In all the coverage following Margaret Thatcher's death, very few headlines have been made by the fact that she had dementia. Many refer to her 'failing health' and 'deterioration', and report the stroke that caused her passing, but it seems that mentioning the word dementia when you are talking about a former prime minister is rather taboo.

Lungworms are parasites that are carried by slugs and snails. And - with the wet weather we've all been having - slugs and snails are having a population explosion. Which is fabulous news for lungworms - but very bad news for dogs.

Over the next 20 years the number of over-65s living with cancer will more than double, from around 1.3 million in 2010 to close to 3 million by 2030. Today, around one in eight over-65s will have received a cancer diagnosis; by 2030, this will be more like one in five.

A young child who is chronically ill or disabled in some way, weak and fragile, may easily fall victim to sexual abuse. Unfortunately a child whether physically or mentally handicapped can be at high risk; not understanding and often unable to communicate what is actually happening to them.

We are doctors. We do health. We do not have armies of lawyers and specialists in tendering and procurement at our disposal. We would rather invest in nurses, dieticians and pharmacists - and I would rather see patients than have to fight for the survival of our HIV service.

I was just 12 years old when my father began to exhibit the symptoms of what we discovered 10 years later was vascular dementia. My twenties weren't about university life, all-night parties and angst with boyfriends, they were about supporting my dad to have the best life he could, just as he had supported me as a child.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the Sarah Palin of ailments; nobody takes it seriously... IBS is still a condition whose name is met with disinterest, an eye roll and sometimes a snort of derision; and that's just from the doctors.

One in four people newly diagnosed with cancer in the UK will lack support from family or friends during their treatment and recovery - that's more than an estimated 70,000 people every year not getting help at a time when they need it more than ever. Of those, around a third - an estimated 20,000 people each year - will receive no support whatsoever, facing cancer completely alone.

Alcoholism is ugly. And though only the drinker feels the physical impact of the drinking - the pain of the self-inflicted injuries - the toxicity of our lifestyle tarnishes every single person we come into contact with.

The medical definition of BIID (Body Integrity Identity Disorder) is a psychological disorder wherein sufferers feel they would be happier living as an amputee. It is typically accompanied by the desire to amputate one or more healthy limbs to achieve that end and can be associated with apotemnophilia, sexual arousal based on the image of one's self as an amputee.

As National Stress Awareness Day is upon us, the question is: why is the term adrenal fatigue still controversial in the mainstream medical community?