Health

Can we expect a solution for pollen allergy?

Header pollen

Do you suffer from hay fever? You are not alone: no less than 1 in 3 people worldwide have an allergy, particularly to pollen or dust mites. For people aged between 20 and 45 this amount is as much as 40%. “In fact, we expect this number to keep growing in the future”, predicts professor Philippe Gevaert (department of Head and Skin), clinical head of the Ear, Nose and Throat department at Ghent University Hospital. “But, don’t worry: a solution is on the way.”

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A legacy as a catalyst for the treatment of peritoneal cancer

Wim Ceelen

Few people have heard of it: peritoneal cancer. However, the disease, especially as a metastasis of another cancer, affects many patients. Unfortunately, it is often too late once the diagnosis is made: existing treatments achieve very little. Groundbreaking research by Professor Wim Ceelen is now resulting in new and promising treatments. And all thanks to the inheritance of a former patient.

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opinion

Tapering off antidepressants no easy matter

Ellen Van Leeuwen
Ellen Van Leeuwen
Ellen Van Leeuwen is general practitioner and clinical pharmacologist

1.22 million Belgians take antidepressants daily. That’s more than 1 out of every 10 people in the entire population. What’s remarkable is that many continue to take the pills for years. Tapering off is recommended, but hardly any research has been done into how one best goes about it. General practitioner and clinical pharmacologist Ellen Van Leeuwen thinks there is an urgent need to invest in helping people discontinue the use of antidepressants.

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Weak, headache, thirsty? How do you prevent sunstroke?

Zomer

“Stay out of the sun, avoid physical activity during the hottest time of day and have plenty to drink: with these three guidelines you will easily survive a hot sunny day and avoid sunstroke – or even worse: heatstroke”, says An De Sutter, head of general medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences).

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Can the cause of Parkinson’s be found in our intestines? “More research is required, but that costs money”

Professor Vandenbroucke en Santens

There are currently an estimated 35,000 cases of Parkinson’s in our country. This figure increases every year. In fact, it is the fastest growing neurodegenerative illness, yet we know so little about it. Professors Roosmarijn Vandenbroucke and Patrick Santens are looking to gain knowledge of the disease with their research. “But that means that particularly large sums of money are required, and these are often unavailable”, they confirm.

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