General Medical 

What is Meningococcal Disease? According to Australian GP and HIF blogger, Dr. Sam, ‘Meningococcal Disease’ is more of a generic term, describing infection with the bacteria ‘Nisseria meningitidis’, commonly called ‘meningococcus’. There are 13 different strains, with the most common being A, B, C, W135, and Y (and the most frequent affected ages being the under fives, and teenagers aged 15-19 year old). In terms of transmission, it occurs when people cough and sneeze; however meningococcus is in saliva too – which means sharing drinks and kissing is a big risk for teenagers too." Given this information we asked Dr. Sam for his advice on what we need to know about the recent outbreaks, the various strains, and the vaccines available to families.

Did you know that 76 million women worldwide suffer with endometriosis? But what exactly is it. According to professional GP, Dr. Sam, "The term endometriosis has its roots with the word ‘endometrium’. This is the lining of the womb (uterus) that changes with the normal menstruation cycle, shedding away to cause your ‘period’. In endometriosis, little patches of this lining occur in places they shouldn’t – all through the pelvis and abdomen – attached to your ovaries, bowel, abdominal wall, and every other organ that gets in their way. Influenced by the natural cycling of hormones, these patches grow and change just like a normal endometrium should, consequently inflaming and irritating tissues around them. A variety of symptoms result, but the most classic are pain and infertility." In this article, Dr. Sam breaks offers his advice on the symptoms to look out for and the treatment options available.