The AnswerBank Articles

Is it healthier to live in a new or an old house

asks Mayastar:A. There are unhealthy aspects to both old and new buildings, but recent research has highlighted the particular problems of new buildings. Q. What are they A. Studies in Australia00:00 Mon 09th Apr 2001

What is Ayurveda all about

asks H Gray:A. Ayurveda, despite being the new biggest thing in alternative health, is one of the oldest medical systems in the world. It is part of the Vedas, the divine texts of Hinduism, and dates00:00 Mon 09th Apr 2001

What is the story behind Passover

asks Tony B:A. Passover is the eight-day ceremony commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II, about 3,000 years ago.00:00 Mon 09th Apr 2001

What can I do to stop my feet smelling

asks ollie:A. In the course of a day, the average human foot gives off half a cup of sweat, so it's important to give feet the chance to breathe. Q. What, take my shoes off A. Yes, the smell is00:00 Mon 02nd Apr 2001

What's are the risks with pre-eclampsia

asks Redhillmum:A. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that develops during the second half of pregnancy and is caused by a defect in the placenta. This results in a restriction in the baby's blood supply,00:00 Mon 02nd Apr 2001

Why do we kiss

Miss Don asks:A. To kiss (to touch or caress with the lips) is a sign of affection. To kiss the air ('mwah mwah') just looks affected. Neither comes naturally. Q. Surely there can't be anything more00:00 Mon 02nd Apr 2001

How can you tell if someone's lying

asks tonyb A. Researchers who have studied lying believe that there are 23 tell-tale signs of porky-telling. These include including sweating, faster pulse, taking longer than normal to answer00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001

Why do we dream

asks ArchieMac A. Most experts would say that it allows your brain to rejuvenate and recharge. However, dreaming is a very mysterious thing and experts have had differing theories... Q. Such as A.00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001

Is there a health risk associated with wearing high heels

asks M Scott. A. It depends how often you wear them. In the 1940s and 1950s, women wore them all the time and ended up with bunions and hammer toes. These days, they're not worn so often. Q. When00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001

Does being a perfectionist affect your health

johnjo asks:A. Many would say that it certainly affects the sanity of the less-than-perfect people who have to live with them! However, there now seems to be evidence than if you are a perfectionist,00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

I have very vivid dreams - can they mean anything

sporty asks: A. Vivid dreams tend to be the ones you have just before waking up. Just about everything that goes through your head at night is forgotten by morning, and even your vivid dreams will00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

Is there a wrong way of sleeping

Q. Often when I wake I find my hands or shoulders numb, asks djtaz. A. The numbness is usually caused by pressure on the nerves which block the messages from the skin to the brain. It's usually00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

Can you heal yourself using 'mind over matter

...H Gray askedA. Yes, quite a lot. Doctors have known for years that stress makes illnesses much worse, and recent research has found a link between the brain and the immune system. Q. How does00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

Are men healthier than women

A. No. In fact, the Government is so worried about the state of men's health in this country that it has set up a working group to examine the problem. Q. What's wrong with men's health A. For a00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

Do we work too hard

...Sporty asked:A. Yes - and that's official. New research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development discovered that Britain has an average working week of 43.6 hours, the longest in the00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

How does smell help us to choose who we marry

A. We're talking pheromones here. They are odours given off by animals and humans to affect the behaviour of others. It's generally believed that humans use them, subconsciously, to trigger sexual00:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

What is a doula

Su Smith asked: Q. What is a doula ... A. The word 'doula' comes from a Greek word, meaning a woman who is experienced in childbirth. Although she is not medically qualified, she has been trained00:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

How safe is Zyban

By Merill Haseen Is Zyban really dangerous ...asks JohnJo, after reports last week that 18 people on the drug had died. What is Zyban Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride) is an anti-smoking drug. It00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

How long will I live

By Merill Haseen What are my chances (or my children's chances) of living to 100 ...asks Su Smith. Not wonderful, is the answer. Despite all the predictions, new research by Dr Jay Olshansky of the00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

What happens when you drink your own urine asked Max

By Meril Haseen Any negative effects from drinking your own urine ...asked Max. Apparently, you shouldn't drink your own wee unless you are a vegetarian or vegan who abstains from drugs (meat-eaters00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001