The final months of the year can become incredibly hectic, often leaving us feeling overwhelmed and stressed. When our bodies encounter a stressor, they react with a “fight or flight” response, causing a surge of chemicals and immune cells. Prolonged excessive stress can disrupt our immune regulation, create inflammatory conditions, and weaken the antibody response to infections, ultimately impairing immune function.
Asthma is a major issue in New Zealand. One in four of our kids and one in six adults suffer from asthma, over 600,000 people. It hasn’t always been this common and research hasn’t come up with a definite answer as to why it is becoming more common, but our lifestyles do seem to have many contributing factors. The major suspects seem to be allergies, diet and poor digestion.
Eye twitching is a common occurrence and happens when the muscles in the bottom eyelid contract, causing a little spasm. The medical term for this condition is called myokymia, but it is not a serious condition, just irritating sometimes. It usually affects only one eye. The twitches can be caused by tiredness, stress, eye strain or magnesium deficiency. Dry eyes and allergies may also make the eyelids more likely to twitch, so treat those conditions separately if they occur. Getting plenty of sleep, eating well and exercising regularly can help to reduce tiredness and stress. Try also to reduce alcohol and caffeine in your diet as they can make stress worse. Eye strain may occur if your vision is not...
Headaches can be a nuisance, but migraines are a different story. This condition is characterised by severe, recurring pain that lasts from 4 to 72-hours and affects daily activities ...
Localised pain in a joint or muscle can be caused by many different injuries or wear and tear, from an acute strain or sprain to osteoarthritis and other chronic pain conditions. Creams and rubs can be used without as many side effects as oral medicines, so let’s have a look at some of these treatment options ...
