Health News

Ryleigh Godfrey's mother Kay Parsons was told her daughter's cricked neck (seen left) was caused by her sleeping awkwardly. Sensing something was seriously wrong, the 31-year-old filmed Ryleigh walking to demonstrate how the youngster was holding her head to the right. With doctors finally realising how severe the situation was, Ryleigh was eventually diagnosed with a grade-three brain tumour last June. The youngster (pictured right in hospital), of Somerset, was forced to ensure 13 brain surgeries, as well as radiotherapy and chemo. After overcoming the grueling treatment, Ryleigh's five-year-old brother Dominic rang the 'end of chemo bell' on her behalf on May 25. Ms Parsons is pictured in the inset with her children.

Dr Bashar Bizrah claims apples (top right) could help prevent dandruff, and says evidence is starting to show peaches (bottom left) can halt thinning hair. He said papaya (bottom right) is abundant in vitamin C, which is needed for the body to create collagen - and kiwis (top left) are rich in copper, which could help to preserve the hair. Dr Bizrah, founder of the Beyond Med Centre clinic in Kensington, said: 'The most common cause of hair loss, male or female pattern baldness, is genetic. But other types of hair loss and hair thinning, such as those caused by an unhealthy scalp condition, are much more preventable. If your nutritional intake is optimum, it can play a real role in keeping your hair and scalp in good condition.'

Nibber (left) is one of 12 dogs that Cindy Roberts (right) has trained to detect cancer at her Birmingham, Alabama, facility so far. More and more scientists are studying the ability of dogs to sniff out cancer, including group of Lake Eerie College of Medicine doctors that found beagles can detect one form of lung cancer with 97 percent accuracy. Cindy says her dogs are about as accurate as that, and soon plans to partner with a researcher to study the animals' ability to detect the notoriously hard-to-detect ovarian cancer.

Katherine Wood, 37 (left and right), of Stow, Massachusetts, was bitten on a tick while on a nature walk in November 2016. She started experiencing symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, neck stiffness and numbness in the hands. Several doctors misdiagnosed her and one doctors told her to 'try meditation' and that she 'didn't look unwell'. Wood was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness, in July 2017 and was given a three-week antibiotic regimen. Her infection was only cleared up partially, so another doctor gave her both oral and injectable antibiotics. Wood is 18 months into treatment and said she wants to encourage others to be their own advocate.

A baby girl in Ohio was diagnosed with spina bifida before she was even born. Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when the spinal cord doesn't form properly, which can cause walking and mobility problems. Doctors at Cleveland Clinic performed their first in-utero surgery (left and right), which has been shown to preserve neurologic function better than post-natal surgery. The operation was in February and the baby was born via C-section at 37 weeks on June 3. Both mother and daughter are reportedly doing well.

Rosie Campbell (left) went to the dentist when she developed severe pain in her mouth and around her lips, as well as her ulcers. The now 28-year-old was referred to an oral specialist, who diagnosed her with the inflammatory bowel disease after performing a biopsy. Mouth ulcers are a known sign of the condition, which causes inflammation of the digestive system or gut and can be agonising. Miss Campbell (pictured in hospital), of Essex, was told she needed a stoma bag, which left the then-teenager terrified no boy would ever want to be with her. Pictured right with her stoma bag.

Britons work more hours than anyone else in Europe, spending an average of 42 hours and 18 minutes a week at the office. Many simply don't have the time - or the Tupperware -  to pre-cook their meals and bring them in every week. But luckily, three nutritionists and personal trainers claim not everyone needs to be a 'meal-prep maven'. They say you can stay perfectly healthy eating foods from the high street and canteen - despite what conflicting nutritional advice online may say. Kim Pearson (pictured top left), a former weight loss expert on ITV's This Morning, recommends the protein-rich Crayfish and Avocado Salad salad from Pret A Manger (bottom left). Jamie Corkindale (top centre), a personal trainer and nutritionist from Glasgow, swears by a baked potato and tuna (bottom centre) for lunch. 'Potatoes are the most satiating of all foods and a large baked potato is little more than 200 calories, and the tuna is only 170 calories,' he added. Dietitian Juliette Kellow said her go-to microwavable readmeal was Tesco's Salmon in Watercress Sauce with Potatoes (bottom right).

Katie Nolan and her husband Ciaran Delaney, both 31, from Carlow in Ireland, were warned to prepare for the worst when Evie was born in December. Doctors diagnosed her with cystic hygromas - collection of fluid-filled cysts - at Mrs Nolan's 20-week scan. Evie was unable to breathe for herself after she was delivered, with doctors saying the cysts were blocking her airways. But, after spending six months in hospital and having an artificial opening made in her airways, she pulled through. Evie, who was born through a C-section, now needs round-the-clock care from her parents.

George Ashby (pictured left), 16, asked his mother (together, top right) if they could 'listen to each other's hearts for fun' after swinging by her surgery in a chance encounter in 2016. His mother, Amelia Barnett, put the apparatus to his chest and was shocked to hear her then-13-year-old son had a 'massive' heart murmur. Further tests revealed he had coarctation of the aorta - the main blood vessel out of the heart. The condition sees the aorta narrow to the point that it's extremely hard to pump the blood all around the body. In George's case, the aorta was nearly closed shut as it had narrowed from 2cm to less than 4mm. The teen, from Lavant, West Sussex, had heart surgery to have a stent - a tiny metal tube that keeps the artery open - inserted (inset, before surgery).

The Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust in Cheshire started its My Choices service in September 2018 and claims its prices are affordable and the 'majority' of hospitals do it. Among the procedures on offer are a knee replacement from £7,179; cataract surgery costing upwards of £1,624; and hip replacement revision surgery for more than £8,447. Chair of campaign group Keep Our NHS Public, Tony Sullivan, said: 'There are many ways the tentacles of private interests envelop our health service. But this rationing of access to health care on the NHS is one of the most blatant ploys. It's simply disgraceful.' (Pictured: Warrington Hospital)

Sarah Hayward (pictured left, and top right in hospital), from Wigmore, near Gillingham in Kent, was forced to go home early from a night out with friends in November 2017 after feeling 'delusional'. The 51-year-old was found semi-conscious dangling out of bed the following day and rushed to hospital, where she had a heart attack and her organs started to fail. Two weeks later the mother regained consciousness but doctors later amputated both of her legs below the knee. The aggressive 'W' strain of meningitis had stopped blood and oxygen getting to her legs, causing the skin and underlying tissue to die. Pictured inset, one of her legs during her time in hospital.

Damage to serotonin production was seen on brain imaging. Pictured top, the reduction in red and yellow areas shows the loss in serotonin function as the disease progresses. Bottom, the blue and black areas reduce. King's College London said it was an 'excellent marker' ' for the cruel long-term disease. The incurable disease takes hold in the brain years before patients notice symptoms - which include tremors and slow movement. Identifying the disease early could improve outcomes and halt the progression.

Cecile Eledge, 61 (right), offered to be the surrogate for her son Matthew, 32, and his husband Elliot Dougherty, 29. She passed blood, cardiovascular and gynecological tests easily and doctors said she has the body of a 40-year-old'. Eggs were donated by Dougherty's sister, Lea Yribe, and fertilized with Matthew's sperm. Cecile fell pregnant (inset) on the first attempt and gave birth her granddaughter, Uma Louise, on March 25 (left).

Marshall Thomas, 16 (left), of Suffolk, Virginia, was diagnosed with mononucleosis earlier this month, but was cleared to go on a family trip to Alaska. He felt better after taking antibiotics, but gradually started to become weaker. When his family (right) flew to Denver, Colorado, on Saturday to make their connecting flight, he could barely walk. Thomas was rushed to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a blood cancer. Doctors told Thomas's family that he needs to remain in the hospital for a month so he can receive treatment.

A woman who had her fallopian tubes removed gave birth to a healthy, viable baby in the first such documented case ever.   Elizabeth Kough, of Kearney, Missouri, had both of the tubes that connect her ovaries to her uterus removed in 2015 after having three children. However, the 39-year-old started feeling the tell-tale signs of pregnancy last year.

HGTV star Tarek El Moussa, 37 (left and right), received an email from a nurse fan in 2013 that spotted a lump on his neck. He scheduled a doctor's appointment for the next day, and was shortly after diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Later that year, he was also diagnosed with testicular cancer. El Moussa, underwent two surgeries and radiotherapy, and is now cancer-free. The Flip or Flip star shared the story for a new medical series that will focus on patients presenting their strange odd symptoms to top doctors.

Scientists at the University of California, Irvine, looked at existing scientific evidence for more than 20 natural supplements which people claim could slow down hair loss. They found there was little or no evidence to suggest massage, garlic oil, turmeric or vitamin D could slow down hair loss. But there was promise for rosemary oil and caffeine, they added. All the substances tested would benefit from more high quality research but some products had better prospects than others for slowing down hair loss, which affects around half of men over the age of 50 in the UK.

Dionne Brown, 26, from South Molton, Devon, discovered she had osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, four months after the arrival of Emmett and Cohen. The mother-of-four had been back and forth to do the doctors complaining of leg pain for the past year. She began chemotherapy straight away in September 2017, enduring nine gruelling rounds over the course of almost a year. But half way through, in January 2018, the pain became too unbearable and she had her leg removed to give her relief. Pictured left with her twins Emmett and Cohen since having her leg amputated. Pictured right after surgery to remove her left leg.

Emma Reavley first noticed red spots on the back of her two-year-old daughter Emily's neck on April 25. The mother-of-eight then watched in horror as a rash (seen left on the youngster's face) spread 'before her eyes', with Emily even struggling to swallow due to painful blisters on her mouth and throat. Doctors at Hemel Hempstead's Urgent Care Centre told the 41-year-old it was just chickenpox and sent her home. Just hours later, the youngster's temperature 'skyrocketed' to 39°C (102°F), prompting Mrs Reavley to take Emily to Watford General Hospital. Medics immediately diagnosed Emily with HFMD, with her being the third case they had seen that day. Although recovered, Emily (pictured right with her mother) is still covered with scars from the ordeal.

Researchers by Wellcome surveyed more than 140,000 people in 144 countries to find trust in vaccines was generally highest in poorer countries, while Europe was the most suspicious. At a regional level, people were most likely to believe vaccines were safe in South Asia, where 95 per cent of them thought so. People in Eastern Europe were least likely to say jabs were safe. 'Vaccines are a vitally important application of scientific research that save millions of lives worldwide every year,' scientists said.

Victoria Altoft developed muscle pain, night sweats and aching joints just weeks after suffering a deep cat scratch at work at the end of 2010. Thinking she was just coming down with flu, the mother-of-two's vision then started to blur, leaving her panicking she may be going blind. After being referred for an urgent hospital appointment, Mrs Altoft, now 41, was forced to endure an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture to test her spinal fluid. Although these came back clear, doctors later discovered she had become infected with the Bartonella bacteria after being scratched by a flea-ridden cat. Despite taking antibiotics, Mrs Altoft, of Wellington, Somerset, still suffers extreme fatigue nine years later. Mrs Altoft is pictured left recently with her pet, not the cat that scratched her, and right with her husband Stuart, 39, and their children Genevieve, 11 and five-year-old Oliver.

A father-of-three received a second chance at life after one of his sons donated part of his liver to him.  Richard Pustorino, 55, from Garden City, New York, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a severe inflammatory bowel condition, when he was 19 years old. Many years later, he developed a related condition that severely damaged his liver and left him in need of a life-saving liver transplant.

Tiah Tomlin (pictured) was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer at just 38. While undergoing eight rounds chemo (top right), and 33 rounds of radiation, she was laid off and had to go on federally funded health insurance. Tiah immediately noticed a change in how she was treated by doctors. Meanwhile, she searched for support but no one in the groups 'looked like her.' So she founded a support group for other younger, minority women battling cancer in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. It's been four years since her diagnosis, but Tiah remains active in cancer advocacy and aids under-served people who may not be educated on the importance of healthy lifestyles by distributing care packages full of nontoxic goods as part of her nonprofit, My Style Matters (bottom right)

Sydney Fowler, 14 (left), from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, complained of a headache and backache in December 2018. The next day she couldn't feel her legs and doctors found a staph infection in her spine. The infection had penetrated her vertebrae and compressed her spinal cord for 13 hours, leaving her paralyzed from the lower chest down (inset). Doctors performed two spinal surgeries and administered antibiotics to clear the infection. Sydney has been undergoing physical therapy since January (right) and can now wiggle her toes.

Jo and Paul Hill (right) are urging people to sign up and donate in a desperate search for a match for their son, Finley. Finley (left), from Belbroughton in Warwickshire, is one of very few people with a rare immune system disorder called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). The disorder causes the immune system to overreact leading to inflammation and damage to tissues such as the liver, spleen and brain. Currently steroid medication keeps Finley 'relatively well' - but it is unclear how long this approach will work. He urgently needs a transplant to cure him - but Mr and Mrs Hill said most people are unaware the stem cell registry even exists during an interview on ITV's This Morning. Finley is pictured in hospital inset.

WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: Phoebe Crowson, of Peterborough, has had her childhood 'robbed' by the condition epidermolysis bullosa, diagnosed at birth. Phoebe's skin is so fragile that a bump or graze rips three layers of skin immediately off which causes third degree burns (see left, her back). Even the insides of her digestive system blister if she eats food that isn't soft, her mother, Zoe Crowson, 41, said (see right, mother and daughter). The condition can affect other mucosal membranes such as eyes, mouth and oesophagus. Phoebe has never played during her break at school, not only because the risk of injury is too high, but because she needs to have her wounds re-bandaged often.

A crucial factor that raises questions about the usefulness of shop-bought turmeric products is the concentration of the active ingredient. Medical research tends to use curcumin at very high doses - not just ground-down versions of whole turmeric plants that are commercially available. In fact, eating turmeric - a common ingredient in curries, and more recently added to drinks such as lattes in coffee shops - is a pretty poor way of getting enough curcumin into your body. 'The research on turmeric's anti-inflammatory effects in the body is very promising,' says NHS dietitian Dr Sarah Schenker. 'However you would have to drink an awful lot of turmeric lattes to get much benefit and we're not at the stage where the worried well should be popping a daily pill to prevent illness. But for someone putting up with the daily pain of arthritis, a decent supplement might be worth a try.'

Itinder Kaur lost a clump of lashes (seen left) from the centre of her right eyelid when her friend accidentally dragged her across gravel while trying to help her up from her fall. Surgeons at the Crown Clinic in Manchester transplanted 16 new eyelashes into the now 30-year-old's 'gap' using hair from the back of her scalp. Her eyelid is pictured shortly after the procedure on the right. Miss Kaur's surgeons Dr Asim Shahmalak (pictured right in the inset) and Dr Parsa Mohebi (left in the inset) agreed to carry out the £4,000 operation for free providing it was broadcast at the FUE [follicular unit extraction] Europe conference. This will hopefully teach dozens of surgeons from around the world how to perform the intricate procedure.