LocalHealthGuide

December 11, 2023 Endometriosis / Women's Health

Endometriosis: It’s time to change the pattern of pain, stigma and barriers to diagnosis and treatment

One of the significant challenges faced by people with endometriosis is receiving a diagnosis. Patients experience an average delay of 5.4 years from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis. The symptoms are similar to other reproductive health issues (such as polycystic ovary syndrome) or severe period pain, which can be confusing for non-specialist health-care professionals.

December 11, 2023 Health News

I’m trying to lose weight and eat healthily. Why do I feel so hungry all the time? What can I do about it?

Nick Fuller, University of Sydney Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, famously said nothing is

December 11, 2023 Diet / Fitness / Nutrition / Weight Loss / Wellness

What does weight-inclusive health care mean?

Weight-inclusive health care means a focus on better health with no weight loss required.

A photograph of a woman's hand cradling a cup of ginger tea.

November 22, 2023 Alternative Medicine / Prevention

Thinking of trying a detox? Here’s what you need to know first

Detoxes are prevalent on social media and spruiked (Australian slang: to promote) by brands offering detox products, celebrities and influencers. So if you’re thinking of trying a detox, here’s what you need to know.

November 21, 2023 Food-borne Illness / Prevention / Public Health / Salmonella

This Thanksgiving − and on any holiday − these steps will help prevent foodborne illness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 6 Americans, or 48 million people, get sick from a foodborne illness each year. According to the CDC, more than 1 million of these people get sick from salmonella, which is the primary pathogen associated with poultry.

November 20, 2023 Autoimmune Diseases / Blood and Hematology / Immunology / Infectious Disease

Immune health is all about balance – an immunologist explains why both too strong and too weak an immune response can lead to illness

Many social media posts push supplements and other life hacks that “boost your immune system” to keep you healthy and fend off illness. However, these claims are not based on science and what is known about immune function. Healthy immune systems don’t need to be “boosted.” Instead, the immune system works best when it is perfectly balanced.

November 16, 2023 Doctors / Healthcare Providers / Nurses

The ‘doctor of nursing practice’ will see you now

Amid a shortage of doctors and an explosion in the number of nurse practitioners with doctorates, many nursing groups are pushing to expand what nurses can do without physicians’ supervision. Physicians, meanwhile, are pushing to keep nurse practitioners and physician assistants under their oversight, arguing that giving more autonomy to providers with less rigorous training could put patients at risk.

November 12, 2023 Brain and Nervous System / Mental Health / Wellness

Meditation Is Big Business. The Science Isn’t So Clear.

For more than two decades, various studies have suggested that meditation and mindfulness — that is, being aware of the present moment — can help reduce and improve pain management, lending some credence to the notion that the brain can affect the body. Such results have helped the field grow into a multibillion-dollar industry, populated by meditation apps, guided workshops, and upscale retreats.
Yet the field has also faced sharp criticism from psychologists and researchers who say the health benefits are overstated and some of the research methodologically flawed.

Illustration of a man leaning over and grimacing from low back pain.

November 12, 2023 Brain and Nervous System / Musculoskeletal / Pain Medicine / Painkillers

Most people with chronic back pain naturally think their pain is caused by injuries or other problems in the body such as arthritis or bulging disks. But our research team has found that thinking about the root cause of pain as a process that’s occurring in the brain can help promote recovery.

Picture of an elderly man's hands resting on a cane.

November 12, 2023 Aging / Genetics

Your biological age predicts dementia and stroke regardless of your actual age – new study

while we all grow older chronologically at the same pace, biologically, our clocks can tick faster or slower. Relying solely on chronological age – the number of years since birth – is inadequate to measure the body’s internal biological age.

November 12, 2023 Menopause / Mental Health / Women's Health

Perimenopause usually begins in your 40s. How do you know if it has started?

Perimenopause usually begins in the early to mid-40s. Some people even begin perimenopause earlier, due to premature ovarian insufficiency or medical treatments such as chemotherapy or surgical oophorectomy (ovary removal).

November 3, 2023 Mental Health / Sleep / Sleep Apnea / Sleeping Pills

How can I get some sleep? Which treatments actually work?

You might have tried breathing exercises, calming music, white noise, going to bed in a dark and quiet bedroom, eating different foods in the evening, maintaining a regular sleep pattern, or reducing caffeine. But after three to four weeks of what seems like progress, your insomnia returns. What next?