Find answers to the most commonly asked questions about Healthily and our services.
There is some evidence that taking hormones such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can actually increase your magnesium levels, so taking extra magnesium in the form of supplements may lead to higher levels in your body. More research is needed into this, but if you want to start magnesium supplements when you’re taking HRT, it's safest to discuss with a doctor first.
Some preparations that contain magnesium can reduce the absorption of oral medications, so if you're taking HRT by mouth (orally), you may need to take it at a different time of day to magnesium (HRT patches or gels should not be affected). If you’re unsure, talk to your doctor.
The best course of action is to ensure you’re getting enough magnesium naturally from a healthy, balanced diet. Your doctor will be able to run a blood test to check your levels and recommend supplements if required.
Just like during pregnancy, nausea during the menopause can be worse in the morning. During the perimenopause, it may also be associated with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). It’s still possible to get pregnant during the perimenopause, so if you get morning sickness at this time you should do a pregnancy test if there’s a possibility you could be pregnant.
Mucus diarrhoea can be caused by a few different problems in your gut. It could be a sign of an infection like gastroenteritis, which usually clears up by itself within a few days. But if it lasts longer than a week, see a doctor, as this could mean you have an infection like a bacterial or parasite infection that needs treatment. Or you may have a long-term (chronic) problem like IBD or IBS. If it lasts longer than a few weeks, a doctor may want to rule out something more serious like bowel cancer.
You might feel like you don’t want to eat or drink anything when you feel dizzy and sick, but it’s important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid getting dehydrated. If you have gastroenteritis, you should eat when you feel you can – you don’t need to avoid particular foods, but you might want to try eating small amounts or plain foods. If you have motion sickness, eating ginger may help, as can avoiding heavy meals or spicy foods just before you travel.
Most often cancerous testicular lumps are not painful – only between 20 and 27% of people with testicular cancer will complain of pain. Some people do feel a dragging sensation in the scrotum, but others notice no pain or tenderness.
The most common symptom of testicular cancer is enlarged testis, with a solid firm swelling that can be detected when pressed.
If you discover a lump, it's best to see a doctor as soon as you can – even if it’s not painful. Testicular cancer is easier to treat when it's picked up early. It’s also worth remembering that there are lots of causes of testicular lumps and cancer is not common.
Usually oral antifungal medication is safe to use and causes no side effects, but it’s stronger than topical antifungals are, so speak to a pharmacist or doctor for advice on how to get and use these medicines safely. It’s important to check with a pharmacist or doctor before you take an antifungal pill if you’re using other medicines, as some medicines interact badly with antifungals and can cause side effects. Speak to them too about any medical conditions or allergies you have, or if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. If you’re elderly, it’s also best to speak to a doctor before taking antifungal pills.
We’re always on the lookout for passionate people who genuinely care about making a difference.
You can take a look at our open positions.
Alternatively, send your CV and a cover letter to livehealthily@jobs.workablemail.com and it will be forwarded to the relevant department.
As you get further into your pregnancy, your baby is developing and the chances of it being able to survive in the world increase by the day. But giving birth at 25 weeks means your baby would still be extremely premature and there are more risks that things can go wrong. In this case, if your baby is born alive it would need intensive care in hospital for several months, but even then, not all babies survive.
Some liver cleanses claim to break down body fat, improve liver function or ‘flush’ harmful toxins out of your system, but there’s no evidence to suggest that liver cleanses can actually improve fatty liver disease.
If you want to improve fatty liver, try doing more exercise or giving up smoking. Both actions are medically recognised ways to improve fatty liver disease.
There’s no evidence to suggest that a vasectomy will affect your sex drive or sexual performance. After surgery, you may have side effects like bruising of the skin around your testicles (scrotum), swelling and mild pain or discomfort. It will take about a week or so for you to fully heal and for the side effects to go away, which may stop you from having sex – but this won’t affect your libido in the long term. Read more about when you can have sex after a vasectomy.