Health

The death of a talented and dedicated young doctor has been described as a “cruel irony” after he was diagnosed with the same rare cancer he dedicated his life to trying to cure. Ed Showler was 28 and training to be a consultant haematologist when he was diagnosed with incurable clear cell sarcoma last September – like his own patients suffered from. He died on Sunday, June 11, having been admitted to Kent and Canterbury Hospital in his final days....

Alexia Quin, the Director of Music as Therapy International, explains how an upcoming commission into dementia and music can help change the way we care for people living with the disease. Many people think of dementia as only a problem for the elderly, and that it is not something that should be worried about. But with around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today (and that number set to rise to over one million by 2025, according to...

One in four of Britain’s 18 million hayfever sufferers is ‘dreading’ the warmer months, it has emerged. Experts have already warned grass pollen levels are set to build up steadily during 2017, meaning a summer of sniffles and streaming eyes looms for those who suffer from the condition. Researchers who carried out a detailed study also found typically sufferers who work for a living take an average of 1.8 days off each year due to their reaction to the pollen...

One of Britain’s most premature babies has defied the odds after surviving being born at 22 WEEKS weighing just 1lb 4oz. Little Austin Douglas weighed the same as half a bag of sugar when he arrived 18 weeks early on March 31. Doctors told parents Helen, 30 and Rhys, 25, there was very little chance their son would survive after he was born smaller than his mother’s palm. Austin’s skin was so thin his organs were visible and the holes...

Properly rehydrating after sport is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of the body's recovery - namely because it can be such a chore. But a simple new tablet could have the solution. PHIZZ was founded in the UK by Daniel Cray, Rory Simmance-Freemantle and Jon Knight who all have a passion for living life to the full and needed a healthy solution to the pitfalls of pleasure-seeking 21st century lifestyles. Phizz scientifically helps you stay hydrated and healthy and...

Talented British actress Jennie Jacques (Vikings), and script supervisor Georgina Higgins (‘Florence Foster Jenkins’ and ‘Paddington Bear 2’) may be on different sides of the camera, but they are on the same page when it comes to a subject close to their hearts - epilepsy. Jennie's youngest sister lives with seizures and Georgina has epilepsy. In National Epilepsy Week (14-20 May) the two friends talk film sets, stigma and why they want more people to understand how to look after...

Early findings from Bond University in Australia have scientifically demonstrated that the "Tapping Therapy" rewires the brain’s neural pathways to reduce addiction and food cravings. "Tapping", also known as EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), is already being used to treat mental and emotional health issues, but this is the first time that patients brains have been monitored using an Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) scanner to show the physical changes in the brain over the course of their treatment. EFT involves...

Brits are forking out £8 billion to counteract a lack of sleep, new research has revealed. With the average adult struggling to get more than six hours sleep a night - almost two hours less than the recommended quota - we are been forced to shell out hefty sums on sleep aids and things to make us look and feel less tired. From espressos to sweets and energy drinks, the "staying awake" market is positively booming in Britain. A third of adults drink...

Swapping one fizzy drink or beer a day for water slashes the risk of obesity by up to 20 per cent, say scientists. A study of almost 16,000 adults found they were a fifth less likely to develop the condition if they had a glass of water instead of a beer. Replacing a sugar-sweetened soft drink - such as a Coke - in the same way was linked with a 15 percent reduction in risk. Britain has been dubbed the...