The “best medicine” is often said to be laughter; but Hippocrates, the great grandfather of the medical profession (he lived over 2000 years ago) stated that “walking is man’s best medicine”. This is also the message to come from the Australasian Podiatry Association leading up to National Foot Health Week – it “runs” 11-17 October. How...
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Counting sheep may help some people get to sleep, but for most of us applying numbers to woolly jumpers is not the most relaxing of pastimes. However, getting to sleep or staying asleep for a reasonable time is a pretty common problem. If you feel more weary than wide awake each morning, you’re not alone....
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Sport should be a relaxing pastime, but elite sport can be quite stressful. During the recent visit to England of the Australian cricket team, it was clear physical and emotional stress was experienced by players on both teams. And no doubt some spectators, whether they were there at the grounds or watching back home...
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Blood pressure – we all need some. Blood pressure is what keeps those life sustaining, oxygenated red blood cells circulating around our body. But too much blood pressure can result in a catastrophic outcome – just like a pressure cooker on high heat without an escape valve. Hypertension (the medical term for abnormally high blood pressure)...
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Hay fever, known medically as allergic rhinitis is a common condition in Australia affecting about 40% of the population at least to some degree. Despite this fact, or maybe even because of it, hay fever is thought to be a comparatively trivial condition – just a minor inconvenience. However, if you suffer from hay fever and...
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While it may be considered difficult for old dogs to learn new skills, there’s general acceptance that, for humans, life long learning is of enormous benefit to our health and well-being. So much so that the first week in September is now celebrated internationally as Adult Learners Week (ALW). When in 1990 governments met in Thailand...
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Approximately half a million Australians are blind or vision impaired. Some 80% of vision loss is caused by just five conditions: age-related macular degeneration, cataract, refractive error, diabetes related retinopathy and glaucoma. Glaucoma is sometimes referred to as the “sneak thief” of sight because it gradually and permanently destroys side vision, often without being noticed. There...
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