Symptoms & Health Concerns

By: The Canadian Virtual Hospice Team What is swelling of the belly? Belly swelling  The belly is the area of the body that includes all the digestive organs – stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and spleen.     Belly... read more...

By: Canadian Virtual Hospice Team Unfortunately, many myths and misunderstandings about opioids prevent people from receiving adequate pain control.  This article discusses some of these concerns. Won’t I become addicted? It’s very uncommon for... read more...

By: The Canadian Virtual Hospice Team Consider the following  Take only the amount of medication that has been prescribed. If you have concerns about the medication or its dosage, talk with your healthcare provider. Medication should never be... read more...

By:   Mike Harlos MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP Sorting out health concerns When health care providers are faced with a health concern, they try to sort out what could be causing the problem. Treatment will vary from person to person, depending on the cause... read more...

By: Cornelius Woelk MD, CCFP, FCFP , Mike Harlos MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP and Pat Murphy BEd, MEd Dave's story Dave had a family history of heart disease. He had his first heart attack when he was 51. When he was 55 he had coronary bypass surgery. read more...

By: Mike Harlos MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP What is confusion? Confusion occurs when a person’s brain is not functioning properly. People experiencing confusion have problems remembering, paying attention, speaking, thinking, reasoning, and understanding... read more...

By: The Canadian Virtual Hospice Team  What is constipation ? On average, people have a bowel movement once or twice a day, but some go more or less often. Most people have at least one bowel movement every three days.     We say that someone... read more...

By:  The Canadian Virtual Hospice Team What is dehydration ? Our bodies need an appropriate amount of fluid to function properly.   When we don't have enough fluids in our bodies, we’re dehydrated. When we have enough fluids, we’re hydrated. When... read more...

By: Mike Harlos MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP What is depression ? Depression is a medical condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, and acts. Doctors now know that depression has a biological or chemical basis, so people cannot “shake off” depression... read more...

By: Mike Harlos MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP What is fatigue ? Fatigue is a feeling of extreme tiredness or a complete lack of energy. Everyone has experienced fatigue at one time or another. When we don’t get enough rest or sleep, eat poorly, or do too... read more...

By: The Canadian Virtual Hospice Team  What is loss of appetite and loss of weight? When someone is living with a serious illness that can’t be cured, they will typically experience an ongoing decline in strength and energy. There is almost... read more...

By: Sarah Brown BSc, RN, MN, CNS   What is a malignant wound? A malignant wound is an open cancerous lesion of the skin, which may be draining. It may look like a cavity or open area on the surface of the skin. It may also appear as skin bumps... read more...

By:  The Canadian Virtual Hospice Team What is nausea and vomiting? Nausea  Nausea is a sick or uncomfortable feeling in the stomach, often described as an urge to vomit or throw up.   Some people describe it as an uncomfortable feeling at the... read more...

By:  The Canadian Virtual Hospice Team What is pain ? Pain is one way that your body lets you know there’s a problem.   It’s common with most serious illnesses to have some pain.   Most of the time, pain can be controlled.    Everyone experiences... read more...

By: The Canadian Virtual Hospice Team What is shortness of breath? “Air hunger” The medical term for shortness of breath is dyspnea . This has been defined as “an uncomfortable awareness of breathing.” It’s also often referred to as air hunger. read more...

By: Brenda Hearson RN, MN, CHPCN(C), CNS We all need sleep to maintain our ability to function physically and mentally, as well as to maintain our sense of well-being and quality of life . Yet, sleep disturbance is a symptom that is commonly... read more...

By: Romayne Gallagher MD, CCFP Swallowing problems in degenerative brain diseases People who have degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, other dementias, Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease),... read more...