It is often said that symptoms are your ticket into the medical system. One of the most common symptoms, especially as we age, are changes in our bowel habit in some form.

These symptoms can vary from changes in frequency & consistency to obvious diarrhoea, constipation, plus varying colour of our stools to obvious blood loss. Also, to bring up a somewhat unpleasant concept is the odour of our stools may also change.

The problem for a non-medical person is when should this should be reported to your doctor?Firstly, and probably most importantly, is when you notice a significant change…

Paul

Q: I have researched “Serrapeptase” which is supposed to aid the breakdown of clogged artery fats to help with better blood flow….? Do you know about this product….? It would seem it is available in every other country except AUS due to the TGA rules here. I am 64, I just had an Angiogram due to a calcium score of 1620 & a slight irregularity in the ECG during a stress test. Your thoughts please & is there another supplement to help de/fat arteries…? Yes i excersise & eat very well.

A: There are no well conducted studies in…

There is no doubt that the world is experiencing an epidemic of diabetes with 415 million around the globe with this condition. Type 2 diabetes is the cause of 90% of diabetes with the second most common being Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes typically commences in childhood between the age of 4 to 14. It is thought to be caused by some type of immune attack on the insulin producing cells in the pancreas, leading to a lack of insulin production in these cells & thus the current need for life-long insulin therapy. The current management of Type 1…

With the vaccine rollout now occurring in Australia, it is important to dismiss any ridiculous conspiracy theories and myths that surround this vaccine. A recent article in the excellent medical website, “Medical News Today” examined many of the myths around the COVID-19 vaccine and I thought I would summarise this article as I believe the topic is so important. The anti-VAXXERS had a field day when two elderly people in Queensland were given four times the dose of the Pfizer vaccine during the initial week of the Australian vaccination program. But, this unfortunate mistake has actually backfired in the face…

By Dr Ross Walker & Dr Stephanie Mathieson

It is estimated that around 20% of Australians suffer some form of chronic pain. Arthritis is one of the commonest forms of chronic pain in Australia; affecting 1 in 6 Australians, equating to over 3.9 million people(1). Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis, commonly affecting the hips, knees and fingers with degenerative changes. Osteoarthritis can develop at any age but is more common in those over 40 years or have joint injuries.

Currently, there is no cure for osteoarthritis, but the outlook is positive. Osteoarthritis guidelines recommend healthy eating, staying active…

As we approach 2 ½ million deaths in around 12 months from SARS-CoV2, there is no doubt that the world has been significantly changed by this contagious and pervasive pandemic. Fortunately, for those of us living in Australia, there has been nowhere near the devastation seen in the Northern Hemisphere but still (especially in Victoria), there has still been lives lost and livelihoods destroyed by this serious, very contagious virus. But, to put this in perspective the true pandemic of the 21st-century is diabesity i.e. the combination of diabetes and obesity, which, in some regions of the world, can affect…

There is an ongoing debate in medical science about the importance and usefulness of supplementation. No one doubts that we all need vitamins, minerals and trace metals and specific deficiencies are well described. With a modern, healthy diet, the vast majority of people derive all the micro nutrients needed to prevent a major deficiency disease.

But, there is no doubt that in modern society less than 10% of people consume the suggested 2–3 pieces of fruit per day along with 3–5 servings of vegetables per day (a serving being around ½ a carrot as an example). …

In 2020, we saw the entire world change dramatically because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Unfortunately, because of this serious virus that has now claimed well over 2 million lives around the globe in 12 months, many other serious medical conditions have been under-investigated and under-managed leading to a number of people avoiding attending accident and emergency departments because of chest pain and many other people missing out on vital cancer screening, to give two examples.

Another major concern is that of antibiotic microbial resistance. The World Health Organisation has estimated that by the year 2050, these multi-resistant strains of bacteria…