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Family Health Diary

Articles by this Author


How to tell if your pet has fleas and how to get rid of them fast

Fleas are the most common external parasite in dogs & cats.

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Contrast Therapy – Part 3

We’ve talked about the heat, and we’ve talked about the cold. Now what happens if we bring the two together?

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Healthy Halloween

Want to celebrate Halloween this year, but trying to keep it a bit healthier? Check out our top picks for fun Halloween treats...

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Cold Water Immersion – Part 2

Now we’re on to the other end of the heat spectrum with cold water immersion, or CWI. CWI has a slightly bigger job to do to sell itself...

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Heat Therapy – Part 1

Hot and cold exposure therapy has hurtled in to the trendy wellness stratosphere with people like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kim Kardashian etc.

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Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric and Ginger Smoothie

This bright and bold smoothie packs an anti-inflammatory punch like no other, thanks to the star ingredients, turmeric and ginger.

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Reigniting Resourcefulness

These days we can buy pretty much anything we want, at any time of the day. Most supermarkets are open 7 days a week, if not 24 hours a day.

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HPV Vaccination

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is thought to be the most commonly sexually transmitted disease in the world.

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Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, meaning that the human body can’t make all of its requirements on its own and has to get it other ways.

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Oat & Chocolate Chia Muesli Bar

These muesli bars came into my family's lives after much trial-and-error trying to make healthy lunch box treats that both my boys liked.

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6 Ideas to Transform Your Workspace into a Healthy Hub

By making a few simple tweaks to your workspace, you can create a healing, rejuvenating refuge to create more balance!

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Community Pharmacy Minor Ailments Service (MAS)

There is good news for those unable to access or afford healthcare for minor health conditions. 

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Removal of the $5 prescription charge

From 1st July the $5 prescription fee (co-payment) is being removed. The $5 prescription fee has often been considered a barrier.

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Raspberry, Cacao & Chia Porridge

Rising to this bright, warm, and wholesome bowl of goodness makes winter mornings that much easier!

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Preparing for Winter

Taking measures to support our immune system during the cold winter months can help us to stay healthy and keep our community safe.

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Smoking and COPD

COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in New Zealand after heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.

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How to clean your air fryer

So you are loving your air fryer, but are not sure how to clean it? Regular cleaning will extend the lifespan of your air fryer and keep it in good ..

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Cleaning heat pump and air conditioning filters

Cleaning the filters in your heat pump, humidifier and air-conditioning units on a regular basis is important to ensure that the air you breathe is ..

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Smelly Containers and Rubbish Bins

Smelly Containers do not have to be thrown out. Try this tip for getting rid of odours. Works well in lunch boxes and empty rubbish bins. For extra ..

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Dry skin

The skin is your first barrier of protection from the outside world. It should keep the moisture in and infections out. Usually this works well, but..

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Help protect against meningococcal disease

Even if your child has been immunised, they may be missing protection against meningococcal disease.1 Meningococcal is a rare but potentially deadly..

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Fibromyalgia

People with fibromyalgia sometimes say they “hurt all over”. They often feel really tired. Each person tends to experience fibromyalgia differen..

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Hepatitis from Imported Frozen Berries

There are several types of hepatitis. They have letters for their names: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C. They all affect your liver. H..

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Preparing for Spring Weather

Spring is here and with it, finally warmer, drier, sunny weather. It’s time to take the opportunity and get outdoors, and with that, a reminder to..

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Dementia. Caring for the carers.

We observe World Alzheimer’s month in September each year, to recognise the impact of dementia on people’s lives. Certainly the disease affects ..

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Antiviral Medicines for COVID

Covid antiviral medicines have been available in New Zealand for several months now, on prescription from your doctor. They have recently been recla..

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Preventing and treating burns in the home

We need to think about protecting young and old from being burns all year round.

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Hearty Vegetable and Chorizo Soup

This hearty soup is the ultimate comfort food, and the fresh basil pesto twist packs a punch of flavour. Ingredients: Olive oil ..

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What are kidney stones?

Your kidneys filter your blood and takes out the water soluble waste products that you do not need. The kidneys make urine (pee) by dissolving these..

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World Asthma Day Aotearoa

Every year we have a day to remind people about asthma; how many of us suffer with it and how many New Zealanders die from it every year and what we..

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Thyroid issues

The thyroid gland and the importance of iodine The thyroid is a gland at the base of your neck. It produces thyroid hormones like T4 and T3. ..

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COVID and why vaccinate children

The usual back to school flurry includes getting clothes and books ready and finding the lunch box. This year there is also the consideration of mas..

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Clean your washing machine

Most of us take our washing machine for granted, believing that washing clothes is enough to keep it clean. You will be shocked to see what your was..

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Back to school and childhood immunity

When children first start school or daycare it's common to “catch everything” that is going around as they build their immunity.

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Indigestion

How to tell if you have just eaten too much or if there is another reason for your pain. A lot of us eat too much over the festive season. In..

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Soothe Sunburn

Soothe Sunburn in no time. Spray DYC Apple Cider Vinegar on sunburn to soothe the affected area. Ingredients: DYC Apple Cider ..

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History of Pandemics and Vaccines

The world has been plagued by pandemics as far back as written history and beyond. Countries have responded over the centuries by closing their bord..

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Pavlova

This is a simple kiwi Pavlova recipe, crunchy on the outside and marshmallow on the inside. Ingredients: 4 egg whites1 1/4 cup..

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Meningococcal disease

Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria. Three out of every twenty people in New Zealand carry the bacteria in their nasal passages, they don’..

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Classic Kiwi Salad Dressing Recipe

The traditional Kiwi salad dressing is a kiwi favourite with sweetened condensed milk and vinegar. Double the recipe if you want to use the w..

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Strawberries fresher for longer

Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries are delicious. Before your berries go fuzzy, use this trick to keep them fresher for longer. Ingred..

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Sunscreens and what exactly does SPF mean?

In the pharmacy we usually see the first lot of people with sunburn at Labour weekend. It is like we all forgot that sun was hot during winter and h..

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School lunch box ideas

Cherry tomatoes, baby carrots and chopped cucumber with hummus, sliced capsicum, celery with cream cheese or peanut butter...

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Practical nutrition tips for parents

Finding creative ways to encourage your children to eat and enjoy fruit and vegetables can be fun for the entire family.

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Hayfever Season

Hayfever – what is it?The medical name for hayfever is ‘allergic rhinoconjunctivitis’. So, it's not a fever and it's not an infection. Hayfev..

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Do people still catch COVID if they are vaccinated?

First we need to understand how a vaccine works. Vaccination causes an immune response that improves your body’s ability to fight the virus.

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Longer Lasting Nail Polish

To make nail polish last longer, wipe fingernails with cotton wool that has been soaked with DYC White Vinegar before applying nail polish. You will..

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Bedwetting

Bedwetting can be upsetting for parents and children and yet it is a normal part of your child’s development as they learn to control their bladde..

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Bladder control

Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control. There are different causes but the end result is wet pants and often embarrassment.

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Irritable bowel or inflammatory bowel

Many people have an irritable bowel from time to time. This is usually harmless and goes away by itself. The symptoms may include bloating, cramping..

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Anti-inflammatory medicines

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) are used to relieve pain in long and short-term conditions, including arthritis...

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Simple beauty

The health and beauty industry is full of temptation. There is a constant stream of new products promising longer lashes, brighter smiles...

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COVID Vaccines

Many people are asking about the COVID vaccines and are keen to understand how these work and if they are safe. First we need to understand t..

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Blood Pressure

What exactly is it?Your heart is a pump. Imagine a water pump, pumping water through pipes, well it is very similar. Your heart pumps blood through ..

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Imperfect Action

Sometimes I drive a car, throw things in the rubbish and buy things in plastic… there, I said it, confession over.

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Serotonin Syndrome

Serotonin syndrome is a serious effect that happens when our body accumulates too much serotonin.

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Herbs and Nutrients that Improve Your Immune Response

What can we do to keep ourselves healthy and protect ourselves from respiratory infections like COVID, common cold and the flu?

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Lip care

Lips are an important part of our body, but we can easily forget to look after them. It is only when they are damaged that we pay them some attentio..

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November Movember

Each year in November there is a focus on men’s health. This is because men tend to go to the doctor less often and men die younger and often from..

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Digital Eye Strain

Eye strain can be caused by looking at computer screens for too long without a break, driving long distances or reading a book for a long time. ..

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Fainting

Fainting is when you lose consciousness for a short time due to not enough blood and oxygen getting to your brain. There are many things that can ca..

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The dark half of the year and melatonin

We are past the shortest day (22 June). The days are getting longer and it is great to see daylight on the way to work (on fine days). In winter som..

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Autoimmune diseases – what are they really?

Our body usually produces antibodies to fight off invaders like viral and bacterial infections. An autoimmune disease is when your immune system tri..

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Psoriasis

SymptomsNormal skin cells begin deep within the skin. They slowly rise to the surface where they die and fall off. This whole process takes about a ..

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How our brain responds to stress

While we have been going through the Covid-19 lockdown a lot of people have felt increased stress levels, so here are some tips to help us all cope...

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Keep taking your medicine

Whilst we have now moved into Level 2 it is still important to continue to take your medication. This may seem a fairly obvious thing to tell..

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Migraine, headache and stroke

When someone gets a bad headache, they may say they have a migraine, but they might not. The pain of a headache can range from mild to severe. The p..

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Good blood sugar control of Diabetes reduces long term problems

Diabetes is a group of diseases that affect how your body uses sugar. The sooner you begin treating diabetes and the better your blood sugar control..

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Children’s Day

Children’s day is held on the first Sunday in March every year, and what a perfect opportunity to spend some time celebrating children...

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Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in New Zealand. It is a range of conditions that affect the optic nerve and cause blindness when not trea..

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TIA or Mini-stroke

You may know someone who has had a TIA (sometimes called a mini stroke). By reading this blog you can be prepared in case it happens to you or someo..

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Foot odour

Do you have problems with smelly feet in summer? So do lots of people. Sweat glands are over most of your body but mainly the palms of the ha..

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Cranberry, Pistashio & Coconut Frozen Bark

Ingredients1 small tub of Greek yoghurt1/4 cup of Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries1 Tbsp of pistachios1 Tbsp of coconut Di..

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Safe and effective medicines for all

“Safe and effective medicines for all” is the theme of this year’s World Pharmacists Day, which falls on 25 September 2019. The preside..

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Pink Cranberry Smoothie

Ingredients1 large orange, peeled150ml frozen cranberries1 cup frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries)1 frozen banana, peeled and sliced150ml Oce..

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Cranberry Light Spritzer

Ingredients250ml Ocean Spray® Light Cranberry Classic™250ml sparkling water1/2 fresh lemon squeezed3 fresh mint sprigs Directions ..

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Alzheimer’s

September is World Alzheimer’s month. In New Zealand there are 70,000 people living with dementia. Dementia is a reduction in thinking, memory and..

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Nine Truths about Eating Disorders

Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness; anorexia actually has a higher mortality rate than depression. Here..

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Osteoarthritis

There are lots of different types of arthritis including arthritis associated with psoriasis and gout. I wrote about rheumatoid arthritis in July. T..

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Allergic conjunctivitis / Allergy eyes

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the covering of your eye and inside your eye lids. This can be caused by an infection or by an allergy.

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Dry eye

Lots of people suffer with dry eyes at some stage in their lives and it is very common in winter. ‘Dry eye’ can be from not producing sufficient..

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Rheumatoid Arthritis

What is rheumatoid arthritis?Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of joint inflammation that causes long term pain and may lead to joint deformity. H..

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Here Comes Sore Throat Season

Sore throatMost sore throats will not be helped by antibiotics whether they are an infection or not. Most sore throats are caused by a virus. A viru..

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Eating for health

Planted based diets are best for your health. We could all do with eating a few more vegetables.

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Wound care

We all have bacteria growing all over our skin. The skin is the first line of protection to keep the bacteria out of our bodies. When you get a cut ..

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Stay independent – Falls prevention

As we age we are more likely to fall. This year one in every three persons over 65 years old will have a fall and one in every two persons over 80 w..

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Nerve pain

Nerve pain is pain that is caused by damage or disease that affects the nervous system of the body. It is also known as neuropathic pain or neuralgi..

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How I Eat (and Love) Food When I Know Way Too Much About Nutrition

by Emily Laurence Sometimes, I miss the food habits of my early 20s. Blissfully unaware of the dangers of processed food. Buying organic w..

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Measles

With the latest measles outbreak people are asking their local pharmacists questions about measles: How do I catch it? What are the symptoms ..

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Aspirin and a healthy heart

February is Heart Awareness month. Did you know that every 90 minutes, someone in New Zealand dies from heart disease and it is the leading cause of d..

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Ear Health: Swimmers Ear

Sunny summer days have meant lots of swimming and therefore more ‘swimmers ear’. We have also seen more people coming into the pharmacy asking f..

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Adverse drug reactions

While medicine can make a huge improvement to our health, there are times when the medicine may make us feel unwell. Before a medicine is available fo..

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Meningitis

There was a recent death from meningitis reported in the newspapers. Although meningitis is more common in winter it is good for everyone to be aware ..

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Fungal infections

As the weather continues to become warmer we see more people coming into the pharmacy to ask for help with their fungal infections. Fungi are like mus..

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What is Menopause?

The technical description of menopause is "a point in time 12 months after a woman's last period”. The time of life this happens can vary but it usu..

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Go Gold for Kids Fighting Cancer

While child cancer is rare it has a profound effect on the entire whanau. Around 150 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in New Zealand. So e..

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Cranberry Lime Spritzer

Ingredients: 3 sprigs fresh mint, washed1 tablespoon fresh lime juice100 ml Ocean Spray® Cranberry Classic™ or Cranberry Light Fruit DrinkSparkli..

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Broccoli and Cranberry Salad

Ingredients: Prep time:
10 minutes plus chilling 8-10 servings Salad: 5 cups broccoli florets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cup chopped red ..

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World Hepatitis day

Worldwide, 300 million people who are living with viral hepatitis are unaware they have it. On World Hepatitis Day, 28 July, there is an international..

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The bugs that happily live in our intestines

New science around probiotics proves that the bacteria (or bugs) that live in your intestine have a huge impact on the function of your body and your ..

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Urinary tract infections

A urinary tract infection is sometimes called a UTI. This is an infection of any part of the urinary tract like the bladder, the kidneys or the tubes ..

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Colds and flu – What's the Difference

Cold A cold is a viral infection that affects your nose, sinuses, throat and upper chest. It usually goes away by itself in 7 to 10 days. The symptom..

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19 Water-Rich Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated

Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, which can cause fatigue, headaches, skin problems, muscle cramps, low blood pressure...

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Concussion

Winter sport season is a time to consider concussion.

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Asthma

More than one in every ten people in NZ have asthma and many do not take their asthma seriously enough. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of as..

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The Spirit of Christmas

They don’t call it the silly season for nothing. December is a month I have a love/ hate relationship with and I’m sure I’m not alone. If thi..

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In the Summer time

For many of us, a sunny, warm summer is exciting. Getting outside and enjoying summer is part of being a kiwi. I’m all for that as long as we also r..

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Dogs in Summer

Auckland has recently had some hot days – in fact all of NZ has – it’s just that I happen to live in Auckland...

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Being Aware of Anger

I was fascinated to read that the UK have an Anger Awareness Week in early December. Of all the awareness weeks that exist, this surely is one that al..

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Movember

Movember is here. Men’s Health month – roll on hairy men. Well, actually there’s a lot more blokes sporty hirsute faces these days, be it the cl..

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Let’s Talk Medicine Safety

Pharmacists across New Zealand are raising awareness of medicine safety this month. It’s all part of National Patient Safety Week which is being hel..

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Meals without meat

The first of October was World Vegetarian Day and the first of November is World Vegan Day. And if the word ‘vegan’ is a first for you, it means y..

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Mental health and young children

Children as they grow up, learn to grapple with big feelings, but it takes a while to do that (hey, even us adults aren’t pros).

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Breast Cancer Awareness – risks and prevention

I’m sure most people know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – with promotions and events such as the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal, the Pi..

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School holidays

Depending where you sit on the age and with/without kids scale, school holidays will mean different things to you.

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Stroke Week – a call to take action

In this blog I want to promote Stroke Week which was held in the first week of October. Stroke Week leads into the Big NZ Blood Pressure Check. Why..

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Spring Cleaning – start with your medicines

It’s that time of year again, the weather is supposed to be slowly warming up and the days are getting longer. Daylight saving is now here! While th..

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Raising Children – parenting help is at hand

Looking for some expert approved, family friendly parenting advice? Well, let me help you there!

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Grilled Salmon with Cranberry Relish

Ingredients  Relish ¾ cup Ocean Spray® Reduced Sugar Craisins® Dried Cranberries 1 cup Ocean Spray® Cranberry Classic™ or Light Cranberry F..

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Cranberry Lime Refresher

Ingredients 250ml Ocean Spray® Cranberry Light Fruit Drink, chilled 2 ounces sparkling water Lime wedge, garnish Mint, garnish Directions Fi..

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Grief

Grief – it’s a fact of life. At some stage, you or someone close to you is going to have to deal with the loss of someone or something special to ..

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A winter of flu

This winter looks set to be one to remember although maybe not for reasons we'd like to remember it. As well as setting weather records, notably for c..

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HPV vaccine for the lads

If you haven’t caught up – and you have a teenage lad in your household – NEWS FLASH – the HPV vaccine is now funded free for the blokes. T..

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Travel tips

I’m about to head away on a bit of an epic family adventure – something we have managed every couple of years or so, which is pretty lucky really...

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Breastfeeding

I was recently reading an article about two mums who had both breastfed their babies, and had quite different experiences. Nothing new there – women..

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Poisoning Prevention

Poisoning – it’s a major cause of hospitalisation for young children in New Zealand.

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Keeping a diary

I’m an advocate for keeping a diary of health symptoms – it’s something I often recommend when someone asks me for advice in the pharmacy. Somet..

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End of Semester stress

If there’s a tertiary student in your house, end of semester is a tense old time. Hand ins for the last assignments, prepping for end of course exam..

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Dry skin in winter

Dry skin – it’s a common winter thing At this time of year, as winter kicks in, I frequently talk to people asking for help to relieve dry skin. ..

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How to beat some winter health woes

Most of us know that we’re more likely to get a cold, sore throat, flu or other virus in winter.  But did you know that the chilly temperatures and..

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International Father’s Mental Health Day

I saw an email through the inbox this week, and thought – wow, I bet not many people know about that day – I didn’t. As per the logo above, t..

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Nits

Yeah, an altogether stunning start to an article, a title like that. I could just as easily change it to kutis (or cooties) or head lice, but…let’..

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Back to School may mean back to battling headlice

Headlice, kutus, nits – whatever you call them – most parents dread their discovery in their child’s hair.

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ANZAC Day

In the coming weeks poppies will start being seen on people’s chests, in the run up to ANZAC Day on 25 April. There will again be huge turnouts at d..

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Arthritis

As I struggled to open the lid of a jar recently – saved by the 18-year-old son who made it look utterly effortless – it made me wonder how diffic..

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Threadworms

Let’s talk threadworms. Something most children are likely to get at some time during their life – especially between the ages of 5-14yrs.

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Planning a pregnancy

It’s been a good long while before I had planning a pregnancy on my mind (my babies are now 21,18 and 13) but planning is in fact what you should do..

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Beasties that bite

Every time I set off for an outdoor adventure, I think about how lucky we are in New Zealand that we don’t have real nasties.

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Back to school

It’s here! School is back. A new routine and regular rhythm starts to daily life. Are you ready? Are your kids?

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New Year Resolutions

It’s something about the calendar rolling over to a new year that makes us take stock of our lives. Perhaps it’s simply the enforced holiday seaso..

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Beating Blisters

We’re about to set off on another family hiking adventure.  For the last few summers we’ve done a multi-day hike somewhere around New Zealand enj..

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It’s time to be SunSmart

Written by: Jenny Cade In my last blog I wrote about a recent personal experience with a mole that had to be removed because it could become a mela..

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Learning to ride a bike

The earlier you get your kids on a bike, the more confidence they will have to keep progressing through the stages.

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Toxoplasmosis

Our dog has had toxoplasmosis. Altogether a bit scary. I last heard the word ‘toxoplasmosis’ some 21 years ago, when pregnant with my first baby, ..

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If in doubt check it out

Earlier this year, I had a skin cancer check i.e. a specially qualified doctor ‘inspected’ my body to check for anything that already was or might..

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Never too old to learn

Never too old to learn

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Respiratory illness in a child

I remember ‘back in the day’ as a student nurse at Middlemore in the 1980s being astounded at the amount of respiratory illnesses on the medical w..

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Exams – ten tips to prepare for them

Well it's that end of the year... the sharp end where all that learning is meant to come together efficiently and eloquently in an exam. Easy? No. Exc..

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World Diabetes Day

As I write this it is World Diabetes Day. As you read this, it probably isn’t. But one awareness day a year isn’t really what’s important.  Wha..

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Get ready for Halloween!

Ok, so yes, you might feel like you’ve had some Americanised mass market thing foisted upon you, your family and your neighbourhood...

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Travel health

A headline “Getting Sick on Holiday” in the Travel supplement in the New Zealand Herald earlier this year caught my eye. The article quoted resear..

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Ocean Spray® Light Cranberry Smoothie

A simple and delicious berry smoothie, with only 4 ingredients!

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Ocean Spray® Reduced Sugar Craisins® Chicken Salad

Chicken salad with Reduced Sugar Craisins® is a perfect filling for sandwiches

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A Modern Bed of Nails – Shakti Mat

If you’re like me and have only just heard about the Shakti Mat, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about!

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Breast cancer awareness

It’s breast cancer awareness month, but really it’s something year round us girls need a good understanding of. 3000 Kiwi women a year are diagnos..

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Blue September

I’ve left it a little late in September to talk about the blokes and Blue September – but you know as long as they don’t leave it till the last ..

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Antibacterial this and that – one of my pet topics!

In my last blog about the gastro outbreak in Havelock North, I wrote about the importance of hand washing in the context of preventing illnesses sprea..

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Gastroenteritis

Previous health crises in places like the Havelock North gastro outbreak, have shown how easy it is for some infections to spread. Thankfully an outbr..

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Breastfeeding awareness

World breastfeeding awareness week runs in the first week of August. One of the themes has been about how breastfeeding is a key element in getting us..

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Plastic Free July

It’s ‘Plastic Free July’ and I for one need to try harder. And I want to. Earlier this year I went on a beach clean-up day with my daughter’s ..

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School holiday's

This term is almost done and dusted. Good thing if you’re in Auckland? Less traffic on the road. Bad thing? Quelling a quiet sense of rising panic w..

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Coeliac Disease

With an increase in people choosing not to eat gluten, many people have heard of going ‘gluten free’ but it’s actually only deemed...

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The importance of hand washing

It's one of the basics we all need to teach our kids - how to wash your hands. That and brushing your teeth, how to use the toilet and saying please a..

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Paracetamol for Adults

Find out about the important points when using paracetamol to treat pain and/or fever in adults.

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Paracetamol for children

Giving advice is a huge part of what I do as a pharmacist. One of the conversations I always try to make time for is to give advice...

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Get Ready for Winter

Now we've officially hit winter, it's time to think about what you can do to protect yourself from winter illnesses.

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Colic and Reflux

Colic is when a baby cries for several hours a day and there is no obvious cause.

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Wound Care – Cuts and Grazes

Skin is made up of different layers and substances which make it supple and tough and allow it to stretch. But sometimes skin is broken...

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Worms

Threadworms look like small pieces of white cotton, about 1 cm long. The most common sign of threadworm infection is an itchy bottom.

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Women's Health Checklist

Regular Health Checklist for Women: Breast health check...

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Wise Use of Medicines

Instructions for taking medicines differ from one medicine to another and from one person to another...

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Weight Management

As many have discovered, simply cutting back calories without addressing lifestyle imbalance: stress, inactivity and poor dietary patterns..

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Warm Home

Keeping your home warm over winter makes it a much healthier living environment for you and your family.

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Viral illnesses in Children

Chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella, slap cheek, meningitis...

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Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are caused when valves don't work properly, causing blood to pool and veins to bulge.

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Thrush

Oral thrush causes thick white plaques to grow on the inside of the cheeks or tongue.

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Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

Most cases of simple cystitis are caused by bacteria which ascend through the urethra into the normally sterile urine in the bladder.

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Travel Health

There are a number of measures you can take to maintain your health when travelling.

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Sun Care

Sunlight damages skin. Areas most exposed (the hands, forearms, face and neck) are the most damaged and this damage can lead to skin cancer.

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Summer Health Tips

The ultraviolet radiation (UVR) that gets through the earth’s outer atmosphere is so much stronger at this time of year, causing sunburn...

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Stroke

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel carrying oxygen to the brain leaks or is blocked by a clot...

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Stress

In our caveman days, stress, also known as the “flight or fright” response, was a self-preservation mechanism triggered by physical danger.

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Stomach and Duodenal Ulcers

Ulcers form when the moist inner lining (the mucous membrane) of the digestive tract becomes damaged and inflamed.

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Sprains and Strains

Sprains are the tearing of a ligament. Strains refer to tearing of a muscle or tendon. They often occur together in or around joints...

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Sore Throats

Commonly, sore throats are viral, resulting from the common cold, glandular fever, measles, chicken pox or whooping cough.

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Snoring and Sleep Apnoea

Snoring is estimated to affect around 4 in 10 adult males and as many as 3 in 10 adult females. The sound of snoring is caused by vibration.

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Smoking Cessation

Tobacco is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, and more smokers die of cardiovascular disease than any other cause.

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Skin Conditions

The condition of your skin can tell you a lot about your state of health, even your state of mind. Most skin problems happen either when...

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Skin Care

Skin is your barrier against the outside world. It protects your organs and immune system from bacteria and disease...

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Sinusitis

The sinuses are designed to help insulate the skull and make it lighter, as well as provide resonance for our voice.

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Shingles

Shingles begins with the sensation of burning or tingling on or under the skin. Up to a week later the rash appears...

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Scalp conditions

Seborrhoeic dermatitis, psoriasis of the scalp, contact dermatitis, lichen planus, discoid lupus erythematotus, alopecia...

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Scabies and bed bugs

Just visible to the naked eyes, the pregnant female itch mite Sarcoptes Scabiei burrows a tunnel into the skin of her human host before...

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Safe Sex

The best prevention is understanding what causes a STI, be aware of the risks and take precautions...

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Psoriasis

Most commonly, affected skin takes on a scaly appearance with silvery dry, scaly skin flakes forming an angry, red, inflamed patch of skin.

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Prostate Health

Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer and the second cause of cancer deaths behind lung cancer. It can be slow growing.

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Pregnancy Health

There are some steps that you can take to ensure you are healthy at the time of conception and throughout your pregnancy.

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Poisoning Prevention

Children aged 0-4 years are most at risk of a poisoning. The most common poisoning agents are medicines.

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Pneumonia

Prior to the invention of antibiotics pneumonia killed one third of its victims, and even today, around 5% of pneumonia patients will die...

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Pain

Pain can be felt in one place, like when you cut yourself, or all over your body, such as muscle pain that comes with the flu.

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Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis happens when the bone structure breaks down and they become so weak and brittle that they can easily fracture.

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Oral Health

Good dental and oral health will keep your teeth looking good; protect you from tooth decay and gum disease and also from bad breath...

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Mobility Dogs

Since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Tina’s had to adjust to life in a wheelchair while coping with other symptoms too: reduced...

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Mental Health Disorders

Onset is usually before the age of 30 but can occur at any time of life. Both men and women are equally at risk. Bipolar disorder tends...

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Menstrual Health

For most women periods come and go with little more than inconvenience. For other women, menstruation is fraught with pain, stress...

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Menopause

Menopause is the term for when it has been one year since a woman's last period. When the ovaries stop producing oestrogen, this function...

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Melanoma

Melanoma is deservedly the most feared of the skin cancers, with nearly 3000 New Zealanders diagnosed every year.

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Liver Disease

The liver is such a remarkable organ that we cannot live without it performing its many important functions. These include...

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Joint Health

All bones, except for one, form a joint with another bone. Most joints are designed to protect the ends of bone where they meet.

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Insomnia

Every year around 30% of the adult population will experience some sleeping problems, and amongst the elderly insomnia rates can be...

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Infertility

Infertility is not the same as sterility, as many causes of infertility can be treated. About 25% of couples trying to conceive will...

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Indigestion and acid reflux

Gastrointestinal Oesophageal Reflux Disease or GORD, reflux belongs to the large category of disorders termed Dyspepsia or Indigestion.

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Incontinence

Imagine never knowing when your bladder is going to let you down in public... perhaps in the supermarket or cinema?

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High Blood Pressure

If you have narrowed arteries or increased blood volume, blood pressure increases. Hypertension is persistently raised blood pressure...

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Herpes

Herpes doesn’t deserve the upset it causes. Four out of five New Zealanders have the herpes simplex virus.

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Hernia

There are a number of types of hernias, including inguinal, umbilical, epigastric, femoral and insicional.

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Heart Disease

Heart disease covers any breakdown of normal heart function that affects its performance as a pump, supplying oxygen-rich blood...

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Heartburn

Indigestion is discomfort or a burning feeling in the chest or stomach, often associated with nausea, bloating, belching, vomiting...

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Healthy Home

Have you woken from your cosy warm bed on a chilly morning to see water dripping down your bedroom windows?

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Healthy Eating

Cooking for winter wellness is about producing foods that tick all the “comfort” boxes while looking after your health and weight...

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Headlice

If you find headlice on a child, a suggested treatment plan involves using a combination of insecticide treatment as well as regular combing

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Headache

The brain itself does not have pain receptors so the pain you feel actually comes from the scalp, face or tissue lining the brain.

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Hayfever

Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances in the air we breathe and food we eat.

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Hair Loss

It is normal to lose about 100 hairs a day but sometimes this shedding is faster than usual, leading to thinning hair and baldness.

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Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids or 'piles' as they are commonly known, are really a type of varicose vein. The veins supplying the rectal area...

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Gut Health

Our gut, or gastrointestinal/digestive system, is having its turn in the sun as research reveals that this is no simple plumbing job...

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Gout

The first joint of the big toe is one of the most commonly affected joints, although gout can affect virtually any joint.

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General Wellness

Wellness is eating and moving the way nature intended, keeping stress levels down, avoiding toxins and aiming for balance in all things.

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Gallstones and Kidney Stones

Approximately 20% of women over the age of 40, and 8% of men over 40 have gallstones which may range in size from a pinhead to a golf ball.

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Fungal Infections

The most common types of fungal infections are caused by a mould-like fungus in the outer layers of the skin, usually on the arms, legs...

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Foot Care

Most of the time our feet perform well and we take them for granted. However if we neglect our feet or abuse them...

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First Aid

To help assist in an emergency, keep at least one first-aid kit in your home and one in your car.

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Eyes

Light enters your eye, passes through the transparent cornea onto the crystalline lens, where it's focussed onto the light-sensitive cells..

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Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a problem partly resulting from the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity-related vascular problems.

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Seizures, Epilepsy and Febrile Convulsions

Seizures are divided into two main categories, generalised seizures in which abnormal electrical impulses affect the whole brain and local..

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Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition whereby endometrial cells, which normally line the surface of the uterus or womb, are found outside the uterus.

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Eating Disorders

Eating disorders may be tied up with body image but equally may be a response to stress including sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

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Ear Problems

Otitis media is by far the most common ear problem. It is the result of an infection or inflammation in the middle ear...

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Digestive and Bowel Health

Normally digestion should work without problems, although the frequency of bowel motions can vary from person to person.

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Diabetes

Diabetes is caused by having too much sugar in the blood because the hormone insulin, which normally controls blood sugar levels.

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Dermatitis

Inflammation of the skin is it’s way of reacting to an irritant or allergen and can occur anywhere in the body.

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Depression

“I’m a dad and I’m scared. When I say I’m a dad and I’m scared, I really mean: I’m a dad and I’m looking for answers...

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Delaying a doctor's visit?

There’s a saying that ‘if you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything’. The gist is that your good health is your most important asset.

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Deep Vein Thrombosis

The clot causes swelling of the vein or thrombophlebitis and can cause pain, aching or discomfort.

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Coughs

When the cells lining your throat and airways come in contact with a foreign body messages are sent to the brain....

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COPD

Approximately 85% of cases of COPD are the direct result of cigarette smoking, either active or passive.

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Contraception

Today there is a wide range of different contraceptive methods to choose from, each with different benefits.

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Colds and Flu

The symptoms of a cold and flu are similar and often the first sign of a sniffle is mistakenly called the flu.

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Cholesterol

Around 70-80% of our cholesterol is made by our bodies, mainly by the liver, and the rest comes from dietary sources.

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Cancer

Cancer is a disease that occurs when abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and start to destroy healthy body tissues.

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Breast Health

Each year more than 3000 New Zealand women are diagnosed with breast cancer.

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Brain Health

Laughing out loud, scratching your ear, feeling a love-rush for your children, and reading this article... what do they have in common?

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Bladder Control

Technically urinary incontinence is defined as the inability to hold urine in the bladder...

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Bites and Stings

While ants, mossies, sand flies and fleas leave a temporary legacy of maddening itching, wasp and bee stings are usually extremely painful..

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Baby Sleep

Most new parents assume that sleep deprivation is all part of the job, unless they hit the jackpot and land themselves a ‘good sleeper'.

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Baby Skin Health

When skin problems are unsettling your baby you can usually see what you’re dealing with and can closely monitor the progress.

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Asthma and Bronchitis

One in eight New Zealand adults and one in seven children are using medicines to control asthma.

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Arthritis

Arthritis is the major cause of disability in New Zealand and affects half a million people at some point in their lives.

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Anxiety and Depression

The New Zealand Mental Health Survey cast some light on the make-up of mental illness in our country.

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Antioxidants

‘Antioxidant’ is a classification of several organic substances, including vitamins A, C and E, selenium, and carotenoids.

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Anaemia

Essentially anaemia is not having enough red cells in your blood. These carry oxygen from your lungs to all the tissues in your body.

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Alzheimer's and Dementia

Dementia is the term for a set of symptoms caused by many different disease processes. It involves a loss of mental function...

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Allergies

Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances in the air we breathe and food we eat.

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