At least 10 per cent of the Irish population suffers from migraine, and it affects three times more women than men. The cost to the economy is in the region of £26.2 million. The Irish Migraine Association is hosting a seminar on Hormones and Migraine and the Latest Developments in Headache and Migraine at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Royal Dublin Hotel (Cost £5). For further information, tel 01 8724137.
Fifty years ago, people with a mental illness were taken out of society and put into an institution. Nowadays, the emphasis is on integration within the wider community but people with a mental illness can easily become marginalised. Befriending can make a great difference, and a new befriending service, sponsored by the Alexian Brothers, is holding an introductory meeting for potential volunteers, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Gorteen Day Centre, 224 North Circular Road, Dublin.
Women need to understand their hormones, according to Dr Helena Waters of the Life Foundation School of Therapeutics. At a seminar Women's Hormones - the Key to the Planet, she will explain how hormones become unbalanced and can lead to health problems such as PMS, osteoporosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts. On Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire (cost £25). For further information, tel 01 2809873.
The anti-malarial drug Larium/mefloquine comes under the microscope tonight - on Streetwise, Network 2, 8.05 p.m. For further information, contact Mefloquine Action Ireland, PO Box 6455, Dublin 2.
The North Dublin branch of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland hosts two lectures in the Regency Hotel, Swords Road, Dublin on Wednesday, 8 p.m., entitled New Directions in the Diabetic Diet and Finding Fair Insurance Cover for People with Diabetes. Admittance is free.