Lipids are fat compounds found in the body that include cholesterol and triglycerides. They are used for many important functions, but sometimes there is too much of a good thing! Here we dive into a bit more detail on what exactly is good and bad cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance we all have in our blood, and it’s essential for good health, helping to store energy and with other vital body functions such as creating healthy cell membranes. However, too much of the ‘bad’ kind of cholesterol can increase your risk of conditions such as heart disease or stroke. There are two main ways we make cholesterol – from our body and from what we eat. Body-generated cholesterol is made in our liver, and it helps your body build cells and make vitamins and certain hormones. We make all the cholesterol we need through this process. Dietary cholesterol comes from the food we eat, particularly products like meat, eggs, cheese and milk.

You may need to follow a gluten-free diet if you have been diagnosed with celiac disease (an autoimmune reaction to gluten), you have a wheat allergy, or you have reason to believe you have a gluten intolerance. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. These are the basis of pasta, bread, pastries, biscuits, beer, couscous, and breakfast cereal, and they can be used as a thickening or coating agent in many sauces, soups, or ready meals. Oat products may also cause symptoms to flare for some people. Excluding gluten products mean you need to find alternative sources of a number of vitamins. This includes most of the B vitamins, which are crucial for creating and maintaining cells in the body to keep tissues healthy; carbohydrates, which provide energy; and fiber, which helps food move along the gut, ensuring nutrients are absorbed and preventing constipation.

A Caesarean section, or C-section, is a surgery used to deliver a baby by making cuts in the mother’s belly and uterus. It’s a common procedure: about one in four births in the US happen this way. Sometimes, a C-section is planned ahead of time, but it can also be done quickly if problems come up during labor. It’s normal to feel nervous about having a C-section, especially if it wasn’t your first choice. Many mothers worry about surgery, recovery, and their baby’s health. The good news is that C-sections are generally safe, and doctors and nurses work hard to take care of both you and your baby. This guide explains why you might need a C-section, how to get ready, and what to expect before, during, and after the operation.

A ganglion cyst – usually just called a ganglion - is a harmless fluid-filled sac that can pop up anywhere on the body but is common around the joints and tendons of the hand and wrist. They are three times more common in women than men between the ages of 20 and 40, and 80% of them are found in the wrist. It is thought they are caused by fluid leaking out of a joint, or the tunnel of a tendon, and this causes a swelling below the skin. This is typically synovial fluid – the same substance found in joints to keep them lubricated. The leak may be caused by trauma or arthritis. While lumps and bumps often cause alarm, ganglions pose no risk to your health and people are often more bothered by their appearance than from any symptoms. You may occasionally get discomfort or difficulty with certain movements if the ganglion is around a joint.

GAD-7 is a questionnaire that is used to help assess the presence and severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). There are 7 questions (hence the name GAD-7) which ask about different symptoms and how often you experience them. The questions ask how often you have been bothered by these symptoms over the previous 2 weeks: Feeling anxious, nervous or on edge Not being able to stop, or control, worrying Worrying too much about different things Trouble relaxing Being so restless that it’s hard to sit still Becoming easily irritable or annoyed Feeling that something awful might happen The score is calculated by assigning scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, to the response categories of “not at all,” “several days,” “more than half the days,” and “nearly every day,” respectively. GAD-7 total score for the seven items ranges from 0 to 21. Scores of 0-5 show mild anxiety, 6-10 moderate, 11-15 moderately severe anxiety and 15-21 severe anxiety Anxiety is a feeling that occurs when someone feels under threat or stress. It is a natural response to a threat that actually can at times be helpful and has helped with the survival of humans across the ages. However, if it is excessive, persistent or affecting people's daily life then it may be an anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by anxiety around lots of different things (usually everyday occurrences) rather than anxiety relating to one specific thing or situation.

A furuncle (also known as a boil) is when a hair follicle becomes infected, causing a pus-filled lump. It is usually caused by bacteria known as staphylococcus aureus, found on many people's skin or in their noses. It tends to cause no harm, although it can cause an infection, such as a furuncle, if it gets under the skin. Furuncles look like a red lump that is painful and initially quite hard but over the course of about 4-7 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 furuncle may also become red and sore. In a few cases, multiple furuncles can occur in the same area, known as a carbuncle. The pus may come out of the furuncle on its own or be reabsorbed by the body. Once the pus is released, it can take around 4-5 days for the furuncle to heal and may leave a scar. The advice is not to try and burst the furuncle yourself. Furuncles are quite common, especially in teenagers and young adults, and most small furuncles go away on their own without the need for any treatment. They can be painful, especially as the amount of pus in the furuncle increases. They are usually found in places on the body that are warm and moist, or where there's rubbing (either on other skin or clothes) that occurs in areas such as the armpits, groin, butt, neck, or face. This happens because warm and moist conditions are ideal for bacteria, and any friction can cause breaks in the skin, allowing the bacteria to get in. Furuncles are more common in teenagers or young adult males, those with a lowered immune system, diabetic patients, people who are overweight, or who already have a skin problem that may make them itch or scratch their skin.

The FreeStyle Libre 2 system is designed as a flash glucose monitor for individuals with diabetes who need to regularly monitor their sugar (glucose) levels. It consists of two components: the FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor and reader. The FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor is a small device that is applied to the back of the upper arm. It measures glucose levels in the interstitial fluid, which is a thin layer of fluid beneath the skin. The sensor continuously measures glucose levels throughout the day and night. To obtain a glucose reading, you simply scan the sensor with the FreeStyle Libre 2 reader or use your smartphone with a compatible app. The reader or app displays the current glucose reading, as well as a trend arrow indicating the direction in which your glucose levels are heading. This information helps you make informed decisions about your diabetes management. One of the key advantages of the FreeStyle Libre 2 system is that it eliminates the need for traditional finger pricking to obtain a blood sample. Instead, the sensor provides glucose readings through non-invasive means, making it more convenient and less painful for users. The FreeStyle Libre 2 system provides valuable glucose data that can help you understand your glucose patterns, identify trends, and make adjustments to your diabetes management plan. It offers flexibility, convenience, and accuracy in monitoring your glucose levels, empowering you to take control of your diabetes effectively. Diabetes is associated with high blood glucose levels. This occurs when you're not producing enough of a hormone called insulin (type 1), or your insulin is not working properly (type 2). Self-monitoring of glucose levels is mainly for people with type 1 diabetes. However, it can be beneficial for some people with type 2 diabetes. For example, people using insulin or other medications that carry the risk of causing low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia).

A fracture is a break or crack in one of the bones in the body. Fractures are most common with increasing age as the strength of our bones decreases and our risk of falls increases. The main symptoms of a fracture are pain, swelling, and deformity at the site of the fracture. There may be swelling and a different shape to the affected area, which will be painful to touch. Small breaks may cause minimal pain, but large breaks, such as hip or leg fractures, can cause severe pain and make you feel very unwell.

Foreign body ingestion occurs with any object that is small enough to pass into the mouth and be swallowed. This happens more often in children but can also happen in adults, especially with food such as fish bones or medications. Most foreign bodies will pass on their own without any intervention. In children especially, some foreign bodies can be life-threatening if they obstruct the airways. In others, damage can occur to the windpipe and the digestive tract.

As you get older it can become more difficult to care for your feet for a number of reasons. Firstly, you may have joint and dexterity issues in reaching your feet and using tools for maintenance and care, such as clipping toenails. Secondly, you may have medical conditions that put your feet at risk, such as a lack of feeling in the nerves in advanced diabetes, which might cause infection, or poor circulation putting you at risk of chilblains, eczema and ulcers. Components in skin that keep it stretchy, plump and well-nourished decline with age, which means you may be at higher risk of dry and cracked skin, or have skin that’s more likely to tear or ulcerate. We’ve put together a list of common foot problems for you to be aware of, but it may be worth investing in regular foot care, either with a podiatrist (sometimes also known as a chiropodist) or even at your local beauty salon, to keep your toes and feet in good condition.

People with diabetes have high blood sugar (glucose) levels that can cause damage to their feet. High blood sugar levels can damage nerves in your feet (peripheral neuropathy), making them less able to feel pain, cold, and heat. As a result, foot problems can go unnoticed. Therefore, complications are more likely due to a lack of prompt treatment. High blood sugar levels can also damage blood vessels, leading to plaque forming inside them (peripheral arterial disease). These narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to your feet. A reduced blood supply to your feet means they can’t heal as well as usual. Therefore, effective foot care is essential in diabetes. Effective foot care is crucial in both type 1 and 2 diabetes. Foot problems include blisters, cuts, athlete’s foot, corns, calluses, dry skin, verrucas, in-grown toenails, and fungal nail infections. In extreme cases, the resulting complications can include bacterial infections, ulcers, gangrene, and even amputation.

Food intolerance is when your body struggles to digest food or a component of food, and this causes uncomfortable or unpleasant physical symptoms. It is different from an allergy and is not life-threatening like an allergy can be. The most common culprits are dairy (lactose), wheat or gluten, and caffeine. The most common symptoms of food intolerance are stomach pain, bloating, excessive gas, and diarrhea. In some instances, food intolerances can lead to mild skin symptoms such as rashes or itching but these differ in severity from allergic reactions. Suppose you were to suffer symptoms of an allergic reaction, not an intolerance. In that case, there is the potential for something called anaphylaxis to develop, which is life-threatening and can develop quickly. The symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, or having noisy or fast breathing. You may see the face, lips, and tongue swelling, but the risk is if the throat swells, blocking the airways. Food intolerance symptoms are not very specific and commonly can be caused by other conditions such as stress, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and food allergies.