It is really hard to put into words how extreme altitude affects you but I shall try: Imagine waking at 3am inside a refrigerator with the worst hangover of your life. Inside the fridge is a treadmill. Run on this for 12 hours straight…with a plastic bag over your head. Some of my most [...]

It seems a bit weird to be writing about what is heat stroke , the first aid for it and related illness in the middle of a dreary Melbourne winter, however, in Saudi Arabia, where my sister is soon to relocate, it is always hot…damn, hot. This one’s for you sis. Heat related illnesses are [...]

My last pharmacy job was working in Melbourne’s CBD. As such, my main demographic consisted of relatively fit and healthy 30 year old go-getters. One of the main reasons for them to visit a pharmacy (disregarding the inevitable Monday morning Emergency Contraceptive pill rush) was for travel health advice, specifically what travel first aid kit [...]

Almost everyone in the world can recognise that high pitched phantom in the night. At best, a mosquito bite will cause local irritation, maybe some swelling over a few days. At worst, a bite can transmit serious illness and land you in hospital fighting for your life. Illnesses such as Yellow Fever, Malaria, Dengue Fever [...]

Jet lag is a real pain in the sleeping pattern. You have saved up for the trip of a lifetime and flown to an exotic destination just to land as an irritable, insomniac with eyeballs hanging out on stalks. You may suffer poor sleep upon arrival, trouble falling asleep (if going east), waking really early [...]