The most common cause of this, especially in elderly women, is an infection in the urine. Severe or repeated infection may mean that the infection goes further up the urinary tract (to the bladder or kidneys) or that there is some abnormality (stones or tumour) in the bladder or kidneys themselves. Many women suffer from [...]

Here are some miscellaneous tips for contact lens wearers: 1. Wait a half hour after awakening before inserting your lenses to give your sleep-swollen corneas a chance to return to normal. 2. A short nap with lenses in place won’t be harmful, but remember not to go to bed for the night with your contacts [...]

Maintain a sense of humour. While many behaviour problems really are serious and a cause of considerable stress for parents, keeping things in perspective is important. The fact that the child utters a profanity, or breaks a vase, isn’t necessarily the calamity that it appears to be at the time. Of course, it is still [...]

As well, the eye may water and the nostril on that side become blocked, then run with discharge. The pain rarely lasts beyond three hours and is often as short as 30 minutes. Attacks may occur several times a day and often go on for days or weeks, then disappear. During an attack, alcohol seems [...]

It was suggested that hysterectomy should be carried out on all women beginning oestrogen replacement therapy so as to “keep young” … this operation is not a minor procedure and such advice did not find favor in this country. Sometimes oestrogen may be given in cream or pessary form to deal with local changes in [...]

Some babies from birth make a strange rasping noise when they breathe. It may be more noticeable when they cry. There are many causes, and the doctor will try to discover the underlying reason, and have this corrected if possible. Infections of the voice box are the commonest cause. (In serious cases this may develop [...]

Tics commonly occur between the ages of five and ten years. They are repetitive, purposeless, involuntary movements. Often they commence for a reason, such as a sore eye, but then their automatic nature takes over. Winking the eye, tossing the head, shrugging the shoulders or jerking an arm or hand are common movements. Nearly always [...]

(Epistaxis) Nosebleeds have a variety of causes, most of which are minor. Most nosebleeds are caused by the rupture of small blood vessels in the anterior section of the nasal septum. There are often obvious causes like a blow to the nose, irritation from a foreign body, excessive nose-blowing during a cold or sinusitis and [...]

Cystic fibrosis is a chronic (lifelong), inherited disease. It affects the lungs, pancreas, sweat glands, and sometimes the liver and other organs. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is passed from parents to child through a particular gene. Genes are the parts of the body’s cells that determine inherited characteristics (such as hair color, eye color, and size, [...]

Believe this fish story. Some fish have a good type of fat called omega-3 fatty acids, and salmon is one of the richer sources of that element. Our bodies use omega-3 fatty acids to make hormone-like substances called eicosanoids, which help regulate processes such as inflammation, blood clotting, and constriction of blood vessels. Omega-3′s appear [...]