BANANAS are being hailed as a fruity and effective treatment for worrying skin complaints. A lotion based on an extract from the skin of Britain’s favourite fruit has been found to help treat psoriasis. Thousands of people suffering from the painful condition have found that bananas have reached parts that other medicines failed to reach. Read more…
Hand, foot and mouth disease? Isn’t this only for animals? Isn’t it currently wreaking havoc with the agricultural and tourism industries in Europe? By now faced with several glaring, scolding mothers, Jack snagged Kevin and beat a quick retreat from the park. The pediatrician agreed with the sandpit clinic’s diagnosis, but reassured Jack that human hand, foot and mouth disease and animal foot-and-mouth disease are only loosely related. While both are caused by very small picornaviruses, it is extremely rare for Joe Camel to give a person foot-and-mouth disease, and Babe would be safe with Kevin. Read more…
New treatment for obese people combines dieting with therapy. At her lowest ebb Marion Russell weighed 30st. For years she had struggled with diets to deal with her obesity until, seven years ago, in desperation, she sought surgery. “I was told that in order for an operation to to be carried out I had to lose 6st. If I could have done that, I would not have been asking for surgery. So I had my jaw wired,” she says. Read more…
Dental Health should be the most predictable part of your life. If done with pre planning and approached systematically, a lifetime of dental health and function can be attained. Many patients initially seek the “aesthetic” aspect of dentistry before seeking restorative function. This request is understandable. We greet the world with our smiles, and our smiles reflect the overall health of our physical bodies. Looking first at the overall function and condition of the existing teeth, however, cannot be overemphasized. Read more…
Laughter is often called the best medicine, and for good reason. It releases a cascade of what doctors call endorphins a class of neurotransmitters found in your brain. They are a class of compounds which your body produces, and are similar in action to opiates (such as morphine). Read more…
Maybe being overweight isn’t so bad after all, provided that you are fit as well. Although the link between obesity and ill health is strong, there are fat people who exercise regularly and who may be at no greater risk for disease than their slimmer counterparts, according to several health experts interviewed at an American College of Sports Medicine conference here. Read more…
Why is a urine sample required after a doctor’s exam? Is it necessary? To me, urine is something the body has to get rid of. What do doctors learn from this waste product? I am a young female. Many people ask the questions you raise. Interestingly, the fact that urine does contain body wastes is one reason it can provide valuable information about a person’s health. Think about it this way: Just as the scientists who study human behavior can learn about a person’s lifestyle and habits by looking through a person’s garbage, so can a doctor learn about your body’s activities by measuring body chemicals in the urine. For example, if your body is overproducing certain hormones, these hormones or their breakdown products will be present in the urine in excessive amounts. Similarly, if the kidneys are responsible for ridding the body of certain drugs, the remnants of these could also be found. Read more…
This is not an advertisement, nor am I looking for money. I just like clean lungs. Here is how you do it without suffering the pangs of withdrawal: Get your doctor to put you on a prescription for Nicorette gum. You will need it for a minimum of six months. It took me nine. Wait until you have smoked the last cigarette you own before putting the first piece of gum in your mouth, for you must not have a cigarette after starting to use the gum. Read more…