When faced with stressful situations, the body develops a stress response, which involves interaction between different body systems to cope with the stressors. The stress response starts in the brain, where cognitive appraisal of perceived threats and stressors in the environment is mediated by the brain, to activate the responding
Any physical activity or movement of some sort, “activates” most of the physiological systems in the body, such as the respiratory, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal systems, as well as hormonal and immune responses. Regular exercise results in the inherent chemistry of these systems responding, and adapting, to the increased activity, which
The human hand truly is an anatomical wonder, considering how much your use your hands daily, and all the different movements your wrists, hands, and fingers are capable of. Each hand and wrist has 27 little bones, which enables all the different movements. The bones in the hands and wrists
Stroke is the fourth highest cause of death from natural causes in South Africa, closely following on the top three: TB, diabetes, and heart disease. This is according to the latest information available from Statistics SA, namely for 2016. In 2015, stroke was the third highest cause of death from
A wide variety of factors can increase the risk of stroke. It is possible to have inherited an increased genetic predisposition to having a stroke, illustrated by family history. Aging is another factor that increases risk. However, there are many risk factors that are treatable. Awareness of these factors allows
Growing old gracefully is not for the faint hearted, the brittle boned or the weak. Brittle bones due to osteoporosis, in combination with muscle loss (sarcopenia), can result in falls and broken bones. Muscle mass and strength, in particular, are very important to the elderly, as they need muscle strength
Like a silent thief in the night, you are unaware of the presence of osteoporosis, until something breaks suddenly – a window in the case of a burglar; or a bone in your body in the case of osteoporosis. What is bone? Although it looks like a rock-solid substance, bone
“This year we will open up and regulate the commercial use of hemp products, providing opportunities for small-scale farmers; and formulate policy on the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes, to build this industry in line with global trends. The regulatory steps will soon be announced by the relevant
Throughout the ages, mothers have been singing lullabies in the dark of night to put their babies and toddlers to sleep. In a similar vein, our bodies sing a nightly lullaby to put us to sleep – with a song called melatonin. Although this song has no lyrics, it does
We may not be aware that we live with 2 kg of microscopically small bacteria in our gastro-intestinal tracts (gut), which play a vital role in the functioning of our bodies. Bacteria are found on the skin, in the mouth, the nose, the urogenital system, but the vast majority are
