Recently a friend was admitted to hospital with a rapid heartbeat and breathlessness, and they were shocked to discover they had aortic valve regurgitation. This is a type of heart valve disease where the valve controlling the outflow from the … Read More
Our unique tongue print could help us with early diagnosis of oral cancers in the future
Did you know you have a “tongue print”, which is as unique to you as your fingerprints and it signifies how our sense of taste and touch differ from person to person? The research from Edinburgh University has huge potential … Read More
Tinnitus breakthrough as sound app could train the brain to tune out noises in your head
Last week I answered a reader’s letter about a new treatment for tinnitus, but I feel I should expand on it. It can be quite a common and frustrating complaint as we get older. When I used to ask my … Read More
Norovirus is back – you can curb the spread of vomiting bug in your home
The vomiting bug nororvirus is back at this time of year and though it may last only one or two days, you can feel quite ill with a headache, fever, chills and muscle pain. Vomiting is often violent, without warning … Read More
New device is set to revolutionise diagnosis of deadly sleeping condition
Obstructive sleep apnoea is always serious because it could signal a possible heart attack. It causes your airway to become slightly or completely blocked during sleep. The brain, detecting low blood oxygen levels, sends signals that cause you to wake up, restoring … Read More
Kids should do three hours activity a day to combat obesity – and it’s down to parents
Obesity in childhood is an epidemic of our times and can be linked to heart, nerve and joint diseases as well as diabetes in adulthood. Moreover, childhood obesity measured alongside body mass index was recently linked to an increased risk of … Read More
Fasting and cutting out food for 14 hours could bring a huge range of benefits
Ever since I saw the research showing that going without food for 13 or 14 hours could cure type 2 diabetes I’ve been following the recommendation to increase the time between meals and shorten the window within which I eat … Read More
Test helps to reduce cases of sepsis in newborn babies
Sepsis in newborn babies used to be rare but not any more. The chances of a newborn contracting it stands at one in 200 and it’s always serious. Thing is, the sepsis is quite often caused by a bacterium which … Read More
Research finds ‘sleep’ brainwaves could protect against epileptic spikes
Some new research from UCL will be of interest to anyone who has epilepsy or knows someone with the condition, especially the parents of a child who has it. It shows how clever the brain is at protecting itself. Slow brainwaves that … Read More
I know so many people whose lives have been changed by heart stents
Several people I know have had stents fitted and it’s changed their lives. A stent is a tiny tube-shaped device that helps keep narrowed blood vessels open, particularly the coronary vessels that supply the heart. A stent implanted in a … Read More