Healthy Interests

Metal on Metal Hip Replacements – should I be concerned?

Published March 14th, 2012 | Last updated May 10th, 2012

Recent television programmes and press articles have highlighted surgeons’ concerns regarding metal on metal hip replacements to the point where some say they should no longer be used. Several manufacturers have already withdrawn this type of implant. The metal on metal debate is complex and can be confusing to the lay person as all hip replacements contain at least one metal component.

How to Choose and Book

Published March 14th, 2012 | Last updated August 22nd, 2012

The informed patient in the UK is now not only finding access to top quality medical information and treatment options for their diagnosisThe process of determining which condition a patient may have., but is being offered a choice of consultant with whom to have their treatment on the NHS.

Give flu the cold shoulder: prevent flu through jabs and healthy eating

Published February 10th, 2012 | Last updated February 10th, 2012

There certainly was a chill in the air this morning and the early commute was full of the usual suspects: sleepy, sneezy, coughy… At this time of year, leading medical experts advise us that influenzaA viral infection affecting the respiratory system. does not have to be a fundamental part of the winter season.

Professor Kimberlin of the University of Birmingham, Alabama, USA writes that “Each year, an average of 24,000 people in the United States start the flu season alive and by the end of it have been killed by it…” He believes that this number could be greatly declined by getting an annual flu shot – available at most times of the year.

Winter foods for a cancer patient

Published January 19th, 2012 | Last updated February 10th, 2012

At this cold time of year, we get bombarded with advice to take this supplement or that, ensure we are getting extra doses of this vitaminEssential substances that cannot be produced by the body and so must be acquired from the diet. or that. For a cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. patient this can lead to massive amounts of advice from friends and family to take “vitamin X, Y or Z” to keep you healthy. Current research, however, says you are unlikely to need extra vitamins, as long as you are eating a sensible, varied diet and are getting plenty of veg and fruit.

How can you treat chronically active Crohn’s disease?

Published January 17th, 2012 | Last updated January 17th, 2012

Consultant Gastroenterologist, Dr Purushothaman answers the following question from a totalhealth visitor:

New Year’s Dieting: Delight or Disaster?

Published January 9th, 2012 | Last updated August 16th, 2012

After the champagne has been popped, the chocolates scoffed, and the clock struck 12 on New Year’s Day, the nation begins a tidal wave of all things healthy: from gym memberships to crazy celeb diets. Before you begin to starve yourself into oblivion it would be wise to know which fads are fantastic, and which are just fiction.

Do you have a fear of Christmas?

Published December 21st, 2011 | Last updated December 21st, 2011

Although Christmas Phobia may not be an officially recognised medical condition I, for one, know that the anxiety and panic induced by the arrival of Saint Nick are very real. Graham Price, a Chartered Psychologist and Stress Management Consultant, writes that a phobia is an “irrational fear that generates anxiety whenever we’re exposed to the thing we fear.” Christmas can be one of these fears except that it has not been named as such.

The Diagnostic and Treatment Guide by William Shakespeare

Published December 2nd, 2011 | Last updated December 2nd, 2011

Numerous symptoms which patients may consult with their doctors about have no obvious physical cause leading to confusion on both the side of the patient and the doctor. Many of these, Shakespeare claimed, were due to psychological problems resulting in emotional effects on the body.

Cervical cancer jab: Risk or requirement?

Published November 16th, 2011 | Last updated August 13th, 2012

The Human Papilloma Virus vaccinationThe means of producing immunity by stimulating the formation of antibodies. programme is designed to reduce the risk of cervicalRelating either to the cervix (the neck of the womb) or to the cervical vertebrae in the neck (cervical spine). cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. in women. There are two licensed vaccines, Gardasil® and Cervarix®, available to protect against the types of HPVAn abbreviation for human papilloma virus, a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital warts and may also have a role in the development of various cancers. infectionInvasion by organisms that may be harmful, for example bacteria or parasites. that cause most cervical cancers. In the UK Cervarix® is included in the national vaccination programme for teenage and pre-teenage girls aged 12–13 and 17–18.The safety of HPV vaccines was studied in clinical trials worldwide before the licence was granted.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2011: Don’t keep mum about it!

Published October 28th, 2011 | Last updated July 17th, 2012

So, another Breast Cancer Awareness Month is drawing to a close and the healthcare industry is hoping that all of us have learnt something. Despite this, it appears that the facts surrounding breast cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. screeningA way to identify people who may have a certain condition, among a group of people who may or may not seem to are more controversial than ever. How can all women, especially our mothers and grandmothers, be made aware of the risks and benefits involved in screening?