Monat: September 2023

Australian health experts are warning of the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), a virus that’s surging across Australia and leaving our most vulnerable hospitalised.

HMPV is a virus that affects the ribonucleic acid (RNA) in our cells, and is a respiratory disease that causes people to cough and have a fever,  shortness of breath and nasal congestion. 

Data shows more than 1100 people in NSW alone came down with the illness last week – a 15 per cent increase on the week before.

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While the name sounds scary, infectious disease specialist Dr Nick Coatsworth says it’s a virus most of us have had before.

“It’s one of the common cold viruses that circulates every single year and NSW seems to be going through a little uptick at the moment,” he told 2GB radio station.

So why the sudden surge, and why are some people ending up in hospital?

Dr Coatsworth said it’s all got to do with the transition of seasons. “When you have a change of season, we see some of these non-Covid respiratory viruses,” he explained, and added that HMPV can develop into bronchitis or pneumonia, and for our immunocompromised and vulnerable groups, like the elderly and children under five, it can be deadly.

While Dr Coatsworth said the spike in numbers doesn’t alarm him, Professor William Rawlinson from the University of NSW was concerned that some of us who could typically handle respiratory illnesses are struggling with HMPV.

“We’re not only seeing increased numbers, but we’re also seeing people who we typically would think have a mild illness tending to have a more severe illness,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Severe reactions to HMPV can include pneumonia, bronchitis and aggravated asthma. 

Leigh Davison from Baltimore in the US told CNN she picked up the virus from a family gathering – two weeks later she became violently ill.

“I couldn’t get out more than a couple of words. I would go into violent, violent coughing to the point where I was literally almost throwing up,” the 59-year-old said, and explaining that after a series of Covid tests came back negative, she went to her doctor who admitted her to hospital.

Davison had developed bronchitis, and called HMPV “the worst I’ve ever experienced” in comparison to other respiratory infections.

It took a month for her to fully recover.

Symptoms of Human Metapneumovirus

• Cough
• Fever
• Nasal congestion
• Shortness of breath

Complications from Human Metapneumovirus

• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis
• Wheezing
• Aggravated asthma
• Difficulty breathing 
• Long-term pulmonary inflammation

Have you ever eaten some dodgy takeaway or tested the validity of ‘use by’ suggestions? If so, you’ve probably experienced a treacherous evening in hell, swearing off a particular meal indefinitely. Now imagine witnessing the cycle of food poisoning day in and day out. 

After treating thousands of patients for terrible bouts of food poisoning, An ER doctor and trauma surgeon has divulged the most common foods associated with food poisoning cases, advising people to avoid them at all costs. 

Dr Gabe, another TikTok doctor putting his 12 years of medical training to good use, has racked up over 64 thousand followers on the platform, sharing helpful tips and explanations relating to a myriad of health conditions and commonly asked questions.

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These are the top three foods Dr Gabe would never put on his shopping list. 

#1. Raw cookie dough

Before you shed a tear for your favourite ice cream flavour, Dr Gabe insists raw cookie dough in this form is usually safe, as the eggs are pasteurised and the flour has been heat-treated. Instead, the cookie dough you should be wary of is your homemade or store-bought batch. 

“Buying a raw batch that needs to be baked first is a big no-no,” he says. “Raw flour could contain E-coli and should always be cooked.”

#2. Unpasteurised dairy products

Situated in the United States, Dr Gabe is understandably seeing a higher prevalence of unpasteurised dairy product-related hospital admissions. Many states in the US still allow the production and distribution of unpasteurised milk and cheese.

“I’m not sure why this has been an emerging trend recently, but consuming foods made with raw unpasteurised milk like cheese puts you at risk for salmonella or E-coli poisoning,” says Dr Gabe, acknowledging the rise of controversial food trends on the very dame platform he preaches health advice from. 

Here in Australia, Food Standards Australia New Zealand have been notoriously strict about such products until December last year, when amendments to regulations were made to allow local production and sale of raw milk products.

#3. Raw oysters

Bad news for those of us who have been hanging out for a summer Aperol sprits and ice cold plate of a dozen Sydney rock oysters. Despite acknowledging he might make a few people unhappy by saying so, the physician says these salt-water molluscs are the number one food he has learnt to avoid after a career in the emergency department. 

“Oysters are considered filter feeders which live in coastal or brackish waters, meaning they absorb a lot of harmful bugs from their environment,” the doctor explains. 

“Those nasty bugs, Vibrio, could lead to some serious food poisoning,” he adds. “I personally would only eat oysters if they were fully cooked.”

As more potentially harmful products gradually surface on the market, it’s probably a wise idea to follow Dr Gabe’s advice and steer clear, or you could easily end up in the emergency department feeling less than fresh. 

Some say money doesn’t buy happiness but financial educator, author and podcast host Kate Campbell says, yes, it can. She talks through the research and how to buy yourself a better mood.  

WANT MORE FROM KATE?

To hear today’s full interview, where she tells listeners all about memory dividends…search for Extra Healthy-ish wherever you get your pods.

For more on Kate’s book Buying Happiness: Learn to invest your time and money better (Major Street, $32.99) see here. You can catch Kate @katecampbellaus or via her site here.

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley. 

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 

Fact: money can buy happiness. Financial educator, author and podcast host Kate Campbell discusses research-backed ways to use your money to give you a big fat mood boost. 

WANT MORE FROM KATE?

For more on Kate’s book Buying Happiness: Learn to invest your time and money better (Major Street, $32.99) see here. You can catch Kate @katecampbellaus or via her site here.

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley. 

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania).

First of all, if you’re wondering what a nephrologist is, and whether they’re qualified to dish out skincare advice, you’re not alone. Specialising in the study and care of kidneys, Dr Daria Sadovskaya, a nephrologist of seven years, has made quite a splash on TikTok lately. 

Medical degree or no medical degree, plastering unsolicited (and sometimes unproven) health advice across the internet seems to be a prerequisite for viral status on TikTok. 

Amongst her attention-grabbing video titles and captions, such as ‘Eat these five foods every day and get cancer’, or ‘Oral sex is the number one cause of throat cancer’, is one that is making the rounds on plenty of for you pages.

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Dr Sadovskaya has published several videos claiming one particular bathroom habit might be the cause of your bad breakouts, urging her viewers to tie up their locks every time they sit on the toilet. 

“I know it sounds crazy, but it is true, pooping with your hair down is one of the most common acne cause,” one caption reads. 

So what’s the reasoning behind a toilet up-do?

While it may seem far-fetched, Dr Sadovskaya attributes stubborn forehead acne to the airborne bacteria picked up by your hair strands during your visits to the toilet. 

“When you poop, all the bacteria spread from the stool to the bathroom and on your hair first. When your hair is down, it rubs against the skin on your face and transmits all the germs to your face,” she says in one video. “It can cause breakouts and irritation that most commonly appears on the forehead.”

However, while her claims are certainly making waves on TikTok, some experts are less than convinced. Dr Joshua Zeichner, associate professor of dermatology says Dr Sadovskaya’s videos lack supportive evidence. 

“Theoretically, if you are straining on the toilet for an extended period of time, and oily hair is rubbing against the face… it may contribute to blocked pores,” Dr Zeichner tells Huff Post.

“However, there is no greater risk for this whether you are sitting on the toilet or the couch watching TV with your hair down and over your face,” he adds.

And while there’s no shortage of experts and viewers openly criticising the nephrologist’s videos, when asked about her booming online presence, the viral doctor makes one thing clear. 

 „I’m always happy to be useful for my audience, although I don’t diagnose and don’t give medical advice online,“ she says. 

Backlash from the TikTok community

The hairy claim is just one amongst a list of tiny habits the nephrologist says can greatly affect our health. Others, such as the dangers of swimming while wearing a tampon, appear to be nothing more than baseless claims with no further explanation, filling her video comments with outrage. 

“Someone needs to take away her licence,” says one commenter in response to a particularly controversial TikTok, linking oral sex and eating oranges to throat cancer and skin cancer respectively.

“It’s crazy how I’m pooping right now… with my hair down,” writes another commenter, summing up the sheer irony of posting such videos to an audience that is infamous for having their phones accompany them through every activity. 

Another simply laments the constantly changing health standards and advice, “We can’t do anything right.”

Whether the viral TikTok doctor is truly on the cusp of lifesaving medical discoveries, or her videos are nothing more than fear-mongering campaigns to catapult her into the algorithms of unsuspecting viewers, it’s important to remember that no medical advice given indirectly over social media should be taken as unchallenged fact.