Melasma occurs because melanin, the normal pigment found in the deeper level of the skin (the epidermis), travels to the top layer of the skin, known as the Dermis. If a skin biopsy is taken it will show that melanin is present in the top dermal layer. It is not clear why this happens, but hormones from the pituitary gland can stimulate the process in certain conditions, pregnancy being one of them.
Read MoreThere are many medicines to get your bowels moving, the most common is lactulose which unfortunately is full of sugar.
I have four things that I recommend to patients to try, along with changing their diet.
Read MoreCoughs during the winter months are common and can last for weeks without causing any harm to your child. So how do you know when you child needs to see a doctor?
Read MoreChocolate truffles that care for you!
Read MoreWhile most of us will get a candida infection or thrush for the first time after taking an antibiotic, or having an infection of the intestine or the birth canal, a small number of us will get fungal infections because our immune system is not working normally either due to medication we are on, or because we have a condition that lowers our immune response.
Read MoreNow, you might say- “Why do we need a vaccine for a common, but not ‘serious’, sexually transmitted infection like Clamydia?”
Read MoreUnfortunately, as you get older shoulder pain may be something you have to deal with. Often you will have no recollection of doing anything to bring it on.
Read MoreWith an ageing population it affects more humans than ever before. So can we really do anything to generate new brain cells and possibly slow down the onset of dementia?
Read MoreGiven that everything we eat- fruit, vegetables, cheese, meat, some organic fruit and vegetables included- contain pesticides, the big question is: are pesticides in food really that bad?
Read MoreIt seems to me that a lot of things women do are taboo- breast feeding, talking about the menopause, talking about periods, how we dress or don’t dress- what is the problem?
Read MoreOften, I’ve heard that in order to absorb calcium from spinach you must eat something acidic with it, such as lemon juice. But is this really true?
Read MoreThere are a million fish in the sea and so it seems there are a million theories on motivation, and that’s no joke!
Read MoreSo what’s the new attraction with seeing a private GP instead of your own NHS GP?
Read MoreWe often forget that without Cholesterol our nerve cells, brain and other vital structures just would not work.
So why is cholesterol the ‘Big Baddy’ when it comes to heart disease?
Read MoreIn 1998, during my Obstetrics and Gynaecology placement in the Royal Victoria hospital, Belfast I learnt two very important facts that I still share with my patients:
Read MoreToday, as we deal widening waistlines and a rise in type 2 diabetes and other inflammatory diseases, scientists and journalists are asking the question: "Does our diet, rather than lack of exercise, hold the answer?."
Read MoreExactly five weeks ago today I began an exercise challenge to myself- six weeks of cycling six days a week for six minutes each day, I coined it 6x6x6. Doesn’t sound like much, but the main thing was I felt six minutes was doable.
Read MoreEveryone enjoys being happy. But often we forget what makes us happy, here’s a reminder of what you can do to enjoy life even more.
Read MoreOne in ten people who are overweight manage to loose weight.
In a culture where refined carbohydrates dominate are diet and where low fat diets correlate with a worsening obesity epidemic, science now shows that insulin is the main driver of fat storage and gradual weight gain; and contributes to general inflammation.
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