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Meet The Experts
Claudia Jackson
Registered Nurse
About our Author
Overview
Claudia Jackson is a Registered Nurse and health content writer. Having
graduated with a BSc (Hons) in adult nursing in 2000, Claudia worked in
accident and emergency before deciding to specialise in intensive care
nursing.
She has over 15 years’ nursing experience in intensive care and
high dependency units in the UK, Australia, and Turkey. In 2017 Claudia
branched out into health content writing and achieved a distinction in
copywriting from the College of Media and Publishing in 2018. Claudia
now works full-time as a health content writer.
Medical Experience
Registered Nurse/ Medical Translator & Report Writer – Letoon Private Hospital
Critical Care RN – Pulse Nursing
Critical Care RN – The Alfred Hospital
Registered Nurse (RN) – Royal Sussex Country Hospital
Training & Qualifications
BSc (Hons) Nursing,
Specialisms and Areas of Interest
Registered Nurse, Critical Care, Health Education
Publications
Various articles and content pieces can be found across many well-known platforms such as Superdrug, Zava, Circle Health Group and Medicspot amongst others
Articles By This Author
Menopause
Menopause is a natural process that happens when your hormone levels change, you no longer produce eggs in your ovaries, and your periods stop. Learn more about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options.
Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is when you don’t have enough vitamin D in your body to be healthy. Vitamin D is responsible for keeping your bones, muscles, and teeth healthy. Learn how to maintain correct levels of Vitamin D in your body.
Male Fertility
Infertility (also known as “subfertility” is estimated to affect around 1 in 7 couples in the UK with about 30% of cases being due to male infertility. Learn more about common symptoms and available treatments.
STI Testing
STIs are infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites that are passed from person to person, during unprotected sexual intercourse. STIs can also be passed from mother to baby during childbirth or breastfeeding or by sharing needles with IV drug users.
Stress
Stress is an emotional and physical response to pressure, adversity, or demanding circumstances. We all experience stress in our lives, but too much stress stress can have a negative impact on our health. This kind of stress, can lead to mental health issues like anxiety, burnout, and depression as well as physical conditions like heart disease. Stress can cause both psychological (mental) and physical symptoms.
Heavy period
Heavy periods are menstrual periods that last for more than 7 days or involve particularly heavy bleeding. The medical term for heavy periods is menorrhagia. Heavy periods are normal for some women, but they can sometimes be a sign of a medical problem that may need treatment.
Premature Ejaculation
Ejaculation is when semen is expelled from the penis during male orgasm. Premature ejaculation is when this happens earlier than you or your partner would like; it may also be described as “cumming too soon”. It is the most common sexual health problem in men and affects between 30 to 50% of men.
COVID-19
COVID-19 or coronavirus disease is an infectious disease that is spread by the virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is not a single disease symptom, but a group of symptoms causing inflammation of one or both lungs. In pneumonia there is a decrease in the amount of oxygen that blood can absorb from air breathed into the lung.
Reflux
Reflux is a condition where acid travels up from the stomach into the oesophagus (food pipe) causing:
- a burning sensation in the middle of your chest (heartburn)
- an unpleasant, acidic taste in your mouth
Fever
A fever, also known as a high temperature or pyrexia, is when your body temperature is higher than normal. Normal body temperature varies between people and may fluctuate throughout the day, but it is usually around 37 °C.
Arthritis
Arthritis isn’t a single disease, but rather a term used to describe a range of diseases that affect the joints.
Back Pain
Back pain, particularly lower back pain (lumbago), is a common condition that affects around a third of the UK population each month. There are many different causes of back pain, and it often goes away without treatment, but it may be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
Muscle Sprain
A muscle sprain occurs when there is an injury such as a stretch or tear to a ligament. Ligaments are tough, band-like structures that connect 2 or more bones to a joint.
Tension Headache
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and nearly everyone experiences them from time to time.
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction, otherwise known as ED, or impotence is a condition where a man is unable to get or keep an erection long enough to have sex. This happens to most men on occasion, but if it happens often it may be a sign of an underlying health problem.
Nail Infections
Fungal nail infections are common and typically aren’t too severe but can take a while to treat. They usually affect your toenails, but you can get them on your fingernails, too.
Athlete's Foot
Athlete’s foot is a fungal skin infection that affects the feet and usually forms between the toes. It is typically treated with creams, powders or sprays which you can buy in drugstores or in pharmacies. In some people, it can cause burning, stinging, redness, and itching as well as flaking of the skin.
Sore Throat
A sore throat is a pain, scratchy feeling or irritation of the throat that feels worse when you swallow. The most common cause of a sore throat (pharyngitis) is a viral infection, like a cold or flu. Whilst they can be irritating, sore throats usually resolve on their own and usually aren’t anything to worry about.
Cystitis
Cystitis is an infection and inflammation of the bladder. It is most commonly caused by a urinary tract infection (UTI) and occurs when bacteria travel up the urethra (the tube you pee from) and enter the bladder.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some infections caused by bacteria. There are many classes of antibiotics and different antibiotics are used to treat different types of infections.
Ringworm
Ringworm is a common skin infection caused by fungi. It is called ringworm because it causes a circular, ring-like rash on the body. Despite the name, it is not caused by worms.
Hair Loss
It’s normal for some hair to fall out and on average we lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day which are usually replaced with new hairs. As we age, this regrowth can slow, causing our hair to become thinner.
Cold Sores
A cold sore is a sore or blister that develops on the lips or around the mouth. They are caused by the herpes simplex virus.
Impetigo
Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection that causes sores or blisters on the skin. It is most common in young children, but anyone can get it.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin membrane that lines the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes patches of scaly skin on the body. The patches may be sore or itchy. It is a chronic (long-term) condition that causes flare-ups (where symptoms are more severe) throughout a person’s life.
Blepharitis
Blepharitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the eyelids. It is a common condition that is more likely to affect people with oily skin or conditions like seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff), acne rosacea, dry eye, and allergies that affect the eye.
Eye Stye
A stye (also known as a hordeolum) is a small abscess on the eyelid. It is usually caused by a bacterial infection.
Red Eyes
A red eye occurs when tiny blood vessels beneath the surface of the eye become inflamed making the eyes appear red and bloodshot. It can affect one or both eyes and is usually caused by something irritating the eye. In most cases, a red eye is not a sign of anything serious and clears up on its own once the irritation is removed. It does not usually cause permanent damage to your eye.
Dust Allergy
A dust allergy is an allergy that is triggered by dust. Allergies occur when the body’s immune system reacts to a harmless substance it perceives as a threat, triggering the release of a chemical called histamine. Dust allergy is commonly caused by house dust mites. It may make symptoms of asthma or eczema worse.
Hay Fever
Hay fever is a type of allergy that is triggered by pollen (a fine powder produced by plants and flowers). It is also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Allergies
An allergy occurs when your immune system reacts to a normally harmless substance, triggering a process in your body called an allergic reaction. The substances that trigger an allergic reaction are called allergens.
Weight loss
Being overweight or obese can have serious implications for your health and increases your risk of many diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, oestoarthritis and some cancers. Being overweight can also affect your psychological health as it can lead to feelings of depression and low self-esteem and may contribute to social isolation.
Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a condition where you pass urine involuntarily (when you don’t want to). It is a common condition, but the exact number of people with urinary incontinence is unknown. Many people feel embarrassed by their condition or assume it’s a normal part of getting older and cannot be treated. For this reason, many people don’t talk about their condition, even with their GP.