Health

The popular party drug MDMA – or ecstasy – may ‘reopen’ narrow windows in the brain that allows us to re-learn better social behaviors, new research suggests.  MDMA has been given breakthrough therapy status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because it has shown such promise for treating PTSD.  Scientists have observed the way … Read more

A new air filter may be able to kill bacteria and viruses floating in the air in the blink of an eye.  The device uses ‘non-thermal plasma’ (NTP), a gas which causes molecules to react with oxygen to create ozone.  Ozone is known to be anti-bacterial and destroys pathogens by rupturing their cell walls.  But … Read more

Fecal transplants drastically reduced autism symptoms in children, according to new research. Symptoms almost halved in 18 children given the treatment – known medically as microbiota transfer therapy. The study builds on the theory that the neurological condition may be rooted in the gut, rather than the brain. Two years after the transplant, children saw … Read more

Radiation treatment for cancer could soon be done in one SECOND instead of in weeks of daily doses Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that using protons instead of electrons for radiation therapy could shorten treatments to a second Radiation treatments usually require patients to lie still for about 10 minutes  A typical … Read more

As a trained Army sniper in peak physical condition, Marcus Horton was ready for action in a war zone at a moment’s notice.  But nothing could have prepared him for the agonising battle he faced after waking one morning in January 2017 to find the whole right side of his face had completely collapsed, leaving … Read more

Ask Dr Ellie: Did diabetes take my sense of smell? By Dr Ellie Cannon For The Mail On Sunday Published: 22:00 GMT, 13 April 2019 | Updated: 22:06 GMT, 13 April 2019 Six years ago, I lost my sense of smell. It’s started coming back and is now at about 80 per cent. Did my … Read more

Few things in life are as simple – or as pleasurable to eat – as a burger. That first bite, the rich, meaty and slightly charred flavours, mixed with smooth, salty cheese, the sharpness of onion and the tang of veg and sauce. If this sounds vaguely obsessive, it’s because I’ve not eaten one since … Read more

A teenager with an unusual brain disorder that causes her to collapse when she laughs has revealed she spends less time with her funny friends. Billie Hodgson, 17, suffers from cataplexy, which triggers sudden muscle paralysis and can strike whenever she giggles. Her unusual ailment is a complication of narcolepsy, which affects around 22,500 Britons. As … Read more

The recent announcement that divorce laws are to be relaxed is a welcome one.  Most couples who get married hope to live happily ever after, yet the brutal reality is that more than 40 per cent of modern marriages end in divorce.  In that case, why make getting divorced more difficult and stressful than it has … Read more

Having won two gold medals in the 2017 under-18 kayaking world cup when she was just 15, it’s fair to say Georgia Carmichael was in peak condition. But just six weeks after the event, she was struck down with searing headaches, chronic fatigue and an unbearable sensitivity to bright lights. Within months, she had suffered a … Read more