Posts Tagged ‘AllClear4you’

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Home Treatment #5: Help your arthritis with basil, baths and nettle tea

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

A recent article in the Daily Mail contained some useful self-help tips for arthritis sufferers, which I decided to add to the Home Treatment Series, as over nine million people suffer from this disease in the UK.

Arthritis is now the most common long-term health condition, affecting one in five adults. It is thought to cost the NHS and social services about £5.5 billion a year, and one in four visits to GPs is said to be linked to the condition. Excess weight gain; overuse of joints; injuries; infections; female hormones; stress; diet and smoking may all contribute to arthritis problems.

Symptoms of arthritis include pain, stiffness and limited movement. Here are some ways you can control and help keep arthritis at bay, using a lot of foods that you would already find in your kitchen cupboard (maybe not nettle tea though!).

  • Olive Oil:  Believed to reduce joint inflammation, particularly if you cook your vegetables in olive oil.
  • Nettle Tea: A traditional treatment that has been used for hundreds of years. The leaves contain natural painkillers and have anti-inflammatory properties. Nettle teabags are available in health-food stores. 
  • Basil:  Thought to have anti-inflammatory properties similar to those of aspirin. Try adding torn basil leaves to pastas and salads.
  • Iron: It is vital to maintain sufficiently high levels of iron in the body as anaemia can be a symptom of arthritis. Rich sources of iron include salmon, sardines, tuna, eggs, liver, meat, poultry, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts and dried fruits such as prunes and apricots.

There are also some recommended activities that can help ease your arthritis symptoms, again activities that can easily be carried out at home.

  • Bathe in magnesium-rich salts: Eases aching muscles and joints. Researchers at the University of Birmingham found that the greater your deficiency, the more magnesium your body will absorb.
  • Get Weeding:  Performing light gardening tasks can improve your strength and agility without putting too much strain on your joints, and it will make your garden look lovely for the summer too! But limit yourself to 30-minute sessions and vary tasks so as not to put unnecessary strain on your muscles.
  • Maintain muscle strength: When joints are painful, the natural response is to tense the muscles, leading to greater pain. Breathing techniques, meditation and yoga all enhance muscle strength and force them to relax.
  • Protect your joints: Avoid gripping objects too tightly – use padding on items such as pens, toothbrushes and knives to help relieve the strain on the thumb, finger joints and knuckles. Avoid positions that put a strain on one particular joint. For example, stand squarely to ensure your weight is supported equally by both knees.

Obviously a lot of these recommendations will apply when you are on holiday as well as at home. But here is further specific information on travelling with arthritis which might be helpful for you too.

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Posted in Travelling with arthritis | 13 Comments »

Travelling with Epilepsy

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

The 13th to the 19th June is National Epilepsy Week. The theme of National Epilepsy Week this year is young people with epilepsy. Having epilepsy, seizures and taking anti-epileptic drugs may have a huge impact on people’s lives. It may affect how you study or work, what sports you play and what time you go to bed.

There are things to think about when travelling with epilepsy

There are things to think about when travelling with epilepsy

Another big factor if you have epilepsy is travelling to go on holiday and it is understandable that you  might have some concerns. But with the right holiday preparation you should be able to enjoy the exact type of holiday that you want. For example, if possible try to maintain your regular sleep patterns as sleep disruption can prompt seizures for some people. Also, be sure to discuss your medication routine with your GP or health practitioner before you depart. You can check out our specialist information about travelling with epilepsy here.

To make National Epilepsy Week successful, Epilepsy Action wants people to be upfront about epilepsy. So we would ask for you to share any tips that you have about travelling with epilepsy.

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Posted in Travelling with Epilepsy, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Help for your heart

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

The 7th to the 13th June is Arrhythmia Awareness Week. This week aims to raise awareness and promote better understanding of arrhythmic conditions.

The theme for 2010 is ‘Know Your Pulse’ 2010. Now part of this campaign is about ensuring routine procedural pulse checks in GP surgeries as a means of identifying potential cardiac arrhythmias, and A-A is working to ensure that pulse checks become a routine procedure when someone visits their GP surgery.

However, a large part of the campaign is about your own personal health information, and tailoring health information to you, which is something I think is very important. It is all about checking your own pulse, using the Pulse Check Card. This card includes guidance on what the pulse is, what it means, when people should take their pulse and a table where you can record the results over a seven day period and seek further advice from  your GP, if required.

The card is very useful as a way to check your own personal health. The Arrhythmia Alliance want to make it clear that checking your pulse is as important as seeing how much you weigh or checking your blood pressure. The Pulse Check Card can be downloaded here www.knowyourpulse.org.

So I would say this campaign is a really good way to take control of your own health.

If you have been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, it may at first be something of a shock. However, you should still be able to live your life as fully as possible. So you might find out tips on travelling with an irregular heartbeat useful. If you choose your destination and plan your itinerary with care you should help to minimize any potential risks. It includes useful information on travelling with medication too.

If you do travel with an irregular heartbeat, please share your experiences below and any useful tips for other Globebloggers readers.

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Posted in Travelling with a heart condition, Travelling with Medical Conditions | 2 Comments »

Stars in their eyes

Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Accessible travel for travellers with impaired vision

Accessible travel for travellers with impaired vision

You might find it hard to believe, given Alison Steadman’s ditzy cheerful character in Gavin and Stacey, but over 20 years ago, Alison real life was far more complicated when she suffered a severe threat to her eyes.

According to this article in the Daily Mail, Alison was struck down with flu while she was acting in a play. She was recovering from the flu, but then started getting pain in her eyes.

The pain got so bad, especially when looking at light, that she started worrying that she was going blind. Eventually, she was examined by a consultant and it was discovered that a virus had attacked her eyes. Left untreated, it is a condition that can leave you with permanent impaired vision.

Alison was prescribed two sets of drops to be taken four times every day for six weeks. One dose of antibiotic drops was used to kill off the virus, while dilating drops enlarged the pupils, effectively freezing the muscles in the eye so they were not straining to work so hard.

According to Alistair Laidlaw, consultant eye surgeon at the London Clinic and St Thomas’ Hospital, Alison almost certainly had adenovirus which brings with it all the traditional flu symptoms of aches, pains, a temperature and which goes on to affect the eyes in 10% of cases.

Her experience really heightened her awareness of blind and visually impaired people. Alison is patron for a small local charity called the Haringey Phoenix Group, which helps the blind and visually impaired in the borough. A big focus for them at the moment is the Losing Patients campaign.  This is an initiative launched by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. It aims to ensure that appointment letters, test results and medical warning etc can be printed in a type size that visually impaired people can read. There are 1.8 million people in the UK that are visually impaired and it is all about making information available in an accessible form.

At AllClear, we completely agree with the importance of accessibility for blind people, particularly when it is do with peoples medical information. We also believe that it is important that all visually impaired people have the right to travel. You can look here for more information on accessible travel or check out AllClear to book travel insurance for travelling with a medical condition.

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Posted in Travelling with a disability, Travelling with Medical Conditions | 4 Comments »

Menacing Migraines

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

When it comes to migraines everyone is different – for people who are affected their triggers and their possible cures are often varied. It’s interesting that although the migraine has been known of for centuries, an Egyptian medical scroll dated 1500 to 3000BC is the first known mention of a migraine, they are not actually very well understood. This can be especially annoying when the migraine impacts on your  daily life. It may mean lots of days off work, or that you spend your whole holiday worrying about getting a migraine, and missing out on holiday activities.

According to this article in the Daily Mail, the single biggest misunderstanding is that a migraine is just a severe headache. It is, in fact, a complex neurological disease that affects the central nervous system. Migraines are caused by abnormal brain biochemistry and are not, as some believe, self-induced. They are a chronic illness that is present from birth and 70-80% of sufferers have a family history of the condition.

One in ten Britons suffer from migraines – one in five women and one in 20 men. Migraine is the ninth leading cause of disability in the world – more common than diabetes or asthma.

There’s a widespread myth that people who suffer from migraine should avoid chocolate and foods with the flavour enhancer, Mono Sodium Glutamate. Actually, these things can trigger a migraine in some migraine sufferers, but not in everyone. As every migraine is different, finding out what triggers an attack, and how to control and manage it, is the key to understanding this debilitating condition. Triggers can be anything from a glass of red wine, to a change in the weather, to lack of sleep or the smell of strong perfume. Unfortunately, all things that could affect you when you are on holiday and just want to relax and enjoy your time away.

Migraine vs normal headache
A headache is a pain in the head that occurs randomly and sporadically but is not actually a disease
 People who suffer from headaches don’t tend to remember the specific details of the experience in the way that migraine sufferers do.
Rather than the dull pain of a tension headache, 85% of migraine sufferers experience a continual throbbing, pulsating or pounding pain
A Migraine almost never consists of head pain alone – other symptoms include nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, tingling or strange sensations in the skin, to visual changes, hunger pangs, slurred speech, excessive weeping, and bloodshot eyes

Cures

As we have said, migraine is a unique illness, so the treatments vary widely too.

Interestingly, some say the best cure for migraines can be a cup of coffee or a caffeinated soft drink.  This is because caffeine constricts blood vessels which can decrease pain. Caffeine can be so effective that many over-the-counter migraine medications include it as an ingredient, including Anadin Extra.

Another good possible remedy is massage. Tight muscles or muscles in spasm can be a migraine trigger for many people. You might have a tight neck, back or shoulders, especially if you sit in front of a computer or drive for hours each day. You may have tight facial or scalp muscles, or clench your teeth, especially at night, so that you wake up with a migraine.

A more physical potential remedy is yoga. Desperate Housewives actress Marcia Cross uses Yoga to help treat her Migraine. Her method is backed up by a recent study in India which found that migraine sufferers who used yoga in combination with meditation and other relaxation techniques had fewer migraines with less pain. Anxiety and depression were also significantly reduced.

The final remedy brings me back to that magical magnesium.   Although it does not help everyone, taking a daily supplement may help prevent migraines. As I have said in a previous blog, magnesium is a mineral that regulates how your blood vessels operate, reduces pain and calms your nervous system, which is probably why it helps with migraines.  It can also help decrease stress and it helps regulate blood-sugar levels  -  two common migraine triggers.  Many people are deficient in magnesium in part because the high fat and high sugar in the Western diet block its absorption into the body.  Often those who suffer migraines have lower magnesium levels than normal.  Talk to your GP first to see if there is any reason why you should not take it, such as kidney problems.

If you suffer from migraines, and have a holiday booked, you might want to look at www.allclear4you which is all about travelling with medical conditions.

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Posted in Travel Health News | 14 Comments »

Sun, Sea, Sand….and Asthma

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

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? beach clothes

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.

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Posted in Travelling with Asthma | 10 Comments »

Statins – the pros and cons

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Statins, the cholesterol lowering tablets, are prescribed to around 6 million people in the UK, so it is likely that some of you reading this blog are currently taking statins. Statins work by reducing the amount of ‘bad cholesterol’ in the blood, which can cause the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries and lead to coronary artery disease. Statins affect the amount of cholesterol that your cells make, forcing them instead to gather cholesterol from your bloodstream, thereby reducing your blood cholesterol level. They have been hailed as a wonder drug in fighting heart disease, and the British Heart Foundation credits statins with saving 10,000 lives a year. However, potential side effects include sleep disturbance, depression and memory problems.

Here are some of the arguments ‘For’ and ‘Against’. For the full detail of these arguments, check out this article :

For

  • Statins save lives by preventing heart attacks and strokes by delaying the onset of cardiovascular disease (which is Britain’s biggest killer, responsible for 1 in 3 deaths)
  • Serious problems such as muscle wasting are very rare. Many people take statins without any problems
  • It is always preferable to  alter your lifestyle to lower risk – cutting out fatty foods, quitting smoking, losing weight, and exercising more. But such measures are not always enough to combat rising cholesterol.

Against

  • Side effects include muscle problems, hair loss, depression and impotence
  • People sometimes think that taking statins then give them licence to eat what they like
  • Patients can be motivated by panic to take statins because they fear that they are at risk if they don’t

 If you do take statin medication, and have a holiday planned, you may want to check out our AllClear4you which contains lots of useful information about travelling with medication, and any special considerations you might need.

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Posted in Travelling with a heart condition | 3 Comments »

Gym Tots

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

I found an interesting story about baby health, which I wanted to share with you.

This new research shows that babies whose mothers do aerobic exercise during pregnancy may have healthier hearts! The researchers believe that ‘womb workouts’ have health benefits that continue into adulthood, lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension. The reasoning is that the heart is a muscle which, like other muscles, becomes stronger through conditioning. And if it is stronger, the heart puts less effort into pumping the same amount of blood.

Now obviously we always talk on this blog and on www.allclear4you.co.uk about ways to live a healthier lifestyle, but it is incredible to think that ways to improve your cardiovascular health can start before you are even born! I mean we are aware of the dangers of smoking and drinking alcohol while you are pregnant for the unborn baby, but benefits of exercise for the baby (not just the mother) is a new area. heart_stethoscope

This research was based on 60 healthy pregnant women, aged 21-35. Half the women exercised and half did not. Exactly how maternal exercise shapes the foetal heart is not clear. One theory is that the development of the foetus nervous system is boosted by exposure to maternal hormones released during exercise.

But whatever the mechanism, it is fascinating to think that preventative medicine could start in the womb. Something to think about…

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Posted in Travel Health News | 3 Comments »

FactFile on Arrhythmias and Travel

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Arrthymia is a change in your natural heart rate – an increase or decrease in speed, extra beats or even missed beats – due to a change in the normal electrical pattern of a heartbeat.Beach_deckchair_vector

 But what is a heartbeat? Well basically the heart acts as a muscular pump. It is activated by electrical impulses that  that first direct the upper 2 chambers of the heart (the left and right atria) to contract. These squeeze the blood into the lower chambers – the ventricles. The impulses then cause the ventricles to compress, pumping the blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. This process is a heartbeat.

 As we know, a heartbeat should normally occur between 60 and 100 times per min when the body is at rest. Tachycardia is when the rate is over 100, and brachycardia is when the rate is below 60.

If you have been diagnosed with an arrhythmia, you may be worried, but at AllClear we believe you should be able to live your life as normally as you can, and that includes being able to travel if at all possible. Please take a look at the AllClear4U page for full information on travelling with an arrhythmia. But for now, here is a brief description of the different types of irregular heartbeat and considerations for travel (Thanks to an article in the Daily Mail for providing some of the info).

 Atrial arrthymias

 Supraventicular tachycardia (SVT)

What is it? A fast heartbeat. Tony Blair suffered from this, although patients are more typically young females

Diagnosis? Diagnosed using an ECG (electrical tracing of the heart rhythm)

Symptoms? Palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid breathing, dizziness

Complications? Unpleasant, but generally not life threatening

Treatment? Medication can be taken for infrequent symptoms. Ablation therapy – when a soft catheter is fed up a blood vessel to the heart and abnormal tissue is frozen – has a success rate of around 95% with many SVTs.

Travelling with medication? Make sure you carry sufficient medication in your hand luggage to cover you from “check in“ to reclaiming your baggage at your destination (Allow a few more hours on top in case of delays). Take a list of your medications which includes both the generic and brand names of each together with respective dosages. Keep the list separately from the medications themselves. Ideally all medication should be carried within your hand luggage just in case checked in luggage goes astray or medications are damaged in the hold.

 Atrial fibrillation (AF)

What is it? A particular type of SVT. Attacks can last from seconds to days and can become permanent. Up to aged 65, there is a 1% chance of developing AF, over age 75, it is 10%.

Causes? AF often occurs in those with high blood pressure, when the heart muscle in the left atrium begins to stretch, causing abnormal impulses to be sent out.

Symptoms? May be asymptomatic but could include palpitations or shortness of breath

Complications? Can cause clots which could cause a stroke

Treatment? In an otherwise healthy patient, aspirin is normally used. Those in high risk groups, such as the elderly or diabetics – are prescribed warfarin

Travel Destinations? Prepare your trip well in advance by checking out your accommodation. For example, avoid staying at a hotel situated at the top of a steep hill, miles away from the nearest town. It may not be advisable to travel to countries which have extremely cold conditions as this may affect the heart by increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, and the risk of developing clots. If you intend travelling to high altitudes, you should check with a medical professional that you are fit to travel.

 Ventricular arrhythmias

 Ventricular tachycardia (VF)

What is it? Rarer than SVT, it is a fast heartbeat originating from within the ventricles,  where the electrical impulses are firing too quickly to empty blood from the heart

Causes? Include scarring of the heart muscle following a heart attack; hereditary; viruses or alcohol abuse

Symptoms? Dizziness, palpitation, shortness of breath, collapse and loss of palpable pulse

Complications? VT can become ventricular fibrillation (when blood stops pumping into the arteries) and asystole (when there is no cardiac electrical activity) and cause sudden death

Treatments? Any underlying condition such as heart disease will need to be treated. For the symptoms, beta blocker medication

Travel Activities? If you have arrhythmia, there is a risk of losing consciousness if you go diving. Therefore, you will need to visit your doctor to see if you are fit to dive

 Heart disease can cause problems whilst on holiday, however if you choose your destination and plan your itinerary with care this should help to minimize any potential risks, and make sure that you enjoy your holiday!

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Posted in Travelling with a heart condition, Travelling with Medical Conditions | 8 Comments »

Holidays for your heart

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

So you have suffered from a heart attack or have been diagnosed with heart disease. You would not be alone – you would be among 3.5 million Britons, but what does this mean for you now personally?  You may have the medication, and made the necessary  adjustments to your lifestyle but how about living the rest of your life? It may be that you have a holiday booked and are now not sure whether you can go on it. Maybe it involved specific activities like horse riding or skiing and now you are not sure whether you can do this activity.

Well the good news is that keeping active is still said to be good for the heart, even after a heart attack. Here are some things that might help you if you are considering going on holiday with heart disease (Thanks to a nurse from the British Heart Foundation speaking in the Daily Mail for some of this information). For more detailed information, you might want to check out the AllClear4you page on travelling with a heart condition, and obviously you will still need to take advice from your medical professional for your specific situation.

 Can I go on holiday? For most heart disease patients, it is said to be better to keep yourself physically active, as this often helps reduce symptoms and the risk of another heart attack. The important thing is to discuss your plans with your medical professional, to ensure that you can travel safely. You could consider going on a holiday somewhere with beautiful scenery where you can enjoy some lovely long low-level walks, for example!

Travelling with a heart condition

Travelling with a heart condition

 So what precautions should I take?  Discuss any planned trip, and activity on that trip, with a medical professional. If you have recently had a heart attack, or have high blood pressure, you should be assessed by a specialist in cardiac care, who will check for diabetes, blood pressure and weight. It may be necessary to adjust your medication before taking part in any strenuous holiday activity such as skiing or living at altitude.

 What about my medication? Some medications used to control heart disease or angina can affect how the body responds to exercise – for example, beta blockers regulate the heart rate. This means that the heart cannot beat as fast, so an extreme sports activity holiday, may not be advisable

 What kind of activities are best? A cardiac care specialist will be able to suggest specific exercises, which could include low impact activities like yoga or Tai chi – imagine carrying out these activities on a lovely warm beach somewhere! For all heart disease patients, warming up and cooling down before any activity is very important to prepare the heart. You should stop the activity if you have chest pain, palpitations, dizziness or breathlessness. According to Ellen Mason, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, walking is one exercise that is suitable for almost everyone – best get booking that low-level picturesque walking holiday!

 Am I covered on my insurance? Just as you would get specialist cover if you were doing winter sports on holiday, you will need to get specialist travel insurance for your heart condition. It is important to make sure that your insurance actually includes your condition, in case you require medical treatment while you are abroad – check out AllClear for more info.

 So what is the key message here then? Well, basically, as long as you make some specialist plans and preparations, in consultation with your medical professional, a holiday could be just the thing you need. In fact, you could consider the type of holiday that your heart might need first…

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Posted in Travelling with a heart condition, Travelling with Medical Conditions | 4 Comments »

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