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Could your hair supplement affect your blood-test results?

By Midrand Medical Centre
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There it is, sitting next to your toothbrush: a little bottle promising healthier-looking hair and stronger nails. You take a capsule with breakfast, head off for a routine blood test and think nothing more of it. But what if something in that supplement could influence the result your doctor receives? Some beauty products contain high doses of biotin, a vitamin that can interfere with certain laboratory tests. The surprising part is that the supplement may affect the measurement without changing what is actually happening inside your body. On this page What Is Biotin and Why Is It in Beauty Supplements? How Can a Vitamin Interfere With a Laboratory Test? Which Blood Tests May Be Affected? Does Every Supplement Cause the Same Problem? What Should You Tell Your GP or Laboratory? Should You Stop Your Supplement Before a Blood Test? When Medical Asse...
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Penicillin Allergy: 5 Questions to ask your GP!

By Midrand Medical Centre
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The nurse asks whether you have any medicine allergies, and out comes the answer you have given for years: “Penicillin.” Perhaps your mum told you about a rash when you were five, or someone wrote it in a medical file so long ago that the details have disappeared. You have never questioned it. But was that childhood reaction truly an allergy, and would the same label still apply today? For some people, the answer is less straightforward than they expect. Here are five questions worth discussing with your GP. On this page 1. What Actually Happened During My Original Reaction? 2. Was It a True Allergy or a Medication Side Effect? 3. Could My Allergy Status Have Changed Over Time? 4. Can My Penicillin Allergy Be Assessed or Tested Safely? 5. What Could a Confirmed or Corrected Allergy Record Mean for My Future Treatment? When an Allergic Reaction Is an Emergenc...
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Location: Shop 1, The Emporium Corner Church and, Market St, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685, South Africa
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Why do older adults bruise more easily?

By Midrand Medical Centre
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You reach for something in the kitchen, brush your arm against the edge of a cupboard, and think nothing of it. A day later, there is a large purple mark on your forearm. Where on earth did that come from? As we get older, even the smallest bumps can leave surprisingly noticeable bruises. The explanation often lies in changes happening just beneath the skin. But while many of these marks are harmless, knowing when a bruise deserves a closer look is just as important. On this page What Actually Happens Beneath a Bruise? Why Ageing Skin Offers Less Protection Why Some Bruises Appear After Tiny Bumps Could Medication Be Making Bruising Worse? When Bruising Has Another Explanation Which Bruising Changes Deserve Medical Attention? Small Ways to Protect Fragile Skin When to Seek Urgent Medical Help What Actually Happen...
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Location: Shop 1, The Emporium Corner Church and, Market St, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685, South Africa
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When Stress Dials Up Pain

By Midrand Medical Centre
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By Friday afternoon, your shoulders feel as though they have been carrying the entire week. A familiar ache in your lower back is suddenly harder to ignore, even though you have not lifted anything heavy or changed your routine. Could stress be making it worse? Stress can influence muscle tension, sleep and the nervous system’s response to discomfort, changing how strongly pain is experienced. That does not make the pain imaginary, and it does not mean stress is the only possible cause. On this page Why Stress and Pain Are Connected When Muscles Stay on Alert The Sleep–Pain–Stress Cycle Why Familiar Pain Can Feel Louder What May Help Break the Cycle When Pain Needs Medical Assessment When to Seek Urgent Help Why Stress and Pain Are Connected Pain is not simply a message travelling from an injured body part to the brain...
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Location: Shop 1, The Emporium Corner Church and, Market St, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685, South Africa
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7 Details that can skew your blood-pressure reading

By Midrand Medical Centre
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Blood pressure looks wonderfully straightforward: cuff on, button pressed, two numbers appear. But the numbers are surprisingly sensitive to what happens in the few minutes before and during the measurement. The size of the cuff, the position of your feet, whether you have just rushed upstairs and even whether you are chatting can influence a reading. When blood-pressure decisions are based on relatively small differences, technique matters. On this page 1. The cuff is wrong for your arm 2. You skipped the quiet five minutes 3. Coffee, smoking or exercise was too recent 4. Your bladder is full 5. Your sitting position is working against you 6. Your arm is hanging below heart level 7. You are talking, scrolling or watching something How to get a more useful home record 1. The cuff is wrong for your arm ...
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Location: Shop 1, The Emporium Corner Church and, Market St, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685, South Africa
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Can you have a migraine without a headache?

By Midrand Medical Centre
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Imagine feeling as though the room has shifted, the supermarket aisle is moving beneath you, or a short car journey suddenly makes you nauseous — yet your head does not hurt. Migraine may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but head pain is not compulsory in every migraine disorder. One important example is vestibular migraine, where dizziness, vertigo, imbalance and motion sensitivity can take centre stage. There is also a recognised form of migraine aura that can occur without a subsequent headache. On this page Migraine is bigger than headache What vestibular migraine can feel like How doctors recognise it Why assessment matters What can help vestibular migraine? Migraine is bigger than headache Migraine is a neurological disorder, not simply a particularly bad headache. Head pain is common, but migraine...
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Location: Shop 1, The Emporium Corner Church and, Market St, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685, South Africa
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