Raj and Meera always felt blessed by their baby boy, Aarav, who seemed to radiate happiness. His giggles and endless smiles made every day a joy for them. Strangers in the supermarket often remarked on how cheerful he seemed, making Meera and Raj proud of their bubbly little boy. One day, while grocery shopping, they bumped into Dr. Gupta, an old acquaintance who happened to be a pediatrician.

Dr. Gupta admired Aarav's bright smiles but seemed to study him a bit too intently. Politely, she asked if they had noticed any other unusual behavior.

Raj and Meera were taken aback when Dr. Gupta gently suggested they visit a doctor, not out of concern for Aarav’s happiness, but because she had noticed something off about his behavior. Dr. Gupta made it clear that she didn’t want to worry them, but from her medical perspective, Aarav’s constant, almost involuntary smiling could be more than just happiness. "Sometimes, things aren't what they seem," she said kindly, "and it wouldn’t hurt to rule out any underlying issues, just to be safe."

Despite their initial shock and fear, Meera and Raj took her advice seriously. Little did they know that Dr. Gupta’s careful observation would lead to a life-changing diagnosis. Aarav was eventually diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, which had been affecting certain parts of his brain responsible for facial expressions. Though it was a difficult journey, catching the tumor early helped them get Aarav the care he needed. Raj and Meera learned the importance of trusting their instincts but also listening when a medical professional raises a red flag, no matter how subtle it may seem.

Pediatric Brain Tumors: What Every Parent Should Know

Pediatric brain tumors are abnormal growths of cells that begin in or around the brain in children. These growths, called tumors, can press on nearby areas of the brain, which can lead to a range of symptoms, including headaches, nausea, and in some cases, more subtle changes like irritability or vision problems. While any brain tumor diagnosis can be overwhelming, it’s important for parents to understand the different types of brain tumors and the treatment options available for their children.

Brain tumors in children vary widely in terms of growth rate and severity. Some tumors are fast-growing and aggressive, while others grow slowly over time. Tumors can also be classified as cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). However, it’s important to note that even benign tumors can cause significant health issues if they grow large enough or are located in sensitive areas of the brain.

The type of brain tumor, along with its location and whether it has spread beyond the brain, plays a key role in determining the best treatment plan for a child.

Other factors that healthcare providers consider when planning treatment include the child’s age, overall health, and the size of the tumor. Pediatric brain tumors require specialized care, as the treatments for children are often different from those used for adults. This is why it’s essential to seek medical advice from a center that has experience treating pediatric brain tumors, where the team will be better equipped to manage the unique needs of children.

Signs and Symptoms of Pediatric Brain Tumor

The signs and symptoms of pediatric brain tumors can vary depending on the size and location of the tumor, as well as how quickly the tumor is growing. Some common signs to watch for include frequent headaches, which may become progressively worse. For children who are too young to communicate, parents might notice increased irritability as a sign of discomfort. Another common symptom is nausea and vomiting, which can occur without any other signs of illness.

Vision problems are also a red flag. Children may develop double vision or other changes in how they see. Non-verbal children may squint, rub their eyes frequently, or even cover one eye when trying to focus on something. Other symptoms include balance problems, confusion, and changes in personality or behavior. Parents may also notice their child struggling to walk, slurring their speech, or having trouble swallowing.

In babies, signs of a brain tumor can be even more subtle. A fuller-than-usual soft spot on the head or abnormal eye movements can be early indicators. Seizures, especially if they occur in a child who has never had one before, should also prompt immediate medical attention.

When to Seek Medical Help

It’s important for parents to act promptly if they observe any of the warning signs of a brain tumor. Symptoms like frequent headaches, vomiting, vision changes, or unexplained irritability should not be ignored. If a child is showing any of these symptoms, parents should make an appointment with their pediatrician or another healthcare provider. Early detection and treatment can make a significant difference in a child’s prognosis and quality of life.

While the idea of a brain tumor is frightening, it’s important to remember that treatment options have advanced significantly. With early diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan, many children with brain tumors can lead full and healthy lives.

As parents, it’s crucial to stay informed and attentive to any changes in your child’s health, as early intervention is key in managing pediatric brain tumors effectively.

Imagine stubbing your toe and feeling like it's been set on fire... for months. Now imagine that burning sensation spreading to your entire leg, and instead of easing over time, it gets worse. That’s Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). It is a condition as problematic as its name suggests and yet, bizarrely, not talked about enough.

Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome is a long-term, often debilitating condition that typically affects a limb like an arm, hand, leg, or foot after an injury, surgery, stroke, or even something as mundane as a sprain. It’s like your nervous system gets stuck in panic mode.

There are two types:

Type 1 (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy): Happens without a confirmed nerve injury.

Type 2 (Causalgia): Involves a definite nerve injury.

Regardless of type, the result is the same: persistent, severe pain way out of proportion to the initial injury, often with odd side effects.

Why CRPS Is No Ordinary Ache

If pain had a reality show, CRPS would be the melodramatic diva. The pain can feel like burning, stabbing, throbbing, or shooting. It’s often accompanied by:

• Swelling
• Changes in skin colour or temperature (hot and red one minute, cold and blue the next)
• Excessive sweating
• Hair and nail changes
• Muscle weakness and spasms

It can also cause allodynia, which is a fancy term for when even a gentle breeze or the touch of fabric feels like torture.

Worst of all? The pain doesn’t stay neatly in one place. It may start in a toe and sneakily creep up the leg or even jump to the other side of the body.

Why It Happens

Ask ten doctors what causes CRPS, and you might get eleven guesses. The exact cause isn’t fully understood, but it seems to involve:

• A malfunction in the peripheral and central nervous systems
• Abnormal inflammatory responses
• Dysfunction of blood vessels and pain pathways
• It’s the body’s overreaction to trauma, like a car alarm blaring long after the bump is gone.

Life with CRPS

Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt the body; it impacts daily life. CRPS affects every layer of existence:

• Mental health: Anxiety, depression, and even PTSD-like symptoms are common.
• Mobility: Limited range of motion and muscle weakness may lead to reliance on walking aids or wheelchairs.
• Sleep: Pain that flares up at night makes good sleep feel like a luxury.
• Work and relationships: Jobs may be lost, plans cancelled, social life drained.

What adds to the distress? Many people with CRPS report feeling disbelieved, even by medical professionals. It’s an invisible illness with painfully visible consequences.

How Do You Treat It?

There’s no one-size-fits-all cure, but the goal is to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Treatment is usually multi-pronged:

• Medications: Pain relievers, nerve-blockers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants
• Physical therapy: To restore mobility and function
• Occupational therapy: To adapt daily tasks
• Psychological support: Pain management techniques like CBT and mindfulness
• Interventional approaches: Nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation, or ketamine infusions in severe cases

Early diagnosis is key. The longer CRPS goes untreated, the more entrenched and resistant it becomes.

CRPS Is Real, Rare, and Relentless

Though CRPS is considered rare, with estimates suggesting around 5 to 26 cases per 100,000 people annually, it’s devastating for those who live with it. It often shows up uninvited, stays far too long, and brings along a suitcase full of complications.

But awareness is growing. Support groups, research into new treatments, and advocacy efforts are helping give a voice to people who’ve lived in silence. With the right treatment plan, support system, and a dash of stubborn hope, many people find ways to live well despite the pain.

We have all had that mini meltdown finding a clump of hair in the shower drain or a brush full of hair after combing hair. While blaming stress or the changing seasons feels comforting, experts warn that your body might be sounding a nutritional alarm. Yes, your hair loss might be less about the weather and more about what is missing from your plate.

Listen to What Your Body’s Saying

“Seeing a lot of hair strands on your pillow cover feels distressing,” says Dr Khushboo Jha, MBBS, MD, Chief Dermatologist Consultant at Metro Hospital and Founder of One Skin Clinic, Faridabad, “but you need to listen to your body. It’s the way it communicates that your body is struggling with some deeper concern, probably nutrient deficiency.”

Hair, it turns out, is a high-maintenance tissue. It’s fast-growing and metabolically active, demanding a steady supply of nutrients. But it’s not considered essential for survival. So in times of nutritional crisis, your body reroutes vitamins and minerals to more important organs like your heart or brain, leaving your hair stranded without support.

“If your diet is insufficient, especially lagging in iron, vitamin D, Vitamin B complex such as vitamin B12 and biotin, zinc, protein, etc., hair will be the first one to suffer,” says Dr Jha.

Why Vegans, Crash Dieters, and IBS Patients Should Pay Extra Attention

Dr Ameesha Mahajan, Cosmetic Dermatologist and Founder of Eden Skin Clinic, agrees. “Vegetarians or vegans are more prone to deficiencies, especially when it comes to vitamin B12, iron and protein deficiency,” she says. And it’s not just about what you eat, but also how well your body absorbs it. “Impaired gut absorption disorders such as coeliac disease or IBD… can lead to extreme hair thinning,” Dr Mahajan adds.

Crash diets and eating disorders like bulimia nervosa don’t do your strands any favours either. These behaviours disrupt the body’s nutritional balance and can prematurely push hair into the shedding phase.

The Medical Jargon You Didn’t Know You Needed: Telogen Effluvium

One particular fallout of nutrient shortfalls is telogen effluvium, a name for hair falling out sooner than it should. Dr Mahajan points to iron deficiency anaemia as a common trigger. “It is strongly associated with telogen effluvium, a condition where hair prematurely enters the shedding phase,” she explains.

In other words, if you’ve been feeling unusually tired and your hair is thinning, it might be more than a coincidence; it could be low iron or another nutrient throwing your hair growth cycle off track.

Don’t Pop Just Any Pill

Before you go on a supplement shopping spree, both experts urge caution. “Before self-prescribing supplements, experts urge a full nutritional workup to identify what’s missing,” says Dr Jha. Overloading on certain vitamins can do more harm than good.

Dr Mahajan agrees. “It’s best to get blood parameters checked for any nutrient deficiencies before beginning any supplement to be sure.”

So yes, multivitamins are tempting but flying blind could backfire. Know what you’re low on before topping up.

Eat for Your Hair: What to Load on Your Plate

Both dermatologists suggest nourishing your scalp from within. Dr Jha recommends “a diet loaded with whole grains, legumes, millets, dairy products, nuts, seeds, etc.,” noting these support not only hair health but also overall wellbeing.

Dr Mahajan says that these foods “help to restore the lost nutrients, making the hair denser and thicker.” Think of them as edible armour for your follicles.

Still Losing Hair? Time to Dig Deeper

If your hair continues to vanish despite eating all the right things, don’t ignore it. “If still you face symptoms, consult a dermatologist for ruling out hormonal or other health conditions,” advises Dr Jha.

Dr Mahajan adds, “If you still suffer from hair fall, despite making changes in your diet, it’s time to consult a dermatologist, as it might be due to some hormonal disruption or any other autoimmune-related cause.” Because sometimes, hair loss isn’t just about what’s missing but what’s going wrong beneath the surface.

When was the last time you said yes when you wanted to scream no? Or brushed off your tears with an “I am fine” when you were anything but? If that sounds familiar, chances are your inner child is still living by the outdated scripts of “Be a good girl” or “Boys don’t cry.” These innocent-sounding childhood phrases may seem harmless, even well-intentioned. But dig a little deeper and you will find they are often the root of emotional repression, people-pleasing, and communication struggles that trail into adulthood.

Here is a look at the emotional luggage that comes with these tags and why it is time to give your inner child a much-needed rewrite.

Politeness Over Authenticity

As adults, these same girls may find themselves constantly apologising, afraid to take up space, and saying “yes” when their gut screams “no”. This chronic need to be nice can cause serious emotional strain, often leading to burnout, resentment, or difficulty setting boundaries in relationships and at work.

Emotion is Weakness

This emotional suppression can make it harder for men to maintain close relationships, express love, or seek help when struggling with anxiety or depression. Worse, many don’t even have the language to articulate what they are feeling in the first place.

What Happens When Children Swallow Their Feelings

This can lead to:

• Emotional Dysregulation: If children are not taught how to safely express anger, sadness, or fear, they grow into adults who either overreact or emotionally shut down.
• Low Self-Esteem: Constantly editing oneself to please others sends the message, “I am only lovable when I behave a certain way.”
• Chronic People-Pleasing: The fear of rejection or disappointing others can lead to saying yes to everyone but yourself.
• Passive-Aggressive Communication: Since direct expression feels unsafe, emotions find backdoor exits through sarcasm, guilt-tripping, or silent treatment.
• Difficulty in Intimacy: When vulnerability feels dangerous, closeness becomes difficult. This often plays out in romantic or familial relationships.

How Gender Scripts Shape Personality

Breaking the Pattern by Reparenting the Inner Child

• Start by recognising the outdated beliefs you are living by. Ask yourself: Who told me this was true?
• Feel the Feelings: Let yourself cry, rage, or say no. You are not being dramatic; you are being human.
• Practise Assertiveness: Saying what you feel does not make you bad or weak. It makes you honest and honesty builds real connection.
• Replace Labels With Language: Instead of “good” or “strong”, teach children and yourself words like “authentic”, “brave”, “kind”, or “vulnerable”.
• Model Emotional Intelligence: Whether you are a parent, sibling, partner, or friend, showing emotional expression is a gift to everyone around you.

A New Story for the Inner Child