Thousands of years after humans discovered the pain-relieving effects of resin from opium poppies, clinicians still rely on opioids, which are drugs derived from poppies or synthetic versions, to treat severe pain, which reduce the intensity of pain signals reaching the brain. Opioids bind to specific receptors in the nerve system, mimicking a natural neurotransmitter […]
‘If people suffer a cardiac attest, they need to be treated with a defibrillator or meaningful CPR within four to five minutes to increase their chances of survival. Sudden cardiac arrest is not a problem for the ambulance service. It is a problem for the community. The aim is to ensure all communities have a […]
We know from previous studies that primary school children with a higher body mass index are likely to have poorer fundamental movement skills, (like balancing, throwing, hopping and jumping), but our latest research is aiming to understand this relationship in more detail – particularly how gender may play a role. My team at Coventry University […]
Read More… from Why you need to throw snowballs with your kids
Yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black: not the potting order for the coloured balls in snooker, but the colours in some of the worst wounds that I have dressed as a nurse. Dealing with incontinence is not the most gruesome aspect of the nursing role: it can be far harder to stomach wound care. […]
With mistletoe, celebrations and joy in the air, many people consider investing more time into looking their best during the festive season. On average, four patients out of 10 who request non-surgical procedures come to see me for lip augmentation, as they desire fuller lips, contoured edges and a beautiful aesthetic shape. This contributes to […]
Read More… from ’Tis the season for kissable lips under the mistletoe
Researchers at Teesside University have been examining drug interventions for the treatment of childhood obesity and found that, although drugs have been found to aid weight reduction in older children, more work is needed to determine their efficiency and safety. Latest figures show that over one fifth of reception children are overweight or obese and […]
There is a paradox to sleep in that it comes when you are not trying; but unfortunately, too many people try and fail to get to sleep. When you try to sleep, your mind monitors your efforts, which then keeps you awake. Instead, have the intention of relaxing and letting go. Difficulty falling asleep is […]
Poor outcomes from complex knee injuries can often be minimised if the specialist referral is made within a six-week window. This means that sports enthusiasts, such as runners, rugby players, tennis players, footballers and skiers may not have to be affected by their injury and could return to their sport more quickly and efficiently. The […]
Read More… from Knee injuries: The importance of a quick referral
New therapies now exist that can lower bad cholesterol levels to those of a ‘new born baby’, but up until now there has been conflicting evidence that is actually required or even desirable. New research at Imperial College London established for the first time that such low levels may, in fact, be a good thing, and […]
When I hear people being advised to exercise more and eat less to lose weight, I despair because the conventional advice is scientifically and biologically fundamentally flawed. The actual foolproof way to lose weight is to precisely the opposite – eat more and exercise less, but it has to be done in the correct way. […]