Living in South Africa makes red lights and alarms an everyday occurrence. We are so conditioned to the sound of alarms that we can continue with our task at hand without lifting an eyebrow. The body also has an armed security system to detect any trespassers. The question is whether we are going to respond [...]
Archive | Health RSS feed for this section
Coughs
A cough is an action the body takes to get rid of substances that are irritating to the air passages. Coughs occur when cells along the air passages get irritated and trigger a chain of events. The result is that air in the lungs is forced out under high pressure. This can be a voluntary [...]
Gout
Some of us are familiar with the intense pain of gout in the big toe that wakes you in the morning after a lovely dinner of meat and wine. Shoes are a no-no and slippers are the only thing that will fit the swollen joint. Gout is a painful condition that occurs when uric acid [...]
Cold Sores
Most of us know that typical burning or tingling sensation that tells us that a cold sore or fever blister is bound to appear within a few hours or a day or two. First of all, the area becomes red and painful and then the telltale fluid-filled blisters appear on the lips, nose or mouth. [...]
Genital Herpes
Genital herpes affects the skin or mucous membranes of the genitals and is not a condition that people will readily discuss. However, if not treated it may have some serious consequences. Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the Herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes [...]
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition that produces red, dry plaques of thickened skin. It is not contagious. Psoriasis commonly affects the skin of the elbows, knees and scalp. The dry flakes and skin scales are thought to result from the rapid proliferation of skin cells that is triggered by abnormal lymphocytes from the blood. Some [...]
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is one of a few substances that are both essential for vibrant health and a major cause of disease. It is a vital ingredient of all cell membranes and a precursor of a list of steroid hormones and bile. It is clear that cholesterol is essential for life, yet with increasing concentration it is [...]
Eczema and Dermatitis
Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a skin condition due to inflammation of the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin disorders. These include dryness and recurring skin rashes that are portrayed by one or more of these symptoms: redness, skin oedema (swelling), itching [...]
Probiotics
Probiotics versus antibiotics: It is common knowledge that “pro” means “for” and “anti” means against. In medicine we are bombarded with medicines and terms that are in the “anti” classes. This includes antibiotics, anti-allergy, anti-depressants to mention a few. Let us take some time to investigate the other side of the coin. Gastro-intestinal tract The [...]
Haemorrhoids
Haemorrhoids, more commonly known as piles, can occur in almost every human being, but are more likely to occur in pregnant women and people between 45-65 years of age. According to available statistics, they only become large and problematic in about 4% of the general population. Men and women are affected equally, but women are [...]
Latest Issue
