My nose is constantly running. I've tried everything to stop it but nothing works. What is wrong with me? DR MARTIN SCURR has the startling answer
Several years ago, a doctor prescribed an antihistamine – I've since tried every over-
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The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘No Colon, Still Rollin'': Cass Bargell, US scrum-half and ostomy advocate, sets sights on World Cup
A few years ago, Cass Bargell gave a Ted Talk at Harvard, the same university where she studied integrative biology and played scrum-half, helping the Crimson to a national 15s title and earning nominations for US player of the year. Onstage, visibly nervous, she clutched a rugby ball as if for emotional support. 'I dropped the ball,' she says, laughing. 'They edited it out.' Bargell didn't drop the ball with her talk, which offered a compelling account of her traumatic experience with ulcerative colitis and her extraordinary recovery. It all began in late 2020, with alarming symptoms. Bargell kept playing through quickening pain but eventually, in November 2021, underwent ileostomy surgery to remove her colon and create a stoma, an opening in her abdomen to allow waste to pass. Just a few months later Bargell was back playing rugby, the sport she found as a middle-schooler in Summit, Colorado, as aggressive as ever but now wearing an ostomy bag. The title of her Ted Talk sums up her determination and her emergence as an advocate for life after surgery: No Colon, Still Rollin'. She has told her remarkable tale many times, including to former NFL Man of the Year and fellow patient Rolf Benirschke, for The Phoenix, official magazine of the United Ostomy Associations of America. But now, at 25 and eight times capped, Bargell is about to step onto the biggest stage of all – the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup in England, where the US kick-off against the hosts on Friday. Speaking to the Guardian, she said that though life with an ostomy had not 'gotten any easier … I think I've gotten a lot better at handling it. 'I think some things have actually gotten harder, in some ways. The longer I've had it, the more it feels like this daunting thing that's gonna go on for ever. And I think I have, like, those big emotional moments, but I'm a lot better at handling it day to day. I don't think about my bag and I know how to change it much faster now. I know how to handle my supplies.' Bargell's play gives no clues of her extra burden. In Washington in July against Fiji, as the Americans struggled to hold a narrowing lead, the 5ft 4in dynamo forced two crucial turnovers, stealing Fijiana ball at the ruck. Turning to the nearest reporter to ask 'Who's that flanker the Eagles brought on?', the Guardian was swiftly enlightened: not only was Bargell not a forward, but also, 'that's nothing: she plays with an ostomy bag.' Asked if that played on her mind during games, she said: 'No, I don't think about it. But I'm really lucky that I'm supported by my coaches too. 'When I'm playing and I get hit in the bag, I don't feel anything, I don't think anything. I just put the ball back strongly. But if we're in training and we're doing a drill … where we come up and hit each other and then backpedal, reload, come up at each other again, backpedal, reload, just like working on the constant up and back, as the attacker I was just getting hit straight in the bag over and over and over, and I was like, this never happens to me in a game, and I'm really uncomfortable. 'I wasn't hurt from it or anything. I just was like, that's wearing my bag down more than I need. And my coaches are like, perfect. 'No problem. You'll hold the pad next time.' So then everyone was in the line and I just had a [tackle] pad, and it was fine. 'So it's not like I love getting hit in the bag repetitively. It's just that when it happens, it's not a big deal. I also feel like my right fend has gotten much stronger since I got my ostomy. I don't like people getting that close, so when I can avoid it, I do.' She laughs again, and switches from hand-offs to helping hands, saluting the influence of Ilona Maher, the US center, Olympic sevens medalist and social media star who has fired global interest in the women's game. 'Ilona, the version you see on the internet is how she is,' Bargell says. 'She's, like, a fun, big personality. And also everything she says about there needs to be more stars [in women's rugby] and we need to lift more women up, she lives that and walks it with us. She's helped me so much with sharing my story, with all the social media stuff and everything she talks about in that world. 'On the field, she's fast and she's powerful and she's strong and she can pass, and she brings so much to our team. I love training with her. She's also a really strong organizer, which I don't think people can always see, but she does communicate a lot and helps us all.' Bargell, Maher and the rest of the Eagles may need all the help they can get on Friday: England are favorites to win the World Cup, having crushed rivals France in their final warm-up while the US lost to Canada, another title contender. Looking at that game, Bargell identified a failing familiar from the meeting with Fiji in DC: a strong start not maintained. 'The first half felt easy,' says Bargell, who will start on the bench behind Olivia Ortiz on Friday. 'It felt like that's what we practiced in training, and it was just about executing it. 'We've been working a lot on finding our energy right after half-time and being able to come out and start the second half the way we started the first half, because it really wasn't like we weren't surprising ourselves with what we were doing that first half. It was what we practiced. And so it's just about finding a way to keep that energy throughout the whole game.' Bargell is one of many Eagles who this year played in Women's Elite Rugby, the semi-pro league which has just completed its first season, with Bargell turning out for the Boston Banshees while working as a data analyst for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. She speaks favorably of WER as a step up from the amateur game, if not at the level of Premiership Women's Rugby, where senior Eagles including Ortiz play, where Maher shone for Bristol, and in which England's Red Roses ply their fearsome trade. 'I think an interesting part about our team is that we really rise,' Bargell says. 'We rise to the occasion. And so I know we'll rise [against England]. 'It's an incredible opportunity to be a part of that opening match at all, and I know everyone's really excited for it. We've honestly just been focused on building our own systems. It's not like these past three weeks were only focused on England.' True: Australia and Samoa also await, two wins most likely needed to make the quarter-finals. Australia offer the sterner test. In Perth in May, the Wallaroos downed the Eagles, 29-17. Bargell remains confident. 'We all believe we have a lot of threats, and like who we are as players,' she says. 'And so if we can bring our team together in that way, then we can compete.'
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
University of Reading creates research unit in Kuwait
The University of Reading has created a research unit in Kuwait as part of a partnership with a major pharmaceutical agreement, signed in June, brings together the university and the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Association with the goal of "advancing pharmaceutical practices in the country".The initial focus of the new unit will be pharmacy practice as well health services new unit will also see student exchanges between Reading and Kuwait. Dr Mamoon Al Deyab, associate professor in pharmacy and health services research at Reading school of pharmacy and director of the new research unit, said: "Our objective is to make everyday pharmacy care safer and better."We want to build pharmacists skills, we want to strengthen the workforce in Kuwait and in Berkshire, we want to test practical ideas in real healthcare settings and when they work we turn them into routine practise."Teams in Reading and Kuwait will work together to run joint studies, shared expertise, we will apply for joint grants together and offer real world project for students and practitioners."Dr Ahmad Taqi, chair of the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Association, said: "We are confident this exciting partnership will help to increase the number of specialised pharmacists in Kuwait, expand our scientific output and support evidence-based studies." You can follow BBC Berkshire and Facebook, X
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The hidden condition killing your libido: TRACEY COX reveals 8 warning signs that your lack of interest in sex needs medical attention
We expect the occasional dry spell in our sex lives – everyone knows stress, lack of sleep, new babies and not liking the way we look get in the way of a good time. But what if the reason you're avoiding sex isn't psychological, it's physical. There's a whole catalogue of female health issues that silently sabotage sex - and many women don't even know they've got them. Those that do are often too embarrassed to speak up. From mystery pain during penetration to being terrified to have sex thanks to recurring infections, here are eight of the hidden conditions quietly killing your libido. YOU SURE IT'S JUST THRUSH? 'I thought I was imagining it, but my vaginal opening seemed to be getting smaller. I felt 'puffy' and swollen and unbearably dry but still the GP told me it was thrush. I went for a smear test, and the nurse couldn't even insert the smallest speculum without causing intense pain and bleeding. Finally, I got diagnosed but it took years.' Vulval Lichen Sclerosus is often misdiagnosed as thrush so many women suffer for years without proper treatment. It mainly affects post-menopausal women, but it can occur at any age (men and boys can get it as well). It's a long-term skin condition that mainly affects the skin of the genitals and the skin around the anus, causing thinning, inflammation and intense itching. The skin becomes fragile and shiny, and you'll see white patches. Without treatment, the vulva may gradually scar and shrink. This makes the entrance to the vagina narrower, with penetration becoming extremely painful or plain impossible. Many women chalk it up to 'just getting older' or are too embarrassed to seek help. How to treat it: See a GP or gynaecologist and insist on a referral, especially if you keep getting fobbed off with a thrust diagnosis. Treatment usually involves high-potency steroid creams that dramatically improve symptoms. THE ULTIMATE MOOD KILLER 'I'm 25 and have a high libido but every time my boyfriend makes a move, my heart sinks. I just know what I'm in for afterwards and it's just not worth it.' Post-Sex Urinary Tract Infections are staggeringly common. Some women suffer every single time they have sex, turning something they used to enjoy into a ticking time bomb. Anticipating the familiar burn, pressure and panic sends the healthiest libido into lockdown. Many women stop having intercourse altogether. How to treat it: There was some dispute over whether peeing before and after intercourse protects against UTI. But recent research points to it being helpful, so do it. A daily low-dose antibiotic is another way to control it, so is taking one just before sex to prevent recurrent infections. Some find D-Mannose supplements useful; using lube also helps. The more friction, the more risk you have of developing a UTI. EVER HAD AN ACCIDENT DURING AN ORGASM? 'It was the first night of sex with a guy I really cared about, soon after my divorce. The sex was great – but I lost control of my bladder during orgasm. I pretended it was female ejaculation, but it so wasn't that. He knew it and I knew it. I could have died from embarrassment.' Incontinence issues – loss of bladder control – is often due to pelvic floor damage from childbirth. Laughing, sneezing and sex can all trigger leaks. Some women feel so mortified after an accident, they vow never to have sex again. Happily, there's good news… How to treat it: Kegel exercises – repetitively and regularly squeezing, holding and releasing your pelvic floor muscles – work. More effective though is pelvic floor physiotherapy. Yes, who knew there are physios for your pelvic floor? But they do exist and treatment is incredibly effective. There are also internal electrical stimulation devices that help. If it's severe, there are also surgical options. Your GP won't be shocked – they hear this daily. Speak up. THE GHOST OF ONE-NIGHT-STANDS PAST 'I got herpes when I was 24. I had horrific attacks for two years, then nothing for 15 years. It didn't occur to me to tell my husband when I met him because I'd forgotten I even had it. Then, out of the blue – Bam! – a breakout. I was shocked. I've dodged advances from my husband since and he's starting to get suspicious.' Genital Herpes is a sexually transmitted infection that stays dormant in the body and can reappear years later during times of stress or illness. Anyone who's ever had herpes, knows it's there forever. But it can appear to have gone away if you haven't suffered for a very long time. An attack can happen, totally out of the blue, up to a decade later. If you didn't confess to your now partner – and most don't unless it's active and attacks are frequent - you now live in terror it will continue to return and they'll find out. The stress of worrying about this happening can be enough to guarantee a recurrence. What to do: Herpes is common – around one in six people have it. A frank, mature conversation is the best route. Most people don't dump their partner once they confess to an STI got before they came along. You can't fix it but you can manage it. You can take an antiviral drug daily to suppress outbreaks if they're regular. But if they're few and far between, you're better off just avoiding sex during that time. The bottom line? If sex hurts or fear, shame or discomfort are replacing pleasure, you need to speak up. Too many women silently suffer when most of these conditions are treatable. Your sex life is worth fighting for. Start with a compassionate GP, ask for referrals to women's health physios or gynaecologists and find online communities for support. You'll find Tracey's products at lovehoney and her books wherever good books are sold. Submit a question for her weekly podcast, SexTok, at FOUR MORE SILENT SEX SABOTEURS The list continues... VAGINISMUS is an involuntary tightening of the vaginal muscles which makes penetration extremely painful or impossible. Your body says no even if your brain says yes. It can be caused by trauma (past sexual or physical abuse, painful sex experiences) or negative beliefs about sex. Other times, there is no apparent reason. Lots of women feel ashamed or 'broken' and think there is no solution. The truth is, it's a medical condition, not your fault, and highly treatable with pelvic floor physiotherapy, counselling and the use of vaginal dilators. UNDIAGNOSED ENDOMETRIOSIS: I have two friends whose lives have been torn apart by this condition. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows where it shouldn't. (My friend has it in her lungs.) Painful periods are a common side-effect but so is painful sex – especially if it's deep penetration. Diagnosis typically takes years: doctors are very keen to check off the more likely (and easier to treat) culprits of painful sex (like thrush, dryness, inadequate arousal). But keep pushing for scans, laparoscopy and hormonal treatments. All can help. Painful sex is NEVER normal. Demand answers. CHRONIC THRUSH OR BV: The unwanted guests that never leave, recurrent thrush or bacterial vaginosis can lead to constant itching, burning and unpleasant discharge. It kills your sex life because you're constantly uncomfortable, anxious about odour or embarrassed. If this is happening, don't DIY with over-the-counter meds. Instead see a specialist. Often, it's about restoring the vaginal microbiome – using probiotics and making dietary changes, as well as medical treatment. UNHEALED EPISIOTOMIES: If you tore when your baby was born, there's a chance it never fully healed or left scar tissue behind. The result is pain during sex, tightness and fear of re-tearing. Which means – yup! – women dreading intercourse. A specialist women's health physio can help massage scar tissue and guide healing. There are also topical treatments
