Latest News
Why is chlamydia so dangerous?
Friday, 26 June
Chlamydia is the most frequently reported sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK, affecting an estimated 207,000 people a year. The majority are teens and young adults, with 138,000 chlamydia cases in 15-24 year olds, but some are older adults. It is three times more common in women than...
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Pros and cons of different medicines for controlling cholesterol
Friday, 26 June
Cholesterol is essentially a sterol (or modified steroid), a lipid molecule, that allows human and other animal cells to maintain their structural makeup without a cell wall, unlike plant cells for example which are fixed and restricted by their cell walls. Cholesterol forms an essential part...
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Is norethisterone the best period delay pill?
Thursday, 25 June
If you are already taking a combined contraceptive pill, there are other ways to delay your period by taking two packets back to back. How you do this will depend on which pill you take. But for most women, getting a doctor's prescription for norethisterone is the simplest way to delay your...
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I always use a condom surely I don’t need a test?
Thursday, 25 June
Condoms are obviously an effective physical barrier against the risk of sexually transmitted infections, although they are much less protective when used incorrectly or inconsistently. Usually when talking about condoms we mean either the male latex condom or the female (insertive or internal)...
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What is Biodentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)?
Thursday, 25 June
Today a woman can expect to spend upwards of 25 years in the post-menopausal stage so any approach which looks at making the symptoms of the menopause easier has to be welcomed. Many women turn to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and Dr Matt routinely prescribes HRT tablets or patches without...
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What is a typical stop smoking plan with champix?
Thursday, 25 June
If you are considering using prescription medication to help you quit smoking, you should set yourself a date when you will stop smoking. Your champix dose should usually start one to two weeks before this date and then you will be treated with champix for a minimum of 8-12 weeks. If you have...
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Is champix a miracle cure for smoking cessation?
Thursday, 25 June
If going cold turkey, e-cigarettes, nicotine gum, patches, cutting down and other tried and tested methods of smoking cessation have failed, it could be time to consider a strong prescription drug like champix to help you give up. Champix (active ingredient varenicline) is in the...
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How can I tell my partner about an STI?
Thursday, 25 June
There may not be an easy time to talk about sexual history and sexually transmitted infections, but the sooner you do it the better. Even if you feel a little nervous, remember it's okay, everyone feels like that and it's all part of feeling confident and going over any questions with your...
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Dr Matt FAQs: Haemorrhoids
Thursday, 25 June
What are haemorrhoids? Haemorrhoids, sometimes called piles, are swellings of enlarged blood vessels that appear around the bottom (the rectum and anus). Usually the symptoms are mild and can include bleeding (usually after going to the toilet), itching, a mucus discharge, soreness, swelling or a...
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How walking reduced my high cholesterol in weeks
Thursday, 11 June
Walking can be done anywhere at any time. The average person walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps (just under two miles) a day, usually without losing weight or cutting down on fat and cholesterol. There are prescription medicines that can help you to get on top of high cholesterol,...
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Recently diagnosed? Help with making your own 'Living With Asthma' action plan
Thursday, 11 June
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with asthma it’s likely that your doctor or nurse will have already involved you in monitoring your treatment and your levels of medication. At your GP surgery you should have been offered full information on...
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Can Priligy really make me last longer during intercourse?
Monday, 18 May
A recent survey of several thousand British men found that 10% of them often have, or sometimes have, problems with premature ejaculation (PE). PE occurs basically when a male experiences orgasm before he wants to and ejaculates with minimal physical stimulation. It is the most common ejaculation...
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Are generic alternatives to Viagra as effective?
Monday, 18 May
There has been a lot of coverage in the press recently about the high cost of branded drugs being bought every year by the NHS, when there are sometimes ‘generic’ versions available at a much lower cost. Many drugs have two names: the brand name (given to it by the pharmaceutical...
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Hay fever, eczema and asthma links and what you can do about it
Monday, 18 May
There are many ways that people can get sensitized to allergens, from pollen to pollution to food allergies in children with things like milk, eggs, peanuts, fish or shellfish. Although the process of sensitization from our environment is not fully understood, there has been some interesting...
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How to get convenient and discreet online access to Viagra from an NHS doctor
Monday, 18 May
When taking any medicine that is available by prescription method only in the UK, the use of the medication should always be accompanied by a doctor consultation to check for any related health concerns or medicine interactions. Buying any pharmaceutical product online is dangerous, from the...
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Up to three quarters of Viagra bought online may be fake and potentially harmful
Monday, 11 May
Build muscle fast! Wonder breakthrough! Miracle cure! Don't let erectile dysfunction get in your way! Claims for fake Viagra and other wonder drugs sold online certainly capture the imagination. It's likely that you've heard about the dangers of buying medicines online from unauthorised or non-UK...
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Dr Matt FAQs: Correct techniques for using your blue and brown asthma inhaler
Monday, 11 May
Why is correct use important? A recent study found that only 10% of people are able to demonstrate the correct asthma inhaler technique, although on average 75% of patients say they can use it the correct way. In tests the amount of medication entering the lungs was shown to vary from 33% in the...
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Dr Matt FAQs: Sildenafil
Monday, 11 May
What is Sildenafil? Sildenafil or sildenafil citrate is the generic medicine and exactly the same chemical compound sold as Viagra or under other brand names. It is the medication used primarily to treat erectile dysfunction but also pulmonary arterial hypertension (when taken as a...
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Pros and cons of Viagra vs Sildenafil vs Cialis
Monday, 11 May
One is a little blue pill, the original 'miracle' pill for men. The others are blue and sometimes white and round marked with an 'S', and yellow and oval marked with a 'C'. But do you really know the difference? It may not be widely known but sildenafil - also known as sildenafil citrate - is...
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Female facial hair and removal products: do they work?
Thursday, 30 April
Whilst the normal amount of body hair varies between women, if you have more than peach fuzz or fine hair above the lips or on the chin, chest, abdomen or back this could be a sign of an underlying hormone change. This kind of hair growth is more typical of men and can be a sign of overproduction...
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Dr Matt FAQs: Vaniqa
Thursday, 30 April
What is Vaniqa? Vaniqa cream - generic name eflornithine hydrochloride 13.9% - is used for slowing the growth of unwanted facial hair in women and improving appearance. Its effectiveness has only been studied on the face and adjacent areas under the chin. So usage should be limited to those areas...
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Modern weight-loss medicines: what works and what doesn't, by Dr Matt
Tuesday, 28 April
Pink Grenades, Reductil, DNP, Xenical, Orlistat, Slimex, Slim Trim, Sibutramine, Thermobol, T Fuel, Ephedrasil, garcinia cambodia, raspberry ketone, green coffee extract, diet tea, L-Carnitine, fat burners and other supplements: the list of options and claims for weight loss products goes on and...
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Can you pass these five everyday fitness tests?
Tuesday, 28 April
If you're over 50 and want to keep fit there are many things you can do without joining the gym. Most doctors agree there is a mind-body connection: there are ways you can think and act young, stay active for a healthy life. Cultivate a passion like volunteering or a sport that will see you...
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Are foods more effective than HRT for the menopause?
Tuesday, 28 April
If you have some of the symptoms of the menopause it’s always a good idea to understand the underlying changes in the body and how certain foods can have effects on hormones. Oestrogen and progesterone are hormones that play an important role in a women’s body. It is the fluctuating...
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HRT, exercise, lifestyle factors and the menopause
Tuesday, 28 April
If you have some of the symptoms of the menopause it’s always a good idea to look at the lifestyle factors that have been claimed to have benefits such as managing stress, avoiding certain foods and keeping physically active. The menopause is usually diagnosed following 24 months without a...
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Can I really delay my periods?
Tuesday, 28 April
Mother Nature doesn't always follow your schedule. In fact she can sometimes work her magic at the worst possible moment. However now there is something you can do about it. There might be occasions when you want to temporarily delay your periods, such as going on holiday, taking important exams...
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Is my online doctor safe?
Tuesday, 28 April
The tragic death of a 21-year-old student after taking “diet pills” she bought online has highlighted the risks of self-diagnosis and the buying and selling of unregulated health remedies over the Internet. Eloise Parry tragically died at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on 12 April after...
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Wellness: Skin, Your Ultimate Cheat Guide from Dr Matt, Part 2
Friday, 24 April
Promises made for the expensive anti-ageing skincare products have come under scrutiny from research recently, questioning whether these products have any more effectiveness than things like daily regular hygiene, drinking water to keep hydrated or using a simple moisturiser. Skincare...
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Wellness: Weight Loss, Your Ultimate Cheat Guide from Dr Matt, Part 1
Monday, 20 April
Ever wondered how some people seem to lose weight with just a small effort? There are some prescription drugs for weight loss, such as Orlistat (generic Xenical) and Xenical, a medicine that works by blocking part of the fat you eat from being digested. However, if you’re really...
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A cure for diabetes
Friday, 10 October
Scientists at Harvard have developed a diabetes treatment that can dramatically enhance the lives of the more than 194 million people worldwide. The treatment requires a one-off transplant of laboratory-grown pancreatic cells and would eliminate the need for Type 1 diabetics to inject...
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Practical steps to overcome erectile dysfunction
Thursday, 18 September
When you experience difficulty in achieving or maintaining a satisfactory erection, the condition experienced is called erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (sometimes called impotence) can occur at any age, but it is more common in men older than 75 years of age. The causes of erectile...
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How do contraceptive pills prevent pregnancy?
Thursday, 18 September
Contraceptive pills are taken by woman all over the world to prevent pregnancy and are considered to be the most reliable method of pregnancy prevention other than abstinence from intercourse. There are different types of birth control pills and they all work differently towards a common purpose....
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Genital herpes and its prevention, what you need to know
Monday, 15 September
Genital herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus and is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) by the number of current cases. Genital herpes is caused by one of the two different types of viruses, Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or Herpes simplex...
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Lifestyle changes can help you to manage your cystitis
Tuesday, 09 September
Sometimes cystitis comes out of the blue and it is not clear what has caused it. Don't know what cystitis is? Well cystitis is basically a urinary infection which can be quite uncomfortable and often painful for those on the receiving end of it's symptoms. Acute cystitis is sometimes...
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How do I know if I have cystitis?
Monday, 08 September
Cystitis is an inflammation or infection of the bladder and is the most common type of urinary tract infection (UTI). Cystitis is quite common and affects both men and women. Cystitis if left untreated can cause kidney damage and in some cases even kidney failure. Cystitis is usually...
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Is hormone replacement therapy right for you?
Wednesday, 03 September
Hormone replacement therapy is routinely used to treat menopausal symptoms. HRT treatment helps the body to restore levels of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. HRT therapy eases the range of physical and emotional symptoms experienced after menopause occurs. Woman often use HRT...
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How to take charge of high cholesterol
Wednesday, 24 July
Cardiovascular diseases and their causes have been big news over the past few years - particularly in the UK where coronary heart disease has been the biggest killer for some time, causing around 82,000 deaths a year. One of the key causes of conditions like coronary heart disease and angina...
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The truth about hay fever
Monday, 22 July
As I write this, it is a beautiful July day – the sun is shining and it is 30 degrees outside. On a day like this, the world just calls out to you to enjoy the great outdoors. The problem; I am reluctant to venture beyond the front door due to the copious amounts of pollen in the air –...
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Four lifestyle mistakes that can lead to erectile dysfunction
Friday, 12 July
Gentlemen, can I have your attention please. I am fully-aware that erectile dysfunction can be an awkward problem to openly discuss, and despite medication like Viagra being a household name, there is still a stigma attached to the condition. However, we really shouldn't be so quick to hide...
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Five secrets to beating jet lag this summer
Monday, 08 July
British summertime can be a wonderful season: long warm evenings, Pimm's by the jug-full, and the ever-tantalizing smell of a barbecue. In reality however, our weather can be about as predictable as a swarm of wasps; another summertime-staple here in the UK. So it's not surprising that many...
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Can we rely on e-cigarettes?
Friday, 05 July
It’s been an interesting month for the manufacturers of nicotine containing products, or NCPs. Manufacturers are to undergo rigorous medical testing of their products before they can sell their e-cigarettes as licensed medicines, rather than consumer items. This has come from recent...
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Wellness: Weight Loss, Your Ultimate Cheat Guide from Dr Matt
Thursday, 29 November
Ever wondered how some people seem to lose weight with just a small effort? There are some prescription drugs for weight loss, such as Orlistat (generic Xenical) and Xenical, a medicine that works by blocking part of the fat you eat from being digested. However, if you're really...
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