Snoring is something we have all joked about. And fair enough, snoring can be a bit comical can it not?! But it is also a potentially serious sign of underlying medical trouble and it can certainly also be quite disturbing… Snoring refers to any form of loud breathing during sleep. Common causes include: Nasal [...]
Osteoporosis, the condition of bone loss or wasting that can lead to fractures (broken bones), was once thought to be untreatable. This condition, which mainly affects older people, especially women, is increasingly common as we live longer and longer – it can be said to be “inevitable if we live long enough” and this [...]
Epilepsy encompasses a number of different disorders marked by disturbed electrical rhythms of the brain and typically presents with a convulsive attack (seizure) usually with a clouding or a loss of consciousness. Epilepsy may be secondary (to some other injury or medical condition) or primary (actual cause not known). The social stigma attached to [...]
The thyroid gland, which is found in the neck, produces thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone is a bit like the body’s “throttle” in that it drives our metabolism and other aspects of physiology. Various thyroid conditions can lead to an excess or a deficiency of thyroid hormone, these being called hyperthyroidism (excess) and hypothyroidism (deficiency). The [...]
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterised by mood swings from mania (exaggerated feeling of energy and well-being) to depression. These mood swings tend to recur and subside spontaneously. The manic episodes may last from several days to months. The cause is unknown but hereditary (genetically acquired) and psychological factors may play a role. [...]
The coronavirus pandemic has changed our world. This has been a hugely challenging time for all of us. Due to the basic nature of airborne viruses – they spread easily and are largely resistant to medical treatments such as antibiotics – our options are very limited. For the most part we have used public [...]
Men are human. Men have health issues. Men have mental health issues. And yet we still live in a world where the “big boys don’t cry” mind-set remains commonplace. Men are busy (women too, we know). Men have short attention spans. Men like to “get to the point”… So here are some key health [...]
Here is a term you have probably heard of already. It has been in the news (health news) for many years now and it is certainly a key health risk concept. But do we all understand it? Before we get into this let us say that the science here is quite complex, still evolving [...]
It is thought that one in four children experience bullying before they leave high school. One in four. That is a simple statistic and it is worth repeating. One in four. 25 percent. So, the odds are good that your immediate family includes bullying survivors. This therefore, is an important topic for most if [...]
Ouch! Anyone who has had even a single boil will know that these are painful, messy, horrid things. Boils are fairly common with most of us having had one or two at some stage, so let us look into this topic in a bit more detail. A boil is a skin infection caused by [...]
