The Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways which is spread through infected droplets in the air. In recent years, there have been spikes of incidence of this infection, despite a vaccination programme. Symptoms only develop 6-20 days after exposure to the virus. At first, cold-like […]
Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease which affects one in 1000 adults causing permanent enlargement of the airways which leads to an excessive build up of mucus. Patients cough to expel the mucus. ‘Coughs associated with this condition are usually worse in the morning as people clear their chest,’ explains Dr Richard Russell, honorary medical […]
We all feel breathless sometimes but we also know when our breathlessness is not normal. It may be the first sign that something more serious is going on. Untreated lung disease can cause serious problems and some of those are irreversible if not treated early. When it comes to chronic lung disease, some people may […]
People who suffer from chronic breathlessness may not always think to mention it to a GP. They assume that it is a normal part of ageing, or they puff a bit going upstairs because they smoke so ‘it’s only to be expected’. They may not look on it as a problem at all and ‘get […]
Asthma patients from surgeries who have good access to primary care, such as in their GP surgery, are less likely to be admitted to hospital because of their condition. This is the conclusion of our study at the University of East Anglia which looked at access scores for GP surgeries and compared them to the […]
World Heart Rhythm Week (June 6th – 12th) is dedicated to promoting the awareness of how to Detect, Protect, Correct and Perfect all heart rhythm disorders. This year World Heart Rhythm Week falls between 6th to 12th June. Since 2004, when Arrhythmia Alliance successfully lobbied for a new Chapter on Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death […]
Every five minutes in the UK, one person dies from lung disease, a statistic that underlines the massive impact of conditions such as COPD, chronic asthma and lung cancer. Yet, despite the fact that lung disease is one of the three big killers in the UK, alongside cancer and cardiovascular disease, it comes a very […]
Dr. Rob Tarzwell, a Clinical Assistant Professor on the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia recently co-authored the largest functional brain imaging study in history, with 21,000 subjects. […]
Last week, I wrote a special report for the Good Health section of the Daily Mail which was definitely a headline grabber. In fact, it was clickbait too when it appeared on the Health channel of MailOnline. As of writing this blog, 407 people have commented on it and it has been shared 617 times. […]
Across the United Kingdom, communities, organisations, supporters, carers, families and stroke survivors are joining the Stroke Association as we celebrate our fifth annual awareness month, now known as Make May Purple for stroke. All manner of things have been lit up, dressed up, painted, planted and baked purple for stroke (#MakeMayPurple). Everyone’s doing a brilliant […]