Senior's Health

Testosterone is a sex hormone essential for both men & women.

The word “tinnitus’ comes from a Latin word ‘tinnire’ which means ‘to ring’.

The connection between good oral health and the health of the rest of our body is fascinating.

Many people assume that hearing loss is an inevitable part of aging. Adopting strategies to protect hearing as early as possible can help.

It is normal to shed skin from your scalp, but there are two common scalp conditions that cause the skin cells of the scalp to shed quickly.

When you think about germs, what comes to mind? Disgust? Anxiety? You’re not alone. Germs have been cast as the bad guy...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Once thought to be a childhood disorder that disappeared in adulthood, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD..

Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of an allergy and can be life-threatening. It occurs when the immune system overreacts to a substance...

Acute Diarrhoea is not a disease itself but a symptom that can have many possible causes. Experiencing diarrhoea can be very unpleasant...

It appears that New Zealand is experiencing a new wave (the fifth to be exact but who’s counting…) of Covid infections.

SNORING. It can be freight train loud, kitten purr soft, scary, and in some cases, endearing.

Scabies is a common skin condition which results in a red, intensely itchy rash. It's a highly contagious condition, and can spread easily.

Pain and fever are two of the most common symptoms experienced by individuals of all ages. Usually are a signal that something may be wrong.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the protective membrane (conjunctiva) lining the inside of your eyelids and the whites of your eyes.

There are a wide variety of germs that can cause skin infections. The most common conditions are caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

The term Dermatitis is used to describe a number of skin irritations and rashes characterised by inflammation of the skin. 

Many parents are aware of the Immunisation Schedule vaccinations for their children, but there are also several that are funded for adults.

The final COVID-19 mandates have now been removed, including mask wearing and isolating, which are no longer a legal requirement.

There are now over 450 pharmacies providing vaccination services around Aotearoa and this number is continuing to grow.

If you thought summer was the worst time for dry, chapped lips, think again. Winter can actually be the time more of us suffer...

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

“Innocent sleep. Sleep that soothes away all our worries. Sleep that puts each day to rest. Sleep that relieves the weary labourer and heals hurt ..

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition causing facial redness that looks like a blush or sunburn, and doesn’t go away. It affects the ti..

Our everyday lifestyle choices can benefit us physically and mentally. Choosing healthier habits will lead to a longer, happier life. Plus it will low..

The pancreas is a small, pear-shaped gland located in the abdomen. It produces enzymes that help with the digestion of food. It also produces hormon..

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..

Skin cancer begins when the skin cells are damaged and become cancerous. 90% of skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to the sun.

All human brains are powerful, magnificent and unique. Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the way some of our unique brains work – thinking..

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

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

Put simply, the eye works in two ways; it enables us to bring images of the outside world within, and also shows images of what is within the body, ..

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

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. In New Zealand, around 4000 men are affected each year, and around 700 will die from the ..

Mental health can be defined as a state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. To be in prime mental health means being able to maintai..

Tautoko Te Ra Daffodil/ Daffodil Day is held on the last Friday of August every year. The beautiful daffodil flower has become an international symb..

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

So. Here we are (almost) post-pandemic, having spent the better part of 2 1/2 years attempting to arm ourselves every which way to ward off the drea..

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..

Most of us are aware that diabetes has become a rapidly rising health concern in New Zealand. Diabetes can occur when the pancreas doesn’t secrete..

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in New Zealand (lung cancer holds first place), but it doesn’t need to be as it is one of the can..

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..

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. ..

Thanks to my dear little four-year-old niece, who pretty much lived in her plastic outdoor swimming pool in Auckland over this hot summer, I know al..

Iron is a very important mineral in the body as every cell needs it to function healthily. The medical name for low iron levels is anaemia which mea..

Our body’s way of cooling us down when we get hot, stressed or after exercising is to sweat. Sweat is a weak, salty solution produced in sweat gla..

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..

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..

Burnout is a term that is cropping up more and more. WHO formally acknowledged burnout in the International Classification of Diseases...

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..

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

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

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..

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

Veins are part of our cardiovascular system whose function it is to move blood and transport nutrients to the cells in our body.

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..

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 ..

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

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

Now that summer is finally here, prickly heat or sweat rash can sometimes make life a little uncomfortable. When we are hot, our bodies activate our..

The human body contains over 160 bursae, whose function is to provide a thin cushion between surfaces such as tendons, muscles, ligaments and skin a..

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..

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) includes respiratory diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, certain types of bronchiectasis an..

World Osteoporosis Day is on Tuesday 20 October this year. The aims of this day are to raise awareness of how to prevent, diagnose and treat osteopo..

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. ..

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..

Warts and verrucas appear as small lumps on the skin and range in size from 1mm up to around 1cm. They can appear on their own or in clusters, with ..

Chilblains (also known as pernio or perniosis) are itchy, sore, red or purple bumps that occur on the skin as a reaction to cold. Painful inflammati..

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

Bacterial conjunctivitis occurs when bacteria infect the transparent protective membrane that lines the eyelid and covers the white part of your eye..

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 ..

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...

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..

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..

The medical definition of anxiety is “a feeling of apprehension and fear, characterised by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, and f..

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..

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..

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..

It is normal to lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day. Even though it may look a lot on your brush, when you consider we have around 100,000 hairs on ..

Quality sleep is absolutely essential to both a healthy body and mind. Impaired sleep, altered sleep patterns, and even mild sleep deprivation can s..

Bad breath (medically known as ‘halitosis’) can be embarrassing and something that most people want to get on top of pretty quickly! It’s typi..

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..

When you’re feeling under the pump at work, family tensions or financial pressures are rising and that ol’ “I’ve just been so busy” call t..

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

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.

Nosebleeds are a fairly common occurrence, particularly in children, and are usually treatable at home without any medical intervention. They occur ..

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..

The dreaded winter cough. It’s a pain in the, ahem, chest. Count yourselves lucky if you and your family have escaped one of the many viruses doin..

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..

Hello, Winter! Hello, Cold! Hello, Snotty Nose! Hello, Sore Throat! We’ve all now (somewhat reluctantly) welcomed in winter...a season where some ..

A cough occurs when the throat or airway has been irritated, usually by mucus or foreign particles such as dust or smoke. It is the body’s way of ..

Many people say “I’ve got the flu” when really they have a cold. While a bad cold can make you feel pretty miserable for a few days, you will ..

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..

Cuts and wounds are a part of life, especially during childhood when falling from trees or tripping on concrete are a rite of passage.

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 ..

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..

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..

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

Chat to most acne sufferers, and they’ll most likely tell you that it is a complicated condition to treat and often a stressful journey trying to ..

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..

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..

Ahhh summer, here at last. Long sunny days, bare feet, beach swims and staying up late to roast marshmallows after dark. All things that make wonderfu..

Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Anyone who has previously had chicken pox – and most of us caught ..

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 ..

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..

When it comes to treating the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis, a whole-body approach is the best plan of attack. Taking drugs to help minimi..

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..

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 ..

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..

Winter sport season is a time to consider concussion.

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..

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting around 90% of New Zealand diabetes sufferers. With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produc..

Shingles is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles affects the nerve endings...

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..

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..

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..

Feeling a little under the weather? Can’t put your finger on what is causing a seemingly random collection of symptoms?

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 ..

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..

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. ..

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..

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..

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..

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..

Never too old to learn

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..

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..

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..

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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