As winter is drawing closer in South Africa, we definitely need to start preparing for the annual flu season. Bronchitis is caused by the same virus that causes the common cold. As silly as it may be, one should seek medical attention as soon as you’ve developed a cold. Even if it’s just following your
Ulcers are healing wounds that develop on the skin, mucous membranes or eye. The most common ulcers are stomach, foot and mouth ulcers, but you get quite a lot of different types of ulcers. These include; Peptic ulcer – ulcers located in the stomach, oesophagus cardium or duodenum. Mouth ulcer – ulcers in and around
Chronic fatigue syndrome is not the same as “chronic fatigue”. While fatigue is a common symptom in many illnesses, CFS is a multi-symptom disease and is relatively rare by comparison. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder that causes extreme fatigue. This fatigue is not the kind of tired feeling that goes away after you
An ovarian cyst is any collection of fluid, surrounded by a very thin wall, within an ovary. Any ovarian follicle that is larger than about two centimetres is termed an ovarian cyst. An ovarian cyst can be as small as a pea, or as large as a grapefruit. Most ovarian cysts are functional in nature,
Stroke (or cerebrovascular accident (CVA)) is the clinical designation for a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain. This phenomenon can be caused by thrombosis, embolism, or hemorrhage. Stroke is a medical emergency and can cause permanent neurological damage or even
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder that is characterised by recurrent unprovoked seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy at any one time. Epilepsy is usually controlled, but not cured, with medication, although surgery may
Candida is a genus (group) of a yeast-like fungus. Found in the mucus membranes of the intestinal tract (bowels), vagina, mouth and skin. Thrush is an infection of the mouth and tissues. The fungus also can travel through the blood stream and affect the throat, intestines, and heart valves. Candida becomes an infectious agent when
Cardiac arrhythmia is a group of conditions in which the electrical activity of the heart is irregular or is faster or slower than normal. Some arrhythmias are life-threatening medical emergencies that can cause cardiac arrest and sudden death. Others may cause aggravating symptoms, such as an awareness of a different heart beat, or palpitation, which
Hypertension, commonly referred to as “high blood pressure” or HTN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated. While it is formally called arterial hypertension, the word “hypertension” without a qualifier usually refers to arterial hypertension. Hypertension can be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary hyper-tension indicates that no specific
Let’s face it, we all love a hot, sticky, juicy pizza! But how about cooling it down a bit? This delicious olive & caramelised onion pizza works great as a light summer lunch, especially when combined with a salad. This recipe serves 4 (2 slices per serving). Ingredients: Salad: 4 cups Arugula 1 cup unsalted