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Manuka honey is the bees knees

Mon, 25 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Manuka honey is a sticky golden indulgence that doesn't just taste delicious on your toast, it can also boost your health. Originally produced in New Zealand, Britain's first Mauka maker, Tregothnan, based in Cornwall, is now offering pots of its honey for £55 a jar. Manufactured in special beehives costing £5000 each, the Manuka commands a high price because it possesses proven medicinal qualities – as well as being a treat for those with a sweet tooth.

'Thalidomiders': still fighting for justice

Mon, 25 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

If you have ever taken a headache remedy, swallowed an antibiotic, sucked on an asthma inhaler, been injected with a cancer medicine or taken any drug developed in the last half century, you owe a debt to Nick Dobrik and the thousands like him who paid, in some cases with their lives, for your safety.

Is this woman a bad mother, or just honest?

Mon, 25 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

What makes a good mother in this day and age? Is it the ability to raise exceptional children while juggling a high-powered career, churning out immaculately frosted cupcakes while looking both thin and perfectly turned out?

Jeremy Laurance: Social services cannot recruit because of the Baby P effect

Mon, 25 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Last week was a grim one in the annals of child protection. On the same day that Baby P's abusers were sentenced following one of the grossest professional failures in recent memory, the controversial paediatrician David Southall, who pioneered covert video surveillance to detect child abuse, learnt that his career was over. His appeal to the High Court against a decision by the General Medical Council to strike him off the register was dismissed.

Anorexia vs. extreme surgery

Wed, 20 May 2009 10:14:50 GMT

Should all boys be circumcised?

Mon, 18 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

If you were the parent of a baby boy and were told a minor operation could provide him with protection against three diseases (at least) that kill millions worldwide, would you be interested? It is safe to assume that you would. When, however, you discovered that the operation in question was circumcision, would your enthusiasm dwindle?

Postnatal psychosis: 'I wanted to hurt my baby daughter'

Mon, 18 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

It's spring 2007. I'm walking towards the ocean near my home in Bournemouth. That's where my babies are and I want to join them there. I want to stop and think about it but there isn't time – I know they're coming and I have to act now. The water's icy, but the shock makes me feel alive. I can hear my Dad calling me and I run further into the water. Then my mum's there, she's shouting and I think she's going to hit me but she puts her arms around me. We're both sobbing, but nothing needs to be said. I say, "Mum, I need my babies," and she says, "your babies are in the car."

Jeremy Laurance: Another sick celebrity – and another cancer campaign

Mon, 18 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

We citizens of the 21st century are pretty broad-minded about sex, aren't we? After 25 years of discussing the lubricious sexual practices associated with Aids, there is little left to shock us. Then along comes... Farah Fawcett, the 62-year-old American TV soap star and Seventies sex symbol, to remind us how wrong we were.

Moments in Medicine podcast - Clothing as Medicine

Fri, 15 May 2009 14:40:27 GMT

Featuring the history of the corset, the second in our series of Moments in Medicine podcasts explores the way that clothing has been used to both prevent and even cure disease.

Jeremy Laurance: For your health’s sake, kiss someone with swine flu today

Mon, 11 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

I am sorry to have missed the best and longest party of last week. Guests at the Metropark Hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong, were carousing for seven days courtesy of management who supplied unlimited food and drink, after the Chinese authorities slapped a quarantine order on them when one of their number went down with swine flu – the first case in Asia.

The hapless victim was carted off to hospital, where he can’t have had half as much fun as those he was suspected of infecting. The YouTube film is comical, with guests laughing and dancing and passing bottles of wine while staff clad in blue face masks look gloomily on. According to the South China Morning Post, at least two romantic liaisons blossomed during the party, as well as other unexpectedly long-term relationships – including that between a prostitute and her client who found themselves sharing a room for a week rather than the usual hour after the prostitute was forbidden to leave the hotel and the hotel refused to give her separate accommodation.

But if the guests enjoyed themselves, I bet the hotel’s owners weren’t having such a great time. I happen to know the Metropark Hotel because I stayed there in March 2003 when, under its former name of the Metropole Hotel, it became notorious as Ground Zero for the global spread of Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

On that occasion, a Chinese professor of respiratory medicine, who had been infected with Sars after treating patients in Guangzhou, which is a two-hour train ride from Hong Kong, unfortunately passed the virus to seven other residents in the hotel when he coughed or sneezed in the lift lobby. Within days, the professor was dead, and the infection had been spread to four cities around the world, triggering a global panic.

By the time I got there, a week after the 487-room hotel was identified as the source of the outbreak, it was almost deserted – despite offering guests a 30 per cent discount on the usual room rate. The ninth floor, where the professor stayed in Room 911, a biological “hot zone”, had been temporarily closed.

Today, if you look for Room 911, you will not find it. About a year after the outbreak the hotel changed its number to 913, and altered all other odd-numbered rooms on the ninth floor accordingly. Sars infected more than 8,000 people round the world and caused more than 900 deaths, all of which the World Health Organisation believes can be traced back to that one sneeze in the Metropole.

Will the hotel now have to do the same for the room where the guest with swine flu stayed? The Metropark Hotel’s management must be wondering what they have done to displease the gods. But whoever makes the hotel’s brass door number plates will be blessing his luck.

Official advice is to avoid anyone with swine flu. But if you want protection against a virus that could return in a much nastier form next winter, the best thing you can do is catch it now. Go on, kiss someone with flu today.

Mums: A vital lifeline for our injured soldiers

Mon, 11 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Hay fever: How to ease the sneezing

Mon, 11 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

What causes it?

Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, is an allergic reaction to pollen, which affects one in five people in the UK. When airborne pollen particles enter the nose, throat and upper respiratory passages, they stimulate cells to produce histamines, which then produce the symptoms associated with hay fever such as itchy eyes and a running nose. Sufferers are most affected during the summermonths when the pollen count – the amount of pollen in the atmosphere – is highest, but the severity of symptoms varies from person to person. Lindsey McManus of Allergy UK says: “People tend to think of hay fever as a mild allergy, but when symptoms are severe, sufferers can feel very miserable for a large chunk of the year.”

When does it strike?

Different types of pollen peak throughout the year, from as early as January until as late as September. Grass pollen production typically starts inMay, while silver birch trees flower in March, nettles in August and fungal spores in late summer and autumn. The most common cause of hay fever is grass pollen, affecting approximately 90 per cent of sufferers – but 25 per cent of sufferers are sensitive to birch pollen, and other irritants include pollen from mugwort, oil seed rape and chrysanthemums.Sufferers may be allergic to more than one type of pollen.“ The time that your symptoms start is a good indication of which pollen you are allergic to,” saysMcManus. A low or moderate pollen count means mild or no symptoms for all but the most acute allergies, whereas a high pollen count means all sufferers are likely to experience a reaction. It is a useful guide for hay fever sufferers who want to plan their day accordingly, but it’s not just outside where symptoms are acute. Pollen particles can stay active in carpets for up to three months.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms are caused by the inflammation of membranes that line the inside of the nose, throat and eyes. Symptoms vary depending on the severity of the allergy but include a blocked or running nose, red, itchy and watering eyes, an itchy throat, sneezing, coughing, wheezing and headaches. The symptoms can be very debilitating. Sufferer Louise Stanley,25, says: “From April to late August hay fever affects me before I’ve even woken up. I don’t sleep well and I’m disturbed by itchy eyes and a runny nose. When I wake up, my eyes are red and painfully itchy. When it’s really bad, my face gets swollen and I can’t wear make-up. My eyes itch all day and I’m constantly sneezing. But the worst thing is how tired and drained it makes me feel, all the time.” Many sufferers find their working lives are affected by the condition.

A recent study by the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, based at the University of Worcester, revealed hay fever might cost the UK economy as much as £7.1bn in lost productivity. Professor Jean Emberlin, director of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, led the study. 1000 sufferers were surveyed, 600 of whom were in full-time employment. The study found that sufferers were working at only 63 per cent of their normal productivity.“ Hay fever tends to be trivialised, but, as this shows, it should be taken seriously. It can be a real problem.” said Professor Emberlin.

Who gets it?

Hay fever affects between 20 and 25 per cent of the UK population and around 38 per cent of teenagers, one of the highest rates in Europe. Professor Emberlin believes this could be due to the high levels of antibiotics that were prescribed by GPs until about 10 or 15 years ago. “The antibiotics reduced gut bacteria, which disrupts the immune system, which might account for why those children now have higher rates of allergies.” Symptoms begin to show at eight or nine years and peak in teenagers. Some sufferers find their symptoms decrease or disappear as they reach their twenties, but some adults develop the condition in their thirties or in middle age. Sufferers are genetically predisposed to the condition, but environmental factors can have a profound effect too.

Why is it on the rise?

Professor Emberlin says UK hay fever allergies rose most steeply between 1960 and 1995 but are still increasing at a rate of approximately one per cent every year. “It’s slowed down but numbers are still rising every year and will continue to do so,” she says. Predicted rising temperatures this summer could extend the pollen production season, and the symptoms of hay fever,says Professor Emberlin. Drier, warmer, less windy days allow pollen to build up, resulting in an overall higher pollen count. If this happens,allergies may be triggered in people who have not previously been affected. A theory, known as the “hygiene hypothesis”, is that the standard of living in developed countries is to blame for high levels of allergies. “Most affluent, developed countries have higher ratesof allergies than less well developed nations: our cleaner lifestyles mean we are less exposed to bacteria in early life, which can help build up our immune system,” says Professor Emberlin.

Symptoms can be more acute in rural areas, but urban life also has an inflammatory effect on hay fever. Pollen spores attach to particles from car exhausts, which then spread pollen in pollution. Retailers have reported increased sales of hay fever treatments, with some seeing sales rise by 37 per cent. Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, has seen an increase in hay fever patients: “There have been more people coming to me in the last few years. I see at least a couple of hay fever patients every surgery.” A hay fever sufferer himself, Professor Field says the condition should not be underestimated: “It can have a really negative effect on people’s lives. Some can’t work or drive and the symptoms can be very difficult to manage in social situations.”

What are the best treatments?

Sufferers may respond differently to treatments, depending on the severity of their symptoms, but the most effective ways to treat hay fever,says Barry Kay, Professor Emeritus of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Imperial College, London are: allergen avoidance, anti-allergy medicines (anti-histamine tablets and nasal steroid sprays) and immunotherapy.

Simple measures: Keep windowsclosed and avoid dryinglaundry outside. Use air conditioningin your car and invest in an air filter for your home. Wear wraparound sunglasses. Rub Vaseline underneath your nostrils to trap pollen before it can be inhaled. Eye drops, such as Opticrom, are effective treatments for itchy eyes. Professor Kay recommends a nasalguard (www.nasalairguard.com) for sufferers who cannot take medicines, such as pregnant women.

Pills: Antihistaminemedicines can significantly relieve symptoms.But Stephen Durham, a professor of allergy and respiratory medicine at Royal Brompton Hospital Londonand President of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, says hay fever sufferers should be wary of using treatments containing the active ingredient chlorphenamine . “It causes heavy sedation in substantial amounts of patients and, in my professional opinion, should be banned as a hay fever treatment. ”Some of the most effective treatments, according to Professor Durham, are: those containing Loratadine, such as Clarityn, which he says is“very effective, and with the advantage of being nondrowsy”; those that contain Cetirizine, such as Zirtek, which is “consistently more effective than Clarityn, but tends to have a slight risk of drowsiness, affecting around five to 10 per cent of users”; and those with Acrivastine, such as Benadryl, “an effective, non-drowsy treatment”.

Nasal sprays: Steroid nasal sprays,such as Beconase or Flixonase, have proven to be more effective than antihistamines, says Professor Durham. Ideally, sufferers should begin treatment before the pollen season starts. “That way the spray won’ t exacerbate existing symptoms and, after three or four days, will become highly effective. Now is a good time to start taking them.”

The cost: Some sufferers spend as much as £50 a month on hay fever products. Professor Durham advises us to look at the active ingredients in medicines – generic versions are often available for just a fraction of the price of a named brand. And, more importantly, to visit our GPs if we’re buying medicines regularly.“ GPs can prescribe a month’s supply of most treatments, whereas over-the-counter remedies are usually sold in weekly supplies. ”High street chains, such as Boots and Asda,offer own-brand “hay fever hampers” that can offer significant savings.

What’s on the horizon?

Immunotherapy is a relatively new treatment, which could provide long-term relief for hay fever sufferers whose symptoms cannot be managed by medication. Unlike traditional hay fever medications,which simply treat the symptoms, immunotherapy is the only treatment available that aims to desensitise the body to the effects of allergens.“Immunotherapy works by administering doses of pollen to change the immune system, giving sufferers long term protection from hay fever symptoms,”says Professor Durham, who describes it as a “partial cure”. It comes in two forms: a series of injections and an oral vaccine called Grazax. The injections must be started two to four months before pollen production starts but if you have missed this year’s season it is still worth starting a course as the treatment, and potential benefits, are long-term. The treatment involves weekly injections for 12 weeks, followed by monthly injections for two to three years. Each injection must be administered in a specialised clinic. After a full course of injections sufferers could be protected for up to three years, but success rates do vary from person to person.

The orally administered option, Grazax, a pill placed under the tongue, must be taken once daily and only the first dose needs to be administered by a specialist. It must be started at least eight weeks (ideally four months) before the grass pollen season starts and is only effective for grass pollen allergies. Again, treatment should continue for about three years. Both forms are available on the NHS and must be prescribed by your GP or a specialist and, for those whose entire summer is blighted by hay fever misery, represent a real step forward in treatment.

Moments in Medicine podcast - The History of Fat

Fri, 08 May 2009 11:32:59 GMT

Featuring the history of fat and our body image down the centuries, the first in our series of Moments in Medicine podcasts explores the impact medicine has on our lives and how it has changed through the ages.

Soya: good or bad for you?

Mon, 04 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

There was an awkward pause on the phone the day before my last dinner party. A friend called to check details of my promised Chinese extravaganza. "Because the thing is," she mumbled, "we're trying for a baby and I read that tofu can lower men's sperm counts. So would you mind keeping it off the menu, just to be on the safe side?" This was news to me. I'd come to think of tofu – of all soy products – as health-boosting "superfoods". Weren't they meant to lower cholesterol, help with menopausal symptoms and help us resist all sorts of cancer? "Oh no," said another guest the following evening. "I heard that soy causes cancer and alzheimer's as well as interfering with fertility."

Creative minds: the links between mental illness and creativity

Mon, 04 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

At first glance, Einstein, Salvador Dali, Tony Hancock, and Beach Boy Brian Wilson would seem to have little in common. Their areas of physics, modern art, comedy, and rock music, are light years apart. So what, if anything, could possibly link minds that gave the world the theory of relativity, great surreal art, iconic comedy, and songs about surfing?

Jeremy Laurance: For the first time, patients can vote with their feet

Mon, 04 May 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Fifteen years ago I got hold of a story about death rates in hospitals which upset a number of doctors. It provoked a writ that cost the paper I then worked for £10,000.

Tracking swine flu - Live map

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:25:38 GMT

Follow the incoming reports of swine flu globally with the below map, updated by users with reports of potential cases.

What's wrong with you? It depends where you live

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Human beings may belong to the same species, but they experience sickness differently. Each nation has its favoured illnesses and its favoured explanations, which alter over time. A doctor in one country may label an illness as depression, while the identical symptoms may be labelled as low blood pressure in another, or as the effects of dental amalgam in yet another.

Best friends - now baby makes three

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Like every parent, from time to time I disagree with the father of my child about how our four-year-old son should be brought up. There have been moments, for example, when I've told Louis that I think it's absolutely fine for Fergus to have some chocolate or chips. In turn, Louis's most common refrain is that I'm too slapdash – and I should be making our child eat more healthily. I then usually respond he's being too uptight.

Can pills really help us lose weight?

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:00:01 GMT

The launch in pharmacies of the slimming drug Alli in the UK has led to a rise in people convinced a pill could be the answer to their weight issues. The drug works by preventing absorption of fat by the body, and the makers claim it can boost weight loss for those dieting by an extra 50 per cent. Users, though, are already reporting some unpleasant side effects – the drug causes wind and diarrhoea in those who eat to much fat. While this may encourage users to eat less fat, it means they're also likely simply to stop taking the drug.

'My baby should be alive'

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:00:01 GMT

There is no good reason why Ella Harman should have survived for less than a week. Her mother, Katie, had a completely smooth, low-risk, full-term pregnancy and apart from Ella's breech position right at the end – hardly uncommon or indeed dangerous, provided it's picked up and dealt with accordingly – everything pointed towards the arrival of a healthy baby girl. "I had the perfect pregnancy – it was straight out of a textbook," says Katie, 29. "I was very relaxed – I had no reason not to be."

Why we are becoming worried sick

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Anxiety was never a problem for me until about six years ago, when I realised my worrying was getting out of hand. Most people can dismiss random thoughts about crashing the car or their children having accidents, but I couldn't. Instead they spiralled off into ever-more catastrophic "what ifs?" and triggered an overwhelmingly physical panic – my heart would lurch and I couldn't sit still.

Victorian diseases: Back from the dead

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Charles Dickens knew more than he would have wished about scarlet fever. His son, Charley, was afflicted by it, causing the family to leave Paris hurriedly and return to London in 1847, and it featured in several of his novels. It was a much-feared disease that caused devastating epidemics through the 19th and early 20th centuries, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Worry more, live longer

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:00:34 GMT

Next time the anxiety induced by another gloomy bank balance or the threat of yet more redundancies in your office convinces you that the recession should come with a government health warning, think again.

Jeremy Laurance: What the Government has really done for the NHS

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:00:15 GMT

Are you among those who accuse the Labour Government of betraying the NHS's founding principles by promoting privatisation of the service? If so, consider this...