Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) DEFINITION Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the daily use of the hormone oestrogen alone (known as oestrogen replacement therapy) or in combination with the synthetic hormone progestin. HRT is taken during menopause to increase levels of oestrogen that usually decrease during menopause. DESCRIPTION During menopause, the… Read Article
Dysmenorrhoea DEFINITION Period pain (dysmenorrhoea) is lower abdominal pain experienced during a menstrual period. DESCRIPTION Period pain is very common with some studies indicating that approximately 75 percent of young women and 25 to 50 percent of adult women experience pain and discomfort during their period. For up to 20… Read Article
Cellulite DEFINITION Cellulite is not a disease. It is a cosmetic disorder which appears as pitting, bulging and deformation of the skin. Cellulite most commonly occurs around the thigh region in women. DESCRIPTION Cellulite is not a medical condition and is not a health risk. It is a common problem… Read Article
Bulimia DEFINITION Bulimia is an eating disorder where excessive eating or bingeing is followed by induced vomiting or purging with laxatives. Due to their obsession with food, people with Bulimia tend not to lose a lot of weight and may be prone to depression. DESCRIPTION Like people suffering from anorexia… Read Article
Breast cancer – chemotherapy DEFINITION Chemotherapy involves combinations of drugs that kill or stop the growth of cancer cells throughout the body. DESCRIPTION Chemotherapy is a drug treatment started soon after breast surgery and may be continued for months or years. In the case of localised breast cancer (cancer… Read Article
Bloating DEFINITION Abdominal bloating is a condition in which the abdomen feels full and tight. DESCRIPTION Bloating is a feeling of fullness in the abdomen that is often associated with some distension and tightness in the abdominal area. This feeling can be quite uncomfortable. If Bloating is the result… Read Article
Thrush – oral DEFINITION Oral Thrush is an infection of the skin tissue lining the mouth (mucous membrane) with a yeast organism known as candida. There are eight types of candida known to cause infection in humans and candida albicans is by far the most common. DESCRIPTION Thrush is a… Read Article
Spider veins DEFINITION Spider Veins or Spider Naevi are networks of small, thin, dilated blood vessels that lie close to the skin’s surface. They may be red, blue or purple in colour. DESCRIPTION Common sites for Spider Veins to appear are the thighs, ankles and calves, but they can also… Read Article
Pap smear DEFINITION A Pap Smear is a test where a sample of cells is collected from around the cervix (the small opening between the uterus and the vagina) and smeared onto a glass slide. This smear is then examined under a microscope for any abnormalities. The Pap smear is… Read Article
Menstruation DEFINITION Menstruation is part of a woman’s monthly hormonal cycle which results in blood discharging from the vagina. This discharge contains the lining of the uterus which thickens each month to provide a bed for a fertilised egg (pregnancy). If pregnancy does not occur, this lining breaks down and… Read Article