Women’s Health


Ultra Lip Protection Against Summer Sun

Did you know your lips can burn just like your skin? This is why it's important to help protect them while you're out enjoying the sun.

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Repair, moisturise and protect your hands & feet

Your hands and feet go through a lot on a daily basis. That’s why it’s important to take good care of your hands and feet...

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Around the clock relief for cold and flu symptoms

With winter season upon us, many of us are reaching for tissues and pain relief as cold and flu season hits.

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Bell’s Palsy – Knowing the Difference from a Stroke

The onset of Bell’s Palsy can be quite terrifying as the facial symptoms people experience are similar to a stroke...

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Understanding HIV & AIDS: Myths, Facts, and Progress

World AIDS Day is on 1 December every year, and this year the theme is “take the rights path”...

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Managing & Surviving End-Of-Year Stress

Anyone else feel a sense of dread halfway through October, that comes with realising that end-of-year madness will kick off on November 1st?

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Understanding Vertigo: Causes, Symptoms & Solutions

Have you ever experienced a feeling that you are moving or your surroundings are moving even though in reality everything is stationary?

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Funding Changes For Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)

From 1 October 2024, Pharmac will fund a range of continuous glucose monitors & insulin pumps for all people with certain types of Diabetes.

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Reusable Period Products 101

The average female typically menstruates for 30-40 years – approx 450 menstrual cycles! The environmental impact of this is staggering....

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Embracing Balance: 10 FREE Lifestyle Tips for Managing Stress

Managing stress is not about eliminating it entirely (if only!)—it's about finding ways to live harmoniously with the natural ups and downs.

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Circadian Rhythm, Melatonin and Sleep

Circadian rhythm is the name given to the physical, mental and behavioural patterns that occur in our bodies over 24-hours.

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Meditation: Supporting Sleep In Surprising Ways

Out of the hundreds of students I have taught to meditate, almost all hope that the practice might have a positive affect on their sleep.

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Toxic Shock Syndrome – Do I Need To Worry About This Anymore?

30 years ago there was a higher risk of contracting TSS through the use of tampons. Should I be worried about it these days?

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Sepsis – What Is It And How To Recognise It

Do you know what sepsis is and would you recognise its symptoms?

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What Is Frozen Shoulder And Who Gets It?

Not just a sore, stiff shoulder, frozen shoulder can be very painful and interfere with everyday tasks...

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What is a decongestant and how do they work?

Discover what a decongestant is, what they are used for and how they work...

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Meditation and Stress

We hear so much about the detrimental effects of “stress” these days, and yes prolonged periods of stress on the body and mind....

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The Importance Of A Positive Mind For Good Health

The body can be compared to a car in the sense that it requires regular maintenance, servicing, good fuel and care to operate optimally...

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Rethinking Antibiotics: Why Your Doctor Might Say No

In recent years, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics have become a growing concern for healthcare professionals....

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Giving Blood

Blood and blood products are used every day throughout New Zealand to save the lives of people with life-threatening injuries and illnesses.

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Meditation and Motherhood

Becoming a parent isn't a walk in the park, so it's important to have ways of coping. Read Claire Robbie's journey into motherhood.

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Testosterone Deficiency in Men & Women

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

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Tinnitus driving you crazy?

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

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Oral health and how it can affect the body

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

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Hearing Loss – is it an inevitable part of aging?

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

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Scalp Conditions – Psoriasis and Dandruff

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.

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Importance of Probiotics for Good Health

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

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Once thought to be a childhood disorder that disappeared in adulthood, ADHD affects 5 to 7% of the population.

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Anaphylaxis

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

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PMDD

Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) has been described as “PMS on steroids”. It is a hormone-based mood disorder...

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Diarrhoea

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

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Covid still….

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

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Snoring – Don't Let It Ruin
Your Summer Holidays!

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

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Scabies

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

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Treat Pain and Fever

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.

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Eye Inflammation and Infections

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

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Prevention and Treatment of Minor Skin Infections

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

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Eczema

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

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Immunisation Schedule for Adults

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

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Cervical Screening Changes

From the 12th of September 2023 some significant changes to cervical screening services in New Zealand will take place.

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Immunisations Available From Pharmacies

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

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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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Winter Lip Care

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

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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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Changes to Abortion Law in NZ

It wasn’t until 24 March 2020 that abortion was decriminalised in New Zealand. On this date Parliament voted for radical reforms to abortion legis..

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Menopause in the Workplace

In the New Zealand workforce there are approximately 400,000 women in the menopause age bracket, and in a recent study it was revealed that 70% of t..

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Autism

Autism affects 1 in every 100 New Zealanders, however, this may be a conservative estimate. Internationally, the rate of autism appears to be rising..

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Insomnia

“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 ..

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Rosacea

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..

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20 Super Simple Ways to be Healthy

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

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Talk Peach

Over 400 New Zealanders die from one of five gynaecological cancers every year, and most women don’t know that some of these exist.

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Pancreatic cancer

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..

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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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Skin Cancer

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.

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Neurodiversity

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

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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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Insight into Iridology

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, ..

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10 Ways to Naturally Improve Your Mental Health

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..

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Daffodil Day

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..

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Antiviral Medicines for COVID

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""] Covid antiviral medicines have been available in New Zealand for several months now, on prescription from y..

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Tips to Help Reduce Cancer Risk

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..

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HRT for perimenopause and menopause

Menopause and the lead-up to it (called perimenopause) is a time of huge change for women, both physically and mentally. While some women sail throu..

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COVID Second Booster

Why are we being offered a second booster against COVID?Before COVID, more than 500 people died from influenza each year. Influenza or ‘the flu’..

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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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Diabetes and Dietary Considerations

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..

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Cervical cancer

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus infects cells on the cervix and causes changes t..

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Keeping a Healthy Weight During the Winter Months

For many of us, winter and weight gain seem to go hand in hand like a blustery cold night and a creamy warm bowl of comfort food. As mercury drops, ..

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Bowel Cancer

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..

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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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Understanding Healthy Weight Loss

A successful weight loss program must be consistent with all four cornerstones of good health: a nutritious diet, adequate exercise, a positive ment..

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Folliculitis

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..

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Iron Deficiency Anaemia

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..

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Excess sweating (hyperhidrosis)

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..

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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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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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Chicken Pox

Chicken pox is a common childhood disease caused by the varicella virus. It causes small itchy blisters to form on the skin and also makes people fe..

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Burnout

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

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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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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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Veins

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

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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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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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Prickly heat (sweat rash)

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..

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Bursitis

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..

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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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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

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

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Osteoporosis – World Osteoporosis Day

World Osteoporosis Day is 20 October every year. The aim is to raise awareness of how to prevent, diagnose and treat osteoporosis.

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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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Warts and Verrucas

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 ..

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Chilblains

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..

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‘Natural’ Alternatives to Conventional Nail Polish

Most women are familiar with that noxious and heady smell as you open a bottle of nail polish. The anticipation of painting the fashion town red wit..

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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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Bacterial conjunctivitis

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

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Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease that affects about one in ten women. It happens when tissue similar to that found in the uterus lining (end..

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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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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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Anxiety

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

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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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Hair Loss

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 ..

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A Nutritionist’s Guide to Improving Sleep

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

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Natural Solutions For Bad Breath

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..

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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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Nutritional Support for Managing Stress

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..

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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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Nosebleeds

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

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Breastfeeding Awareness Week

Breastfeeding Awareness Week runs from the 1st to the 7th of August every year. It is part of an annual global event that celebrates breast-feeding ..

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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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Nutrition Tips for Managing Winter Coughs

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..

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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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Keeping Colds and Flu at Bay

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

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Coughs

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 ..

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Cold & Flu

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 ..

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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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Tips to Holistically Speed Up the Healing Time for Cuts

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

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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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Tips For Avoiding Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

Pregnant women are beautiful. Bumps, lumps, hormonal pimples and all. It’s a miraculous time and a woman’s body is doing an incredible thing, gr..

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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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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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Holistic Considerations for Treating Acne

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 ..

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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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Scratches, bites and stings

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..

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Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptive pills have been available since the 1960’s as a way for women to prevent pregnancy and have control of their fertility. They were..

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Prevention & Treatment of Shingles

Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Anyone who has had chicken pox could get shingles.

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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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Natural Remedies For Joint Pain

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..

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Acne

Acne is a very common skin condition – in fact most people will be affected by it at some stage in their lives.

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Herbs and Supplements for Breastfeeding

World Breastfeeding Week is a global event between 1 - 7th August that aims to celebrate, protect, and promote the act of breastfeeding. Breast milk i..

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Ginger and Banana Pregnancy Smoothie

#glutenfree Pregnancy is undoubtedly incredibly demanding on a woman’s body, but ultimately, it can be a radiantly happy time where energy is in ..

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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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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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Type 2 Diabetes: Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid

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..

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Natural Treatments For Shingles

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

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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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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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Breast Cancer Awareness – risks and prevention

As the most common cancer for women in New Zealand, most of us probably know someone who has or has had breast cancer.

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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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7 Signs You Might Have Candida Overgrowth

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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Health Benefits of Cranberries

Cranberries, native to North America, have a long history of medicinal food use. Native Americans used the fruit for the treatment of bladder and kidn..

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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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Understanding the Basics of Breastfeeding Nutrition

Producing milk to sustain life is a miraculous thing indeed. It can also be incredibly draining if you’re not looking after yourself properly and ea..

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Natural Remedies for Morning Sickness

Pregnancy is an amazing journey but certain stages can make for a fairly bumpy ride! Most of the discomforts that occur during pregnancy are the resul..

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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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Paracetamol for Adults

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

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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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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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Women's Health Checklist

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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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New 3 In 1 Treatment for COPD

Are you living with COPD? And experiencing flare-ups or exacerbations, or an increase in symptoms , even though you are using a treatment...

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Find the right Blistex for your lips

Through our lips, we say or first words and we experience our first kiss, but lips are sensitive and can become vulnerable.

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Maximum 3-in-1 Immune Support

Achieve the maximum health benefit from this high absorption and high dose immune support supplement.

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Flu Vaccination

We’re all susceptible to flu and know how important that flu shot is, to keep us doing things we need or love to do.

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Blistex Agave Rescue

Meet the newest member of the Blistex family, Agave Rescue...

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Treatment for Chronic Rhinitis

Tired of a constant runny nose, nasal congestion or mucus in the back of your throat?

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Treatment for COVID-19

You could be forgiven for thinking that COVID-19 is no longer a big deal, especially if you’re fully vaccinated.

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Diabetes Management

Do you have diabetes and want to manage your glucose levels confidently and achieve real results?

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Blistex Hemp & Shea Hydration

Blistex’s new Hemp & Shea Hydration has arrived just in time for spring!

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Help with Weight Loss

Are cravings and hunger getting in the way of achieving your goals?

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Once-A-Day Treatment for Asthma

If you have asthma, you’ve probably been using a puffer to prevent your symptoms for some time.

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Blistex Lip Infusions

If you get sore or chapped lips, you’ll know the Blistex lip balm range, it’s been the go-to for dry, cracked lips for years...

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Incontinence – Don't Let it Stop You From Enjoying Life

1 in 4 New Zealanders experience incontinence.1 It can be embarrassing, stressful and can stop you from going out...

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Treatment for COPD

If you have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), sometimes called emphysema or chronic bronchitis...

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