Health
The Facts Behind Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a worry for all men and while most believe it’s an older man’s problem, it is actually quite common among younger men. In fact, 25 per cent of patients diagnosed with ED were under 40 in a 2013 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Of this 25 per cent, almost half suffered from severe ED. ED can be a big problem, but what can you actually do about it? What are the facts? There are...
Meet some Patients on Africa’s Mercy Ship
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Mercy Ships is an international charity which operates the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, providing free healthcare services to those living in developing countries, namely in Africa, where the services of professional medical staff are most needed. The ship is currently docked in Madagascar, which is one of the world’s poorest countries with only 2 physicians and 3 hospital beds available for every 10,000 people. Founded in 1978, Mercy Ships has worked...
Recovering addict volunteers for Marie Curie, why don’t you too?
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor When Kenny’s mum died of lung cancer in 2011, he made a pact to himself: to do something good in her memory. However, this well-meaning plan wasn’t without problems to be overcome. Kenny had low confidence and self-esteem - but he was determined. He wanted to stay true to his pact for his mum, who stood by him unconditionally throughout his chequered past. Kenny, a substance misuse support worker from Clapham, decided to volunteer for...
Harry Styles cures teenager’s fear of needles
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor A teenager with crippling phobia of needles was cured in time to get a lifesaving jab - thanks to HARRY STYLES. Beth Sansford, 15, refused to have all forms of injections - including the cervical cancer jab, which could have had worrying implications for her long term health. But now she is happy to go under the needle, after a hypnotherapist taught her to visualise her celebrity crush, the One Direction hunk. Beth, who has now...
Glaucoma Week raises awareness of second most common cause of blindness
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor World Glaucoma Week, which runs 6-12 March 2016. It was set up to help raise awareness of glaucoma, the second most common cause of blindness in the world after cataract and the leading cause of irreversible sight loss. The condition affects 67 million people worldwide, of which 8 million have lost their sight completely. As well as raising awareness there also lies an important health message to ensure people book regular eye tests to monitor...
Schoolboy’s best friend’s death inspires national road safety campaign
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor After a young boy was tragically killed while out cycling his friend decided to do something positive and set up a fundraiser for him, which is so successful it has been rolled out across the UK. Tragically Daniel Climance was only eleven when he was killed on a bike ride with his brother and father in Purton, Wiltshire in June 2015. Eleven-year-old Callum Smart and his mum Claire wanted to ensure Daniel’s memory was kept...
How one young brain tumour victim’s death is giving hope to others
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor As the old saying goes, March is a month without mercy. March is also Brain Tumour Awareness Month. And one particular type of brain tumour – a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma – is one without any mercy at all. Indeed, it will take the life of the child who has the terrible misfortune to suffer this incurable, inoperable and terribly debilitating illness. The name itself is challenging. Basically, it is a cancerous tumour in the...
Every 5 Seconds Someone in World Goes Blind – Fight For Your Sight
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor It is a shocking statistic but every five seconds someone in the world goes blind. Almost two million people in the UK are living with significant sight loss and this number is predicted to rise to approximately 2.3 million by 2020. It’s essential, like any other body organ that you look after your eyes. Whilst it may not be a life threatening disease, sight loss can have a devastating impact on your quality of life. 84% of people...
Marathon runner halfway through ‘400 in 365’ challenge
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Marathon man Mark Vaz is almost halfway through his outrageous challenge of completing 400 marathons in 365 days despite dislocating his shoulder earlier in the week. Mark is raising funds for Adoption UK as he attempts to become the first man to run 400 marathons in a year – so more than one a day. The current record is 239 marathons. To put Mark’s challenge into context, he will be aiming to run a total...