(With thanks Health Navigator) Hay fever Also known as allergic rhinitis Hay fever is the inflammation of the lining of the nose and eyes due to allergy. Many people experience it as seasonal allergy to grass pollens. Key points Hay fever causes blocked, runny and itchy nose, sneezing and itchy watery eyes. Avoiding the allergen, if […]
Allergies – What are Allergies?
(With thanks to stuff.co.nz and Allergy NZ)) Damp, mouldy homes, a love of furry pets and our acres of green pasture mean lots of sneezing, wheezing and feeling lousy for those with allergies. Mark Dixon, Chief Executive of charitable organisation Allergy New Zealand, said most of us don’t realise how bad it is here. “People who are newly arrived […]
Coldsores
Cold sores are a very painful condition caused by a virus caused Herpes Simplex. This virus is very common and it is thought that up to 80% of people carry the virus- however only about 10% of people with the virus will actually develop cold-sores. You can catch the virus by touching a cold sore, […]
What is Lupus?
Lupus (also known as systemic lupus erythematosus) is an autoimmune disease, which means that it causes your immune system to turn against tissues and organs throughout your body. Known to trigger major health problems (including kidney disease, neurological dysfunction, and rheumatoid arthritis), lupus can set off inflammation and can cause damage in the heart, lungs, blood vessels, brain, […]
The Head Lice Problem
As a pharmacist I am aware of the frustration that parents and grandparents feel about head lice. The key problem in dealing with head lice is sorting out the myth from the reality. So how do we deal with the problem of head lice? Identify that head lice are actually present on the scalp – […]
The Gut- the largest immune organ in the body
The Immune System – The gut associated lymphoid tissue comprises 70% of the body’s immune system and can be conceptualised as the largest immune organ in the body. There is growing evidence that the trillions of microbes inhabiting our gastrointestinal tracts (commonly referred to as microbiome or gut microbiota) play a mysterious yet significant role in many aspects […]