Universal Medicine

Vision is a gift that we often take for granted. It allows us to appreciate the delicate intricacies and beauty around us, cherishing special moments. Now picture a world that is pitch black. Globally, 39 million people are blind. 1 For decades, research has been focused on the creation of a bionic eye to help shine a light on a world of darkness. Now, this is becoming a reality.    Second Sight’s novel product, Argus® II, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa - a rare inherited disease in which the light-sensitive retina slowly and progressively degenerates. 2,3 The prosthesis involves surgically fitting an implant onto the retina, the light-sensitive area at the back of the eye. The patient wears a special pair of glasses into which a video camera has been fitted. This camera picks up the image and wirelessly sends signals to the implant, stimulating the retina and causing nerve impulse conduction to the visual cortex in the brain. H...

For those of you that have been following our blog from 2016, you may remember one of our very first posts on the Zika Virus. This was a very topical public health issue, especially with the 2016 Rio Olympics fastly approaching. I began writing a research paper at the time, with the aim of exploring how Zika led to associated conditions such as microcephaly. In addition, an epidemiological stance was explored: health economics and balancing resource allocation between preventing the spread and deriving a cure for Zika. Ultimately, the purpose of this outlook was to establish which protocol of resource allocation would be most efficient, thereby helping guide governmental policy for future pandemics/epidemics. Recently, my paper has been shortlisted for publication in the Chronicles of Student Research Success as well as publication onto Research Gate! It is also due for presentation at a national conference, and I would love to share the journey with you. The link to the full pape...

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder which you may develop after being involved in, or witnessing, traumatic events. The condition was first recognised in war veterans and has been known by a variety of names, such as 'shell shock'. PTSD can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event, or it can occur weeks, months or even years later. Its estimated to affect about 1 in every 3 people who have a traumatic experience, but it's not clear exactly why some people develop the condition and others do not. There are many theories that could be used to explain this condition. Psychodynamic approaches to PTSD focus on a number of different factors that may influence or cause PTSD symptoms, such as early childhood experiences, current relationships and the things people do to protect themselves from upsetting thoughts and feelings that are the result of experiencing a traumatic event. The psychodynamic approach focuses mainly...

What is vaping? An electronic cigarette or e-cigarette is a handheld battery-powered vaporizer that simulates smoking by providing some of the behavioral aspects of smoking, including the hand-to-mouth action of smoking, but without burning tobacco. Using an e-cigarette is known as ‘vaping’.  There has been an exponential rise of vaping among teenagers. ‘According to a recent study, about 37% of high school seniors reported vaping in 2018, up from 28% the year before. An estimated 2.1 million middle school and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2017; that number jumped to 3.6 million in 2018.’ First, many teens believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking. Second, e-cigarettes have a lower per-use cost than traditional cigarettes. Finally, vape cartridges are often formulated with flavorings such as apple pie and watermelon that appeal to younger users. Nicotine in e-cigarettes may have several negative health effects. Chronic nicotine exposure may le...

Natasha Lynch A speech disorder refers to any condition which affects the way a person is able to create and form words. Speech, language and communication are some of the most important things in everyday life. To be understood we must understand. We communicate what we need, what we know and what we want. Learning speech and communication as a child lies the foundations of all relationships, developments and achievements. It allows children to learn, without the basics of listening, talking and understanding a child is unable to learn new things like reading and writing. From childhood all the way through adulthood a person with a speech disorder will struggle. Try to think of a day where you have not communicated or spoken to someone. I doubt there are many and if there are I guarantee it was pretty lonely. Or imagine if every time you went to say a word or sentence different words came out- frustrating right? This is living with a speech disorder.  Types of speech disorders: - ...

I remember when my dad was saying how he felt like he was getting possessed by a ghost one night; how he couldn't move at all, but no dad you weren’t getting ‘possessed’ you had sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is a temporary inability to move or speak that occurs when you're waking up or falling asleep. It's not harmful and should pass in a few seconds or minutes, but can be very frightening. Many people have sleep paralysis once or twice in their life, while others experience it a few times a month or more regularly. There are 2 types of sleep: Non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement. Sleep paralysis happens when you abruptly wake up from REM. REM is when the eyes move quickly, this episode of sleep is where the brain is most active so brain restoration can take place. Furthermore, this is when dreams occur, we have at least 5 every night but only remember them if we wake up in the middle of a dream. When we are dreaming our brain stem is switched off, in othe...

Unlike an episode of sleep paralysis, locked in syndrome can be expressed as a more extensive version of it without the demons or monsters, some people never recover from it. It can happen to anyone of any age or gender. This rare illness which leaves only sight and hearing as the only senses working. Therefore, sometimes it goes unnoticed which may lead to incorrect treatment and or the the resources available to still communicate is ignored. An individual suffering from this has no ability to move or speak however can blink and move their eyes as they please. Causes:   Damage to a specific brain stem section called the pons, which contains neuronal pathways between the cerebrum, spinal cord and cerebellum, can cause and is the most common cause of this syndrome. Locked-In syndrome is a result of the interruption of all the motor fibres running from the grey matter in the brain through the spinal cord to the body's muscles,  which in turn causes paralysis...

The concept of in vitro fertilization is to optimize human reproduction by making it more efficient. IVF takes many eggs and, during a 3-5 day culture process, the eggs are fertilized.  One or more of the fertilized eggs is then transferred into the uterus. By removing the eggs from the ovaries, fertilizing them outside of the body, and then transferring the embryo or embryos back into the womb, the net effect is that of compressing many months of attempting to conceive into one. The general layout Step 1: suppressing the natural menstrual cycle Can make the medicines used in the next stage of treatment more effective and continue this for about 2 weeks. Step 2: boosting egg supply Once your menstrual cycle is suppressed you take an FSH fertility hormone (follicle stimulating hormone). This increases the number of eggs you produce, so more eggs can be collected and fertilized. Step 3: checking progress You'll have vaginal ultrasounds to monitor your ovaries and, in s...

At least once in your life you would have had a nightmare, but have you ever had a night terror or ever witnessed someone else who has one. Many children experience nightmares and night terrors, but most grow out of them. They don't cause any long-term psychological harm but can be very distressful for the child and the witness. Night terrors are very different from nightmares. A child having night terrors may scream and thrash around, and may not recognise you if you try to comfort them. This behaviour occurs on waking abruptly from deep, non-dream sleep, they won't be fully awake during these episodes and will have no memory of it the next morning. However nightmares occur from dream sleep (REM sleep). The child may wake up from the nightmare and, depending on their age, may be able to remember and describe the bad dream to you. A child who experiences night terrors may scream, shout and thrash around in extreme panic, and may even jump out of bed.  Their eyes will be open...

How sleep is the best painkiller. Have you ever suffered from some sort of pain then gone to sleep and woke up with the pain as a memory? New research has found an explanation for all of this. The research found that sleep deprivation increases the sensitivity of pain as it numbs the pain killing response. The effects of not getting enough sleep are endless from reduced memory, losing the ability to learn as well as cognitive impairment. Research Walker and Krause used 24 healthy, young participants and applied heat to their legs and scanned their brains examining the process of pain. The first time they completed this after participants had had a good night sleep and established the pain threshold, then again with no sleep. The researchers found that the brain's somatosensory cortex, a region associated with pain sensitivity, was hyperactive when the participants hadn't slept enough. This confirmed the hypothesis that sleep deprivation would interfere with pain-p...

As the exam period is upon us. Exams can be viewed as stressful times for many people and it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Exam stress occurs when you feel an increased sense of panic or anxiety in the days, weeks or months before, during or after an assessment or test of some sort. Exam stress is most frequently short-lived – as soon as it is finished and you realise that you are free from studying for a few months, your stress levels usually diminish. So why not begin to try new techniques and activities to reduce this as Excess stress can play a role in headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis and many more. In recent years, particularly in Japan, spending time in forests has become the wellness trend. Forest bathing — a translation of the Japanese term shinrin yoku — is not a new idea, of course; ramblers have enjoyed forest walks for generations. The act goes beyond walking through nature, according to experts who explain that ...

Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how people communicate and interact with others. Autistic people view the world in a different way to others, they see, hear and experience the world differently from people without autism. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life; autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be 'cured'. Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity. It affects people in different ways.  The main signs of autism are differences in how autistic people communicate and interact with others. There are 2 main signs: ·         difficulties with social communication and interaction – autistic people may find it hard to join in conversations or to make friends ·         repetitive behaviour, routines and activities – such as fixed daily routines, repetitive body movements and a hypersensitivity to certain sounds The possible signs of Autism in pres...

Amniocentesis is a procedure used to obtain a small sample of the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus to diagnose chromosomal disorders and open neural tube defects (ONTDs), such as spina bifida. An amniocentesis is generally offered to women between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy who are at increased risk for chromosome abnormalities, such as women who are over age 35 years of age at delivery, or those who have had an abnormal maternal serum screening test, indicating an increased risk for a chromosomal abnormality or neural tube defect. The procedure involves inserting a long, thin needle through the mother's abdomen into the amniotic sac to withdraw a small sample of the amniotic fluid for examination. The amniotic fluid contains cells shed by the fetus, which contain genetic information. Although specific details of each procedure vary slightly, generally, an amniocentesis follows this process: The woman's abdomen is cleansed with an antiseptic   The doct...

Phantom limb If someone has had an area of a leg or arm amputated, there are many cases where the patient will still experience the pain of the limb. It is most common in leg and arm amputees but can also be present when other body parts are removed like breasts. The pain usually occurs within 6 months of the amputation and can last anywhere from a couple hours to years without treatment. The cause is not yet known, but researchers believe it is related to nerves in the brain and spinal cord rewire when they lose signal with the missing limb, its then believed that they will send pain signals as they sense something is wrong. It may also just be caused by the damaged nerve endings and damaged tissues. Phantom limb syndrome was first described in 1552 by French surgeon Ambroise pare, who operated on wounded soldiers and wrote about patients who complained of pain in amputated limbs. The same syndrome was later observed and noted by a Scottish physician William Porterfield who w...

  I don’t know about you, but i’ve always wanted a twin sibling, it would be so chaotic but also fascinating having someone that looks exactly like you. The bond between twins is a unique one on so many levels, being born together and having the same milestones is something that most of us cannot relate to. What about conjoined twins? Imagine having another human joined to you! Conjoined twins are 2 babies who are born physically connected to each other. They develop when an early embryo only partially separates to form 2 individuals. Although 2 fetuses will develop from this embryo, they will remain physically connected - most often at the chest, abdomen or pelvis. Conjoined twins may also share one or more internal organs. Just like typical conjoined twins experience an extreme type of special bond.  The specific anatomy of each pair of conjoined twins is unique, they may be joined at any of these sites: Chest (Thoracopagus) - twins are joined face to face at the ch...