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Experts urge travelers in Asia to wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds and avoid markets — but face masks offer limited protection As new cases of the novel coronavirus in China are reported and the death toll mounts, health authorities have warned anyone travelling in the affected area to be extra careful. So far there have been 56 deaths from the approximately 2,000 confirmed infections from the coronavirus, which emerged in the city of Wuhan in early December, plus many more suspected infections. With the virus easily transmitted from person to person, experts have said that China may struggle to contain the outbreak despite measures to prevent its spread. It can take up to...

Healthy Habits to Help Prevent Flu The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. The tips and resources below will help you learn about steps you can take to protect yourself and others from flu and help stop the spread of germs. 1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too. 2. Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will hel...

Saman Haziq, Dubai │ Filed on December 28, 2019 With a dip in temperatures, winter cold air can irritate the respiratory tract and cause spasms. Are you experiencing a sore throat, stuffy nose and sneezing bouts? Blame it on the changing weather which doctors say is a common allergy trigger. Dr Noordin Wadhvaniya, respiratory medicine specialist at the Canadian Specialist Hospital, said changing weather always comes with an onset of respiratory allergies and asthma attacks. "In winter, as the time spent indoors increases, our exposure to indoor allergens also increases. For example, AC vents at homes, offices and cars can cause allergies and infections if not cleaned from time to ti...

Why sufficient shut-eye helps protect the brain from degenerating premature Published:  November 26, 2019 Noni Edwards, Special to Better Health Sometimes it seems like sleep is a luxury we just can’t afford, but new research shows that if we want to prevent our brains from degenerating prematurely, we can’t afford not to have good sleep habits.We all know how hard it is to perform at our best after a bad night’s sleep, but it goes deeper than that. New research published by Boston University suggests regular deep sleep can actually help protect against Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. BU researchers studied the fluid dynamics of the brain during sleep and found that duri...

Professionals recommend early intervention if there are signs of an issue. Published:  October 13, 2019 By: Noni Edwards, Special to Better Health Babies begin communicating with their parents from birth. In their first few months of life they will learn to copy facial expressions; cry when they’re hungry; and be able to follow a toy that is moved in front of them. The good thing for parents is that there are plenty of signs to make sure a child’s language development is on track, even before they are expected to utter their first word. If a child is very quiet, this is a red flag,” warns Haidar Ali Wreidan, speech therapist at Latifa Hospital. “It is not normal for a one-year-old to b...

With early intervention, the symptoms of the dizziness disorder can be easily alleviated. Published:  September 16, 2019 By: Peter Feely, Editor Commercial Publishing Vertigo is a condition where people experience a sensation of the environment around them moving or spinning. The severity of the attacks can vary from barely noticeable to situations where people struggle to control their balance. While there are various causes of vertigo, Dr Mohamed Fawzy Moustafa Ahmed, Consultant Ear, Hearing and Balance and Director of Hearing and Balance Clinic, Dubai Hospital, DHA, says vertigo is a relatively common complaint in Dubai. “Before the age of 40, incidents of vertigo can affect up to 20 p...

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal medical condition that affects a large number of women. Written By Aishwarya Rai | Mumbai | Updated On: October 26, 2019 PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a medical condition that can be found primarily in teenage girls or women who are in their reproductive age. It is also called PCOD or Polycystic Ovary Disorder, which is a hormonal disorder. In order to prevent it, one should stay away from red meat, sugar, and dairy products. Causes of PCOD Currently, there is no factual information available as to what exactly causes PCOD. However, there are some associations with respect to: Genetic linkage Excess insulin produc...

Published:  October 20, 2019 11:15 Peter Feely, Editor Commercial Publishing While you are likely to be aware of stroke — the life-threatening medical condition that effects the brain — you may not be aware of what distinguishes it from an aneurysm. The most significant difference is that an aneurysm is an abnormality that can lead to stroke. Dr Suhail Abdulla Alrukn, Consultant Neurology, Head of Stroke Programme — Rashid Hospital, President of Emirates Neurology Society, describes aneurysm as a “structural anatomy, where there is an abnormality in the wall of the artery that will give you a bulging sack and the blood will leak outside the artery and into the brain”. “Stroke is a syndrom...

Sandhya D'Mello │ Filed on September 15, 2019 Lymphoma refers to cancers of the lymphatic system, and its symptoms may be similar to those of viral illnesses. The health experts in the UAE are calling on everyone to pay attention to their bodies and get simple viral illnesses checked - because, sometimes, a cancer like lymphoma may manifest as a bad case of fever and fatigue. Lymphoma refers to cancers of the lymphatic system, and its symptoms may be similar to those of viral illnesses. It's just that in the case of lymphoma, such signs usually persist for longer periods, stretching to weeks rather than days. Patients may notice swollen lymph nodes that are usually painless, accompan...

Why being underweight can be unhealthy too?By: Keith Fernandez*Images may be subject to copyright.It may well be politically incorrect to talk about weight gain in the midst of what the United Nations’ World Health Organization has labelled an obesity epidemic, but for a significant percentage of the population, being skinny is a painfully unhealthy subject. BMI balance Last month, researchers announced that being underweight is associated with what they called a “surprisingly wide range of deaths,” which include cardiovascular disease, suicide and Alzheimer’s disease. The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, examined the data of 3.6 million people and more than 357,...