Among the failures of the UK government in handling the COVID-19 pandemic is the lack of testing. Successful countries starting testing right at the beginning of the crisis in combination with contact tracing. We might have been able to lessen the mountain of deaths had we done the same. Until now, there does not seem […]
Read MoreHay fever sufferers may have noticed that 2020 has been a particularly bad year for symptoms. This is certainly the first time that I have actually ‘suffered’. In previous years I have had mild symptoms or none at all. The worsening symptoms are thought to have been caused by the driest May on record. Lockdown […]
Read MoreLife expectancy has gradually increased over the past 100 years. In the past, people had generally shorter lives because of a lack of effective medicine and poor sanitation. They often died from infections especially in early childhood. The discovery of antibiotics and use of childhood vaccinations has changed all that. Improved sanitation and waste disposal […]
Read MoreWhat is tennis elbow? Tennis elbow is an odd name to give to a problem which affects mostly people who do not play tennis! It is also called lateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondalgia. The pain from tennis elbow is felt on the outer side of the elbow and the back of the forearm. Sometimes the […]
Read MoreHigh blood pressure is a lifestyle condition You might be surprised to learn that there is no underlying disease process causing high blood pressure in the vast majority of people. High blood pressure is mostly due to lifestyle factors and this is why doctors call it Essential Hypertension. Some people also have a family history […]
Read MoreImagine this. You develop a cough and a fever and worry that you have COVID-19 infection. So you call your GP who asks you how high your temperature is. You do not have a thermometer in the house and cannot give a definite answer. You feel hot but do you actually have a fever? Your […]
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