Tag: health
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Under the Ink: The Silent Effects of Tattoo Pigments
Photo by: ilovetattoos from Pixabay / March 28, 2018 Tattoos are now a common way for people, especially younger adults, to express themselves. As millions of people dive into tattoo culture, it raises an important question: What actually happens to the ink once it enters the body? There has been increasing concern about tattoo safety,…
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Ever See TV Static in Your Vision? Here’s Why.
Photo by: Wojtek PaczeÅ› from Pexels / 2020 Take a second to lift your eyes from the screen, and let them rest on a nearby wall. Does your view appear smooth, clear and unobstructed? Or do you notice something faint, flickering like television static – hundreds of tiny dots crackling in and out of view?…
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Invisible invaders: the rise of microplastics in human organs
Image description: Photo by Stijn Dijkstra from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/colorful-paper-straps-15528035/ Plastic: lightweight, cheap and durable, it’s become a staple in households and industry. It may make our lives easier, but it also has the ability to enter our bodies and stick around. Whilst this isn’t a new concern – it’s been known for several years that…
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Sláinte! Does a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away?
Thomas Vinterberg’s Dutch film Another Round or Druk won the Oscar for international feature in 2021. The film revolves around 4 teachers who – over a birthday dinner – discuss a theory proposed by Norwegian psychiatrist Finn SkÃ¥rderud that humans must consume low doses of alcohol to compensate for a natural deficiency and realise their…
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A fresh dip into the health benefits of outdoor swimming
Alkisti Kallinikou asks if open water swimming can help your physical and mental health.
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Why we should be more concerned about maternal stress during pregnancy
Marie Poirot reports on a University of Edinburgh study which highlights the connection between stress during pregnancy and the development of the baby’s brain. Pregnancy is a time of immense change for the expecting mother. As we mostly see the positive aspects of this extraordinary event, many can be unaware that it can also bring…
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Long COVID, the enduring toll of COVID-19 on public health
Seán Dunphy discusses the long term impact of COVID-19 on patients and public health. SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, was first identified at the end of 2019. Now, a year later, the long term health implications are becoming clearer. The high infection rate and immediate danger of the virus were apparent early in the…
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Coronagenes: A study of the genes behind severe COVID-19
COVID-19 affects individuals in different ways. Some people are asymptomatic whereas others require intensive care; most cases are short lived, but others experience more long term symptoms. The body’s reaction to COVID-19, like most illnesses, is dictated by both environmental and genetic factors. As COVID-19 emerged, environmental risk factors for severe symptoms, such as old…
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COVID-19, a disease of the blood vessels?
COVID-19 baffled doctors and scientists around the world with its strange symptoms and disproportionate mortality rates. Months after the onset of the pandemic, researchers may finally be closer to understanding how the disease manifests itself in patients. An important clue lies in the circulatory system. Early on, most COVID-19 patients showed signs and symptoms of…
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Blood iron emerges as a potential key to anti-ageing
Growing old may be an inevitable part of our lives, but can we overcome the wrinkles and debilitating age-related diseases? What is the secret behind why some people spring into old age with energy and good health? According to science, some key answers could lie in your DNA. New research published in Nature Communications has…