This site is intended for health professionals only


Laser guided scalpels, male-dominated workplaces bad for women’s health, and disability benefits for electromagnetic allergy

London surgeons have successfully operated on a brain tumour with a technique that uses lasers to instantly analyse and distinguish cancerous tissue from health, the BBC reports

The technique focusses a near-infrared laser on exposed brain tissue, this excites the molecules in the tissue and scatters light back which is collected by a fibre optic probe and a computer distinguishes the signatures of cancerous and non-cancerous tissues to guide the surgeon’s scalpel.

Women working in a male-dominated environment are likely to experience much higher stress levels than those working in a mixed environment, the Daily Mail reports.

Researchers from Indiana University found that being a ‘token female’ in the work place made up of 85% or more male staff could cause harmful ‘disregulated cortisol levels’, the effect of which could potentially last for years.

Researcher Bianca Manago said: ‘We found women in male-dominated occupations have less healthy, or “dysregulated”, patterns of cortisol throughout the day.’

And finally a French court has awarded disability benefits to a woman who claims to have a debilitating allergy to electromagnetic radiation from everyday gadgets, the Guardian reports.

The condition electromagnetic hypersensitivity is not recognised as a medical disorder in most countries, including France, but the ruling found that claimant Marnie Richards’ – who lives in an electricity-free, barn conversion mountains in south-west France – symptoms had affected her quality of life.


          

Visit Pulse Reference for details on 140 symptoms, including easily searchable symptoms and categories, offering you a free platform to check symptoms and receive potential diagnoses during consultations.