Health News

Dr Orla Wilson spent some 30 years checking her blood sugar levels and giving herself shots or pump-pushes of insulin. Then she built a device that automates the process for her and her daughter.

Nyree Stevens-Credle, 19, was shot in the neck outside a Christmas party in New York in 2009. She and her friends had gone to a club night after spending the day with their families, and someone in her group started squaring up with someone else. They managed to break it up but, as they left, they saw the person following their group. To Nyree's shock, her friend pulled out a gun in defense. Everyone scarpered, running as fast and far as they could. But as Nyree stepped up onto the curb, a bullet hit her neck. The bullet hit her from behind, severing her spinal cord. Now she is a mentor to other people like her.

Josephine Suffolk (pictured left) died in May after doctors allegedly said her bleeding was an irregular period or a consequence of childbirth even though the NHS lists it as the top cervical cancer symptom. Ms Suffolk was told that by the time she was diagnosed her tumour was too large to remove with surgery and she needed chemotherapy and radiotherapy (pictured, Ms Suffolk after losing her hair in treatment). Local people helped to raise more than £2,000 for Ms Suffolk's sons Leighton, five, and George, two (pictured inset with their late mother).

Varrie Dunlop was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last November after doctors initially dismissed her fatigue as a viral infection. The now 26-year-old, who is mother to four-year-old Lana, was told her blood cancer was so advanced she would die within a month unless she began treatment immediately. Miss Dunlop, of Ringwood, Hampshire, endured 13 rounds of chemotherapy, which caused her to lose her hair and spend 21 days in hospital. Luckily, her treatment was a success and she was given the all-clear last month. Miss Dunlop is pictured left before her diagnosis and right with Lana after losing her hair due to chemotherapy.

Scott Mattison, 42 (left, with his family), of Boise, Idaho, developed flu-like symptoms in early February 2019. After complaining of pain in his right leg, he rushed himself to the ER. Within hours, he went into septic shock and he was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacteria that destroys tissue under the skin. Doctors performed several surgeries to stop the infection from spreading before he was airlifted to the University of Utah Burn Center. Mattison had 90 percent of his right leg removed and skin grafted and the tips of his right toes had to be amputated. The father-of-three was in a medically-induced coma for 17 days (inset), has undergone at least 13 surgeries (right) and is now back home in Idaho.

David Shorr, 59 (left), of Bexley, Ohio, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at 56 years old. He is now part of a new clinical trial testing an ultrasound cap at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and two other sites (right). The cap uses ultrasound waves and microbubbles to open the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from infection and foreign objects. Researchers hope this will help the body break down the build-up of proteins that smother neurons, causing memory loss and confusion. Another alternative is to deliver drugs directly to the site of the disease.

Writer and mother-of-one Tonilyn Hornung (left and right) started having migraines 12 years ago, just three years into her marriage. They became so debilitating that she thought she'd lose her husband (right), she reveals in a heart-wrenching essay for the Huffington Post. After years of missing plans and hiding in her bed, she's finally found a treatment that's giving her back more good days - and a way to let her migraines be part of her marriage, instead of the force driving her and her husband of 15 years apart.

Gill Haddington, 42, saw her foot swell to twice the size, develop sore ulcers, turn in to the left and her toes curl underneath after the incident in September 2015 (inset). X-rays showed no broken bones, and instead, Ms Haddington was diagnosed with chronic regional pain syndrome. Ms Haddington, from Morecambe, Lancashire, a former nursery nurse, needed to use a wheelchair to get around and relied on her daughters for support. Eventually, after doctors recognised how miserable Ms Haddington's life had become with the deformed foot, they removed her leg below the knee in February 2017. Pictured right, her stump after the operation and left, wearing a prosthetic.

They say you are what you eat, but now one nutritionist has explained how your diet really impacts your complexion - and the six ways you can get glowing skin fast. Food author Jessica Sepel (left and right) said that anyone who ever has told you that your gut is the key to good health is right - because it is where 70 to 80 per cent of the immune system lies. 'When your gut is functioning optimally, you will notice better energy, skin, mood and immune function,' Jessica said. On the flipside, if your digestive system is sluggish, you will experience 'constipation, diarrhea, bloating, hormonal imbalance, skin issues and more'.

People living in Mevagissey, on the east coast of Cornwall (pictured inset), are campaigning to find a new GP partner to run the village's practice when the current boss leaves in July (pictured main, local people holding a campaign sign). People say they are worried those who can't drive and the elderly will suffer if the practice closes and they have to travel the six miles (9.6km) to the closest town, St Austell. One local councillor, called Michael, said: 'We love our GP, we love Mevagissey surgery... we need that service to continue'.

The unnamed 60-year-old went to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Jodhpur. Doctors diagnosed the 6x1cm growth (seen left) as a giant cutaneous horn (CH) in what is thought to be the first ever case on a patient's thumb. CHs occur when the fibrous protein keratin, which makes up hair, feathers and claws, forms a growth. Medics removed the harmless horn (pictured inset), with the woman doing well one-and-a-half years later. Her hand is pictured right recently.

Samara Davies (pictured left after giving birth), 19, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, took the decision to become a single parent to little Ailani (right, and inset with her mother) last year after being diagnosed with endometriosis. The disease occurs when cells in the lining of the womb grow outside the uterus, causing immense pain and heavy periods. Doctors advised the teen to have a full hysterectomy - an operation to remove her womb - after the condition left her bed bound. Ms Davies' family raised £5,000 to pay for her to have a child before the operation made her infertile. after just one round of the treatment, a two-week scan revealed she was pregnant with Ailani, now seven-months-old.

Almost 8,000 people in England were admitted to hospital in the year 2017 to 2018 from dog injuries. This is a seven per cent jump on the admissions recorded in the previous year and almost five per cent since 2015 (see right, the data). The Royal College of Surgeons issued the warning after reviewing the most recent NHS statistics, saying the injuries can be life-changing. It has urged dog lovers to remember that while dogs may be man's best friend they can, and at times do, bite. Clair Kami (see bottom inset), 26, of Liverpool, was delivering mail while working as a postwoman when she was bitten by a dog (see left, the wound).

Justin Robertson (pictured left after his operation), from Bournemouth, Dorset, was told his left testicle needed to be removed following a cancer diagnosis. Knowing his sunny sense of humour, his family and friends organised a special surprise ball-themed party as a send-off for his testicle days before his operation. They laid out tables packed with spherical snacks, such meatballs and stuffing, along with a selection of nuts (inset). And the playlist included Jerry Lee Lewis' famous Great Balls of Fire and Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball. Pictured right: Mr Robertson has made a full recovery.

Pictures of 16 people arrested on drug charges show quickly substance misuse can change appearances. They were charged with possessing meth, heroin, marijuana and other substances.

Sara Sewald, 26, of Colorado, was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, the same pregnancy-related blood pressure disorder that Beyoncé survived while pregnant with twins Sir and Rumi. Hours after giving birth on May 29, doctors at a hospital in Colorado Springs said Sewald needed emergency surgery to fix 'a bit of bleeding,' her partner of three years and father of her son and daughter, Dustin Sisneros, told KKTV. Doctors initially said it was a simple procedure, but her condition rapidly deteriorated. Sisneros is still not sure exactly what happened, or what questions to ask, but was told that surgeons hit complications, and within hours a doctor came to inform him that Sewald didn't make it. Tragically, Sewald is one of the scores of women who die of pregnancy complications in the US, which has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world.

Marcia Cross says the HPV strain that caused her anal cancer is likely the same strain that led to her husband being diagnosed with throat cancer. The Desperate Housewives star was at a gynecologist visit in November 2017 getting an annual digital rectal exam. She was referred to a colon and rectal surgeon and, after two biopsies, she was diagnosed with anal cancer.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Lisa Pace, 43 (inset), of Knoxville, Tennessee, used to use tanning beds every day in the 1990s. In 2000, at age 23, she was diagnosed with melanoma after moles were spotted on her leg. Moles have since appeared on her face, her arms and her chest (left, top right and bottom right). Pace has undergone 86 surgeries in total and wants to raise awareness and promote education about skin cancer

The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, offers the first evidence of long-term trends in non-suicidal self-harm in England. Alarming research shows 6.4 per cent of 16 to 74 year olds reported having intentionally harmed themselves at some point in their life when asked in 2014. In comparison, the rate was just 2.4 per cent in 2000, according to the study carried out by the National Centre for Social Research. The rate was highest among girls and women aged 16 to 24, with one in five reporting self-harm – up from 6.5 per cent in 2000.

Chelsea Spruance, 26 (left and right), from St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at four months old. At age 12, she learned that the average life expectancy for cystic fibrosis sufferers is 26 years old. After taking a family vacation to Mexico at 17 years old, she decided she wanted to travel the world. Spruance has since traveled to several countries throughout Europe and Central America. She says she wants to be a role model for other cystic fibrosis sufferers to prove that they are stronger than they think they are.

Salma Bashir, 16, lives in Pittsburgh with her mom and two younger brothers. She still chews food at home so she gets the taste of her mom's home cooking, but she can't swallow it. She was five years old when she sat on a suction device in a pool that was so strong it sucked out her intestines while on vacation in Egypt. She is now raising $3 million to afford five organ transplants.

Kenza Hancock, 35, first reported toothache to her dentist Dr Vachik Avakian of Cecil Street Dental Surgery, Plymouth, in early 2008. Dr Vachik Avakian failed to spot and treat tooth decay adequately, which led to years of pain and more dental work, according to solicitors. After multiple attempts to address the problem, Mrs Hancock underwent a failed tooth extraction while pregnant in 2017. A second dentist finished the job later the same year and days later she suffered a miscarriage. Mrs Hancock believes the 'the never-ending trauma' on her body from the extraction attempt caused her to lose her unborn baby. The NHS denies that such a link exists, saying a woman's emotional state during pregnancy does not increase their risk of miscarriage. Dr Avakian did not admit liability for the case which was settled out of court. (Pictured right, with her daughter Isabella, seven, and one-year-old Leia, with husband Jonathan, 39. Left, the swelling after the tooth extraction and inset, an X-ray of her teeth.)

Katie (pictured) 35, from London, has been working for years behind the scenes to make the facility, based at Fairfield Independent Hospital in, St Helens Merseyside, a reality for those with burns and scars in the UK.The mother-of-two was left partially blind after her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch organised for Stefan Sylvestre to carry out an acid attack on her in March 2008.

Lamar Odom had been struggling with substances and mental health since 2011 after he was traded from the LA Lakers. In October 2015, he almost died: after a DUI charge, with growing concerns among teammates, falling out of the NBA, and being divorced by Khloe Kardashian (pictured together, right, in 2012), he was found comatose at Dennis Hof's Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada. In a new podcast with Dr Oz, Odom says ketamine, along with CBD, has helped him deal with his depression, anxiety and lack of empathy.

Payton Hayes, five (left), from Sebring, Florida, was diagnosed when he was born with craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which the skull's bones fuse before the brain is fully formed. Hayes had his first surgery when he was three months old. Last year, he had an operation to treat hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. The two surgeries have the left the five-year-old with scars on his skull and on his abdomen. Students at a nearby elementary school donated money to a nonprofit that makes custom dolls. The doll was presented to Hayes last week, and it has the same scars in the same places Hayes does (right).

Christine Jennings, 57, of Leicester, was 32 years old when the bug latched onto her skin while she was playing in the park with her young daughters. Over the next week, the former interior designer and artist developed what she thought was a virus, with migraines, a rash and swollen joints. But it was just the beginning of a 25-year battle in which Ms Jennings' health gradually deteriorated until the point of being bedridden (pictured left). She is cared for around the clock by her daughters (one of which is pictured right) who she said are the only reason she has held on to her life. Ms Jennings claims the NHS have dismissed her plight at every step. (See inset, wearing sunglasses to block out light which causes her pain).

Elio Figueredo, 13 (left and right), of Tampa, Florida, was born with a rare condition that is believed to be a form of ichythosis. The genetic disorder causes new skin cells to grow too quickly and lose the barrier that traps moisture, which leads to shedding. Elio spent the first three years of his life in a nursing home getting specialized care before moving home. He has to take two bleach baths a week and is moisturized with Vaseline every two to three hours.

Data from the African nation’s health ministry revealed there have been 2,008 cases of the killer virus and 1,346 deaths since it began last August. It comes after officials warned last week the outbreak shows signs of spiralling out of control. But the Congo's health ministry said there had been fewer attacks on medics by militiamen, meaning they may be able to 'recover some lost time'. 'In recent weeks, the trend has been positive, although vigilance is still necessary,' it said. Armed militiamen believe Ebola is a conspiracy against them and have repeatedly attacked health workers battling the epidemic.

Lisa Shaw (pictured top right in 2013, before the botched treatment), 40, underwent a non-surgical procedure called fibroblast in 2017 because her 'droopy eyes' had made her miserable for decades (left, tiny dots mark where a plasma pen was used to singe the skin). The £280 treatment promised to lift and tighten her eyelids at the fraction of the cost of going under the knife. But the stay-at-home parent from Morecambe, Lancashire, has been left with permanent pink and crusty eyelids (bottom right). Ms Shaw said: 'There is nothing I regret more than getting fibroblast done. It promised to fix my eyes, but instead it completely ruined my face. 'My confidence has now been ruined. I'll never be the same again.'

A study by campaign group Action on Sugar - based in London - looked at 526 food products that used cartoons on their packaging. They found 51 per cent had high levels of sugar, salt and fat. The worst offenders included Morrisons Dolly Mixtures (top left) which had a whopping 65g sugar per pack - almost treble the recommended daily intake for children. Kinnerton Paw Patrol 6 Mini Chocolate Bars (top centre) contain 60 per cent sugar and 17 per cent saturated fat. Just one 12g chocolate bar would provide a four to six year old with over a third of their maximum daily recommended intake for sugars. Peppa Pig Candy Bites (top right) are made up of 99 per cent sugar and have 12 grams of it in each tube. A bag of Cheetos Cheese (bottom left), promoted with an image of their Cheetah mascot on the packaging, has 2.8g of salt - the entire recommended daily amount for four to six year olds- and almost 20g of fat. Peperami Tex-Mex Snack Pack - with  its cartoon mascot wearing a Mexican sombrero (bottom centre)- has 1g of salt and 10g of fat per stick. Heinz's Pasta Shapes serves up 0.8g salt per can (bottom right).

An Australian fashion designer who has been candid about her difficulty falling pregnant shared the exact meals she ate to lose her baby weight after giving birth late last year. Co-owner of Sabo Skirt Thessy Kouzoukas (pictured), 29, weighed 53kg before she gave birth to her daughter via IVF, and at her heaviest she weighed 75kg after. She's currently at 59.7kg - just 6.5kg away from the weight she wanted to be when she walks down the aisle towards longtime partner Georgio Batsinilas in Greece next month.

Many of us don’t eat enough wholegrains, fruit and veg to meet our daily fibre needs — on average, we get 19g of the recommended daily 30g, according to the British Nutrition Foundation. But what if you could get your fibre from cakes, ice cream, and white bread? That’s the suggestion from the makers of new products said to be high in this gut-boosting nutrient. Here, Helen Bond assesses six new products that boast a high-fibre content.