Medical articles
Evidence-based health content: plain-language summaries of public sources, each with its sources and dates.
Reference ranges: why a lab result is not a verdict
The range printed next to a lab result is a comparison, not a diagnosis. Knowing how it is made explains why one number rarely tells the whole story.
What common tests measure, and why reference ranges differ.
Understanding a complete blood count (CBC)
What a complete blood count measures, why reference ranges differ, and why one value outside a range is not a diagnosis by itself.
Reference ranges: why a lab result is not a verdict
How laboratory reference ranges are set, why about 5 in 100 healthy people fall outside one on any single test, and what else a clinician considers.
The HbA1c test: a picture of the past three months
What the haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) blood test measures, why it reflects about three months of blood sugar, and what can affect the result.
Cholesterol tests: what a lipid panel reports
What a cholesterol test (lipid panel) measures — LDL, HDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol — how to prepare, and why results are read with other risks.
Vaccines, screening and oral health.
How vaccines work
How vaccines train the immune system to recognise germs before you meet them, why vaccinated communities protect others, and where schedules come from.
Health screening: finding problems before symptoms
What health screening is, how it differs from tests for symptoms, why recommended screenings depend on age and risk, and questions to ask first.
Oral health: protecting teeth and gums
Why most oral diseases are preventable, the everyday habits that protect teeth and gums, and the link between sugar, tobacco and oral health.
CT, MRI, x-rays and ultrasound, in plain language.
CT and MRI: different tools, different safety checks
How CT and MRI scans differ, why the choice depends on the clinical question, and the safety information to give imaging staff before either one.
X-rays and radiation dose: putting the numbers in context
Why x-ray and CT exams involve a small radiation dose, how doses are compared with natural background radiation, and how imaging teams keep them low.
Ultrasound: imaging with sound waves
How ultrasound builds pictures from sound waves without radiation, what it is commonly used for, and how to prepare for an exam.
Responsible use and safety at home — never doses.
Using antibiotics responsibly
Antibiotics treat certain bacterial infections, not colds or flu. Why correct use matters for you and for everyone, and the do's and don'ts.
Antimicrobial resistance: when medicines stop working
What antimicrobial resistance is, why WHO calls it one of the top global public-health threats, and what individuals can do to slow it.
Medicine safety at home: storage, labels and mistakes to avoid
Everyday habits that prevent medicine mistakes at home: keeping a list, reading labels, safe storage away from children, expiry dates and disposal.
Questions to ask your pharmacist or doctor about a medicine
A short list of questions to ask whenever you receive a medicine: what it is for, how to take it, what to avoid, side effects and storage.
WHO's healthy-diet principles, salt and sugar.
Four practical principles for a healthy diet
The WHO's four foundations of healthy eating — adequacy, balance, moderation and diversity — and how they translate into everyday meals.
Cutting back on salt and sugar
WHO's limits for salt and free sugars, where most of them hide in everyday food, and simple ways to cut back without losing flavour.
How much activity helps, and how to start.
Making regular movement achievable
What counts as physical activity — from walking and cycling to play and daily tasks — why it helps body and mind, and how to start safely.
How much activity do you need? WHO's amounts by age
The WHO's recommended weekly physical activity for children, adults and older adults, what moderate and vigorous mean, and why some is better than none.
Blood pressure and the risk factors you can change.
Why blood-pressure checks matter
High blood pressure often has no symptoms. How to measure it reliably at home, why repeated readings matter, and when to seek urgent care.
Heart health: the risk factors you can change
The main behaviours behind heart and blood-vessel disease according to WHO, the warning signs they lead to, and the changes that lower risk.
How much sleep adults need, and the habits that help.
A simple check-in on adult sleep
How much sleep adults generally need, why quality and schedule matter as much as hours, and the signs that are worth discussing with a professional.
Everyday habits for better sleep
Practical sleep habits from public health sources: a regular schedule, light and screens, caffeine timing, a calm bedroom, and daytime activity.
Looking after mental health, and where to find help.
Study types, risk numbers, clinical trials and checking a claim.
Reading medical research: the main types of study
How observational studies, randomised trials and systematic reviews differ, why correlation isn't causation, and what makes evidence stronger.
Relative vs absolute risk, explained with numbers
The difference between relative and absolute risk, a worked example, and the “number needed to treat” that shows what a result means for real people.
How new treatments are tested: the phases of a clinical trial
The four phases of clinical trials — from small safety studies to large comparisons and monitoring after approval — and why each step is needed.
Checking a health claim before you believe or share it
A short checklist for any health claim online: who says it, what evidence backs it, how recent it is, whether it is selling something, and what to trust.
When not to wait, and who to call.
Medical disclaimer: this is a source-linked educational summary, not individual medical advice, diagnosis, prescription or interpretation of personal results. For severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, call 115.