It's hayfever season

It is that time of year again. Yes hayfever season is here.  Warm weather and sunshine is fantastic but it does have a downside for some people.

Hayfever is am allergic rection to various grass and plant pollens. It typically causes runny noses, watery eyes, sneezing and a general degree of unpleasantness. Listen to this NHS consultant physician explain more.



There are various remedies to treat hayfever with anti-histamines being the stalwarts.

Best idea is to see your GP for advice

Medical Humour From Mock The Week

Laughter is the best medicine as the old saying goes. Here are those wags from mock the week with their suggestions for unlikely health questionnaire questions.



They definitely made me laugh with some of the great one-liners. If you've got any medical jokes you want to share please add them into the comments below.

Placebos Still Used In The UK

It seems the days of placebos being given by doctors are not behind us according to a study just published by the Universities of Oxford and Southampton. They did a survey of 800 doctors picked at random and discovered the vast majority had used placebos at least once.

It seems it is a grey area as the GMC has no position on it. In the survey around two thirds of doctors had no problem with the use of placebos and one third thought it unethical.

One of the commoner placebos used are antibiotics for a viral sore throat. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses but patients think they do and feel better.

The fact that placebos work shows how important the brain is in our health. When we think we are being treated and will improve, we do. Brain chemistry alters and releases various natural chemical including pain killers. 

Will You Be Asleep During Your Op?

Operations are a fact of life for many people and millions are performed each year with great success. The vast majority are done under a general anaesthetic i.e. totally unconscious.

The process should be straightforward. An injection sends you off to sleep, a gas keeps you asleep and you wake up at the end when the gas is turned off. Many operations need full muscle relaxtion so the surgeon can do a proper procedure. To achieve this muscle relaxants are given. They stop all the muscles from working.

Anaesthesia In Action

However if there is a problem with the gas that keeps you asleep there is a risk you may be awake, unable to move and feeling the whole operation.

A recent study found 150 patients in 2011 who reported being aware during their operation. Out of the millions of operations carried out it's a tiny number but should be totally preventable. The trouble is that the true number may be much higher as there have been few studies looking for awareness. Hopefully that will change.

IVF Until 42 On The NHS

Fertility problems affect thousands of couples. Often it is related to age. The unpalatable truth is that after 35 fertility drops off rapidly so help such as IVF is more likely to be needed.

Until now IVF was only available on the NHS until the woman was 39. Older than this and couples had to seek private treatment, which needless to say is very expensive.

About IVF

However the National Institute for Health and Clinical excellence has just issued guidelines increasing the upper age limit to 42. This gives hope to thousands currently not allowed NHS treatment.

Although of course they are only guidelines and there is no guarantee that health authorities will implement them nationwide.

Do Very Low Calorie Diets Work?

Obesity is a major problem and getting worse. Being so overweight has many health implications from the mild to potentially fatal.

When you are fat a lack of energy and increased tiredness are common. Everyday activities are harder. Sleep is poor often with snoring. More seriously problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are commoner. They all shorten life so are best avoided.

Many struggle to lose weight and are attracted by very low calorie diets. These typically allow no more than 600 calories a day for weeeks and even months. But are they healthy?

A study at Newcastle put overweight patients on a very low calorie diet for 8 weeks. The results were impressive. Not only did they all lose plenty of weight, their health markedly improved.

Blood pressure levels dropped significantly and amazingly type 2 diabetes was not only far better controlled but medications were able to be reduced. It seemed the body reset itself and started to correct the insulin problems that cause type 2 diabetes.

So perhaps a short sharp low calorie diet followed by healthy eating at normal calorie levels will become the treatments of choice for obesity and its' complications.

Time To Run Marathon?

Many of us want to get fitter. One of the more tiring ways is to run a marathon.

Of course if you do it as part of an effort to raise money it is a bit easier. Along with the aches and pains you experience as the miles build up is the psychological warmth of knowing you are doing a good thing and helping others.

Paris marathon anyone?

If you are going to undertake the task then maybe it is better to do it somewhere with nice views as you go round. Paris is a beautiful city and they have a marathon usually a week or two after London.

With it being so difficult to gain entry to the London marathon a trip to Pris is a great back-up plan.