Dementia is a general term for the persistent decline in brain function caused by damage to brain cells. The decline is so significant that it affects a person's daily activities; it interrupts their memories, thoughts, reasoning, and behaviour. In the UK, 850,000 people have dementia with 1 in every 14 people over the age of 65 affected. There is no cure for dementia, but diagnosing the disease early allows for treatment measures to be put in place to try and preserve the brain function for as long as possible.

Corns and calluses are areas of thickened and hardened skin caused by the repeated minor friction or rubbing of the skin, and they can become painful. In most cases, they are not serious and you can usually treat them yourself at home. Despite appearing similar and being the cause of repeated friction and pressure, corns and calluses are not the same thing.

Chilblains, also known as Pernio and Chill Burn, is a condition that affects the small blood vessels called capillaries in the extremities. It occurs due to exposure to cold and humid conditions, resulting in symptoms like itching, red patches, swelling, and, in rare cases, blistering. Although it commonly affects the fingers and toes, other areas such as the face and legs can also be affected. Chilblains predominantly impact women, but anyone can experience this condition, often leading to confusion with Raynaud's Disease.

Chilblains are small, red, itchy patches that are the result of an abnormal reaction to the cold. This means that they're common in the UK because of the typical damp, cold weather that happens in the winter. When our skin gets cold, blood vessels near the surface get narrower, and if we then warm up the skin the blood vessels become wider again. If this happens too fast, the blood vessels near the surface of our skin can struggle to deal with this increased blood flow and this can then cause blood to leak into the surrounding tissue, and so cause the swelling, itchiness and sometimes pain associated with chilblains. Chilblains often occur on your extremities, such as fingers, toes, ears and nose, but they can occur anywhere on the body. They tend to occur a few hours after exposure to the cold and can last up to a couple of weeks but usually clear up without treatment.

Chafing is a skin condition that causes redness, inflammation and itching. It is usually caused by friction on the skin. It’s a common condition that can occur in anybody, particularly if you are highly active and experience a lot of skin-on-skin or clothing-on-skin friction. For example, athletes and hikers will be all too aware of chafing after a hard day of activity. Chafing is not normally dangerous but can be seriously irritating. Don’t let it rub you up the wrong way, we answer all of your questions about chafing, as well as how to prevent and treat it in this article.

Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection that affects many people worldwide. Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection that affects many people worldwide. It occurs when bacteria invade the skin and underlying tissues, leading to inflammation and discomfort. This infection typically starts in the lower layers of the skin and can spread rapidly if not treated promptly.  Cellulitis is important to understand because it can significantly impact daily life by causing pain, swelling, and other distressing symptoms. For some individuals, especially those with weakened immune systems or chronic conditions, cellulitis can lead to more serious complications. Cellulitis occurrence shows us the need for awareness and education. This infection can affect individuals of all ages, from young children to the elderly. It often starts from minor injuries or skin conditions but can escalate if not properly addressed. By understanding cellulitis, its causes, symptoms, and treatments, individuals can take proactive steps to prevent and manage the infection, ensuring better health o This problem can affect almost any part of the body but it occurs most commonly in areas that have been damaged or inflamed. Anyone, at any age, can develop cellulitis but you are at increased risk of developing it if you smoke, have lowered immunity, or have diabetes or poor circulation.

A carbuncle is when multiple boils (or furuncles) form close together. It occurs due to hair follicles next to each other becoming infected causing pus-filled lumps that may converge to be one larger lump. It is usually caused by bacteria known as Staphylococcus Aureus, which is a normal part of skin or inside nostrils in some people. It tends to cause no harm, although it can cause an infection such as a boil if it gets under the skin. Boils, or furuncles, look like red lumps that are painful and initially quite hard but over the course of four to seven days get softer as the amount of pus inside increases. The pus or infection can join together between each boil to become a carbuncle. You may see it progress to have a white or yellow head on the lump. The skin around the boils may also become red and sore. The pus may come out of the boils on their own or be reabsorbed by the body. Once the pus is released it can take around four to five days for the boil to heal and may leave a scar. The advice is not to try and burst the boil yourself, as it is not usually done in a clean way and may lead to re-infection. Whilst boils are quite common in male teenagers and young adults, carbuncles are mainly seen in middle aged and elderly men and you are more likely to develop them if you suffer from diabetes or have a lowered immune system. They can be painful especially as the amount of pus trapped inside increases. They are usually found in places on the body that are hairy while also being warm and moist, such as the neck or on the back. These conditions allow the bacteria to flourish, and any friction may cause small breaks in the skin allowing the bacteria to get in.

A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac that is located near your joints and acts as a cushion to the bones, muscles and tendons. When a bursa becomes inflamed the condition is called bursitis – and it leads to a red, swollen, painful and stiff joint. This is commonly diagnosed based on history and examination alone and no further investigation is usually needed.  Commonly this inflammation occurs in the elbows, knees, shoulders and hips but you can suffer bursitis in any joint area of the body. Bursitis can be managed at home and usually subsides within a few weeks but it can reoccur again in the future.

A bunion (or hallux valgus to give it its medical name), is a deformity of the big toe where - instead of pointing straight forwards - the big toe angles towards the second toe, causing a bony lump to form at the base of the big toe. This lump can rub on footwear and cause pain, swelling and redness around the area. At first the bony lump will be small but it can increase in size over time. There are things you can do to prevent the bunion from getting bigger and causing pain and difficulty walking.

BPPV stands for ‘benign paroxysmal positional vertigo’ and literally means dizziness when changing position, and without any sinister underlying cause. So, ‘benign’ means harmless, ‘paroxysmal’ means it’s sudden and brief, and ‘positional’ because the vertigo (the feeling like you’ve just got off a fairground ride) is triggered by changes in your head position. The inner ear is a series of tubes that give us our sense of balance, as well as hearing, and in BPPV, tiny crystals collect in the tubes, disrupting this. It’s the most common cause of vertigo, the sensation of the room spinning around you. This gives brief episodes of dizziness lasting less than a minute, and usually triggered by certain head movements. BPPV can also cause a loss of balance and nausea or vomiting. BPPV is more common the older you get, and in most cases occurs as a result of age-related degeneration of the ear system. About a third of the population will have experienced BPPV by the time they’re 70, with the peak age being in the 50s and 60s. It’s rare in children and young adults. There’s no specific cure for BPPV, but it’s not usually a sign of anything serious, and will usually get better on its own after several weeks although it can come and go.

A boil, known medically as a furuncle, is when a hair follicle becomes infected causing a pus-filled lump. It is usually caused by bacteria called Staphylococcus Aureus, which are often found on skin or inside nostrils, and usually cause no harm. However, if there is a break in the skin, the bacteria can get in and cause an infection that leads to a boil. A boil is a red lump that is painful and initially quite hard, but over the course of about four to seven days gets softer as the amount of pus inside increases. You may see it progress to have a white or yellow head on the lump. The skin around the boil may also become red and sore. In a few cases, multiple boils can occur in the same area, known as a carbuncle. The pus may come out of the boil on its own or be reabsorbed by the body. Once the pus is released it can take around four to five days for the boil to heal and it may leave a scar. The advice is not to try and burst the boil yourself. Most small boils go away on their own without the need for treatment. They can be painful especially as the amount of pus in the boil increases. They are usually found in places on the body that are warm and moist or where skin rubs against skin or clothes in areas such as armpits, groin, bum, neck or face. This is because bacteria like warm moist environments and any friction may cause breaks in the skin, allowing bacteria to get in. Boils are more common in teenagers or young adult males, those with a lowered immune system or diabetes, if you are overweight or already have a skin problem that may then make you itch or scratch your skin.

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that used to be called manic depression. It can lead to extreme changes in mood, energy, and ability to function. There are two distinct parts of the illness: periods of feeling depressed and low, and then huge emotional highs – called mania - where the person can be incredibly overactive. Unlike daily mood swings, people with bipolar may be in one state of either mania or depression for weeks or months at a time. In between these episodes, the person may feel normal and well. (Less commonly, some people with bipolar disorder can have what is known as a mixed bipolar episode, where they can alternate between depression and manic symptoms in a matter of hours). Bipolar symptoms can be severe and may affect your daily life, work, studies and relationships and are very different from the normal mood swings we can all have from time to time. If you have less severe mania symptoms, this is known as hypomania. There are two types of bipolar disorder – Type I and Type II. Type I usually starts with manic symptoms, often mixed with depression, whereas Type II only involves hypomania. Around 2% of people develop bipolar disorder at some time in their life, and it can occur at any age, although it usually presents between the ages of 18 and 30. Men and women are equally affected. The average length of a manic episode is four months, and six months for the depressive phase. It’s impossible to predict how long each manic-depressive cycle will last, and the average number of episodes you may experience in your life if you have bipolar disorder is ten. Three quarters of people who have an episode of bipolar disorder have another one within four years.