Medical Articles

Vitiligo Vitiligo is a skin condition resulting from loss of pigment which produces white patches. Any part of the body may be affected. Usually both sides of the body are affected. Common areas of involvement are the face, lips, hands, arms, legs, and genital areas. Who Gets Vitiligo? Vitiligo ....

SKIN CANCER: COULD IT BE ME? LET’S FACE FACTS Did you know that Skin cancer is more common than all other cancers combined? While on average of 120 per 100 000 Americans or Europeans get newly diagnosed with a non melanoma skin cancer every year it is a 50 - 100 times more common when we ....

PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY (PDT) INFORMATION Compiled by Dr. D.K. Whitaker, Dermatologist You have been prescribed PDT or Photo Dynamic Therapy - so how exactly will you be treated? POT is a non-surgical treatment of skin cancer or pre-cancerous lesions. So you could either have Solar Keratosis or a ....

NON MELANOMA SKIN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT Non Melanoma skin cancers (Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinoma) are the most common types of cancer in the Caucasian population and the incidence of skin cancer has reached epidemic proportions. It is difficult to determine exact incidence data ....

MELANOMA-SCREENING: Where are we today? Dr Dagmar Whitaker, Dermatologist, Cape Town President of the Melanoma Advisory Board, SA Melanoma is and has been for a long time a cause for serious concern in this country. We all know it's a deadly cancer, it's caused by the sun, it often occurs in pat....

Molescreening - State of the art Technology Dr. Dagmar Whitaker, Dermatologist, Cape Town - President of Melanoma Advisory Board S.A. Invasive primary melanoma in whites shows the greatest and most rapid increase of all cancer worldwide. The incidence in South Africa is unknown but what is known....

MELANOMA-SCREENING: Where are we today? Dr Dagmar Whitaker, Dermatologist, Cape Town President of the Melanoma Advisory Board, SA Melanoma is and has been for a long time a cause for serious concern in this country. We all know it's a deadly cancer, it's caused by the sun, it often occurs in pat....

Melanoma Fact Sheet Members: Or G. Cohen, Mr G. Dempster, Mz E. Tzetis, Prof. F. Jordaan, Or G. Levy, Or J. Malan, Or G. McAdam, Or Nel, Or B. Ritchie, Or P. Scott, Prof. W. Sinclair, Or C. Thatcher, Or D. Vorobiof, Mr B. Van Reenen (CANSA), Or E. Bam. Melanoma - Definition/Diagnosis/lncide....

Are you looking for a face cream? Why not try AHA? AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acids, a group of fruit acids i.e. Glycolic acid (acid from the grape) or Lactic acid (acid from the milk) etc. Glycolic acids are used for chemical, in cosmetic dermatology because in a concentration of say 70%, they....

EVER HAD YOUR MOLES CHECKED OUT? I have often been told that the multitude of moles on my back look dodgy, so I was apprehensive when I had them scrutinised by skin cancer specialist Dr Dagmar Whitaker. With the help of a sophisticated computerised scanning system known as mole-mapping, Dr Whita....

ACNE AND LIGHT HOW DOES IT WORK? COMPILED BY: DR WHITAKER So you have been told you have got acne and want to know more about it!? Firstly, the whole process revolving around "pimples" starts at the oil-glands. Before puberty they do nothing, but with the onset of hormone production tho....

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER [OCD] - Information prepared by Clinical Psychologist Reinette Steyn [see www.selfgrow.co.za ] OCD is classified as one of the Anxiety Disorders. There are two components: OBSESSIONS are recurrent and persistent thoughts [e.g. Red is a dirty colour], impulses [e.g. to....

Depression By: Elizabeth Oosthuizen Psychologist “Yet through depression we enter depths and in depths we find soul. Depression…. brings refuge, limitation, focus, gravity, weight and humble powerlessness. The true revolution begins in the individual who can be true to his or her dep....

TERG GEDRAG BY KINDERS Elizabeth Oosthuizen - Sielkundige KINDERS WAT TERG Eenvoudig gestel – sommige kinders terg andere deurdat dit hul “goed” laat voel, altans hulle dink so. “Kyk na my” Enige aandag is beter as geen aandag. ……….. Die beho....

Passive music listening & anxiety By Elizabeth Oosthuizen “Music is the essence of humanness, not only because man creates it, but because he creates his relationship to it. Music is an essential and necessary function of man. It influences his behaviour and condition and has done so ....

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY Forensic Psychology focuses on the provision of psychological services within the justice system. The Forensic Psychologist is closely allied with and draws upon the knowledge bases of psychology, sociology, criminal justice, and the law. The term forensic psychology is derived....

What constitutes Hypnosis? Hypnosis generally occurs when there is a heightened state of suggestibility during a state of trance. Trance is one of many states of consciousness, from coma to extreme focus. Supposedly one's brain is lead to "an altered state of consciousness" from a 'norma....

EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITISATION AND REPROCESSING Psychoanalyst David Grand calls this phenomenal and highly efficient new form of psychotherapy "Emotional Healing at Warp Speed" I was very dubious when I first heard this description but over the past several years of using EMDR an average....

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual: "Genetic" or "Mental Disorder"? This question often brings clients to the psychotherapist's office. Not when you are a member of the majority of the population whose sexual identity (experiencing yourself as either girl or boy from childhood) and sexual....

With up to a 1/3 of our lives spent in bed, a good base and mattress id very important. It won't cure an existing back problem and is no substitute for medical attention. However, a bed which offers correct support will prevent problems from developing or worsening. Ask yourself these questions to....

Here are some tips on back care: What causes back pain in pregnancy: Back pain can occur at any time after the 1st trimester, though not everyone will get it. As your baby gets heavier, your centre of gravity changes. You will probably adapt your posture without realizing it, leaning backwards as ....

ADVICE SHEET FOR PATIENTS WITH PERIODONTAL DISEASE Periodontal disease causes the loss of more teeth in adults than all other dental ailments together. Before the age of 35, decay is the primary cause of tooth loss: thereafter periodontal disease is responsible for over 80% of tooth loss. Periodont....

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOURSELF? · You are normal and having a normal reaction – don’t label yourself as crazy or weak · Recognise that this will pass and give yourself time and patience · Give yourself permission to feel rotten and afraid - be patient with yours....

Trauma is a shocking event where one has experienced an intense threat or horror. It is different for each of us - what may seem like nothing to someone else, could be a traumatic experience for you. Strong emotional and physical reactions are normal and most people recover in 3 to 4 weeks. Being ov....

Domestic violence is a serious crime against society and has an unacceptably high incidence in South Africa. An act of domestic violence often starts a debilitating cycle of violence from which the victim finds it increasingly difficult to escape. Many women are trapped in abusive relationships for ....

“The first thing we should do if we think that we or our loved ones may have a problem with drugs and alcohol is get help from professionals specializing in this field. Instead, it is usually the last thing we do”, says Paul Coetzee – addictions counsellor consulting to the CIC (Co....