Painful fingers? It could be Chilblains What are Chilblains? Chilblains are caused by repeated exposure to cold air, leading to inflammation of the small blood vessels in the skin. Symptoms of Chilblains include itch, swelling, pain, redness and occasionally blistering of the fingers or toes. The condition is sometimes [...]
What is Eczema? Eczema is inflamed skin. It can be difficult to distinguish from other skin conditions. Symptoms include: Redness Itch Dryness Weeping and crusting Thickened scaly & cracked skin (if longstanding) Skin infections Request a medical certificate What's the difference between Dermatitis and [...]
What causes smelly feet? The medical word for smelly feet is “Bromodosis”. It can happen to absolutely anyone. There are several causes of smelly feet. Three of the commonest causes of smelly feet are: Excessive sweating (Hyperhidrosis) Pitted keratolysis - this is commoner in men. Bacteria causes the skin to become soft, damp, dimpled [...]
What is Melanoma? Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer. It tends to occur in parts of the body that are regularly exposed to the sun, though less commonly it can develop in areas that don’t usually get sun exposure (for example, the soles of the feet). Melanoma is [...]
What is Scabies? Scabies is a highly contagious skin infestation, caused by a tiny mite, called Sarcoptes scabeii. Due to its small size (2-4mm), it’s difficult to see without magnification. The mites form burrows in the skin where they lay their eggs, leading to further mites and worsening infection. The [...]
Chicken Pox spread symptoms vaccine treatment Chicken Pox is a viral infection, caused by the Varicella Zoster Virus, which is a type of herpes virus. Children in Australia are routinely immunised against Chicken Pox at 18 months, as part of a 4 in 1 vaccine with the MMR [...]
What are School Sores and how are they treated? symptoms spread diagnosis treatment What are school sores (impetigo)? School sores, also referred to as Impetigo, is a bacterial skin infection which leads to spots or lesions on the skin. These sores may appear as blisters [...]
Urticaria- what causes hives and how is it treated? what is urticaria? Causes Treatment Tests What is Urticaria? Urticaria (commonly known as “hives”) is a common itchy rash- around 20% of people get it at some point in life. It usually leads to raised pink itchy skin lesions, [...]
Sweating is the body’s natural way of cooling down- sweat evaporates from the skin and allows body temperature to drop. Short term increases in sweating may happen in hot surroundings, during exercise or if a person has an acute fever or infection. However, sometimes people get abnormal sweating or sweating at night that continues [...]
Threadworms- symptoms & treatment Spread Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment What are thread worms? Threadworms (also known as pinworms) are small white worms that infect the human intestine. Infestation with threadworms is a common problem, particularly in younger children, though it can quickly spread through an entire household! How do [...]
