I will never forget my first encounter with a charley horse. It was in the middle of the night and I was literally woken up by a calf muscle that went from 0-60. The muscle felt like it had tensed into a rock, and I could see it twitching under my skin. It was a charley horse, which is very unpleasant, effects any muscle but mostly the leg, and is an involuntary muscle spasm or cramp in nature.

A charley horse can start suddenly and last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. The pain can linger after the cramp goes away, and your muscle may feel sore for hours or even days. Muscle spasms can happen while you play sports or are exercising, or even when you’re just sitting still or lying down in bed.

Symptoms of Charley Horses

The defining symptom of a charley horse is muscle pain. The pain is often described as feeling like a hard, cramping knot, or spasm, within the muscle. And if you press gently on the muscle, you might feel a tender knot. In some cases, a visible twitching or hardening of the muscle may accompany the pain — hence the name. Charley horses are most likely to occur in the calf and thigh muscles, but you can get them in just about any skeletal muscle. Charley horses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a several minutes — or even longer. In rare cases, discomfort from a charley horse lingers for a day or two after the muscle spasm has resolved.

Causes of Charley Horses

Charley horses happen when muscles in your leg or foot tighten up without warning and it can be really painful. There are a few reasons this might happen. One is if you’ve been using the muscle too much — like by doing lots of walking or running, especially on a hard surface, or by pointing your toes for an extended period of time. (You might get one if you’re wearing high heels, for example.) Muscles that are tired or dehydrated get tight, so make sure you’re drinking enough fluids during the day, even more if you’re sweating a lot.

An imbalance of electrolytes, such as potassium and calcium, in your body can cause a muscle spasm. These minerals help your muscles contract and relax and work together for your muscles to function properly. If you have low levels of either of these minerals, you may have cramps or spasms.

Certain nerves in your body control the contractions of your muscles. If these nerves become irritated, they can cause your muscles to contract too much leading to a spasm. A herniated disk in your spine, for example, may press against a nerve root causing pain and spasms in the back muscles. Stress also tightens muscles. Tension and muscle contraction can trigger both acute and chronic neck pain.

Who is Most at Risk?

Athletes are especially susceptible to charley horses in preseason as their bodies aren’t used to such heavy activity and it can also put endurance athletes, like marathon runners and triathletes, at higher risk because of the prolonged stress on their muscles.

How to Relieve a Charley Horse

Charley horses can be treated on your own at home and will usually resolve within 10 minutes. Here’s what you can do to help the pain.

- Do not do anything or continue with the exercises you are doing, instead stop and stretch the muscle affected.

- Gently massage the muscle to help it relax.

- First apply a heating pad on the muscle and after the pain goes away, use a cold pack on the soreness.

Ayurveda has solutions for many kinds of ailments. Most of these remedies and cures depend on easily found spices and herbs that we are all used to eating. Ayurveda pulls from nature and our surroundings; it promotes healing from within by teaching us healthy ways to live, whether it is what we eat or what kind of routine we follow.

Weight loss is something we are all aware of and many of us have also gone through the process ourselves. While it may seem like a simple concept, it can affect us all differently.

Turmeric is a spice that's been used in traditional medicine for a very long time, and honey is a sweet food made by bees. Both contain things that can help reduce inflammation. Some studies suggest they might also help with your body's metabolism and weight loss, but we don't have a lot of strong proof yet. While honey's sweetness can make the bitter taste of turmeric easier to handle, there's no clear evidence they work better together for losing weight.

How Turmeric and Honey Might Affect Your Weight

Both turmeric and honey, when used separately, might help with weight loss. However, there are no human studies that show combining them helps you lose weight.

Turmeric

Studies show turmeric can help a little with weight loss. A review of different research found that taking curcumin (the main active part of turmeric) could slightly reduce your body mass index (BMI), weight, and waist size. Supplements that were easier for the body to absorb seemed to work better. Still, the weight loss was small (less than 1 kilogram over 4-18 weeks), and some study methods had problems. Remember, turmeric itself has only a small amount of curcumin, and it's not absorbed as well as supplements.

Honey

Some studies suggest honey can improve blood sugar and cholesterol, which might help with weight management. But other studies show honey has no effect, or even negative effects, on your metabolism. This is probably because honey is mostly sugar, so the amount you use matters.

Other Health Benefits of Turmeric

Beyond its potential role in weight management, some studies suggest that turmeric may offer other health benefits, though more research is still needed. It might help reduce inflammation in the blood and could also improve painful mouth sores caused by certain cancer treatments. Daily doses of curcumin, the active part of turmeric, may also ease symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that causes painful joint swelling. Additionally, it could help improve digestive health for those with ulcerative colitis, a disease that inflames the digestive system.

Other Health Benefits of Honey

Honey is mostly sugar, but it also has helpful ingredients that can fight damage in the body and reduce swelling. Some studies show that honey can help lessen pain after a C-section, although it didn't make the cut heal faster. It might also make mouth sores less severe for people undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer, which can help them continue their medical care.

Ways to Enjoy Turmeric and Honey

Turmeric and honey are both very versatile! You can enjoy them in many ways:

• Make a turmeric latte, also called golden milk.
• Brew turmeric tea and add honey.
• Mix honey or turmeric into salad dressings.
• Add them to smoothies, oatmeal, or rice.
• Use turmeric to marinate fish.

Affecting millions of people all over the world, dementia is the current seventh leading cause of death globally. The World Health Organization states that 57 million people had dementia in 2021, the most common form of it being Alzheimer which contributes to 60-70% of cases. One of the most devastating things about this disease is that there is no cure for it. Researchers have been studying the disease in various contexts, but there are still many aspects of this mental condition that we are not aware of.

While there is no cure for the disease, getting treatment for dementia helps you minimize the symptoms and sustain your quality of life. The best way to deal with dementia is catching it early. That will allow healthcare professionals to give you the best possible treatment.

Important Symptoms That Go Unnoticed

When people think of dementia, memory problems are usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, there are many subtle signs of the disease that we might miss. A dementia diagnosis comes with the understanding that the disease can change a person’s entire being, the way they think, how they behave, even their core values that make up the person’s identity.

Understanding and addressing these sensory issues earlier could make a huge difference. It could help healthcare providers offer the crucial emotional and social support that patients need during what can be a very confusing and upsetting time. Plus, recognizing changes in a person's senses can also help doctors determine a dementia diagnosis. These signs are unrelated to simple memory loss.

How Dementia Changes How We See and Hear

Dementia often affects how a person experiences the world, changing how they understand what they see and hear. The Alzheimer’s Society explains that this happens because dementia damages the brain, leading to things like seeing shadows as objects or mistaking family members. These changes can be very confusing and upsetting for the person and their loved ones, making supportive responses crucial to maintain their confidence. A sudden, quick change could be serious, so call a doctor right away.

Difficulties with Hearing and Understanding Sounds, Especially in Noisy Places

Losing hearing in middle age (40-65) can increase your risk of dementia, and sometimes, hearing problems are an early sign. According to the Alzheimer’s Society as we age, hearing often declines, making it harder to hear clearly, especially in busy places. There are two types: one where ears don't pick up sounds well, and another where the brain struggles to process sounds. Getting your hearing checked and using hearing aids can help reduce dementia risk and improve memory and thinking skills. Protecting your hearing early in life is also important.

A Reduced Sense of Smell and Taste

Our sense of smell, often underestimated, provides vital information and can be an early indicator of dementia. According to the University of Chicago, research shows a rapid decline in smell can predict changes in brain regions linked to Alzheimer's disease, even before memory problems appear. This discovery could lead to simple smell tests for earlier detection of cognitive decline. While more research is needed, this inexpensive tool offers hope for identifying those at higher risk sooner, potentially leading to better treatments.

Problems with How We Feel Touch

According to a 2023 study published in the eBioMedicine, while hearing and vision are often studied, research now shows that changes in our sense of touch can also be linked to cognitive decline. Studies have found that people with mild cognitive impairment often have reduced sensitivity to touch compared to others. This means they might not feel things as clearly. This connection between touch sensitivity and memory suggests that looking at all our senses, not just sight and hearing, is important for understanding how the brain changes as we age and its role in conditions like dementia.

Ozempic might have started as a breakthrough diabetes drug but its story has rapidly evolved into into something far more complicated and controversial. Initially used to suppress appetite and aid weight loss, the medication is now being questioned as an increasing number of patients experience incapacitating gastrointestinal side effects that don't necessarily resolve after withdrawing from the therapy. As the line blurs between miracle medication and medical mystery, it's time to move past the hype and question harder what Ozempic is actually doing in the body.

Over the past year, drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have transformed from prescription treatments for diabetes and obesity into household names. Their popularity has soared not just in clinics but across TikTok and weight-loss forums, lauded for their dramatic slimming results. But as prescriptions rise, so do concerns — and a disturbing new question is gaining traction: Can these medications cause stomach paralysis and relentless vomiting?

The American U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed it received reports of these types of symptoms, and in one notable case, a Louisiana woman sued claiming serious gastrointestinal damage from Ozempic and another GLP-1 agonist, Mounjaro. With attention from the media mounting and patient testimonials mounting, let's sort through fact versus fear and examine the science behind the sensational accusations.

In order to get an idea of the possible side effects, it's important to break down how these medications act. Ozempic and Wegovy and their pharmaceutical relatives are members of a group called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They replicate the action of the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone, a naturally occurring substance secreted by the digestive system after consuming food. The hormone does three primary things: slows gastric emptying, suppresses hunger, and enhances insulin sensitivity.

It's this deceleration of stomach emptying — often referred to as the stomach's "braking system" — that is primarily to blame for both the weight-reduction effects and, perhaps, the concerning side effects being reported by users.

Can Ozempic Cause Stomach Paralysis?

Numerous users have reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and a sense of intense fullness — all symptoms now being linked with gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis. Gastroparesis is an illness where the stomach resides too long in digestion, and although not officially recognized as a direct cause of GLP-1 agonists, case study reports and anecdotal data are growing.

FDA representatives have informed some of the media that they are considering these allegations. In the meantime, doctors such as Dr. Daniel Levinthal have admitted that slowing gastric emptying is a recognized side effect of these medications — something seen in trials and described as such on the drug information leaflets.

Most patients are able to endure these symptoms quite easily, especially if treatment begins with a low dose and is gradually increased. For the very small minority of users — particularly those with preexisting illness such as type 1 diabetes — the stomach slowdown can become more than just an annoyance. It can become a crippling condition.

In the first lawsuit of its type, a woman from Louisiana has filed a suit against the makers of Ozempic and Mounjaro following severe and long-term gastrointestinal damage that she supposedly suffered. According to her, the medications induced stomach paralysis, which resulted in hospitalizations and permanent damage.

Although one court case doesn't establish causation, it raises significant questions about whether current prescription labels reflect fully possible long-term risks particularly because these drugs are being more commonly prescribed for weight control in healthy people.

Also Read: Bizarre Penis Changes, Eye Strokes, Creepy ‘Walking Dead’ Hands: Alarming Ozempic Side Effects Shocking The World

What is Cyclic Vomiting?

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) is another condition that's been in the crosshairs of the Ozempic discussion. Unlike gastroparesis, with its chronic symptoms that are usually related to eating, CVS is an episodic illness that hits abruptly with severe bouts of vomiting followed by relatively good periods.

One of the users of Ozempic, according to CNN, reported experiencing CVS despite having discontinued the drug. Experts warn against pinpointing the same directly with GLP-1 drugs. CVS has a multifactorial set of causes from infection to stress and is not necessarily bound by the same biological process as gastroparesis.

Nevertheless, the lines are not clearly drawn. Certain specialists hint that for those with an inborn predisposition to gastrointestinal sensitivity, GLP-1 agonists may be a catalyst, exacerbating already-present problems or revealing underlying disorders.

So, who's at greatest risk? Endocrinologists say that those with type 1 diabetes, earlier gastrointestinal illness, or neuropathy involving the vagus nerve — the nerve that assists in regulating stomach emptying — may be at higher risk of having wild reactions. Type 2 diabetics also undergo these effects but typically with less severe symptoms that diminish over time.

Experts highlight the importance of proper medical monitoring. These drugs are effective agents, but they need close monitoring, particularly with dose escalation. Patients should be taught about diet changes and meal times to minimize side effects.

How to Use Ozempic To Supplement Your Diet?

As telemedicine and online prescriptions become more popular, more individuals are gaining access to weight-loss drugs — but not necessarily in the best of conditions. Specialists emphatically warn against self-medication or procuring these drugs via informal means.

Food habits, underlying illnesses, and other medications all contribute to how a person might react to GLP-1 medications. Skipping meals, eating high-fat meals, or eating hastily can increase gastrointestinal effects. Patients are advised by healthcare providers to:

• Begin with low doses and gradually titrate
• Consume frequent small meals
• Limit fatty or greasy meals
• Drink plenty of water and avoid meal skipping

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, asserts that GI side effects are well-established and well-documented, usually mild to moderate, and usually remitting over time. The company points to more than 15 years of clinical data attesting to the safety of their GLP-1 products, including continued post-market surveillance by the FDA.

Still, their public statement acknowledges that gastric emptying delay, nausea, and vomiting are all listed in the drug’s side effect profile, a crucial detail that patients must consider before beginning treatment.

Should you be concerned? Not at all but you should know. As with all drugs, Ozempic and its cousins have risks. For the majority, the side effects are mild and temporary. But for some, particularly those who have preexisting medical conditions, it can be worse.

If you're thinking of or taking a GLP-1 agonist, discuss your history with your doctor, keep an eye out for symptoms, and adjust your lifestyle accordingly. The potential for weight loss should never be at the expense of gut health and making savvy decisions is your best protection.