You’ve been stuck at home with the flu for what seems like an eternity. The worst is over, but you still have some lingering sniffles, coughs and aches. How do you know if you’re still contagious? Check out this guide to knowing when you’re most likely to be contagious for the most common illnesses that
How many teaspoons do you take? Of salt that is. Not even one a day? Think again. Sadly, taking the decision not to add salt to your food is not necessarily enough to reduce your consumption to the recommended daily limit of 1 teaspoon. The reason? Food manufacturers are all too liberal with the use of salt in the preparation of
Love your fizzy drink? Think again. A growing body of research suggests a link between sugary soda consumption and diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, gout and some types of cancer. According to the American Heart Association soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in Americans’ diet. This comes as little
In South Africa currently approximately 61% of the population is considered overweight or obese. As a result, more than half of the population not only risk developing chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, but are also potentially placing themselves under severe financial strain. This is according to Dr Dominique
Most myths about HIV and Aids arise from a lack of accurate information. Here are some of the more common misconceptions. Myth: I can get HIV from touching an infected person or being in the same room as them. This is not true. Touching or hugging someone with HIV does not mean you will be infected with the
According to Steve Tappin, author of The Secrets of CEOs, the vast majority of the average Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) week is dominated by 12 emotions of a possible 34 000 including intense stress, frustration, disappointment, irritation and overwhelm. “In response to these emotions, the body secretes an increased amount of cortisol, also known as the
A saliva test used to diagnose the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is comparable in accuracy to the traditional blood test, according to a new study led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University. The meta-analysis, which compared studies worldwide, showed that the saliva HIV test, OraQuick HIV1/2, had the same
Speed can save lives – especially in the case of blood poisoning. The more quickly and directly doctors recognise and treat sepsis, the greater the patient’s chances of survival. With the help of a new biochip, physicians will now be able to analyzer blood within their own practise. Is the patient suffering from blood poisoning? To
The HIV-prevalence among pregnant women in the country has increased from 29.4% to 30.2%, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in Pretoria. “We’re still far from winning the war, but we are getting somewhere,” Motsoaledi said, releasing the National Antenatal Sentinel HIV and Syphilis Prevalence survey. It was made public eight months later than expected. Motsoaledi said there
Some are so poisonous they can kill you; others can cause severe pain. From bluebottles to venomous fish, these are the marine creatures you don’t want to bump into on your seaside holiday During summer the ocean looks so blue and inviting – but unfortunately it’s also home to a number of truly nasty creatures.