News

Feed babies peanut products to reverse rise in allergy, say scientists

24th February 2015

Researchers say children should be introduced to peanuts as soon as they begin eating solid foods, contradicting previous advice Babies as young as four months old should be given peanut butter or peanut snacks, scientists have said after a study predicted that the growing tide of peanut allergies can be reversed. About one in 50 schoolchildren in the UK have a peanut allergy. The number of those allergic in the UK and North America has more than doubled in the last 10 years, and cases have emerged in Africa and Asia. In severe cases the allergy can lead to anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. For years, paediatricians and allergy specialists advised that peanuts should be avoided in the early years of a child’s life. But [More…]

Sunlight continues to damage skin hours after exposure

21st February 2015

Sunlight continues to damage people’s skin and increase the risk of cancer for hours after they leave the beach and head indoors, a study shows. Scientists at Yale University, in the US, discovered it was the supposedly protective pigment melanin that was causing the damage. The team say the findings may lead to better sunscreens that can prevent the extra damage. British experts said that the findings “reinforce” current advice. When UV radiation pummels our skin cells, it can cause mutations in the DNA. Melanin, the pigment behind a tan or natural skin tone, is the body’s defence as it absorbs the radiation. What scientists did not know previously was what happens to all the energy that the melanin has absorbed. Super-charged The Yale team [More…]

Dementia Friends

21st February 2015

Alzheimer’s charity hails one million ‘dementia friends’ One million people have now signed up to be “dementia friends” in England, the Alzheimer’s Society has announced. People in all walks of life have been trained to spot the signs of the disease so they can help sufferers. Meanwhile, the government has announced that it will be spending more than £300m to tackle dementia in England over the next parliament. Source- BBC News Sophie Hutchinson reports.

Sepsis know the Signs and Symptoms

21st February 2015

Sepsis is a common and potentially life-threatening condition triggered by an infection. Each year in the UK, it is estimated that more than 100,000 people are admitted to hospital with sepsis and around 37,000 people will die as a result of the condition. In sepsis, the body’s immune system goes into overdrive, setting off a series of reactions including widespread inflammation, swelling and blood clotting. This can lead to a significant decrease in blood pressure, which can mean the blood supply to vital organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys is reduced. If not treated quickly, sepsis can eventually lead to multiple organ failure and death. Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis Early symptoms of sepsis usually develop quickly and can include: a high temperature (fever) chills [More…]

Newer heart attack test ‘could save women’s lives’

20th February 2015

Doctors could spot twice as many heart attacks in women by using a newer, more sensitive blood test, a study claims. The test looks for minute traces of a protein that signals that the heart muscle may have been damaged. Standard tests still used by much of the NHS only detect higher levels of this protein, called troponin. Research from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh shows the standard test misses many cases of heart attack in women with symptoms like chest pain. A heart attack is a medical emergency and early diagnosis and treatment can mean the difference between life and death. Doctors rely on blood tests to help them judge if a patient with chest pain might be having an attack, but a normal [More…]

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