Archive for the ‘General health’ Category
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COMMON INFECTIONS OF CHILDHOOD: COUGH CAUSE AND CLINICAL FEATURES
Cough is one of the commonest symptoms of childhood and is sometimes difficult to treat. A cough tends to linger on in young children, often disturbing sleep and everyday functioning, and is distressing to children and parents alike. Cause There are many causes of a cough in children, including infections (both viral and bacterial), irritations [...]
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GENETIC DISORDERS AND ANTENATAL CARE
Dominant and recessive genes Every cell in the human body contains twenty-three pairs of matching chromosomes, which carry the genetic blueprint determining every human characteristic. Each gene on each chromosome has its corresponding gene on the matching chromosome. One gene is usually dominant over the other, and is expressed as a certain characteristic. Only if [...]
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YOUR MARITAL HEALTH/THE MOST OFTEN ASKED QUESTION: DOES THAT MEAN I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HAVE IT
WITH HIM? “I love it when he kisses my vagina and my clitoris. I have my best orgasms that way. He won’t do it anymore. He says it smells and tastes bad. Does that mean I will never be able to have it with him?” ANSWER: If by “it” you mean cunnilingus, then, yes, you [...]
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HYPERTENSION – NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE DOCTOR’S INSTRUCTIONS
It may take a lot of persuasion to convince a person who feels well, but who has been told his blood pressure is raised, to take tablets which make him feel ill and which interfere with some normal bodily functions. This is the reason most people stop treatment, or continue with a reduced dose. Another [...]
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ALLERGIES TO FOOD – DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD
Unfortunately, the history is not always accurate as we all eat many different types of food and may be confused. Sometimes it takes several episodes of an allergic manifestation such as hives before the penny drops and we associate the symptoms with a particular food. If the allergy is due to a breakdown substance, then [...]
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VARICOSE VEINS
Varicose veins — unsightly, often painful raised and knotted veins — usually occur in the legs and may lead to leg ulcers and blood clots. They are caused by the sluggish flow of blood combined with weak walls of veins and faulty valves. You may be more likely to suffer from varicose veins if your [...]
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ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES: DEAFNESS AND THE PILL
It has long been known that pregnancy can hasten the onset of deafness in members of certain families who have a tendency to gradual hearing loss in middle age. Known as otosclerosis, this common type of deafness is due to overgrowth of bone around the inner eardrum, which becomes rigid and unable to vibrate in [...]
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MORE ABOUT GYNECOMASTIA IN BOYS
Signs and symptoms The development of breasts is obvious except when the boy tries to hide gynaecomastia out of embarrassment. If this happens, the parents may not be aware of the problem. Home care It is very important to be understanding and to reassure the child that the condition will disappear. In more obvious cases, [...]
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LIFE AND SAFETY: DIFFERENT ENDINGS
Fires. About 4,700 people die each year because of fires-the majority of which are avoidable, says Susan McKelvey, public affairs manager of the National Fire Protection Association in Quincy, Massachusetts. “Taking basic safety precautions greatly reduces the risk of fire,” McKelvey says. “Cigarettes should be extinguished with water; smoking carelessly is the leading cause of [...]
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STRESS: A LESSON FROM THE LABORATORY
An interesting study demonstrated what happens when the powerful stress hormones are released too often. A group of rats was forced to listen to a tape recording of a cats chasing rats, complete with hissing and squealing. Stress chemicals flooded the rats’ bodies as they prepared to fight or run away from the cat. But [...]