Tonsils are two masses of tissue located on either side at the back of the throat – in the pharynx region, to be specific. Healthy tonsils are pink in colour and can be seen in the mirror when you open your mouth wide and stick your tongue forward. Tonsils function as part of the immune…
Category: Infectious diseases
Why Do We Get Fever?
Fever, or pyrexia, refers to an increase in body temperature beyond its normal range. While our temperature may vary slightly during the course of the day (by not more than 1.0°C – 1.5 °C, usually higher in the evening than in the morning) and due to other factors such as exercise, menstrual cycle phase, hot…
Measles
Measles is caused by a virus that enters the body via the respiratory system. It is a highly contagious disease which has the potential to cause serious complications. Fortunately, the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963 and subsequent implementation of global vaccination drives has significantly reduced the incidence of measles and/or its complications over…
Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease)
Leprosy (or Hansen’s Disease) is a communicable, infectious disease that has, over centuries, been associated with continued social stigma. In ancient times, it was believed to be some form of divine “punishment”, while in more recent history it was thought to cause “limbs to fall off” of affected individuals. In this article, we delve into…
What’s in an FBC?
Every now and then, a doctor may prescribe you to have a full blood count, or FBC, (sometimes referred to as complete blood count, CBC) test done. This is usually carried out as part of the screening process to make a diagnosis, or may also be carried out as a routine check-up or to monitor…
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer refers to cancer of the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that bridges the uterus to the vagina. It is the eighth most common type of cancer globally, and the fourth most common type to occur among women (after breast cancer, colorectal cancer and lung cancer). According to a scientific…
Varicella (aka Chickenpox)
Varicella, or what we commonly call chickenpox, is an infectious communicable viral disease that mostly affects children. However, it can also occur in adults – particularly those who have not had chickenpox during their childhood or have not been vaccinated. Symptoms Chickenpox is typically characterised by the appearance of around 250-500 itchy blisters all over…
Coronaviruses
(Scroll down for an update posted on 29/03/2020.) With the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, TBL felt that it would only be apt to have a discussion on the tiny microbes that are currently making a huge impact on global healthcare, travel, trade and economy. Viruses are tiny infectious microorganisms that can infect any living organism (including…
To Vax or Not to Vax? The Vaccine Hesitancy Problem
“The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines prevented at least 10 million deaths in just five years between 2010 and 2015. It says vaccines have been one of the biggest success stories of modern medicine.” – BBC, June 2019 “The World Health Organization (WHO) recently listed vaccine hesitancy as one of their top 10 biggest…
Antibiotic Resistance – What’s the Problem?
Antibiotic resistance is not a disease, but rather is a phenomenon that poses a significant challenge to the treatment of bacterial infections and to global health in general. The term refers to the development of resistance in bacteria (and sometimes fungi) towards antibiotics that would ideally be used in the treatment against them. Based on…
The Bio Log 