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Antidepressants Explained: Types, Side Effects, and What to Expect

By Midrand Medical Centre
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Antidepressants are medications widely used to treat depression and other mental health conditions. If you’ve been prescribed an antidepressant – or are simply curious about them – it’s helpful to understand the basics. Knowing the different types, possible side effects, and what to expect when starting treatment can make the process feel far less intimidating. In this guide, we break down the main classes of antidepressants, explain common side effects and why they happen, and outline what the early weeks of treatment typically look like. Types of Antidepressants Antidepressants aren’t all the same. There are several different classes, each working on brain chemistry in its own way: SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors): Often prescribed first because they are effective and generally well tolerated. SNRIs (Serotonin–Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors): Similar to SSRIs, but they also affect norepinephrine and may help with certain pain conditions. Atyp...
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Psoriasis Triggers: Everyday Factors That Can Cause Flare-Ups

By Midrand Medical Centre
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Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that can be a roller coaster – periods of calm skin followed by sudden flare-ups of red, scaly patches. While the root cause is an overactive immune system (influenced by genetics), everyday factors often tip the balance and trigger a psoriasis outbreak. Identifying and avoiding your personal triggers can help you manage psoriasis better and reduce the frequency or severity of flares. Stress and Strong Emotions Stress is a big one. When you experience stress – whether it’s a major life event or daily anxiety – your body releases chemicals that can ramp up inflammation. Psoriasis is fundamentally an inflammatory condition, so it’s highly sensitive to stress levels. Unfortunately, psoriasis flares themselves can create more stress, creating a vicious cycle. Finding ways to manage stress – through relaxation techniques, exercise, adequate sleep, or counselling – can help break this cycle. Illness and Infections Infections ...
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Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
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Heart Health and Genetics: What Your Family History Means for You

By Midrand Medical Centre
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  Does heart disease run in your family? If so, you might wonder what that means for your own heart health. Our genes play a significant role in health, especially when it comes to conditions like heart disease. In fact, having a family history of heart disease can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular problems yourself. But family history is not destiny – it’s one risk factor among many. In this article, we’ll explore how genetics and family history influence heart health, what a “strong” family history looks like, and most importantly, what you can do about it. How Family History Affects Heart Disease Risk Heart disease remains one of the top causes of death worldwide. While lifestyle factors (like diet, exercise, and smoking) are major contributors, heredity is also a key piece of the puzzle. You share a lot with your relatives, including genes and often lifestyle habits. If your parents or siblings developed heart disease at a relatively youn...
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Location: Gauteng, South Africa
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Internal Haemorrhoids: The Signs People Often Ignore

By Midrand Medical Centre
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  Internal haemorrhoids are a very common health issue – in fact, most people will experience haemorrhoids at some point in their lives. Unlike external haemorrhoids, which form under the skin around the anus and often cause sharp pain, internal haemorrhoids develop inside the rectum and tend to be more subtle. Because internal haemorrhoids usually don’t hurt, many people overlook their early warning signs. This article explains what internal haemorrhoids are and highlights the often-ignored signs and symptoms, so you know when your body is sending you a red flag. What Are Internal Haemorrhoids? Haemorrhoids (also known as piles) are swollen veins in the lower rectum or anus. Internal haemorrhoids are located inside the rectum, meaning you typically can’t see or feel them, and they rarely cause discomfort at first. Straining during bowel movements or other pressure on these veins can cause the internal haemorrhoid to swell and lead to symptoms. Because the r...
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Location: South Africa
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Food and Focus: Supporting Mental Clarity Through Gut Health

By Midrand Medical Centre
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  If you’ve ever noticed brain fog after a heavy meal, a calmer mood after a week of healthier eating, or a dip in focus when your digestion is off, you’re not imagining it. The gut and brain are in constant conversation via nerves (including the vagus nerve), immune signals, hormones, and chemical messengers made by gut microbes. Research into the gut-brain axis is moving quickly, and while it’s not a simple “eat X and your anxiety disappears” story, it does suggest that everyday food patterns can support steadier energy, mood, and clarity. The gut-brain axis: a two-way street Your gut is lined with immune tissue and nerves, and it houses trillions of microbes. These microbes help break down fibre, produce compounds like short-chain fatty acids, and influence inflammation and gut barrier function. The brain, in turn, affects the gut through stress hormones and nervous system signalling - which is why stress can change digestion, appetite, and bowel habits. What “better gut...
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Location: South Africa
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The Brain’s Role in Pain Signals

By Midrand Medical Centre
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  Pain is never “just in your head” - but it is always, in part, processed by your brain. Pain is the brain’s protective alarm system, built to keep you safe. The problem is that sometimes the alarm can become overprotective: it keeps ringing even after tissues have healed, or it turns the volume way up in response to stress, poor sleep, inflammation, or repeated injury. Understanding how the nervous system works can be deeply reassuring, because it explains why pain can linger - and it also opens more doors for relief. Pain Is A Warning System, Not A Damage Meter The nerves in your body send information to your spinal cord and brain about pressure, temperature, inflammation, and potential threat. Your brain then decides how much protection is needed, based on context: past experiences, current stress levels, sleep quality, mood, beliefs about the pain, and what else is going on in your life. That is why two people can have similar injuries and experience very different pain....
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Location: Gauteng, South Africa
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Living Better With COPD: Support That Helps You Breathe Easier

By Midrand Medical Centre
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  COPD can feel frightening - not only because of breathlessness, but because it can shrink your confidence. People often start avoiding activity “just in case”, which sadly leads to deconditioning, more breathlessness, and more anxiety. The good news is that COPD support is not only about inhalers. The most effective care is usually a combination of medication, rehabilitation, breathing techniques, lifestyle changes, and a clear flare-up plan - so you feel more in control day to day. Understanding what’s really happening in COPD COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a long-term condition where airflow is limited, often due to chronic inflammation and damage in the airways and air sacs. The result can be ongoing cough, mucus, chest tightness, and breathlessness. Symptoms may be steady for a while and then flare up during an “exacerbation” (a worsening that’s beyond normal day-to-day variation). The foundations: daily support that makes the biggest difference 1) ...
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Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
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Sepsis: The Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore

By Midrand Medical Centre
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  Sepsis can start from something that looks “ordinary” - a chest infection, a urinary tract infection, a skin wound, even a stomach bug. The danger is not the infection itself, but the way the body can sometimes overreact to it. In sepsis, the immune response becomes dysregulated and can begin to damage the body’s own organs. This is why sepsis is treated as a medical emergency: it can worsen quickly, and early treatment truly can be life-saving. What is sepsis? Normally, your immune system fights infection and then settles down. With sepsis, that “fight response” becomes intense and widespread. Blood flow and oxygen delivery to vital organs can be affected, and the body can begin to show signs of organ strain - such as confusion, very fast breathing, or passing little to no urine. The most important takeaway is this: sepsis is time-critical, and it’s always better to be checked early than to wait and hope it passes. The red-flag signs you should treat as urgent If an ad...
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Location: Midrand, South Africa
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Understanding Personality Disorders

By Midrand Medical Centre
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  We all have unique personalities – it’s what makes each of us who we are. But sometimes, a person’s patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving can be so rigid and unhealthy that they cause significant problems in everyday life. This is where personality disorders come in. A personality disorder is essentially a long-term pattern of behaviour and inner experience that deviates markedly from cultural expectations and causes distress or difficulty functioning. People with a personality disorder aren’t “choosing” to behave in challenging ways; in fact, they often don’t realize that their thoughts and actions are problematic at all. These conditions are more common than you might think – by some estimates, around one in 11 people live with some form of a personality disorder. By understanding what personality disorders are and how they affect people, we can replace judgment with empathy and encourage those affected to seek help. Different Types of Personality Disorders ...
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Location: South Africa
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Malaria Prevention: Travel Safely in Malaria Areas

By Midrand Medical Centre
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Traveling to exotic places can be the adventure of a lifetime. But if your travels take you to regions where malaria is present, it’s important to take some extra precautions so you return home with only happy memories – not an unwanted illness. Malaria is a serious and sometimes life-threatening disease spread by mosquito bites. It remains widespread in many tropical and subtropical areas, causing hundreds of millions of infections each year. The good news is that malaria is preventable and treatable with the right measures. By planning and following a few safety steps, you can dramatically reduce your risk of malaria and enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Before You Travel: Plan and Prevent The best time to start thinking about malaria prevention is before you even set foot on the plane. Do some research or consult reliable health resources to find out if malaria is a risk at your destination. Malaria isn’t present everywhere – it’s mostly found in p...
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Location: Gauteng, South Africa
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