Health

One in four of Britain’s 18 million hayfever sufferers is ‘dreading’ the warmer months, it has emerged. Experts have already warned grass pollen levels are set to build up steadily during 2017, meaning a summer of sniffles and streaming eyes looms for those who suffer from the condition. Researchers who carried out a detailed study also found typically sufferers who work for a living take an average of 1.8 days off each year due to their reaction to the pollen...

One of Britain’s most premature babies has defied the odds after surviving being born at 22 WEEKS weighing just 1lb 4oz. Little Austin Douglas weighed the same as half a bag of sugar when he arrived 18 weeks early on March 31. Doctors told parents Helen, 30 and Rhys, 25, there was very little chance their son would survive after he was born smaller than his mother’s palm. Austin’s skin was so thin his organs were visible and the holes...

Properly rehydrating after sport is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of the body's recovery - namely because it can be such a chore. But a simple new tablet could have the solution. PHIZZ was founded in the UK by Daniel Cray, Rory Simmance-Freemantle and Jon Knight who all have a passion for living life to the full and needed a healthy solution to the pitfalls of pleasure-seeking 21st century lifestyles. Phizz scientifically helps you stay hydrated and healthy and...

Talented British actress Jennie Jacques (Vikings), and script supervisor Georgina Higgins (‘Florence Foster Jenkins’ and ‘Paddington Bear 2’) may be on different sides of the camera, but they are on the same page when it comes to a subject close to their hearts - epilepsy. Jennie's youngest sister lives with seizures and Georgina has epilepsy. In National Epilepsy Week (14-20 May) the two friends talk film sets, stigma and why they want more people to understand how to look after...

Early findings from Bond University in Australia have scientifically demonstrated that the "Tapping Therapy" rewires the brain’s neural pathways to reduce addiction and food cravings. "Tapping", also known as EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), is already being used to treat mental and emotional health issues, but this is the first time that patients brains have been monitored using an Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) scanner to show the physical changes in the brain over the course of their treatment. EFT involves...

Brits are forking out £8 billion to counteract a lack of sleep, new research has revealed. With the average adult struggling to get more than six hours sleep a night - almost two hours less than the recommended quota - we are been forced to shell out hefty sums on sleep aids and things to make us look and feel less tired. From espressos to sweets and energy drinks, the "staying awake" market is positively booming in Britain. A third of adults drink...

Swapping one fizzy drink or beer a day for water slashes the risk of obesity by up to 20 per cent, say scientists. A study of almost 16,000 adults found they were a fifth less likely to develop the condition if they had a glass of water instead of a beer. Replacing a sugar-sweetened soft drink - such as a Coke - in the same way was linked with a 15 percent reduction in risk. Britain has been dubbed the...

A gran who was so fat she could hardly walk from her front door to the car has completed a 10km run after shedding a whopping 18 stone to be crowned Slimming World’s Greatest Loser. Tracey Topping, 47, was nearly 30 stone was struggling to walk or stand, constantly out of breath and jobless. She couldn’t even fit in the bath and was humiliated when a parent at her son’s school moved seats at a meeting, complaining he couldn’t see...

When Ron had to give up work due to a rare form of dementia it was a difficult time and the impact of the diagnosis not only affected him but his partner of 25 years, Loraine. However, thanks to the support of The Royal British Legion’s Admiral Nurse service, they have been able to come to terms with Ron’s condition and learn to live positively with dementia. In 2007 Ron started to display erratic and obsessive behaviour that was completely...