Month: October 2017

Deadly diseases: 5 recent outbreaks we should watch out for

With the bubonic plague in Madagascar currently in the headlines, people are more aware than ever of the potentially devastating effects of communicable (contagious) diseases. Focusing on the plague, we tend to forget about other recent disease outbreaks. Here are some other terrifying diseases that occurred over the last few years. 1. Ebola virus disease What it is: The Ebola …

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7 stretching myths you need to stop believing

Chances are you’ve been told many different things about stretching over the years that seem totally contradictory. Part of the issue is that stretching isn’t one-size-fits-all: There are different types of stretches, and what’s best for you largely depends on your body and your specific goals. Still, a lot of confusion persists. To help clear …

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Bubonic plague – what is being done in SA?

On 26 October Health24 reported that South Africa was one of nine countries warned by the World Health Organization (WHO) to take precautionary measures against the bubonic plague, which can be treated successfully with antibiotics. This follows the recent outbreak of the disease in Madagascar. No additional cases reported According to the latest situational report issued by the WHO …

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Opera singer performs with daughter of her lung donor

An opera singer, performing after two double lung transplants has debuted a song she wrote to pay tribute to the immigrant roots of her more recent donor. Human family Charity Tillemann-Dick and her lung donor’s 24-year-old daughter, Esperanza Tufani, sang the song together in front of about 200 doctors and medical executives at a Cleveland …

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8 surprising things that happen to your body when you stop drinking alcohol

Maybe your nightly glass of wine has turned into two or three. Or you’re overdoing it on the beer and have the gut to prove it. Giving up alcohol can be tough – but the benefits make it worth the effort, says Damon Raskin, MD, a Los Angeles-based physician who is board certified in addiction …

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What happens to my body during an allergic reaction?

When you come into contact with an allergen, it’s your immune system that reacts to the substance you’ve eaten, inhaled or touched. Although your immune system produces five types of antibodies, allergies usually involve the IgE antibody. When you are allergic to a substance, your body forms IgE antibodies, which can result in a nasty reaction. When …

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Working night shifts may widen your waistline

Workers who regularly pull overnight shifts may be more prone to weight gain, a new analysis suggests. The finding involved an in-depth look at 28 studies conducted between 1999 and 2016. All the investigations explored the health impact of shift work, in which employees are regularly asked to either alternate between daytime and overnight schedules …

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Myth debunked: epidurals do not prolong labour

Epidurals are a popular form of pain control for women during labour, but they’ve long been blamed for hindering progress in the delivery room. However, new research challenges this widely held belief, suggesting that epidurals have no effect on how long labour lasts. “We found that exchanging the epidural anaesthetic with a saline placebo made no …

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