Yoga is an ancient, spiritual and traditional form of exercise that enhances strength, flexibility and breathing. The practice of yoga originates from India and dates back 5,000 years, when it was traditionally used for spiritual and physical well-being. There are many different types of yoga, including Ashtanga, Iyengar and Sivananda, which focus on different body areas, such as breathing or posture. No style is necessarily better than the other, and you may have developed your own yoga practice depending on your needs. Together, these can help strengthen physical and mental well-being, especially when practiced regularly.

An X-ray is a type of scan that uses very small amounts of radiation to create a 2D black and white image of the inside of your body. X-rays send small amounts of radiation energy through the body and detect the amount that has passed through to the other side. Different tissues block or absorb different amounts of the X-rays depending on how dense they are. The denser the matter, the more radiation it will block and the lighter it will appear. For example, bone shows up as white as it blocks a large amount of the radiation, whereas air in the lungs allows more to pass through and shows up as much darker.

Genetic conditions can be passed on from either the mother’s line or the father’s. We each inherit two chromosomes, one from our mother and one from our father, that determine our sex – women have XX chromosomes, and men have XY. A female has two X’s, so if one has a genetic disease, she may not show the characteristic as she can rely on the healthy X chromosome. She can, however, pass the disease on to the next generation. She is known as a carrier. A male, on the other hand, only has one X chromosome – if this is faulty, he will display characteristics of certain syndromes or conditions. He is known as a sufferer. The two sex hormones are just one pair of 23 chromosome pairs. Genetic conditions can be inherited from any of these and may be unrelated to whether it’s your mother or father who has a disease.

Xerostomia means dry mouth and is due to too little saliva to keep the mouth moist. Saliva is produced from glands in your mouth and helps not only keep your mouth and throat from becoming too dry but also helps with keeping the mouth clean by helping move small bits of food out from the crevices in your mouth and providing some protection against microbes (viruses, bacteria, and fungal infections). A dry mouth is a symptom in itself and can have multiple causes ranging from being dehydrated to a side effect of medication or treatments like radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, can cause it, or even if you breathe through your mouth most of the time rather than through your nose. A dry mouth can go hand-in-hand with a sore throat, bad breath, a hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, mouth infections such as thrush, and problems with gums or teeth (this is due to bacteria or plaque building up more when there is less anti-microbial saliva).

Being a parent is tough and no tougher than when your child is unwell. While you get used to mild illness happening on a frequent basis – stuffy nose, mild fleeting fever, there may be certain symptoms that cause you to question whether you’re doing the right thing in staying home or whether you should take them to see a doctor.

Having a tooth removed can be an anxiety\-inducing experience. Here, Healthwords walks you through the best ways to recover from the process and why so many people need to have their wisdom teeth removed. Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to grow through your gums and are located at the back of your molars. There are four wisdom teeth (one in each corner of the mouth), and they usually begin erupting between the ages of 17 and 21. Many people do not have room in their mouth for these extra teeth, so when they begin to come out, they can often push against your other teeth, come out at the wrong angle, or even not at all. When the tooth has failed to erupt due to growth in the wrong direction, it is referred to as" impaction" and usually requires the tooth to be removed to prevent decay. However, they are also removed if they are causing pain, inflammation, or infection. This usually happens due to food being trapped in pockets created around the tooth as it erupts, or the tooth is simply pushing against the other teeth. Wisdom teeth are the most commonly removed type of tooth in adults and can have a longer recovery period than others due to their size and location.

Waking up with shoulder pain in the morning is never an ideal way to start the day. It can make your morning activities all the more difficult before you've even left the house for the day. Brushing your teeth, getting dressed, and washing your hair can all feel much harder than they need to. If you can relate to this, you might be wondering what's going on, and what action you need to take. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to relieve and prevent shoulder pain in the morning. In this article, we'll take a look into the possible reasons for your morning shoulder pain, and what you can do to alleviate it.

You may see someone collapse in the street, or a loved one or a neighbor at home. Without knowing why, they have collapsed, actions within the first few seconds and minutes may save their life, so it's worth being prepared. First things first, look after yourself, and make sure the area around them is safe for you to walk into – live electric wires, noxious chemicals, fire. If it's unsafe, you should avoid being another casualty, and instead dial 911 for an ambulance. Second, check for signs of life. This can be done by calling their name to see if they respond and by gently shaking their shoulders. If there is still no response, you can check for signs of breathing by tilting their head back and look for their chest rising or by placing your cheek near their mouth and feeling for their breath. You can try to find a pulse if you feel confident doing this – it's most accurate to find one of the carotid arteries on the neck – but don't waste time if you haven't been trained. If you do not think that they are breathing, you or someone nearby should call for an ambulance immediately. The next thing you need to do is start chest compressions – this is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). These are given with hands interlocked and using the palm of the hand to push firmly down the middle of the chest and then release. This is done at a regular rate and fast rate, to encourage blood to pump around the body and keep the most vital organs alive. Don't overthink it, just get to it.

Cuts, scrapes, and grazes are common, especially in children. But anyone can injure themselves, so it's a good idea to know what to do if you're nearby and when you should worry. Let's talk you through it. We've assumed in this article that you know the person you're treating, but if you're a bystander and helping a stranger, contact with blood carries the risk of disease. We would advise caution in this case, wearing single-use gloves if available or helping them to a medical facility instead. This article is also only suitable for treating non-superficial cuts

Choking is where an object blocks the airway, either fully or partially, preventing someone from being able to breathe properly. Whether it’s a loved one or a stranger in a restaurant, your first instinct is usually to help someone with choking. Everyone always thinks of the maneuver where you squeeze someone from behind – it's a favorite in many films – but few people know the specifics. So, let’s take you through what to do first, and then describe how to effectively perform abdominal thrusts, otherwise known as the Heimlich maneuver. This advice is for adults. It’s a similar sequence for children and babies, but as their bodies are much smaller, we’ve written about the technique for them separately.

If a condom breaks during sex, it can be scary. But knowing what to do next can help you stay safe and calm. Here’s a simple guide to help you handle the situation and lower the risks of pregnancy or getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

A stool test is done to assess the health of your bowel and your gut. It analyzes your poop as there are many things it can tell a doctor about your overall health.