Reading Time: 2 minutes Medical marijuana has been in the news a lot recently, as has legalizing its recreational use. There is a difference, though. With a medical document from a physician or nurse practitioner, you can now obtain marijuana for medical purposes from a licensed producer, and you can have it delivered directly to your home. In this […] Read more
Guide Health: Medical marijuana. Could it be the right choice for you?
Research into the medical benefits of marijuana is limited. It’s said to help many conditions, but we often don’t really know
Guide Health: Head lice is more common than you think
It’s an important point worth repeating: head lice don’t mean that a home is unclean, they mean that this is a home where children play together
Reading Time: 2 minutes From time to time, head lice infestations become news stories, especially when treatment “failures” occur. You probably feel itchy right now just thinking about them! Head lice, scientifically known as Pediculus humanus capitis, have been around as long human beings have existed. After all, lice need human blood to live. Head lice also exist worldwide, […] Read more
Guide Health: The embarrassment of hemorrhoids
It’s easy to understand why no one likes to talk about hemorrhoids, but at the very least you need to know when to get checked
Reading Time: 2 minutes Hemorrhoids are common, with anywhere from 50 to 80 per cent of Canadians having experienced them. It is difficult to determine the number more accurately, however, because many people do not report having hemorrhoids or, alternatively, they successfully self treat. Hemorrhoids are anal cushions which become inflamed and swollen. Internal ones remain within the anal […] Read more
Guide Health: Yes, your eyes are getting old
As you get older, you’ll be bothered more by the glare of headlights, and you’ll find it harder to read small print too. But don’t hesitate to get checked out, especially if you notice any pain
Reading Time: 2 minutes As with any part of your body, your eyes change as they age. Often, in fact, eye conditions are attributed to old age. It is estimated that 500,000 Canadians are affected by macular degeneration, plus 2.5 million by cataracts and 250,000 by glaucoma. These conditions seem to occur in older people more often. They are […] Read more
Guide Health: Oh, my head hurts
Don’t just shake off a head injury. Get it checked out. Brain injuries can lead to serious consequences that may not appear for decades
Reading Time: 3 minutes Hitting your head may just give you a headache, but you should never dismiss the hit as a minor injury. About 2.5 per cent of the Canadian population injure their heads each year, so it’s not an uncommon problem. But it can be serious. The type of head injuries that you hear most about in […] Read more
Guide Health: Don’t let your minor cuts and scrapes get major
Know the difference between an at-home bandage and a trip to the doctor
Reading Time: 3 minutes Your skin protects your body from the outside world while also regulating your temperature, so any damage to your skin can result in damage to underlying structures. Everyone has had a cut or a scrape at one time or other. These usually only need to be covered with a self-adhesive bandage. For larger or more […] Read more
Guide Health: Do you need an injectable for diabetes?
Good management of diabetes is possible with a combination of oral drugs, but it can also include injectable medications
Reading Time: 3 minutes Diabetes is a metabolic disease, which means it is associated with a problem in the way your body metabolizes a substance. Specifically, in the case of diabetes your body has problems with a carbohydrate, i.e. glucose. In 2010, it was estimated that 2.7 million Canadians were living with a diagnosis of diabetes, and that over […] Read more
Guide Health: Dietary supplements —should you or shouldn’t you?
A Consumer Reports panel has identified 15 supplements to avoid. Check the ingredient lists on the products you take. Toxicities can be significant
Reading Time: 3 minutes Dietary supplements provide additional nutrition to your diet. Most often, the term may make you think of vitamins and minerals, but natural products and herbal remedies are also part of this category. Should you buy them? Vitamins are organic substances from plants or animals that your body needs in small amounts. Minerals are needed in […] Read more
Guide Health: The increasing problem of allergies
Guide Health with Marie Berry
Reading Time: 3 minutes There does seem to be an increase in allergies, with about 30 per cent of adults and 40 per cent of children affected in Canada. This trend is thought to be due to several factors, including the fact that today we are able to diagnose allergies that previously may have been dismissed as a sensitive […] Read more
Guide Health: A cascade you don’t want
Almost everyone can benefit from these measures to avoid taking drugs unnecessarily
Reading Time: 3 minutes You may think of a cascade as a soothing brook bubbling over some rocks, but a prescription cascade is not as pleasant. The term refers to the treatment of the side-effects of one drug when a new second drug is prescribed. These side-effects can be mistakenly identified as a new condition, and of course this […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
