What is back pain? Back pain is extremely common and occurs when there is a problem associated with your spine. Your spine is a column of bones. These bones are cushioned from each other by shock-absorbing disks, and the spine itself is held together by various ligaments, tendons and muscles. Most back pain, even severe
How often have you been told you should be walking 10,000 steps per day, in order to be fit and healthy? For those of us juggling kids, work, home and other commitments, or maybe just getting a bit older and less able to get out and about as much – it can seem an impossible
Safe sharps disposal NZ and how to safely dispose of your sharps is a key consideration for people with diabetes. ‘Sharps’ is a term for medical devices with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut skin. Used needles and other sharps can injure people and spread infections such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
“How long does it take to lose weight?” is a common question for those at any stage of their weight loss journey. It can be demoralising when you are putting in real effort towards a goal, but you feel like you aren’t seeing the results. Looking after our physical health, which includes weight management, is
Right now in New Zealand, many are finding GP wait time is getting longer and longer to see a doctor. For some, it may even be starting to cause real anxiety, particularly for those with chronic health conditions. In May this year it was taking up to eight weeks for some Dunedin people to get
Even though we live in a modern world, it’s still important to make sure that we do not experience nutrient deficiency, as our bodies need vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Your body cannot produce all these nutrients itself, so it is important that your get the nutrients you need through a broad healthy diet.
Should you take medicine with food, or without food and on an empty stomach? How do you know when your stomach is ’empty’? And how much food means ‘with food’? For those who take regular medicines or simply have had an infection and been prescribed antibiotics, at some point you will have come across a
Many ask – what is the value of buying and having a Blood Pressure Monitor NZ at home? Similarly, why should we worry about our blood pressure at all? Often called the “silent killer”, high blood pressure affects many people who don’t know they have it. High blood pressure may often have no symptoms, but
Have you often wondered: how much water should I drink in a day, and been told it should be 8 glasses/2 litres at least? But is that actually true, and what is the basis for it? Do I need 8 glasses of water a day? In 2007 the peer reviewed British Medical Journal included the:
You have probably come across the term stroke before, but what is the main cause of stroke, and what are the 5 warning signs of a stroke? What is a stroke? A stroke is a medical event that impacts over 9,000 Kiwis every year, or around 25 every day, but what exactly is it and
Hayfever is a common name for allergic reactions of the eyes, nose, and throat – and there has been important news with MetService’s pollen forecaster announcing the yearly pine pollen release could be near. Dr David Fountain says “It’s the yellow dust that drops out of the air onto your car bonnets, onto windscreens. It’s
Long Covid is a term used to describe the effects of COVID-19 that continue for weeks/months after, with Long Covid symptoms varying widely and affecting people differently. Long Covid symptoms may change over time and new symptoms may develop. As there is no test for Long Covid, a diagnosis will be made on the basis
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