What is coronavirus? Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness in humans and animals. Seven different types have been found in people, including those responsible for the SARS, MERS and COVID-19 epidemics. Early reports suggests that the new virus is more contagious than the one causing SARS but less likely to cause severe […]
Head lice are small, wingless, blood-sucking insects. They live in the hair on your head and feed off the blood from your scalp. A louse (a single adult) is about the size of a sesame seed. A nit (louse egg) is about the size of a small flake of dandruff. Head lice are contagious. You […]
Frequent bowel movements is a condition in which a person defecates (eliminates waste from the bowel) more often than usual. There is no “normal” number of bowel movements. Many healthcare providers agree that healthy bowel movement frequency can range from three times a day to three times a week. However, your ‘normal’ pattern may be […]
Plantar warts are small growths that usually appear on the heels or other weight-bearing areas of your feet. This pressure may also cause plantar warts to grow inward beneath a hard, thick layer of skin (callus). Plantar warts are caused by HPV. The virus enters your body through tiny cuts, breaks or other weak spots […]
A crick in your neck refers to the stiffness in the muscles that surround your lower neck and shoulder blades. This is different from chronic or regular neck pain, which may be caused by a number of things and recur with some predictability. Neck pain has an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30% among adults in […]
Experiencing trouble sleeping is common in both adults and children. There are many contributing factors as to why it’s difficult to get the sleep we want and need. Perhaps our sleep environment is not conducive, something is weighing on us mentally, or our children are awake at night. Sleep apnea or insomnia could also be […]
What are Anal Skin Tags? The skin around the anus is relatively loose to allow opening for the passage of stool. It is prone to be stretched by enlargement of the underlying blood vessels. The stretched skin may persist leading to a bump or skin tag. What causes anal skin tags? Tags may crop up […]
The ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, balance. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear is made up of cartilage and skin. There are three different parts to the outer ear; the tragus, helix and […]
A midwife is a health professional trained to support and care for women during pregnancy, labor and birth. They help you to stay healthy in pregnancy and, if no complications arise, to give birth with little intervention. Midwives also care for you and your baby in the first few weeks following the birth. Traditionally, midwives […]
Your blood oxygen level is a measure of how much oxygen your red blood cells are carrying. Your body closely regulates your blood oxygen level. Maintaining the precise balance of oxygen-saturated blood is vital to your health. Your blood oxygen level can be measured with two different tests: Arterial blood gas: An arterial blood […]
