March 19, 2020
How does cold medication work?
Ever wondered what goes into treating those pesky sniffles, a scratchy throat, and nonstop sneezing? Let’s find out.
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March 12, 2020
Coronavirus – how to stay calm and clean
Where and when did it all begin? On the 31st of December 2019, China alerted the World Health Organisation to several patients with flu-like symptoms in a city called Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province. Initial assessments of these patients ruled out “known” flu-like viruses including bird flu, seasonal flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Once these initial patients were assessed, they were placed into quarantine. The suspected source of the outbreak was identified as a busy seafood market in the city the following day. Days later Chinese authorities identified the virus,…
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May 3, 2019
Winning the war against polio
Thankfully, due to routine immunisations, South Africa has been free from polio since 1989. There are, however still cases of polio in other countries. In recent years, the number of people affected by polio has decreased, but unfortunately, even a small number of infected people can put many others at risk.
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April 8, 2019
Do you have a viral rash?
A viral rash is, as its name suggests, caused by a virus. Like viral infections, viral rashes mostly affect toddlers and children. They generally look like splotches, red spots or raised bumps, but this can change, depending on the type of rash.
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April 8, 2019
What is the difference between viral and bacterial infections?
It’s important to understand the difference between a bacterial and viral infection. Even though both infections can cause similar symptoms, they are treated very differently.
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March 20, 2019
How to keep worms out of your stomach
The thought of having a parasite crawling around in your body can be quite scary, but you're not alone; parasites are more common than you think.
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October 8, 2018
Measles 101
Measles is an infectious illness caused by the rubeola virus. And although there is a vaccine for measles, it’s still one of the leading causes of death in children. The measles virus is found in the mucus of your nose and throat. This means you can get the virus by breathing in when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. It’s so contagious that you can get it simply by being in the same room as an infected person. If you haven’t been vaccinated and come into contact with someone who has measles, you are very much at risk of…
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September 18, 2018
Can kissing make you sick?
Kissing is a love language. It’s a show of affection – but it does come with health risks! The good news is that with good oral hygiene, you can kiss up a storm with peace of mind… Diseases can be spread from person to person in several ways and this includes: Contact spreading: During kissing, or indirectly when you touch a contaminated surface or object. Droplet spreading: Infected droplets from the nose and throat may travel around a metre before they drop onto a surface. At times, infected droplets can linger in the air. You can get an infection through…
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August 3, 2018
How to get bed rest when you have the flu
Your head is pounding, your nose is stuffy and you have a terrible cough. Your doctor suggested “bed rest”, but how are you supposed to rest when you feel awful? When you have the flu, your body takes a toll and must repair itself. This means rest. Staying in bed and resting helps speed up the healing process while attempting to soldier through your symptoms will only leave you sick for longer. A healthy person who rests and follows their doctor’s prescribed medication should recover from the flu within 10 days. On the other hand, without bed rest, a healthy…
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