Anger, a universal and powerful emotion, is deeply embedded in human psychology. While it serves as a natural response to perceived threats or injustices, chronic anger can have profound implications for our physical and mental health. A key player in this intricate relationship is cortisol, often called the stress hormone. Understanding how anger influences cortisol levels sheds light on the broader effects of unchecked emotional responses on our well-being.

Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and is crucial for regulating various bodily functions, including metabolism, immune response, and stress management. Dr. Rahul Chandhok, a psychiatrist specializing in mental health and behavioral science, explains, “When we are angry, the hypothalamus in the brain activates the stress response, triggering the release of cortisol. While a temporary rise in cortisol is necessary to cope with acute stress, chronic anger keeps cortisol levels elevated, disrupting the body’s natural balance.”

This disruption has far-reaching consequences. Prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol can lead to hypertension, compromised immunity, and an increased risk of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression.

Physical Health Implications of Chronic Anger

Anger triggers the "fight-or-flight" response, which elevates both blood pressure and heart rate. Over time, this heightened physiological state can strain the cardiovascular system. Ms. Jasreen Birgi, a counseling psychologist, highlights the risks, “Chronic anger not only raises cortisol levels but also strains the heart, potentially contributing to conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.”

Additionally, persistent anger can negatively affect digestion, linking stress-induced cortisol surges to disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The immune system also suffers, as excess cortisol weakens the body’s defenses, making it more susceptible to illnesses.

Mental Health Consequences

From a psychological perspective, chronic anger is a double-edged sword. While it can motivate action when managed constructively, unresolved anger can lead to severe emotional imbalances. Heightened cortisol levels amplify symptoms of anxiety and depression, disrupt sleep patterns, and foster feelings of cynicism or aggression.

According to Dr. Chandhok, these disruptions can create a vicious cycle, “Excess cortisol from anger weakens the immune system, disrupts sleep, and raises blood pressure, creating a perfect storm for both mental and physical health challenges.”

Sleep disturbances are particularly concerning, as poor sleep exacerbates emotional instability, leaving individuals more prone to irritability and further episodes of anger.

Anger’s Impact on Relationships

Anger does not only harm the individual; it also affects interpersonal relationships. Elevated cortisol levels during episodes of anger impair clear thinking, often leading to impulsive decisions or hurtful actions. Over time, such behavior can erode trust and connection in relationships, making it difficult to maintain meaningful bonds.

Ms. Birgi elaborates, “Anger can make individuals more aggressive or cynical, hindering their ability to form and sustain healthy relationships. This emotional imbalance further affects overall well-being.”

Resilience and Stress Management

While the effects of anger on cortisol levels are concerning, they are not irreversible. Stress-relief practices can help rebalance cortisol levels and mitigate the impact of anger on health. Techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and regular exercise can counteract cortisol surges and foster resilience.

According to the American Psychological Association, developing healthier ways to manage and release anger is crucial. Constructive strategies include:

• Mindfulness meditation: Helps calm the mind and reduce the intensity of emotional reactions.
• Physical activity: Promotes the release of endorphins, natural mood elevators that counteract stress.
• Therapeutic interventions: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help individuals identify triggers and develop constructive ways to cope with anger.

Anger, when unchecked, has a cascading effect on both cortisol levels and overall health. From hypertension and digestive disorders to mental health challenges and strained relationships, the consequences of chronic anger are profound. However, by understanding the connection between anger and cortisol, individuals can take proactive steps to manage their emotions and build resilience.

As Dr. Chandhok aptly puts it, “Anger is a natural emotion, but its management is critical. With awareness and the right tools, we can transform anger from a destructive force into an opportunity for growth and emotional balance.”

Dr. Rahul Chandhok is Head Psychiatrist, Head Consultant, Mental Health and Behavioural Science at Artemis Hospitals and Ms. Jasreen Birgi is a Counselling Psychologist with a Mental Health Platform- LISSUN.

Did you also wake up with a mild cold? A sneeze, blocked nose and a sore throat. It is worse because you had just shaken off the miserable cold and your energy was finally coming back and then now again you are sneezing. So, now the question is, could you really get the same cold twice, or is it just your bad luck?

As per the National Health Service, UK (NHS), adults could get an average of 2 to 4 colds a year. The NHS, UK notes that the viruses behind them behave in a complicated way. This is because some mutate quickly, and some stay in your system. This is why your body's ability to fight them off can differ depending on how well does your immune respond.

Catching The Same Cold, Twice

Conventionally, it is believed that once you have a virus, your body recognizes it and does not let you catch the same virus again. However, this is not the case, always.

Professor Brain Ferguson, who is the professor of viral immunity at the University of Cambridge told Yahoo UK, that it is possible to catch cold twice. This is due to the levels of antibodies that we have in our system.

Ferguson says, "It depends on the quality of the antibodies that your body generates when you get infected the first time. Sometimes your body might make really good ones, and that will stop you being reinfected with the same virus later. But another person might not, and they can catch the same virus, exactly the same one, again later."

The expert further added, "It is also down to the actual molecules, and the constituents of the virus, like proteins and things you make antibodies against. The longer they exist in your body, the better the antibody response tends to be."

This means that the cold can stay in your system, and the longer it stays the better your immune system will be prepared to build up a stronger defense.

Reinfection Time: How Long Does It Take?

If you had two colds very close together, you may not have had enough time to build immune response the first time. Ferguson says, "Reinfection can be very fast."

"It can be as soon as a couple of weeks if the antibody response is very weak... You might pick up a virus and get a few minor symptoms, but fight it off really quickly. In that case, you get much weaker antibodies that fight the virus, which means the same virus appears in your system again very quickly."

This means your body only has a "fleeting encounter" with the virus and thus it won't remember it well enough to protect you the next time. However, a more severe cold may trigger a stronger immune response, which can work as a longer-lasting protection.

Why Some People Catch More Often?

This has something to do with genetics. This is because of their immune system, how good it works against different infections. As Ferguson says, "Some people are just naturally better or worse at fighting off viruses or bacteria due to their genetic makeup."

While it is believed that multivitamins and supplements can help "boost" immunity, Ferguson says that the evidence is mixed.

There’s not a great evidence base for [vitamins] for repeat infections," he says. However, Ferguson adds there is evidence that people who spend more time outside and get more vitamin D tend to have a slightly better-functioning immune system.

"I wouldn't use the word hide," said Dr Sue Goldie to NPR, she is a professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, who has finally told the world after four years about her Parkinson's.

She learned about her diagnosis in 2021. She told NPR, "I think I was really trying to give myself room and time to fall apart, to panic, to think about what it meant for me.” For Goldie, silence wasn’t secrecy, it was self-preservation.

She revealed she needed space to understand to first accept that it is happening with her, and secondly to understand how to live with a condition that would alter her movements, her voice, and even her sensing. So she calls the 4-year-gap of not telling anyone as a "process of figuring out how I could be OK."

Parkinson's Disease: How Does It Start?

We often read about Parkinson's disease, what is it, and what it does to someone. However, what we do not talk a lot about is how it starts. We don't talk about the subtle signals one's body sends.

Goldie says it started with a tremor. It was so slight, that it was almost invisible. Then, a running coach mentioned her off cadence. The New York Times (NYT) reports that a trainer noticed her left arm did not lift properly in the pool. Eventually, afterwards, her fingers began twitching. Goldie, then was 50.

She was also at the height of her academic career and was newly obsessed with triathlons. She was in fact, training for Ironman races, reported NYT.

When tests confirmed Parkinson’s, a degenerative neurological disease that affects movement and coordination, her first reaction was disbelief. Then fear. Would her students notice? Would colleagues see her differently?

The diagnosis left her confronting an identity crisis. At what point, she wondered, does a disease become who you are?

Sue With Parkinson's, Who Lived Two Lives

Goldie began to divide her world. At Harvard, she was the confident professor and global health leader, still producing intricate teaching materials and mentoring students. In triathlons, she was freer, surrounded by people who saw her as an athlete, not a patient.

But the effort to maintain that balance came at a cost. As reported by NYT, early mornings were the hardest: walking unsteadily to the bathroom before medication took effect, hiding tremors from colleagues, managing the dopamine pills that controlled her symptoms. “You have no idea how hard it is to trick you into thinking I’m OK,” she later said.

Eventually, she could no longer keep it private. “Starting today, I am Sue with Parkinson’s,” she decided. Most of the people in her professional life would learn about it through her story.

The Camera For Healing

When Goldie's hand tremors made writing impossible, she began to record thousands of video diaries. They were often short, unfiltered glimpses of her daily struggle, which were filmed in her office, car, or home. Sometimes, calm, sometimes in tears.

Her videos began with a "Hello Sue", talking to her future self. In one video as posted by the NYT from 2023, she confessed, “I’m trying hard to do all this stuff that will help, but I’m not feeling OK... I just need to not be alone with it.”

Goldie refused to stop training. Her research had shown that exercise helps manage Parkinson’s symptoms. So, she doubled down, calling herself “an N of 1” — a one-person experiment. She adapted creatively: pink tape on her hands to guide her swim strokes, modified gear on her bike so she wouldn’t lose balance.

In 2022, she completed the Lake Placid Ironman, a 140.6-mile challenge. She crossed the finish line after collapsing, crying, and reapplying lipstick. Her small team called her S.F.G., with the middle initial standing for an unprintable word that captured her spirit.

As her symptoms progressed, Goldie’s fears shifted from physical decline to the erosion of identity. Parkinson’s, she realized, isn’t just about tremors; it’s about dignity, perception, and the quiet grief of being misunderstood.

She worried about whispers at Harvard, about whether others would still see her as capable. When she finally told university leaders, she felt both vulnerable and relieved.

Still, her mission remained unchanged. “I can’t change this,” she told The New York Times in 2024. “So what happens when I get worse?”

She continued teaching, designing, and mentoring. Her hands might tremble, but her mind stayed sharp. “I want to get things done while I’m still the best me,” she said.

Flu season has arrived, and while the summer wave of COVID-19 has subsided, a winter increase is expected. Vaccines are available for both viruses, prompting many to ask about timing, especially if they haven’t received their shots yet. With the CDC updating guidelines, rules around vaccination are constantly evolving, so the most common question is: can you get your COVID and flu shots at the same time?

Can You Get Your Covid And Flu Shots At The Same Time?

The COVID-19 vaccine can be administered alongside a seasonal flu shot for those who prefer to get both at once. It is considered completely safe. “There are no recommendations against it; it mainly comes down to personal preference,” Dr. Mike Ren, an assistant professor of family and community medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine explained. He added that some people may experience mild fatigue with vaccines, and getting multiple shots at the same time could slightly increase that effect.

Many people are already familiar with how their bodies react to flu and COVID-19 vaccines. The COVID shot can sometimes cause soreness in the arm, so it’s recommended to avoid getting both vaccines in the same arm if that happens. For those who experience minimal side effects, there’s no disadvantage to receiving both shots at the same visit. Some choose to space them out simply based on convenience.

Which Covid Shot To Get?

For individuals who have experienced strong reactions to the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA COVID vaccines, the Novavax shot, which uses a more traditional protein-based method may offer an alternative with fewer temporary side effects, according to Caitlin Rivers, an infectious-disease epidemiologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Males aged 12 to 29 may particularly consider Novavax, as it carries no known risk of myocarditis, a rare heart inflammation sometimes associated with mRNA vaccines. Andrew Pavia, a pediatrics infectious-disease physician at the University of Utah, noted that myocarditis cases linked to mRNA vaccines are generally mild, and COVID-19 itself poses a higher risk of heart complications.

Pavia also explained that there are no major differences between the current Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, so people can choose whichever is more convenient or available.

When Should You Get A Flu Vaccine?

The ideal time to get a flu vaccine is generally from late September through October. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, recommends aiming to be vaccinated before Halloween, in line with CDC guidance.

While many pharmacies begin offering flu shots as early as July or August, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, advises waiting a bit longer. This is because vaccine protection can wane after a few months, and flu cases often peak between December and February.

Even if you miss the early window, it’s still worthwhile to get vaccinated. “Some protection is better than none,” Dr. Chin-Hong emphasizes.

Staying up to date with both COVID-19 and flu vaccinations is an important step in protecting your health during the respiratory virus season. Getting the shots at the same time is safe and convenient for most people, though minor side effects like fatigue or soreness may be slightly increased.