Omicron is one of the latest strains of coronavirus and the most dominant strain worldwide. Initial concerns were heightened as the strain appeared to spread faster than previous variants, and it had many mutations that hadn’t been seen before. With time comes more data, and we now know that it seems to cause much milder disease than previous strains. There’s a tidal wave of information, and it can be difficult to tease apart the good from the bad, so let’s review what we know at the time of writing.

Head lice are tiny insects that live on human hair and feed on the scalp. They are very common in young school children and their families, and there is no link between head lice and unwashed/dirty hair. The eggs laid by the head lice are what are known as nits. They stick to the hair and hatch after 7 - 10 days. Head lice produce symptoms of an itchy scalp and sometimes a feeling of something moving in your hair. The only way to diagnose them is to find a live head louse (it will look black and the size of a sesame seed) by combing the hair with a head lice detection comb which you can get from the pharmacy. They like to live close to the scalp and cannot survive for very long away from hair. Head lice can be treated at home and should be treated as soon as they have been detected. The best way to treat them is wet combing with a special head lice detection comb. You need to do this every 4 days for 2 weeks to make sure you catch any recently hatched lice (some doctors would advise combing for 3 weeks to be 100% sure you're clear of the critters!). Wash the hair and then apply a generous amount of conditioner (you can also use olive oil). Leave the conditioner in as you brush the hair with a normal hairbrush to get out the knots, and then use the head lice detection comb, combing from the scalp to the end of the tips of the hair. Check each brushstroke for head lice or nits (tiny black insects or white/brown eggs) and wipe or wash them off the comb if you see any. Do this for all sections of the hair. Wash out the conditioner, then comb one more time through. If after 2 - 3 weeks of wet combing, there are still head lice detected, then seek guidance from your pharmacist, who can recommend certain lotions/sprays that can kill the head lice. Some of these need to be repeated or paired with combing to remove the dead lice/eggs. Dry combing can be used to detect head lice in hair but not for treating them.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common ailment, and every sufferer has their own particular set of symptoms and triggers. As it commonly starts in the 20s and 30s, it will be most people’s first experience of dealing with a long-term condition. Physical symptoms – abdominal pain, bloating or altered bowel habits – can dominate consultations with your doctor because of their impact on daily life. Sometimes the mental health side of IBS can get sidelined, but attention to your psychological needs can actually improve symptoms. Recognizing that there is a huge mental health burden is the first step, and taking measures to protect yourself is the next. Here we dig into these in more detail to keep yourself as well as you can be.

Long COVID describes the ongoing symptoms people feel after infection with COVID-19. Doctors term this post-COVID syndrome and class it as any symptoms lasting three months after your infection started. Recovery from COVID-19 infection differs from person to person. For many, the common symptoms of COVID-19 will resolve within a few weeks. We don’t yet know why, but some people are left with symptoms a long time after initial symptoms of the infection have improved. Severe illness with COVID-19 doesn’t necessarily make people more likely to get longstanding symptoms. We haven’t yet found any links between the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and the chance of getting longstanding symptoms. There is a lot we still don’t know.

With the rise of COVID-19, we’ve had to grapple with a whole new scientific vocabulary. Herd immunity (or community immunity) is often mentioned, but what does it mean? We’ll explain that in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines. Herd immunity means enough of a population is immune to a specific infectious disease (a pathogen such as a virus or bacteria) that it stops the spread. If the virus fails to spread from person to person, fewer people will become unwell and die. And the pathogen will fall to very low levels. Immunity can come from catching the disease and building antibodies: these have a memory that means the next time you meet the pathogen, your immune system recognizes it and rapidly kicks into action to defeat it, and you avoid serious illness or death. This is known as natural immunity. The vaccine also gives immunity. Similarly, it teaches your immune system to recognize the pathogen and build memory cells so it’s primed to fight off any future invasions. This is desirable if the disease carries a high risk of serious illness or death, such as COVID-19. But natural immunity is preferred for something like the common cold, as it’s not a serious disease, so they haven’t developed a vaccine.

Recently we've been getting many questions about the flu vaccine. The roll-out happens yearly, and many people are up-to-date with most of the general information surrounding it. Now and again, we get asked questions that keep us on our toes, and we've collated these here for your information. First is how long it takes to gain protection after vaccination. Like all vaccinations, the flu shot works by stimulating the immune system into a defense response. This does take time: science suggests it can take 1 to 2 weeks until you are fully protected. Getting your vaccination early will ensure you are protected as soon as possible.

Flu is the common name for illness caused by the influenza virus. It brings on headache, muscle aches, sore throat, runny nose, and cough. It's much worse than the common cold, often requiring a few days in bed, struggling with fever, poor appetite, and feeling very tired and drained. It usually comes in the winter, it's highly contagious, and most people have experienced it at one time or another. If you're healthy, you have a miserable 2 to 7 days, then get better and back to normal life. The risk comes to those who are elderly or have ongoing medical conditions. It can also hard-hit those with suppressed immune systems from conditions or medication. It causes inflammation in the lungs and airways, leading to breathing problems, pneumonia, and even death. Antibiotics won't help as they don't work on viruses, only bacteria. Your immune system will fight it off, and you may need intravenous fluids and oxygen if you are admitted to the hospital.

As the days get shorter and the temperature cools, it can be tempting to curl up on the sofa with some comfort food and a binge-worthy box set. But we are not naturally hibernating animals, so it's important to understand why your energy levels may dip while your appetite increases and address it with healthy choices. The doctors at Healthwords will always encourage a healthy balanced diet over and above taking supplements, and the more colorful and varied your meals, the more nourishing nutrients you get. But there are times that supplements may be helpful or even vital. There is less choice of fresh foods over winter and less sunshine to naturally make vitamin D, plus fighting off colds and flu means our immunity needs to be in tip-top condition. Let's talk you through the challenges of winter and how to counter them to keep you healthy in mind and body.

COVID-19 has morphed and changed, with new variants appearing all the time. This is normal for a virus. The Delta variant was another concerning strain of the novel coronavirus. It was more contagious at the time of discovery than previous variants but has since been found to be less contagious than the following variant, Omicron. Nevertheless, Delta had a severe and devastating impact on people and economies worldwide. Here’s our take on it.

Covonia Dry & Tickly Cough Linctus is a cough medicine used to relieve dry and tickly coughs. It's available as a liquid to swallow and for adults and children aged 1 year and over.

Symptoms of COVID-19 have changed as the virus has evolved into different strains, and as the population has mostly become vaccinated. Those infected with the current most common strain, Omicron, are more likely to have milder symptoms like a cold or flu. This is especially true if you are fully vaccinated. You are likely to feel unwell for a few days but usually will be able to fight it off, especially if you are young, fit, and in good health. That said, no one enjoys the flu or even a cold very much, so let's take you through some simple measures to help you feel better.

We’ve lived alongside this virus for a good while now, and we’ve all received the US government’s message about the three key symptoms that point to a COVID-19 infection. These are a persistent cough, high fever and a change to your sense of taste or smell. But there’s evidence that these symptoms are less common in some groups. We should be aware of other symptoms as they may warrant isolating and getting a COVID PCR test. Researchers have found that differences can exist by age, sex, ethnicity and other health problems. Let’s take you through what we know so far.