diseases and disorders
Asthma and related conditions
Asthma goes hand in hand with rhinitis, hay fever, nasal polyps and sinusitis.Allergic rhinitis or hay fever is said to be asthma of the nose because the same three things develop which occur in an asthma attack: smooth muscle tightens, the passage lining s...read more
Asthma management plan
Once your child has been diagnosed asthmatic, you and your doctor should write up an Asthma Management Plan. These plans vary according to the child and the severity of their asthma.The plan should cover: how to recognise the signs of an attack, and w...read more
Asthma treatments for children
If you have read our treatment section you will know that there are two types of drugs: relievers and preventers. The first type - relievers - open the airway and treat the attack, bringing relief. The second type of drug - preventers - help...read more
Asthma, a leading cause of school absenteeism
Allergies are a common condition that occurs in about 20 percent of children in the United States. Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses of childhood, affecting more than 3 million children in the United States alone. Allergies and asthma are leading causes of s...read more
Asthma, the elephant sitting on your chest...
"Asthma" comes from the ancient Greek word meaning "panting"and, if you've experienced an asthma attack, you'll understand why. For some, an asthma attack feels as though an elephant is sitting on their chest, while for others breathing becomes so laboure...read more
Asthma: how to handle it at school?
Let the school know that your child has asthma and what medication she may need to take while she is at school. Provide the school with an Asthma Action Plan which gives them instructions on what to do when your child presents with asthma. The smaller the ch...read more
Asthma: increasing at a worrying rate
Asthma is one of the most common medical conditions in the world. In this country alone, one adult in 25 and one child in seven gets the irritating cough and breathlessness typical of asthma. Research shows that it is increasing at a worryin...read more
Athlete's food: an introduction
Athlete’s Foot is caused by a fungus that attacks the sole of the foot or the skin between the toes. It is usually red, itchy, sore and very smelly. It is also highly contagious. How to treat it Daktarin cream is the most common form of treatment for...read more
Athlete's foot: what it is and how to treat it
What is it? Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection. It can lead to intense itching, cracked, blistered or peeling areas of skin, redness and scaling. It can occur on moist, waterlogged skin especially between the fourth and fifth toes, or on dry, flaky ...read more
Autism: some information
Autism (sometimes called “classical autism”) is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Autism is characterized by three distinctive behaviors. Autistic children have diffic...read more
Azoospermia-what is it?
Azoospermia is the complete absence of sperm in the semen and as such means that a man will be completely infertile. The diagnosis of azoospermia is sometimes still made even though as many as 500,000 sperm per ml of semen may have been seen because it is extremely unlikely ...read more
B19 infection and pregnancy
What is parvovirus B19? Parvovirus B19 is a virus that commonly infects humans; about 50% of all adults have been infected sometime during childhood or adolescence. Parvovirus B19 infects only humans. There are also animal parvoviruses, but they do not infe...read more
Back massage: a great way to relieve stress and tension
In 95% of back pain cases, the cause is linked to the way the bones, ligaments, and muscles of the back work together. It comes on suddenly, but can also be due to strain over time rather than a result of overdoing it just once.Most people who suffer from this sort of back p...read more
Back pain information
Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis. Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, work around the house or in the garden, or a s...read more
Back pain: when to call a doctor
Contact your doctor promptly if back pain results from a fall or blow to the back. Otherwise, contact your doctor if pain does not improve after about a week.Infrequently, back pain can signal a serious medical problem. Consult your doctor if you have back p...read more
Big toe deviation
The foot is roughly divided into three sections: the hindfoot or heel, the midfoot and the forefoot & toes. The function of the toes, especially the big toe, is to help us balance, and to propel us forward during walking or running. The 14 bones of the toes are among the...read more
Blood cells gone missing
What is anemia? Anemia is a condition in which a person’s blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells (RBCs), or the RBCs don’t have enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). Hemoglobin—an iron-rich protein that gives the red color...read more
Blood-pressure drugs may lower alzheimer's risk
Taking medications to lower blood pressure, particularly diuretics, may help reduce risks for Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests. Experts speculate that high blood pressure may increase the risk of the brain-wasting disease. That means drugs that ease...read more
Born with Williams syndrome
Williams syndrome is a rare, congenital (present at birth) disorder. People with Williams syndrome tend to have these problems: impulsive and outgoing (excessively social) personality limited spatial skills and motor control ...read more
Bowel cancer- key stats
Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, affecting men and women equally. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer affecting both men and women in the UK. Every year over 35,000 people in this country are diagnosed with the ...read more
Bowel cancer: knowing the symptoms and who is at risk
However, if any of the following symptoms persist for more than a few weeks, talk to your GP: Recent, persistent changes of bowel habit, for example in consistency, including diarrhoea (looseness); constipation (too solid); in frequency, including goin...read more
Bowel cancer: risk factors
Age: Bowel cancer can occur in younger people but 8 out of 10 people who get cancer of the bowel are over the age of 60. A previous bowel polyp Personal history of chronic bowel inflammation Ulcerative colitis and <...read more
Brain attack
A stroke is a brain attackA stroke is what happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Blood carries essential nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Without a blood supply, brain cells can be damaged or destroyed and won’t be able to do...read more
Breathing through a straw...
Can you imagine what it must feel like trying to breathe through a straw? Many asthmatics are familiar with that sensation, as it is what they experience during an asthma attack. Asthma is a particular concern among children. The American Academy of Pediatrics lists it as th...read more
Callus
When we walk or stand, our body weight is carried first on the heel and then on the ball of the foot, where the skin is thicker, to withstand the pressure. When this pressure becomes excessive, some areas of the skin thicken, in the form of corns and callus, as a protective ...read more
