth elsewhere
  • Low libido
  • Insomnia or poor sleep quality
  • Brain fog
  • Sugar cravings

If several of these sound familiar, your hormones are probably involved. And the good news? You can do something about it.


Strategy #1: Fix Your Blood Sugar (This Is the Foundation)

If there's one thing you take away from this entire article, let it be this: stabilizing your blood sugar is the single most important thing you can do for hormonal balance.

Why blood sugar matters so much:

When your blood sugar spikes and crashes throughout the day, your body produces more insulin. Chronically high insulin causes:

  • Increased testosterone and PCOS symptoms
  • Disrupted ovulation
  • Increased fat storage, especially belly fat
  • Inflammation throughout your body
  • Increased cortisol and stress response
  • Disrupted sleep

It's like a domino effect. Blood sugar chaos triggers hormonal chaos across the board.

How to stabilize blood sugar:

Eat protein with every meal — Aim for 20-30 grams of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Protein slows digestion and prevents blood sugar spikes.

Don't eat carbs alone — If you're having fruit, bread, or anything carb-heavy, pair it with protein or fat. Apple with almond butter. Toast with eggs. Rice with chicken. Never just carbs by themselves.

Prioritize fiber — Vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds. Fiber slows glucose absorption and keeps you full longer.

Cut back on refined carbs and sugar — White bread, pastries, soda, candy, juice — these spike your blood sugar fast and crash it hard. Minimize them.

Don't skip meals — Going too long without eating causes blood sugar crashes, which triggers cortisol release and cravings. Eat every 3-4 hours.

Start your day with protein — A high-protein breakfast (eggs, Greek yogurt, protein smoothie) sets stable blood sugar for the entire day. Sugary cereal or just coffee? Recipe for blood sugar chaos.

Consider the order you eat — Some research suggests eating vegetables and protein before carbs in a meal can reduce blood sugar spikes. Eat your salad and chicken before the rice.

This isn't a diet. It's just eating in a way that doesn't send your blood sugar on a roller coaster. And when your blood sugar is stable, your hormones have a much better chance of balancing out.


Strategy #2: Manage Your Stress (Cortisol Is Wrecking Everything)

Chronic stress is a hormone disruptor. Period.

When you're stressed, your body produces cortisol. That's normal and healthy in short bursts. But when stress is constant — work pressure, relationship issues, financial anxiety, lack of sleep, constant phone notifications — cortisol stays elevated. And high cortisol messes with everything.

What chronic cortisol does:

  • Disrupts your menstrual cycle (or stops it entirely)
  • Increases belly fat storage
  • Lowers progesterone (leading to estrogen dominance)
  • Tanks your thyroid function
  • Interferes with sleep
  • Increases inflammation
  • Suppresses your immune system
  • Kills your sex drive

You can eat perfectly, exercise, and take all the supplements in the world — but if your stress isn't managed, your hormones won't balance.

How to actually manage stress:

Sleep 7-9 hours — This is non-negotiable. Poor sleep raises cortisol. Prioritize sleep like your hormones depend on it. Because they do.

Move your body, but don't overdo it — Exercise is great for stress. But too much intense exercise raises cortisol. Walking, yoga, pilates, moderate strength training — these help. Hour-long HIIT sessions every day? Not helping.

Practice actual stress reduction — Meditation, deep breathing, therapy, journaling, time in nature — pick something and do it regularly. Even 5 minutes a day makes a difference.

Set boundaries — Say no to things that drain you. Protect your time and energy. This isn't selfish. It's survival.

Reduce phone time — Constant notifications and doomscrolling keep your nervous system in fight-or-flight mode. Set boundaries with your phone.

Build in downtime — Rest isn't lazy. Rest is when your body repairs and your hormones rebalance. Schedule it like you schedule work.

You can't eliminate stress entirely. But you can change how you respond to it. And that changes everything.

10 Feb 2026

Ways to Prevent Disease (and To Live Your Healthiest Life)

Health is wealth. This common saying holds a lot of weight because it has truth behind it.

  •  Make healthy food choices

“For good health and disease prevention, avoid ultra-processed foods and eat homemade meals prepared with basic ingredients,”.
 
Ultra-processed food includes: 

Chips.
White bread.
Donuts.
Cookies.
Granola or protein bars.
Breakfast cereals.
Instant oatmeal.
Coffee creamers.
Soda.
Milkshakes.

“Most foods that come in a package have more than five ingredients or have ingredients that you cannot pronounce. Many foods labeled as diet, healthy, sugar-free or fat-free can be bad for you.”

  • Get your cholesterol checked

When checking your cholesterol, your test results will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per decilitre. It’s crucial to get your cholesterol checked because your doctor will be able to advise you on how to maintain healthy levels, which in turn lowers your chances of getting heart disease and stroke.

08 Oct 2025

Your Newborn: 30 Tips for the First 30 Days

Hints for Nursing

बच्चे खाते हैं और खाते हैं। हालाँकि प्रकृति ने आपको और आपके बच्चे को सही उपकरण उपलब्ध कराने का बहुत अच्छा काम किया है, लेकिन शुरुआत में यह आपकी अपेक्षा से अधिक कठिन होने की गारंटी है। गले में खराश से लेकर सख्त लैच-ऑन तक, नर्सिंग भारी लग सकती है।

1. Women who seek help have a higher success rate

न्यू यॉर्क शहर में एक स्तनपान सलाहकार स्टेसी ब्रोसनन का सुझाव है, "आपके जन्म देने से पहले सफलता सुनिश्चित करने के तरीकों के बारे में सोचें।" उन दोस्तों के साथ बात करें जिनके पास एक अच्छा नर्सिंग अनुभव था, बेबी के बाल रोग विशेषज्ञ से स्तनपान सलाहकार की संख्या के लिए पूछें, या ला लेचे लीग (नर्सिंग सहायता समूह) की बैठक में भाग लें

02 Jul 2025

घरेलू उपायों से आसानी से दूर कर सकते हैं नाखूनों का पीलापन

पीले नाखून काफी दिखने में काफी बिलकुल अच्छे नहीं लगते है। और कुछ मामलों में आपको शर्मिंदा भी कर सकते हैं। जबकि पीले नाखूनों के कुछ सामान्य कारणों में नेल पॉलिश का अत्यधिक उपयोग होता है, अन्य कारण भी हो सकते हैं जैसे फंगल संक्रमण या विटामिन की कमी, धूम्रपान, मधुमेह, गुर्दे की बीमारी।

07 Dec 2025

Stress-Related Skin and Hair Problems: Why Your Body Wears Your Stress on the Outside (And What to Do About It)

Description: Is stress ruining your skin and hair? Here's an honest breakdown of how stress causes skin and hair problems — and what you can actually do about it.

Let me paint a picture you might recognize.

You're going through a rough patch. Maybe it's work pressure that won't let up. Maybe it's a relationship falling apart. Maybe it's financial stress, family problems, health anxiety, or just the relentless accumulation of too many things happening at once.

And while you're dealing with all of that internal chaos, something else starts happening.

Your skin breaks out in ways it hasn't since you were a teenager. Your scalp starts itching like crazy. You notice more hair in the shower drain than usual. The dark circles under your eyes look painted on. Your skin feels dry and sensitive even though you're using the same products you've always used. Maybe you develop a weird rash or your eczema flares up out of nowhere.

And you're thinking — this is the last thing I need right now.

Here's what nobody tells you clearly enough: your body doesn't separate emotional stress from physical reality. When you're stressed, your body responds as if it's under physical threat. And that physical response shows up — loudly and visibly — on your skin and in your hair.

This isn't in your head. It's biology. Real, measurable, documented biology.

So let's talk about it honestly. Let's break down exactly what stress does to your skin and hair, what's happening at the biological level, what specific problems it causes, and what you can actually do that helps — not just covering up symptoms but addressing the root cause.


Why Stress Affects Your Skin and Hair

Before we get into specific problems, let's understand the mechanism. Because once you understand why this happens, everything makes so much more sense.

The stress response:

When you experience stress — whether it's a physical threat or an email from your boss at 11 PM — your body activates its HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis and releases a cascade of stress hormones:

Cortisol — The primary stress hormone. Released from your adrenal glands. Triggers a whole cascade of effects throughout your body.

Adrenaline (Epinephrine) — The "fight or flight" hormone. Increases heart rate, redirects blood flow.

CRH (Corticotropin-releasing hormone) — Triggers cortisol release and directly affects skin cells.

What these hormones do to your skin and hair:

  • Cortisol increases oil production — Sebaceous glands have cortisol receptors. High cortisol = more sebum = clogged pores and breakouts.
  • Cortisol breaks down collagen — Activates enzymes that literally destroy collagen fibers.
  • Cortisol disrupts the skin barrier — The protective outer layer becomes compromised, letting irritants in and moisture out.
  • Cortisol creates systemic inflammation — Pro-inflammatory cytokines increase throughout the body, including in your skin.
  • CRH directly triggers skin mast cells — These release histamine and other inflammatory compounds, causing redness, itching, and flares of skin conditions.
  • Cortisol pushes hair follicles into resting phase — A large number of follicles stop growing and start shedding simultaneously.

The vicious cycle:

Stress causes skin and hair problems. Skin and hair problems cause stress. Stress makes the problems worse.

You're dealing with a loop that feeds itself. Understanding this helps you break it.


Problem #1: Stress Acne — The Breakout You Didn't See Coming

You had clear skin for months. Then something stressful happened. And seemingly overnight, your face broke out.

This isn't coincidence. This is cortisol.

What's happening:

High cortisol levels stimulate your sebaceous glands (oil-producing glands in your skin) to produce excess sebum. This oil mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria, clogs your pores, and creates acne.

But here's what makes stress acne particularly nasty: cortisol also increases inflammation. So even small clogged pores become inflamed, red, and painful much faster than they would in a low-stress state.

What stress acne looks like:

  • Deep, painful cystic lesions (not just surface whiteheads)
  • Located mostly on jawline, chin, and cheeks (same zones as hormonal acne — because it IS hormonal)
  • Appears or worsens during stressful periods
  • Clears up when stress resolves, then comes back with the next stressful period
  • Doesn't respond as well to topical treatments because the cause is internal

The inflammatory amplification:

Even if stress doesn't directly cause a new breakout, it makes existing ones significantly worse. A small pimple that would normally heal in a few days becomes angrier, larger, and more painful under high cortisol conditions.

Who's most vulnerable:

People who were already prone to acne. Stress often pushes borderline skin from manageable to really struggling. But even people who rarely break out can experience stress acne during particularly intense periods.

What actually helps:

Topically: Salicylic acid, niacinamide (reduces both oil and inflammation), benzoyl peroxide for active breakouts, azelaic acid.

Internally: Managing the stress itself. This sounds obvious, but it's genuinely the most effective treatment. Adaptogens like ashwagandha may help by reducing cortisol. Anti-inflammatory diet (reducing sugar, dairy, processed foods).

16 Feb 2026
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