Blog for Patients

Can the bacteria living in our intestines influence our mood, anxiety levels, or even the risk of depression? The digestive tract is primarily associated with digestion, but its functioning is closely connected to the nervous system. Stress can cause abdominal pain, nausea, or diarrhea, while chronic gastrointestinal symptoms can negatively affect well-being.

Benzodiazepines can provide relief from severe anxiety within just a few dozen minutes. They help patients calm down, reduce tension, and make it easier to fall asleep. So why do doctors recommend caution when using them? Over time, a medication that initially provides relief and helps restore a sense of calm may become increasingly difficult to discontinue.

The need for admiration, a sense of being special, difficulty accepting criticism, and problems in close relationships are among the behaviors most commonly associated with narcissism. However, not everyone who is self-centered has narcissistic personality disorder.

Breast cancer can develop for a long time without pain, a palpable lump or any noticeable changes in how a person feels. Sometimes, a woman notices nothing unusual, and only a mammogram reveals an abnormality requiring further investigation. On the other hand, some cancers cause symptoms that are easy to overlook, such as…

Two people sitting a few tables away start laughing at exactly the moment we enter a café. A television presenter says something that strangely matches a situation we were just thinking about. The same distinctive number appears several times during the day. A social media post shows up that seems almost like a perfect response to our thoughts.

The birth of a child is associated with joy, closeness, and the beginning of a new chapter in life. Yet for some women, the first weeks and months after childbirth become a period of profound exhaustion, anxiety, low mood, and guilt.

“Sex addiction” is a term commonly used in everyday language, but having a high sex drive does not in itself indicate a disorder. Frequent sex, daily masturbation, or pornography use can all fall within the range of healthy sexuality.

Every year, more than 720,000 people worldwide die by suicide. Even more attempt suicide or experience thoughts of taking their own lives. September 10 marks World Suicide Prevention Day. In 2026, WHO continues its “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” campaign, with the call to action “Start the Conversation”.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, symbolized by the gold ribbon. It is an important opportunity to raise awareness of diseases that are rare but require timely diagnosis. Childhood cancers often begin with symptoms that resemble much more common infections and other benign childhood conditions.

In recent years, combining vitamin D3 with K2 has become almost standard in supplements. Advertisements and social media often claim that vitamin D increases calcium absorption, while vitamin K2 “directs it to the bones instead of the arteries.” It sounds logical, is easy to remember, and helps sell supplements. The problem is that human biology is more complicated than one catchy phrase.

Schizophrenia is primarily associated with hallucinations, delusions, and a clear loss of contact with reality. However, in some patients, the first changes appear earlier and may initially be difficult to recognize as symptoms of an illness. Someone may begin avoiding friends, struggle more at university or work, neglect everyday responsibilities, lose interest in activities, or simply start behaving differently than before.

“I’m slim and I eat healthily, so why is my cholesterol so high?” – this is a very common question after receiving blood test results. High cholesterol is still primarily associated with being overweight, eating a high-fat diet, and not getting enough exercise. However, a person with a healthy body weight can have very high LDL cholesterol levels, and being slim does not protect against atherosclerosis.

You walk into the kitchen and suddenly wonder why you went there in the first place. You spend several minutes looking for your glasses, only to realize they’ve been sitting on top of your head the whole time. You can’t remember an actor’s name, even though you clearly remember the movie they starred in.

Fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, shortness of breath when climbing stairs, increased sleepiness, or excessive hair loss are symptoms that many people attribute to stress, overwork, or vitamin deficiencies. Increasingly, however, these symptoms turn out to be caused by iron deficiency that has been developing for months before anemia becomes apparent on a complete blood count (CBC).

Collagen in powder, liquid, sachet, and capsule form has become one of the most popular supplements in recent years. Advertisements promise younger-looking skin, fewer wrinkles, stronger hair, healthier joints, and faster recovery. At the same time, it is often argued that “collagen is digested anyway, so drinking it makes no sense.” Where does the truth lie?

At home, the child eagerly talks about their day, laughs, asks questions, and communicates freely with close family members. At preschool or school, however, they suddenly become silent. They do not answer the teacher, do not speak to their peers, and avoid eye contact. For many parents, this behavior is a source of concern, while others often mistakenly interpret it as shyness, poor manners, or stubbornness.