As many as 20 per cent of Canadians diagnosed with high blood pressure may not have the condition, all because they’ve been misdiagnosed by doctors using outdated blood pressure monitors. So says a study by researchers at the University of Montreal’s Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), which found that more than half of the family doctors […]

After surgery, you may be taking opioid medicine to help you with pain. Opioid medicines are a stronger pain medicine that your doctor gives you a prescription for. Your pain should improve slowly over time. As your pain gets better, you will need to wean off your opioid pain medicine. This means slowly reducing the […]

You may not have heard of fatty liver disease, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to be specific. But chances are, you know someone who has it. As a dietitian in private practice, it’s becoming increasingly common for me to tailor diets for clients who’ve been diagnosed with a build-up of fat in their liver. If […]

What is Norovirus infection? Norovirus is a highly contagious infection also known as Norwalk virus. It is a common cause of vomiting and diarrhea each winter and is often referred to as ‘winter vomiting disease’ or ‘stomach flu’ (although it is not caused by the influenza virus). Norovirus infections have been linked to outbreaks of […]

Good news, you are pregnant! And perhaps the nausea and vomiting are now behind you, and you’re ready to enjoy food once again. Bad news, you’re told you have to avoid this food & that food and the list just seems to go on and on. But being confused about which foods are safe to […]

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition that involves red elevated patches and flaking silvery scales. It can take on several different forms and appearances, and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Signs and symptoms The lesions can be painful and/or itchy and vary in size. Since plaques consist of dry, flaky inflamed […]

We all know that we need to be eating less salt. Does that mean that you will lose out on flavour? No! Read on to find out how to cut out the salt while keeping the flavour. Why is salt harmful? All types of salt are high in sodium. Sodium is a mineral that our […]

What is a heart attack? A heart attack is when the flow of blood to a section of the heart becomes blocked and the heart can’t get oxygen. If blood flow is not restored quickly, that section of the heart begins to die. The level of damage depends on how long blood supply is cut […]

Data on heart-attack deaths, hospital admissions and volumes of snow are linked in new Quebec study Heavy snowstorms are linked to a higher risk of being admitted to hospital for a heart attack, especially in men, a large Quebec study suggests. Shovelling snow has long been suspected of straining the heart, partly because it combines […]

All too often, the mention of chest pain conjures up images of a heart attack, but there are plenty of other diseases and conditions that can trigger this symptom. Some of them — like that chest muscle you pulled raking leaves last fall — are more annoying than serious. But others can be far more […]