Glandular fever is a relatively common viral illness which affects mainly older children and adolescents.
Glandular fever is caused by a virus called the Epstein-Barr virus which is commonly transmitted through saliva (hence its nickname of ‘the kissing disease’).
Clinical features
The incubation period for glandular fever is from 3 days to 2 weeks. The onset of the [...]
In spite of what children say or how they seem to act, if you have raised them in love, they have and know love. They may try to shock you, but in spite of the fact that the boy your daughter is dating has green hair and honks the horn instead of coming to the [...]
I love it, really love it. It’s fast, easy, efficient. No mess, no fuss. Ã always come. Plug it in, turn it on, and it turns you on. The vibrator set me free.
WIFE
I hate the damn thing. Sometimes she wants me to use it on her. I can hear her using it sometimes. Buzz, buzz, [...]
The sauna is an ancient treatment developed by civilisations living in cold climates. Because of the cold climate, their bodies tend not to sweat much, so these cold climate dwellers invented the sauna to promote improved circulation of body fluids, speed up metabolism and accelerate sweating: a great natural purification and detoxification function of the [...]
Myalgic encephalomyelitis is rather a mouthful, so it is often abbreviated to ME.
Myalgia means painful muscles, and encephalomyelitis means inflammation of the brain and spinal nerves.
This disease is uncommon and the cause unknown, but it is believed to be either a viral infection or a reaction of the body to recent infection with a virus.
The [...]
Diabetes predisposes a person to the earlier development of cataract. In most cases, the opacity is present in both eyes although one may be more advanced than the other.
To the sufferer, it seems as if he is looking through glass which is gradually frosting. Even when fully developed, light can always be perceived and shadowy [...]
Don’t feel stupid about asking for information to be explained in a different way and/or repeated as many times as you need. No reasonable person would expect you to understand and remember everything after being told only once.
Many patients hold back from asking questions because they are worried about looking ignorant or stupid. If you [...]
Cancer can be produced by chronic irritation of the skin. In England, in 1775, Dr Percival Pott described cancer of the scrotum in chimneysweeps which was caused by soot. Natives of the northern Himalayas who carry canisters of hot charcoal next to the skin of their abdomens to keep warm, develop cancer in this area. [...]
‘The psychological problems [of the menopause] tend to be insidious and can impair a woman’s ability to her domestic and work environment . . . They can destroy self-confidence and self-esteem and are an incomprehensible low point in the lives of previously well-adjusted and competent women.’ from The Menopause, J. Studd and M. Whitehead [...]
Several nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (often shortened to NSAIDs) have been used successfully to reduce excessive menstrual bleeding. The NSAIDs concerned include ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, naproxen and flurbiprofen. (Some of these substances, for example mefenamic acid, are also anti-prostaglandin drugs or prostaglandin inhibitors.) While helpful, NSAIDs are not drugs to be taken lightly. The lowest possible [...]