Last week was a busy week for health, and I am not talking about the health issues debated in the General Election.  Basically, last week was both Asthma Awareness Week and Sun Awareness week. So what were these campaigns all about?

 Well obviously we all know the importance of being careful in the sun, but how many of us actually stick to that advice when we are on holiday and desperate to go home with a tan that makes everyone in the office jealous?

Sun Awareness Week, which ran from May 3rd to 9th was the British Association of Dermatologists’ annual drive to promote sun safety messages.  As well as skin cancer prevention and sun safety advice, the campaign focussed on ‘early detection’, and the importance of checking your moles, using the ABCD-Easy rules, which show you a few changes that might indicate a ‘melanoma’, the deadliest form of skin cancer. As skin cancers vary, you should tell your doctor about any changes to your skin, even if they are not similar to those mentioned here.

Asymmetry – the two halves of the area may differ in shape

Border – the edges of the area may be irregular or blurred, and sometimes show notches

Colour – this may be uneven. Different shades of black, brown and pink may be seen

Diameter – most melanomas are at least 6mm in diameter. Report any change in size, shape or diameter to your doctor

Expert – if in doubt, check it out! If your GP is concerned about your skin, make sure you see a Consultant Dermatologist, the most expert person to diagnose a skin cancer. Your GP can refer you via the NHS

I must say, I didn’t really hear anything about this campaign last week, so I do wonder how effective it was. But it is clearly an important issue. You may want to check out our AllClear4you sun tips before you next go on holiday, just for a useful reminder.

Ok so sun safety is something that we are all aware of and we will prepare before our holiday by purchasing our sun cream, and packing our sunglasses. But something that you might be less aware of is that you also need special preparation before your holiday when travelling with asthma. This is particularly pertinent at the moment, as last week was all about putting asthma in the limelight.

 The theme, unsurprisingly, was lime and involved things like a 5 hour singing marathon. People also paid to dress in lime for the day (and some people paid not to!).

 However, we think the most useful part of the campaign, was the overall aim for World Asthma Day on the 4th May -  to encourage everyone with asthma to have a Personal Asthma Action Plan. You can click here to find out more about the plans and how you can get involved! At AllClear, we think this is a great idea – this is the kind of planning that can ensure you can be completely prepared beforehand for your holiday when you are travelling with asthma, and ensure you have a peaceful and relaxing break.