Posts Tagged ‘Travelling with Medical Conditions’

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Good dental hygiene can reduce stroke risk

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Travelling with stroke

Ok well we all want to have lovely white teeth, and so need to keep up our dental hygiene. But now there may be another reason to floss your teeth.

Tooth loss increases the risk of a stroke many years later, according to a new Japanese study, and underlying gum disease may be to blame. Researchers have calculated that those with fewer than 24 of their own teeth (adults should have 32) are almost 60% more likely to suffer a stroke.

Stroke is caused by a disturbance of blood supply to the brain. The most common type is an ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel that normally delivers oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked. An haemorrhagic stroke is when a blood vessel bursts, causing bleeding into the brain.

In any stroke the nerve cells in the affected area of the brain may die within minutes of being denied oxygen, leading to impairment of bodily functions.

Other studies have also suggested a link between dental disease and heart disease. Gum disease is one of the main causes of tooth loss after the age of 40.

The mouth is brimming with bacteria, which contributes to the sticky, colourless plaque that binds to teeth. Brushing and flossing helps get rid of plaque.

It has been suggested that oral bacteria can contribute to the furring up and narrowing of artery walls which can result in a stroke. bacteria damage cells in the lining of the arteries. Oral bacteria could also attach to fatty deposits in the arteries, which can lead to a blood clot and could result in a stroke.

Some interesting information here, then. If you, or a family member or friend, has had a stroke, you can find out more about travelling with stroke here.

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Lobster pill to help treat arthritis

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

travelling with arthritisNow a lot of might like to eat lobster as a special treat, but how do you feel about eating the crushed up shell as a tablet? Not so appetising?

But if you have arthritis, this can be a way to treat your symptoms….

Let me start from the beginning. Arthritis is an umbrella term for a group of diseases that affect the joints, all of which result in pain and disability.  According to Arthritis Research UK, as many as one in ten may suffer from joint degeneration.

There is no cure and few effective treatments besides painkillers and, eventually, surgery. One other option, though, is Glucosamine, as described in this article. Official medical guidance does not recognise it as an effective arthritis treatment, but Arthritis Research UK does endorse it.

So what exactly is Glucosamine?

Glucosamine is needed to produce a molecule called hyaluronic acid, which is found naturally in cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and synovial fluid around the joints and helps with elasticity.  You can’t obtain glucosamine directly from your diet. Instead, our body produces it from the glucose and glutamine building blocks in all foods.

As production of glucosamine slows with age, you can take it as a supplement. Glucosamine supplements are prepared using chitin, present in the shells of crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimps.

Millions of Britons bought these glucosamine supplements last year – worldwide we spent £2 billion (much more than the £30 million we spend annually on Vitamin C)

So what is the verdict on Glucosamine for treating arthritis? At least 21 trials focusing have taken place. Although some trials have reported positive health benefits, other larger trials have reported no effect.

Arthritis Research UK suggests that those who want to try it should take glucosamine mixed with chondroitin (shark cartilage) supplements for three months and if the pain eases, carry on.

So what does this have to do with travel? Well if you suffer from arthritis, you might find that if you are on quite an active holiday, or one that involves a lot of walking, your arthritis might get worse. So Glucosamine could be something that you might want to consider trying before you go, and then taking the pills away with you on your holiday (obviously, check with your own doctor for your own particular circumstances though before trying it)

This is the first blog in the Travelling with Arthritis category – more blogs will be coming soon! In the meantime, please do share any other hints you have about travelling with arthritis, that might help others, below…

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Wrist watch sensor for blood pressure checks

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
Travelling with hypertension

The way we all know of getting our blood pressure checked could change in the future!

Soon, the traditional way of measuring blood pressure using a cuff around the upper arm (which has been used for over 100 years) could become obsolete, according to this article. This is due to the invention of a ‘wrist watch’ capable of much more accurate readings.

The device works by calculating pressure in the aorta, the largest artery in the body, which is known to give a different (more accurate) reading from pressure in the arm. By taking a much more accurate reading, doctors can work out appropriate treatment based on the risks from high blood pressure.

The device has been designed by scientists at the University of Leicester and in Singapore. A sensor in the watch sits over the artery in the wrist and records the pulse wave, which is then fed into a computer to calculate the pressure close to the heart.

The Department of Health is funding the work and the technology is expected to be in use soon in specialist centres, before being available more generally in the NHS in about 5 years.

So what are the benefits? Because the wrist watch measures pressure in the aorta we get a more accurate reading. This is because the aorta is millimetres away from the heart and close to the brain, and the pressure here is a bit lower than in the arm. For example, some patients have high pressure in the arm but their aortic pressure is completely normal and these patients may not need to be treated/need different treatment. A study on the device is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Ok, but regardless of how your blood pressure might be measured in the future, another study has found that studying might be good for your blood pressure. It is kind of like when we say to children, “eat your vegetables, they are good for you”. We all know that vegetables are good for you, and we often tell children that studying is good for you too. But this study provides a tangible health based reason why this is the case (although mainly for women).

Scientists found a correlation between years spent in education and lower lifetime blood pressure. The trend emerged from data on nearly 4,000 men and women taking part in a major US health study spanning 30 years.

Researchers compared men and women who had completed less than 12 or more than 17 years of education. They found that more educated women had readings 3.26 mmHg (measurement for blood pressure) lower, on average, over the 30-year timespan.

So, hope you have enjoyed reading these interesting developments in both the measurement of blood pressure and the reasons for high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, and would like to find out more, particularly about travelling with high blood pressure, you can check out this blog category.

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Living with Cancer

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
Travelling with cancer

There are things to think about when travelling with cancer

The Times is running a special supplement this week, all about living with cancer.

It will include information about how people’s lives change when they are diagnosed with cancer.  Currently, two million people in the UK are living with cancer, a number set to double by 2030 as diagnoses are made earlier and treatments improve

Two in every five of those diagnosed with the disease are of working age. The Times have put this supplement together to help, inform and reassure readers who have been affected.

The point they make is that because cancer is a way of life for so many people, we need to try and think of it in a different way. The new reality of cancer is that it is not a disease to be conquered, but a normal part of life that needs to be managed and adjustments made.

At AllClear, we agree with this advice, because we believe that if you have cancer, you still want to live your life as fully as you possibly can, and that includes going on holiday. You may want to plan a holiday for the end of your treatment, or that of a loved one, to relax and recuperate. So we have provided some tips on travelling with cancer here that might be useful for you.

Travel Insurance: You will need to arrange specialist cancer travel insurance. This is vital in case you fall ill and have to be brought home, or have unexpected further cancer treatment abroad, as this could be very expensive. Your cancer travel insurance will give you complete peace of mind so you can get on with enjoying your holiday. You may have had difficulty in finding travel insurance to cover your cancer in the past but because AllClear specialize in travel insurance for cancer patients, check out our website.

Talk to a Medical Professional: They may be able to suggest a good time to go, as well as helping to decide what is realistic for you. They can let you know if you are fit to travel.

Destination Decisions: For many, travelling with cancer will have little effect on their holiday. However, you may feel more tired following cancer treatment so you should check that the facilities you need are close to where you are staying. Also, certain cancer treatments, such as radiotherapy, leave the skin more sensitive to the sun. Consider your flight length, because some people with cancer are at greater risk of developing blood clots or DVT.

Vaccinations: If you are having certain cancer drugs or have a weakened immune system, you may not be able to have the required vaccinations for your holiday destination, so check with your doctor.

Medication: If you are taking any cancer medication, you should plan how much you need to take with you and get make sure you have extra in case you lose any.

 Also, look out for the 20-page supplement in the Times on Wednesday entitled Living with Cancer. It combines personal accounts with articles from specialist writers and columnists in the field of health, science and lifestyle.

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How old are you??

Thursday, March 31st, 2011
Medical travel insurance

Our average lifespan is getting longer

You may consider that a bit of a rude question, but there is actually a very scientific reason for asking it. Basically, people have been living longer since 1800 – this makes sense with things like improved nutrition, medical care, technology, education and general quality of living.

I mean, check out this incredible stat: Every day the lifespan of the average British citizen increases by between five and six hours. That means that babies born today will life five or six hours longer, on average, than those who were born yesterday. So basically, if you were a baby born 2 weeks later than your due date, you could have an average lifespan a few days longer than other babies who would have shared your birthdate. Wow!

This trend is likely to continue every day this year and possibly for the rest of the decade. In 10 years, the average British lifespan will have risen more than two years. Compare this to 1800, when the average UK lifespan was 40. Today it stands at 77.7 for men and 81.9 for women.

The change in UK lifespans has depended on several factors. In the early decades of the 19th century it was mainly due to improvements in civil engineering: sewage works, clean water supplies and better housing. These reduced people’s exposure to deadly bacteria and viruses.

Then, at the end of the 19th century, provision of the first vaccines began to protect people from illnesses such as smallpox. And finally, after the second world war, the availability of penicillin and other antibiotics saved millions of lives and continued that lifespan rise. These developments prevented large numbers of people from dying in youth or middle age – a common occurrence before 1800.

But what about the future? Will this lifespan increase reach a plateau? Well, not yet, it seems….

This discovery is crucial. Some scientists had argued that our bodies are programmed to die at a given point, a process that would ensure populations would not be clogged up with the old and infirm. The relentless rise of lifespans has dispelled this idea.

However, most experts doubt rises can continue at the present rate. If they did, the average UK lifespan would be 100 by the end of this century and 120 by the next. In particular illnesses, like diabetes, which are linked to rises in obesity, are likely to have an effect on average lifespan. According to Dr Lynne Cox, expert on ageing processes, lifestyle choices can be a massive factor here – whether young people choose to change their ways, and become healthier adults in the future.

Ok, well here at Globebloggers we like to talk about holidays, so what does this relentless increase mean here? Well, basically if we are all living longer, we will hope to have more time to go on holidays, especially once we are retired.

But although our life span may be getting longer, we are still going to be at risk of developing various diseases as we get older (and this will particularly be dependent on our lifestyle choices, as Lynn pointed out).

So an important consideration for holidays is travel insurance for the elderly, especially if they have medical conditions. Difficulty in finding travel insurance shouldn’t be an obstacle to enjoying our holidays. However, unfortunately, a lot of elderly people, or those with medical conditions, often find it difficult to get the comprehensive travel insurance that they need. If you are looking for travel insurance, make sure you use a specialist provider, so you can get the insurance you need and travel with complete peace of mind. And remember AllClear Options is the first comparison site for medical travel insurance, so you can get a range of quotes here, and make sure you get the travel insurance that suits you.

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Reduce cancer risk by reducing red meat consumption

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

reduce cancer risk by reducing red meat consumptionPeople should limit consumption of red meat to no more than 500g every week, or 70g a day, according to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. To give you an idea, an average slice of ham is about 23g and a medium steak is about 145g.

Now when I first heard these figures, I thought that those figures wouldn’t seem that difficult, but then when you think of all 3 meals a day, throughout the week, you can see how easy it might be to go over these figures

So why these guidelines – what is the link with red meat and cancer? Well, red meat contains substances that have been linked to bowel cancer. One compound in particular, haem, which gives red meat its colour, has been shown by some studies to damage the lining of the colon.

The advice follows recommendations from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

So that is red meat, but processed meat, like sausages, are even worse for you. The WCRF estimated that 3,800 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented every year if everyone ate less than 70g of processed meat a week. Processed meat is generally defined as that preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with chemical preservatives added to it. This process is thought to cause the formation of carcinogens.

Two rashers of bacon a day throughout life has been linked to a 20% rise in the risk of getting bowel cancer. The average person has a risk of bowel cancer of five in 100 but this rises to six in 100 if they eat 50g of processed meat a day. Men in Britain eat an average of nearly 50g of processed meat a day compared with just 24g for women – but this is still too much according to the guidelines.

I hope you have found this information useful. It is definitely something to think about, particularly when we are on holiday, and our diet may be very different to normal.  You can also check out our blog category on Travelling with cancer, if you would like more information.

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The genes behind heart disease

Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Travelling with heart conditions

Researchers have indentified genes associated with heart disease

 

According to this article, researchers have now identified a number of the rogue genes associated with heart disease, which is a major step forward.

The 18 genes that raise the risk of cardiac problems, from heart attacks to hardening of the arteries, have been pinpointed in three studies involving hundreds of scientists worldwide.

This information could help treat and even prevent heart disease, which is to blame for one in eight deaths around the world – including more than 90,000 a year in the UK. Researchers say that the potential of the findings is so great that heart disease could be eradicated within 50 years.

The discovery was detailed in the journal Nature Genetics. Some of the newly discovered genes affect cholesterol, blood pressure and other processes important to heart health – but how many of the others damage the heart and arteries is, as yet, a mystery. This suggests there are important causes of heart disease yet to be found – and that drugs to combat the effects of the genes could one day make a huge improvement to health through targeted drugs. Professor Hugh Watkins, who co-led one of the studies, said the first new drugs could be on the market in under a decade.

To identify the genes, 300 scientists from around the world analysed the DNA of more than 200,000 people. They focused on genetic links to the narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with  oxygen-rich blood. This narrowing, caused by the build up of fatty deposits, raises the risk of blood clots; angina; heart attacks; heart failure and irregular heartbeats.

North American researchers said the breakthrough meant we were ‘inching closer’ to a genetic test that will tell a person their risk of a heart attack.

However, it is important to remember, that for most people, other factors such as smoking, poor diet and a lack of exercise can play a much greater role in causing heart attacks.

So, this research seems to be a major development in the fight against heart disease, but obviously lifestyle still plays a major role too.

If you have a heart condition, and are planning any travel, you might want to check out our blog category, travelling with a heart condition.

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Families pay more for holidays

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
travel insurance AllClear Options

Booking a half term break for the whole family, but what about the price?

 

I am assuming that this title above doesn’t surprise you – we are all aware that unfortunately, holidays that are during the school holidays cost more. Given that it was the Half Term school holiday for a lot of people 2 weeks, this issue could have been larger than life for you, as you tried to enjoy a short break.

In fact, according to this article, families are being charged up to 269%  more to go on holiday over the half-term break. On average, trips for the week of February 19 to 26, when most British schoolchildren were off, were 53% more expensive than going two weeks later.

It means a family of four, going to some of the most popular destinations including Florida, Lanzarote, Mallorca, Gran Canaria and Crete, will have to pay an average of £1,132 more. One four-star resort in Lanzarote was charging half-term guests an extra £4,619. Packages with flights departing from London airports had the biggest price increases – on average 67% more expensive than the same flights two weeks later.

And choosing to go abroad outside half-term is often not an option – parents risk large fines and children miss out on their schooling.

So what other options are there to try and reduce the cost? You might think waiting to book holiday extras until the last minute could save money, as the tour operators will be more desperate to sell. But that thinking would also be wrong. Car parking, travel insurance, currency and car rental could also add an additional £632 to a family holiday.

 Consumer adviser and Daily Express columnist Jasmine Birtles, from Money Magpie said: “Travel companies are trying to scoop money wherever they can. They have had a difficult past year, with the ash cloud and the financial situation, so they are just trying to get as much money where they can. They are picking on people who don’t have a choice.”

At AllClear, we agree with Jasmine Birtles, it is a real shame that holiday prices are on the increase for families, but unfortunately travel insurance are a necessary part of that expense, particularly if you need cover for medical conditions. However, at AllClear, we are trying to do our best to help you save that little bit on your holiday, with AllClear Options, the UK’s first medical travel insurance comparison site. With AllClear Options, you can get a range of medical travel insurance quote, and choose the one that suits you, at the price that suits you.

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Stress, stress, stress!

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Just seeing the repeated 3 words of ‘stress’ there may make you feel a little stressed. Are you feeling stressed if you are sitting there reading this at work?

Interestingly though,  a recent article has found it is the pressure of running a household that makes  us feel stressed.

Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine recruited  113 men and women in full-time work.  Each one provided details on how many hours they worked, what level of  responsibility they took on for running the home and the chores they did.  They then underwent regular blood pressure checks at a local clinic over a  three-week period, before finally wearing a blood pressure monitor for a day to  track changes at work and home.  The results showed that regardless of the amount of housework actually done,  those who felt they were shouldering the responsibility were at the greatest  risk of high blood pressure.

The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine,  suggest it’s not the workload itself but the stress about how to cope with it  that causes the damage.  The strongest link with high blood pressure came from domestic chores done,  such as cleaning, cooking and shopping.  Next came car maintenance and repair, paying the bills and keeping on top of  the household budget. 

Many parents may not agree, but looking after children had no adverse effects  on blood pressure.  Men tended to become stressed by the responsibility of looking after pets, but women were not affected. 

travel insuranceI must admit, when you see this research you can understand that running a home and family can be pretty stressful.  This got me thinking about holidays. I have often said on this blog that although going on holiday itself can be (and should be) lovely and relaxing, the preparation for it is not. Packing, organising who is looking after pets, securing your house and making sure your passport is in date can all raise the stress levels. And what about sorting out your travel insurance? This can be complicated and time consuming, particularly if you have medical conditions. On the plus side, you can now use our medical travel insurance comparison site, that will save you a lot of time entering your medical details again and again on a number of websites  -you just enter your details once and then get a range of quotes from specialist insurers, so you can choose what best suits you. Do give it a go and let us know what you think of it.

If you have got a holiday booked, but are feeling a bit stressed about getting ready for it, our stressbusters tips may help.

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A telegram from the Queen

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
elderly or medical travel insurance comparison

More and more people could have longer to enjoy their retirement, according to official statistics

Do you know anyone who has received a telegram from the Queen because they reached 100? I do know one…

But according to the latest figures, you are likely to know a lot more because one in six will live to be 100. This means 10m people alive today will get a royal telegram, with many even surviving until 110.

Improved living conditions and medical technology are driving the dramatic changes. Modern treatments such as statins, which lower blood cholesterol, and blood pressure drugs are helping to prevent fatal conditions and increase lifespan. Better education and greater awareness of diet have helped many stay healthier. And the decline of jobs requiring heavy and risky manual work has also played a part.

The Department for Work and Pensions figures show that 17% of the population will see their 100th birthday, equal to about 10.6million people.Of these, around three million are currently under 16. Around 5.5million are between 16 and 50, and around 1.3million are between 51 and 65.  There are also about 875,000 who have already celebrated their 65th birthday and can expect to live for at least another 35 years. 

Last year there were just 11,600 people aged 100 or above, a figure which itself was more than four times that recorded 30 years before. Even over the past two years the ranks of centenarians have increased by nearly 25%. By 2066, there will be around 7,700 ‘super-centenarians’ – those who have reached at least 110.

Now this obviously raises a lot of issues in terms of supporting old people, and providing for such a long retirement….But I want to talk about another issue that this raises – that of travel insurance for the elderly, especially if they have medical conditions.

With this long retirement (a third of our lives or more) you are likely to want to go on holidays, and you are more likely to want to have the time to go away. So difficulty in finding travel insurance shouldn’t be an obstacle to that. However, unfortunately, a lot of elderly people, or those with medical conditions, often find it difficult to get the comprehensive travel insurance that they need. If you are looking for travel insurance, make sure you use a specialist provider, so you can get the insurance you need and travel with complete peace of mind. And remember AllClear Options is the first comparison site for medical travel insurance, so you can get a range of quotes here, and make sure you get the travel insurance that suits you.

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