Articles

Arthritis is, in fact, an umbrella term used to refer to several different disorders. Among these are osteoarthritis, which involves the gradual loss of cartilage and overgrowth of bone in the joints, especially the knees, hips, spine and fingertips, and rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks the joints and, […]

More than a headache, a migraine is a serious problem affecting millions of people worldwide – women three times more frequently than men. It is estimated that as much as 25-30 per cent of the female population has experienced migraines. The theory is that migraine occurs when the blood vessels in the brain constrict and […]

It is the second most common neurological disorder after stroke – affecting one in 2000 people. However, this is not a simple disorder, but a group of central nervous system (CNS) disorders sharing certain symptoms. The most well known symptom is the seizure, which is a movable feast. It can range in intensity from momentary […]

A stroke occurs when blood circulation to the brain fails. Brain cells can die as a result of the decreased blood flow and subsequent lack of oxygen. There are two broad categories of stroke: those caused by a blocked blood flow (the most common kind of stroke, known as an ischaemic stroke); and those due […]

Osteoporosis, which means ‘porous bones’, describes any condition that reduces bone mass. Symptoms include leg and foot cramps; height loss; lower-back pain; hip, wrist and spine fractures; and ‘dowager’s hump’ (upper spine curvature). Some bone loss is natural in both women and men with age – it’s only when bones are thin and brittle that […]

Most of us have had the experience of being in pain at some time or other in our lives. Often, it is connected with illness, when it can be acute but transient. Sometimes, it is ‘purposeful pain’, such as the pain of childbirth. But, for a surprisingly large number of people, pain of either known […]

The world of dietary fats is a complicated alphabet soup of names and numbers, and our understanding of how each type of fat works in the body – for good or ill – is far from complete. To aid our understanding, we tend to reduce the issue to its most basic equation. For a long […]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) of the eye occurs when the cells of the macula – an irregular yellow depression on the centre of the retina – becomes damaged and stops functioning. The retina is a thin layer of light-sensitive tissue that stretches across the back of the eye. It contains rod cells for night vision […]

For years, non-specific anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and paracetamol (acetaminophen) were the medications of choice for joint pain. But NSAIDs quickly became COX-2 inhibitors associated with adverse gastrointestinal effects such as peptic ulcers, leaving arthritis patients with a dilemma: manage the arthritis pain and risk serious stomach complications, or manage the ulcer and live […]

We now know more than ever about how to prevent asthma and how to keep attacks to a minimum. Consider the following advice to help keep your airways working optimally. * Allergies. Asthma-causing allergens/irritants include air pollution, tobacco smoke, pet dander, dustmites, pollen, cleaning products, kerosene heaters, moulds and mildew. Bakers, manicurists, hairdressers and painters, […]