HEALTH NOTES: How doctors can use an eye test to detect signs of bowel disease
Mailed to the Sunday Reporter
Posted: 22:00, 9 July 2022 | Updated: 23:24, July 9, 2022
Doctors can spot the early signs of bowel disease in the patient’s eyes.
People with a specific set of eye complaints are twice as likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, say experts from the University of Birmingham.
Earlier research suggests that sufferers of these conditions are likely to experience blurred vision, burning or itching in the eyes, and even blindness due to inflammation of the eye.
In the study, researchers looked at the records of almost 200,000 patients to see if eye problems could be an early predictor of bowel disease. The reason for the link is not known, but genetics are thought to play a role.
People with a specific set of eye complaints are twice as likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, say experts from the University of Birmingham
An underactive thyroid may increase the risk of dementia.
The small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck releases hormones responsible for functions including metabolism and temperature regulation. An estimated 1.4 million Britons have an underactive thyroid – not producing enough hormones and leading to a host of health problems such as weight gain and, in the worst cases, heart disease.
American scientists have found that people over 65 with insufficient thyroid function are 80% more likely to develop dementia than people of the same age without thyroid problems.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, also found that people who took medication for the condition were three times more likely to develop dementia than those who did not.
Most people with appendicitis can be treated safely at home with antibiotics, avoiding the need for surgery, a study has found.
The condition is a painful swelling of the appendix, a pouch attached to the intestines. To stop it from rupturing, it is usually surgically removed as an emergency.
Previous studies have shown that treating patients with intravenous antibiotics in hospital is just as effective. Now researchers have discovered that antibiotics can be taken at home, with little need for hospital treatment.
Most people with appendicitis can be treated safely at home with antibiotics, avoiding the need for surgery, a study has found
In a study of 726 patients with appendicitis, 46 percent were discharged within 24 hours to be treated with antibiotics at home. A month later, they had no more health problems than those who stayed in hospital, and were less likely to need surgery.
One in 100 Britons took part in a Covid drug trial in 2021, new figures reveal.
More than 772,000 people in the UK took part in a total of 308 Covid trials last year, the National Institute for Health and Care Research said.
The trials included those monitoring the continued effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines and new treatments for seriously ill Covid patients. One of the biggest was the Panorama Study into the use of so-called antiviral treatments, given to 25,000 vulnerable Britons who did not respond well to vaccines.
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