Your thyroid might be small, but it plays a major role in how well your body functions. It’s a small, butterfly shaped gland located in the front of your neck just below your tonsils. It secretes two hormones into your bloodstream called thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones are
Found in your blood, cholesterol is a waxy substance attached to proteins that helps your body build healthy cells. You need a certain amount of cholesterol in your blood, but if you develop too much of a certain kind you can end up with serious health complications. Known as ‘bad
The wax in your ears tends to do a great job of taking care of itself. In addition to keeping your ears healthy and protecting your ear canal from damage and debris, it’s also self-cleaning. Once your earwax has dried up, it usually falls out on its own so you
Your liver is an impressive organ. Located on the right side of your abdomen, it’s the largest internal organ in the human body and performs hundreds of different functions. Some of the most vital of these functions are: Helping your blood to clot Flushing toxins and waste out of your
It’s not as widespread in the UK as it used to be, but rabies is still a very dangerous virus. Rabies is one of the most serious diseases you can be infected with because it has a near 100% fatality rate once symptoms begin. The virus is spread to humans
It’s not just covid-19 that you may need to be vaccinated against before travelling to certain countries. Many regions require proof of vaccination against other diseases, like tuberculosis, polio, rabies, and yellow fever. Some countries also require proof of vaccination if you’re arriving from certain regions. If you’re unsure which
Ear wax is essential to your ear health and normally works itself out of your ears on its own. Sometimes, however, it can get lodged in your ear and cause functional problems to your ears and hearing. If you suspect you have excessive ear wax, you need to be careful
Shingles is a viral infection that tends to occur later in life. It isn’t life threatening but it can be extremely uncomfortable and even painful. It’s caused by the Varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes the chickenpox. Like chickenpox, shingles causes a rash to appear on the body. It
Unless you’re looking to travel to certain regions of the world, you’ve probably never given much thought to typhoid fever. While it was once a serious condition in the western world, most cases in the 21st century occur in developing regions of the world. Typhoid fever is caused by bacteria
Some of us who were born before the chickenpox vaccine encountered the viral infection as children. It was an itchy and miserable experience, but we recovered and didn’t have to worry about getting it again. In most younger children, the chickenpox isn’t a major cause for concern. This isn’t the
