Danielle Jonas, wife of Kevin Jonas, opened up about her Lyme disease diagnosis in an interview with Parents, after experiencing an unexpected symptom. Part of the band Jonas Brothers, one of the most famous American pop rock bands formed in the early 2000s, Kevin Jonas along with this wife Daniella was talking about their family life when this topic was brought about.

Unexpected Symptom of Lyme Disease

In the interview, Danielle opened up about experiencing extreme hair loss and intense scalp eczema. She stated that after noticing excessive hair shedding, she sought medical attention. "They tried to tell me it was anxiety. Finally, I had a biopsy that showed I actually had Lyme disease," she explained. A biopsy ultimately confirmed the Lyme disease diagnosis.

Also Read: World Mental Health Day 2025: Mild Memory Loss or Alzheimer’s? A Deeper Look at Both Conditions

The resulting inflammation from the disease also led to a severe case of eczema on her scalp. The hair loss was "very traumatic," leading her to consider wearing a wig. While trying to maintain a normal public life alongside Kevin, she opted for hair extensions, but the extensions aggravated her scalp eczema even further due to the pulling.

Can Lyme Disease Cause Hair Loss?

The exact link between hair loss and Lyme disease is not entirely understood. However, case studies have shown that it, along with inflammation, has been noted in Lyme disease patients.

A 2021 case report published in the Biomedical Journal of Science & Technical Research presented the case of a 40-year-old woman came to the clinic because she had a crusty sore on the back of her scalp that was stuck to the skin. It had been there for about 10 days. Initially, doctors thought it might be a severe inflammatory scalp condition like early erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp, or EPDS or a bacterial skin infection.

However, the patient also showed the doctor a photo of a tick attached to her scalp right where the sore was.

Because of this tick bite history and her symptoms, doctors suspected a rickettsia infection which is another type of tick-borne illness. However, they couldn't rule out Lyme disease, which is also spread by ticks. She was immediately given an antibiotic called Doxycycline and her symptoms quickly improved. The dead skin patch was treated with a special iodine gauze and healed well.

Three weeks after starting the antibiotics, blood tests confirmed she had Lyme disease caused by the Borrelia bacteria. She had very high levels of antibodies (IgG and IgM) against it. Tests for Rickettsia infection, their initial suspicion, were negative.

This case highlights how important it is for doctors to get a detailed history, including any recent tick exposure, to properly diagnose and treat a tick-borne illness like Lyme disease right away. Because Doxycycline treats both Lyme and Rickettsia infections, starting the medication quickly was the right choice.

Other Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Another 2024 study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology describes an adult woman who started losing hair two months after getting several tick bites. The hair loss specifically happened where one of the ticks had bitten her scalp. Interestingly, she didn't have the usual flu-like symptoms often associated with Lyme disease.

Researchers believe that Lyme disease may cause temporary hair loss because of an autoimmune-like reaction, where the body mistakenly attacks its own hair follicles. Additionally, the physical tick bite itself can directly damage the hair follicles, leading to a condition called tick-bite alopecia. To ensure you get treatment as early as possible, one must know what symptoms of Lyme disease look like. Lyme disease symptoms can appear in different stages. You might even develop them without realizing you were bitten by a tick. Early symptoms are as follows,

• Fever and chills
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle and joint aches
• Swollen lymph nodes like in your neck or armpits

Pregnant women covid vaccine: Pregnant women hoping to get a COVID shot could face more difficulty accessing it this year. Although leading medical organizations still advise that pregnant women receive the vaccine to protect both themselves and their babies, recent moves by federal health authorities have caused uncertainty over whether the shots are essential during pregnancy.

For those unversed, in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed its official recommendation for pregnant women to receive the vaccine. This week, the CDC rolled out new COVID-19 vaccine guidance, but it does not clearly spell out what pregnant women should do.

Dr. Neil Silverman, professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, calls this episode another chapter in the ongoing "battle over public health." With respiratory virus season approaching, experts stress the need to reaffirm that COVID-19 vaccines are both safe and necessary during pregnancy. Here’s what you should know.

Should Pregnant Women Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?

Generally, yes, experts say. Current guidance from ACOG and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommends that patients receive a COVID-19 vaccine at some point while trying to conceive, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding.

The vaccine is considered safe for pregnant women and can greatly reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 complications, according to the data. This is particularly important because pregnancy increases the risk of serious COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth.

Even a mild COVID infection can cause fever or discomfort, which may lead to complications, Brandt explains.

The recommendations also note that vaccination during pregnancy provides protection for newborns in the first few months of life, when they are too young to be vaccinated themselves.

What Does the CDC Say About the COVID Vaccine in Pregnancy?

Earlier, the CDC’s guidance for COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy aligned with professional medical groups. That changed when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bypassed the standard review process and announced the CDC would no longer recommend routine COVID vaccination for "healthy pregnant women," NBC News reported.

In September, the CDC’s advisory panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), voted on updated COVID vaccine guidelines. However, the panel chose not to make a specific recommendation for pregnancy, leaving the decision to CDC officials.

Most recently, the CDC approved ACIP’s decisions, which require anyone receiving a COVID vaccine to engage in “shared clinical decision-making” with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist beforehand. The agency still has not issued explicit guidance specifically for pregnant women.

Still, federal health officials highlighted that, under the new recommendations, "the risk-benefit of vaccination in individuals under age 65 is most favorable for those who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19," which includes pregnant people, according to the CDC’s list of high-risk conditions.

Experts recommend that the first step for pregnant women considering a COVID vaccine is to speak with their OB-GYN. They should also ask if their doctor knows of local sites offering vaccinations specifically for pregnant patients. Common places to receive the vaccine include pharmacies, medical offices, and outpatient clinics.

As the world observes World Mental Health Day, conversations around burnouts, work culture, whether toxic or healthy, and mental health has become more so urgent than ever. While some are learning to set boundaries through quiet quitting- a process when an employee mentally and emotionally checks out from their job, doing only the bare minimum required by their role without going "above and beyond"; others are also trying to explore neuroscience tools that could revolutionize the way we understand and treat mental health issues.

Quiet Quitting Is the Subtle Cry Against Burnout

Dr. Madhusudan Singh Solanki, Senior Psychiatrist and Head of the Department of Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences at Max Smart Superspeciality Hospital, says that quiet quitting, doing only what one’s job requires, can often be a manifestation of silent burnout.

“When burnout sets in due to high stress, overwork, or a toxic work culture, employees lose their drive and energy. They do the bare minimum to hold on to their jobs, which we now popularly call quiet quitting,” explains Dr. Solanki.

He adds that while setting limits at work can sometimes be healthy, a prolonged state of disengagement could be a red flag. “If emotional withdrawal continues for too long, it may point to dissatisfaction or mental health struggles. That’s when it begins to hurt relationships, productivity, and self-worth,” he notes.

Is Overworking A Badge of Honor?

Research has shown that working beyond 50 to 55 hours a week has damaging effects. It can cause anxiety, sleep disturbances, and burnout to an extent that it can lead to physical illness including heart diseases or chronic illness like diabetes.

“Long working hours don’t translate into better output,” says Dr. Solanki. “In fact, they reduce productivity and can lead to strained personal lives and poor mental health.”

He emphasizes that organizations play a crucial role in preventing burnout. “Employees are human beings with lives beyond work. When organizations create healthy work policies—like fixed hours, breaks, fair compensation, and mental health support—it not only protects employees but boosts loyalty and productivity in the long run.”

Quiet quitting, he says, can sometimes be a temporary act of self-preservation if used to reset work-life balance. But left unchecked, it risks turning into chronic disengagement and even depression.

The Science Of Healing

While one part of the world is learning to cope with burnout, another is working to decode the brain itself. According to Dr. Anant Jain, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at CHINTA, TCG-CREST, technological breakthroughs are opening up new frontiers in understanding how mental illnesses develop, and how they might be treated in the future.

“The brain is extraordinarily complex, and mental health disorders often stem from very fine molecular and circuit-level disruptions,” he explains. “By observing how neurons communicate and adapt during learning or stress, we can start identifying what goes wrong in disorders like depression, autism, or Alzheimer’s.”

Scientists have now developed genetically encoded biosensors that allow them to watch cellular processes in real time—like how energy (ATP) is produced in neurons during learning or how protein activity changes during memory formation. “These ultra-sensitive tools can help detect dysfunctions early, before symptoms even appear,” says Dr. Jain. “That means future therapies could be more targeted and preventive rather than reactive.”

Using two-photon imaging and optogenetics, researchers can now visualize and even manipulate specific neural pathways in animal models. This precision could pave the way for treatments that restore normal brain function without the broad, side-effect-laden impact of current drugs.

By linking brain activity directly to mental states, these innovations promise to transform mental health care from a trial-and-error approach into one driven by data and individual biology. “We’re moving toward precision medicine, where treatments are tailored to each person’s neural patterns,” Dr. Jain says.

Delhi’s toxic air is doing more harm than damaging your lungs. During the 40th annual conference of the Indian Rheumatology Association (IRACON 2025) held at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, leading rheumatologists warned that constant exposure to air pollution is now being seen as a major factor behind rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that causes painful inflammation and stiffness in the joints.

But what exactly is rheumatoid arthritis, and what are the warning signs you should watch out for?

Experts Warn That Delhi Pollution Can Lead To Rheumatoid Arthritis

While rheumatoid arthritis has traditionally been linked to genetics and immune system irregularities, scientists are increasingly associating it with environmental factors such as polluted air. Nearly 1% of India’s adult population already lives with RA, but experts caution that cities with severe air pollution, like Delhi-NCR, could witness a sharp increase in new cases.

Dr. Uma Kumar, Head of Rheumatology at AIIMS Delhi, explained, “When pollution levels spike, even patients who were previously stable start experiencing flare-ups. We’re now diagnosing more RA cases among people with no family history of autoimmune diseases, especially those living in highly polluted regions.” She added that most patients are between the ages of 20 and 50, stressing, “This is a public health crisis that demands urgent action.”

Supporting this, Dr. Pulin Gupta, Professor and Rheumatologist at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, said, “Delhi, which ranks among the world’s ten most polluted cities, is fast becoming a hotspot for autoimmune disorders. Studies from Europe, China, and India have found that exposure to PM2.5, the fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs is not only linked to respiratory and heart diseases but may also contribute to autoimmune illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis.”

What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term inflammatory condition that affects multiple joints, often in the hands and feet. In this disorder, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, including the joints, and in severe cases, it can damage internal organs as well. The inflammation primarily targets the joint lining, leading to swelling, pain, and over time, bone erosion and deformity.

Although there is no permanent cure for RA, timely treatment can significantly slow its progression. A combination of medication—especially disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics—along with physiotherapy, helps manage symptoms and maintain joint function in most cases.

Early Warning Signs Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, but some early warning signs may appear even before these. While some signs are general, affecting overall well-being, others are specific to the joints. Spotting these early clues can help ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.

1. Fatigue

Extreme tiredness and low energy are often the earliest signs of RA. Many people also report a drop in mood or feelings of depression.

2. Occasional Fever

Low-grade fever can accompany fatigue in the early stages of RA. The body’s inflammatory response may make a person feel feverish and unwell, even before joint pain begins.

3. Weight Loss

Unexplained weight loss is another possible early sign. Chronic inflammation can speed up metabolism, while fatigue and loss of appetite caused by feeling unwell may also contribute to weight loss.

4. Stiffness

Morning stiffness, when the body feels stiff after periods of rest is one of the most common early symptoms. It usually starts in smaller joints, such as those in the fingers, and can last for several days.

5. Joint Tenderness

Tenderness in the hands and feet often marks the onset of RA. In the hands, pain can occur when pressing the middle or base joints of the fingers. In the feet, soreness at the base of the toes can cause people to adjust how they walk to reduce discomfort.

6. Joint Pain

Pain in the fingers, wrists, or feet is another defining feature. Inflammation thickens the joint lining and increases fluid buildup, putting pressure on surrounding nerves and causing pain.

7. Joint Swelling

Subtle swelling in the hands and feet may be an early indication of RA. As the disease advances, swelling becomes more noticeable, often accompanied by stiffness and pain.

Interestingly, this connection between pollution and autoimmune disorders is backed by new scientific evidence. A recent study published in the European Medical Journal (2025) provided strong genetic proof linking air pollution to autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.

Using a research method known as two-sample Mendelian randomisation, scientists found that exposure to pollutants directly affects immune function. Their findings suggest that environmental pollution is playing a growing role in the global rise of autoimmune diseases.