Our body fiercely protects the brain by holding onto things that help it and keeping harmful things out, such as toxins and bugs that can cause infection.
Irritable bowel syndrome causes abdominal pain and constipation or diarrhoea. These symptoms overlap with other disorders, so it’s important to get the correct diagnosis and then the best treatments.
Haemorrhoids can be painful, and may sometimes require surgery. We don’t know exactly why they can become problematic but there are some things you can do to reduce the risk of getting them.
To explain why we have a mitochondria, we have to go back about two billion years to a time when none of the complexity of life as we see it today existed.
Quetiapine, sold under the brand name Seroquel, is a short-acting antipsychotic drug to treat major mental illnesses. It has also been increasingly prescribed off-label for insomnia.
Delirium is a neurological (nervous system) condition where a person becomes suddenly confused. Around one in five elderly people in hospital suffer from delirium.
Epidurals were developed for pregnant women to address the severe pain of labour. In Australia approximately one in three pregnant women in labour has an epidural for pain relief.
Stories of meningococcal outbreaks tell us it’s that season again. But what is meningococcal, why does it occur in seasons, and why does it strike fear into the hearts of so many?
Macular degeneration affects the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. Age-related macular degeneration is the main cause of blindness in Australia.
Benjamin Cowie, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E are very different viruses. Hepatitis A is genetically closer to the common cold than it is to hepatitis B. Hepatitis C is closer to the virus that causes dengue fever.
Restless leg syndrome is a common affliction characterised by uncomfortable feelings in the legs accompanied by an irresistible urge to move the legs to relieve the sensations.
Lynch syndrome is a common, inherited condition that affects thousands of Australians and greatly increases their risk of developing cancer. Yet 95% of those who have it don’t know about it.
The relationship between insomnia and mental illness is bidirectional: about 50% of adults with insomnia have a mental health problem; up to 90% of adults with depression have sleep problems.
Senior Staff Specialist in Paediatric Allergy and Immunology at John Hunter Children's Hospital Newcastle NSW Conjoint Lecturer in Paediatrics, University of Newcastle
Professor&Chair of Paediatrics | HMRI, University of Newcastle, Australia | Senior Staff Specialist Paediatric Respiratory&Sleep Medicine | John Hunter Children's Hospital, Australia, University of Newcastle