Author: Kristīne Maķe Nowadays, most people know what bacterial infections are and how to treat them “correctly”. Anyone working in the medical field is aware of the mechanisms bacteria can use to become our body’s worst enemy. Even for people outside of the medical world, the word “infection” is not alien. Thanks to the technological
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Breaking barriers: The stigma of HIV
Author: Rajlakshmi Sohini Mukhopadhyay H.I.V. The three letters that seem to spell out a death sentence to everyone who hears them. But is HIV really the deadly disease that it was even a decade ago? Or has its management evolved over time?
What are the effects of uncontrolled use of antibiotics in humans?
Author: Dr Ilze Prikule The topic of increasing antibiotic resistance is becoming more and more discussed, and various myths are being spread with it. An example is that using antibiotics supposedly helps you recover faster from an illness, or that a small amount of antibiotics used prophylactically cannot cause any harm, etc. Patients, unfortunately, do not
Neuroendocrine tumors- zebras of the cancer world
Author: Artūrs Truškovs What animal comes to mind when You hear hoofbeats? Probably a horse, right? Of course, it is so simple! Well, not exactly. In the medical world it’s not so black and white. Not all diagnoses are horses, or the most likely possibility. Sometimes when You hear hoofbeats, it’s a zebra- the less
Is Snus a Panacea for Cigarette Addiction or a New Dangerous Carcinogen?
Author: Vladislavs N. Makovskis Snus – a tobacco product that has recently become popular among students and sportsmen. Almost all of us have a friend who often puts a “miraculous baggy” under their lip. You don’t have a friend like that? The aim of this article is to tell about the history of snus, its
Breaking the stigma behind mental illness
Author: Rajlakshmi Sohini Mukhopadhyay It’s raining cats and dogs outside, but we don’t care. My friend and I are all cosied up, drinking cups of tea and having a good old heart-to-heart about times gone by. “You know, I just didn’t know where to go. I knew what I was feeling wasn’t right but I
Osteoporosis – the silent thief
Author: Dārta Jakovicka It would probably be too harsh to call it the “silent killer” but it could definitely be called the “silent thief”, as it has a habit to rob your bones. The 20th of October is World Osteoporosis day and its main aim is to raise awareness about this bone degrading disease. Osteoporosis has
Ask Me Anything – Prof. Oskars Kalējs
Where would you recommend travelling? In Latvia: Liepāja – Ventspils – Kolka with “pit stops” along the way. If on bikes, then I suggest following the old railway, although much of it can be “picked up” by car (the low ones do not work). Latgale- starting from Daugavpils, downwards – Ēģipte (there is such
Warfarin – an unsavoury past
Author: Rajlakshmi Sohini Mukhopadhyay Warfarin, or Coumadin, has been used by people, particularly the elderly, to prevent blood clots and heart attacks for the past 64 years. The identification of the biological role of warfarin has been one of the most life-changing discoveries, saving the lives of many around the world. Despite its many years
The big cities of the sea
Author: Linda Bauere If asked about climate change and the effect it has on our planet, what would you think about first? I, for one, would start thinking about the negative impact on rainforests, agriculture and hurricanes, not giving much thought to the thing that covers 71% of the Earth’s surface — water [1]. Seems