Posts Tagged ‘health news’

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Eye Tests – See the whole truth

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

According to experts in an article in the Daily Mail, as many as 1 in 5 us have a health problem not related to the eye that could be diagnosed by our optician. Here are some common conditions that can be spotted:

1.       Hypertension (High blood pressure)

What is it? Puts extra strain on the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attack/stroke

How spotted? High blood pressure causes damage to the blood vessels in the retinas

2.       High Cholesterol

What is it? Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the blood that can increase your risk of heart attack

Doctors can use eye test results to diagnose other conditions

Doctors can use eye test results to diagnose other conditions

How spotted? Bits of cholesterol can break away from deposits in the body and lodge in the blood vessels of the retina, which the optician sees as tiny yellowish blockages. There may also be a thin white line circling the iris (coloured part of the eye) due to cholesterol deposits.

3.       Brain Tumour

What is it? Tissue growths that can be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign)

How spotted? Swelling of the optic nerve can be a possible sign

4.       Thyroid disease

What is it? Malfunction in the production of hormones, that regulate metabolism, in the thyroid gland

How spotted? Bulging or protruding eyeballs   are  a symptom of thyroid disease

5.       Multiple sclerosis (MS)

What is it? Neurological disability which can cause fatigue and memory problems

How spotted? There will be swelling of the optic nerve, blurred vision and sensitivity to light

6.       Diabetes

What is it? Too high levels of sugar in the blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease

How spotted?  High blood sugar levels damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina, causing leaks of blood and fatty deposits

7.       Stroke

What is it? Caused by either a blockage or bleed in the brain. Patients may have a series of minor strokes before suffering a major one

How spotted? The eye exam will reveal tiny clots or particles of cholesterol moving through the blood vessels in the retina, which can indicate that a person may already have had a stroke

Best get my next eye test booked then! But the important thing is to remember that if you are diagnosed with one of these conditions, that there is plenty of information available to help you carry on living your life in the way that you want to. For example, you could check out www.allclear4you.com, with information designed specifically for travelling with medical conditions.

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Home Treatment #2: More home remedies – from potatoes for pain, to herbs for hoarseness

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

As promised, here are some more unusual home remedies, from an article in the Daily Mail on the 21st Feb. See here for the full book about home remedies, ‘Grandmas Remedies’ by Cherry Chappell . Here are a few we liked best:

 Minor Burns: Apparently you should grate raw potato into a bowl and add a pinch of salt and some flour to make a paste. Then, rather than eating it, you should spread the paste onto the burnt area and hold in place with a cloth. This will draw the heat out of the burn. As the paste gets hot, take it off and replace with fresh cold paste. This remedy should not be used if the skin is broken.

Tonsilitis: Mix one or 2 drops of lemon oil into half a glass of warm milk. Use it as a gargle. Alternatively, chop fresh sage leaves finely and put it into a mug. Add salt and pour in boiling water. Allow to cool and use as a gargle.

And one of our colleagues recommended a cure for bee stings – apparently you should put some vinegar onto the sting to stop the pain.

Please let us know any others that you are aware of. We would love to include them.

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Home Treatment #1: An unusual remedy for arthritis – cider vinegar

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

We quite often read about new ‘home’ treatments for people’s medical conditions, so we decided we would draw some of these together into a new series for the blog. Please let us know any remedies that you have heard of, or tried yourself, and we will add them into this series.

To kick off these series we are starting with a novel home remedy for arthritis . 8.5 million people suffer from arthritis in the UK, so anything that can improve quality of life for sufferers, and help them continue to do the things they enjoy – be it holidays, gardening or playing an instrument – has to be a good thing.

 The latest remedy, from an article in the Daily Mail,  is drinking a mixture of cider vinegar and honey. According to some converts, they now are completely pain free after trying it.

 Herbalists have claimed that cider vinegar is a valuable health tonic for centuries- but doctors remain unconvinced. The herbalists believe that arthritis is caused by acid crystals in the joints, and that the vinegar dissolves them. Cider Vinegar, which is produced by allowing the alcoholic drink to sour, contains similar nutrients to apples including pectin, beta-carotene, potassium and magnesium.

 However, Prof Robert Moots, consultant rheumatologist at Liverpool University Hospital, disagrees – he says that arthritis is caused by the wearing away of cartilage that lines the joints. The subsequent friction leads to over-growth of bone, pain and inflammation.

 So medically there doesn’t seem to be much basis for the pain reduction from the cider, but as Professor Moot says, it is unlikely to do any harm and it just might work.  

 Is it worth a try? Has anyone with arthritis tried this remedy? Has it worked for you? Or do you not believe in it all? Remember to let us know about any other home remedies that you have used or heard of.

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Vitamin D – Good for your health

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Well, this title might win the award for the most obvious title of 2010  – we all know that Vitamin D is good for your health. But do we know exactly how?

 According to an article in the Daily Mail, high levels of Vitamin D in older people can reduce the risk of developing disorders such as heart disease and diabetes.

Researchers at the University of Warwick reviewed 28 studies, of nearly 100,000 participants, and discovered a significant association between high levels of Vitamin D and a decreased risk (33%) of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (55% reduction).

Holidays in the sun

Holidays in the sun

Vitamin D is naturally present in some foods, such as fish (salmon and tuna are good options). Vitamin D is also produced when UV rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Time for some more sunny holidays then!

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Reading for health

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Just a quick health story about treatment for stroke victims – really nice to include in our blog as it is such a positive story.

 It is from  an article about InterAct, a reading service charity, where professional actors read aloud to stroke patients at hospital. A number of patients have said that this provides an invaluable service, which relay aids in their recovery.

Being read to after a stroke can improve your health

Being read to after a stroke can improve your health

 In Britain, the depression rate among stroke sufferers is almost 70% and according to Dr Lalit Kalra, Professor of Stroke Medicine at London’s King College Hospital, depression can greatly care the healing process. This is where InterAct comes in, there is evidence that stimulation of the brain speeds up recovery in stroke victims.

 The charity was the brainchild of theatre director Caroline Smith, and was launched in 2000 as a way for the arts and the health service to collaborate. Caroline was conscious of the abundance of wasted talent among the hundreds of ‘resting’ professional actors in Britain. Today, InterAct provides a regular reading service in more than 21 hospitals and 34 stroke clubs worldwide.  Listening to a person, instead of the radio, is important because the actor can interpret his audience of one, and adapt their reading to suit the person’s needs.

 I think this charity’s aims sound great. It is a way to help improve stroke patients wellbeing, while at the same time a fulfilling volunteer opportunity for out of work actors…What do others think?

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First stem cells transplanted into spinal cord

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Here at Globebloggers we aim to keep you up to date with the latest scientific research around specific medical conditions. This article in CNN is particularly fascinating. It tells how near the end of January, in Georgia, stem cells were directly injected into the spinal cord of a patient for the first time.

Doctors injected stem cells from 8-week-old fetal tissue into the spine of a man in his early 60s who has advanced ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS is better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the New York Yankees’ first baseman who retired from baseball in the 1930s after being diagnosed with the disease. ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes the deterioration of specific nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord called motor neurons, which control muscle movement. There is currently no cure for ALS, and patients usually die within two to five years of diagnosis. As the illness progresses, patients lose their ability to walk, talk and breathe.

 The stem cell injection is part of a clinical trial, by Neuralstem a Maryland-based biotech company, designed to determine whether it is safe to inject stem cells into the spinal cord and whether the cells themselves are safe. The company is fully funding the research and provides the stem cells that are being injected into the patients.  At least 12 patients are expected to participate in this early research. This first patient in the clinical trial received several injections of stem cells into the lumbar region of the spinal cord, the area that controls leg function, because most ALS patients first lose muscle function in their legs.

Karl John, Neuralstem’s Chief Scientific Officer explained that the approach is novel because they are injecting stem cells directly into the spine. John said that once the safety of this type of transplant is determined, he and his colleagues hope to see whether this is a possible treatment for ALS.

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How to look good naked

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

You may have been watching the new series of How to Look Good Naked lately. We just thought we would share it with you to hear what you thought or in case you would still like to catch it on 4OnDemand.

Shopping bags

Shopping, shopping and more shopping!

In this three-part special, Gok met three disabled women with low body confidence. And Hollyoaks actress Kelly Marie Stewart and opera singer Denise Leigh gave an insight into their lives as the public faces of disability.

In Episode 1, shown on the 19th Jan, Gok met single-mum Tracy Warren from Leicestershire, who has been using a wheelchair since 2007. Gok helped give Tracy confidence to wheel down the runway in front of thousands. In Episode 2, shown on the 26th Jan, Gok met 44-year-old mother-of-three Clare Smith, who had her leg amputated four years ago following a motorbike accident – and gave her a whole new look. In the final episode, on the 2nd Feb, and Gok helped Di Cram, a 54-year-old magistrate from Exeter who is blind, to get a better sense of her actual body shape through touch.

Overall, we thought the series was really useful and an interesting insight on living with a disability – it was amazing how Gok could use clothes and small changes in appearance to really improves the participant’s body confidence so drastically. The only complaint is that it is a shame it was only a 3 part series – it would have been better if it was more episodes.

Here is what Gok Wan had to say about the series… “The women, who gave their stories to us to film, are courageous members of our society who just wanted to be heard regardless of their disabilities. These shows go beyond clothes and haircuts: they carefully and compassionately illustrate that all women, without prejudice, deserve to feel good in their own skin. It is hard to believe there are still taboos around discussing disabilities when so many people in the UK are living with them. We cannot take this lightly, and a difference needs to be made. How To Look Good Naked is an inclusive show which tackles many body issues, from weight gain to weight loss, from body hatred to lack of body identity, and there was a need to include disabilities within its ethos. I am very proud of what we have produced and I truly believe these three incredible programmes will help us to break down some archaic stereotypes and also to find a way to accept that we are all individuals.”

Gok’s Top Tips for Dressing with a Difference:
-Don’t be afraid of fashion just because you have a disability.
-Like any able bodied person, underwear is key to getting your outfit right.
-Customizing is a must! Find a local tailor/seamstress that can work her magic – it will open up your options.
-Commit to a couple of different of styles each season and this will help with your body confidence.
-The most important thing to remember is that people are looking at you and NOT at your disability – so hold your head high and feel proud of who you are!

There is a How to Look Good naked survey that you might want to look at and fill in too?

How many of you saw the programmes? We would be interested to know what you thought of them? Did the show meet your expectations? Are there any similar shows that you would like to see in the future? Any thoughts on Dancing On Wheels, first episode on the 11th February.

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Medical inventions that improve quality of life

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

A quick scan of the papers has revealed some very interesting medical devices that have been invented. Both devices seem to really improve quality of life for people with medical conditions. Check them out below:

  • An article in the Mail on Sunday on the 17th Jan talked about a Wrist replacement for Arthritis. Janet Hickton, a grandmother of 8, has had  a new procedure – the Maestro total wrist replacement – as a solution for the severe pain from her arthritis. A condition so painful that she was unable to even hold her grandchildren’s hands. The surgery takes about an hour to perform and, like other joint replacements, the procedure is suitable for  middle aged and elderly patients, with healthy bones. The £10,950 procedure is available on the NHS but, as it is so specialist, only 5 or 6 centres currently offer it. Now Janet is virtually pain free and has regained her dexterity, giving her more freedom to live her life and enjoy her leisure time.
  • An engineer has designed a life saving heart repair kit, giving hope to 1000s of people with an inherited heart condition, that otherwise might prohibit them from a number of sporting activities and holidays etc. In 2000, Tal Goldsworthy was told he would need major heart surgery as a result of his medical condition, Marfan Syndrome, which was causing his aorta to gradually expand, and be in danger of splitting, causing a fatal heart attack. The surgery would involve removing the faulty blood vessel and replacing it with an artificial artery. After that, Tal would need to be on blood thinning drugs for the rest of his life to prevent clots forming inside the artificial artery. What is more, this surgery would restrict his life as it would prohibit him from undertaking any activities that might pose a risk of injury – not great for someone who enjoys sporty activities. Instead, Tal decided to come up with his own solution, working with Imperial College, London. The project took 2 years and the result was EARS or External Aortic Root Support: a polyester sleeve  that wraps around the aorta to prevent it expanding. Each knitted sleeve is created using scans of the individual patients aorta and computer assisted design to product a device that fits precisely around the aorta. In May 2004, Tal became the first recipient of EARS. The operation was a complete success and now a further 19 patients have undergone the EARS procedure. Tal is now just so thankful that he is not dependent on anticoagulant drugs so he can still enjoy skiing and cycling. The operation has not compromised his lifestyle in any way.

 We will keep you updated on any other new developments we see that might be of interest for people travelling with medical conditions.

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