Men’s health issues: testicular cancer

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Posted on 10th June 2013 by admin in follow health recommends

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Did you know it’s Men’s Health Week? The campaign runs from the 10th until the 16th of June and focusses on a range of male health issues worldwide, from talking about issues such as depression to various diseases that can affect men’s health. The campaign is designed to coincide with fathers’ day and there’s some more information on the UK campaign themes here.

One male health issue that deserves to have higher awareness is testicular cancer. According to NHS Choices, every year in the UK approximately 2900 diagnoses of the disease are made. While testicular cancer is thankfully rare – it only accounts for one percent of all the cancers that men can be affected by. However, testicular cancer is unusual in that younger can suffer from the disease. The NHS site points out that:

Although relatively uncommon overall, testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15 and 44.

All of which is good reason why charities aim to raise awareness of testicular cancer and promote self exams. This is particularly important for this form of cancer since it’s treatable if caught in its early stages and 95% of men with early stage testicular cancer will be cured of it entirely.

This week AXA PPP healthcare will be holding a Live Chat on the topic, with a dedicated cancer nurse on hand to answer your questions about testicular cancer, whether it’s about treatment, prevention or if you have any other questions surrounding the disease.

The live chat takes place on Thursday 13 June and will run between the hours of 11am to 1pm.

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The Health Gateway

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Posted on 8th June 2013 by admin in diet and fitness

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Do you know your ‘health age’? This clip shows the Health Gateway, a way of looking at small and achievable steps to reduce your health age in a range of different ways.

 

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Beating the Sunday Blues

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Posted on 4th June 2013 by admin in healthy living

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Even the working week that presents more challenges than usual or finds us busier than ever has a defining characteristic. As the week progresses, generally we start to feel better in anticipation of the weekend. You only have to look at generalised mood within the carriage of your commuter train or the expressions on the faces of fellow commuters  waiting at the bus stop. On a Monday, the vibe is quiet and many people have a slightly lugubrious air about them, as if wondering why the weekend past so quickly, leaving us to a grey, rainy Monday.

On a Friday morning the atmosphere is lighter and people are more animated, their voices more audible. It seems that the approach of the weekend has a very palpable effect on people in general. And no wonder – with a whole 48 hours to do leisure pursuits, relax, and spend time with the family, Friday is a sweet day for many of us.

In fact, I’d wager that - despite it being a working day – people are generally more ‘up’ on a Friday than they are on non-working Sunday. In my own experience Sundays are fine – a day I’ve always enjoyed, although this may be to do with the fact that for a long time I worked in jobs where Saturday was a working day and your other day off was a weekday not joined to it. This meant that Sunday was a precious bit of time off – every second of it to be savoured. But going back to Monday to Friday working has had an effect on my Sundays, and these days I do get a touch of the Sunday blues but it’s fleeting – it comes on at 5.30pm and is completely gone by 7pm. And it’s not even really the blues – just a slightly off feeling that’s a natural reaction to knowing that the weekend’s nearly done for another week.

I do count myself lucky in regards to this. According to a study carried out by the mental health charity Mind a couple of years ago, over a quarter of respondents in a survey on this topic reported ‘dread and apprehension’ the day before returning to work.

While it’s natural to feel a little bit less ‘up’ on a Sunday evening than we do on a Friday, there are definitely ways to help dissolve any feelings of anxiety or dread. For instance it’s important to get up at approximately the same time every morning – long lies can result in what’s known as ‘social jetlag’ which can mean bleary eyed Monday mornings when the alarm goes off.

Identifying and acknowledging your Sunday blues are important steps in dealing with it. It’s then possible to work out ways to make things better. Most of them will be the familiar de-stressors such as getting physical activity, being around people, getting fresh air and so on, but there are also a range of helpful relaxtion techniques as well as things like yoga, meditation and t’ai chi.

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Longevity and healthy lifestyles

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Posted on 3rd June 2013 by admin in diet and fitness |health television

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There was a fascinating article in one of the newspapers over the weekend about the Greek island of Ikaria, where people live – on average – about a decade longer than the average for anywhere else in Europe. This isn’t the first time that we’ve been told of people on an island overseas being long living. The Japanese island of Okinawa also love long lives on average too – longer than anywhere else on the planet, in fact.

Looking at both Ikaria and Okinawa together, it definitely looks like there are a few things these places have in common, apart from the obvious fact that neither is on a mainland. The Mediterranean diet, like the Japanese diet, is known for being generally healthy. Med folks have access to all those lovely fruit and vegetables, and flavour olive oil over saturated fats. And Japanese diets are full of healthy seafood and good, natural carbs from rice, as well as lots of other healthy things.

It could be that given both Okinawa and Ikaria are fairly inaccessible, it means that over the centuries they’ve developed their own unique micro-culture that’s similar to, but not the same as the national one. There may well be social aspects to the longevity but diet is likely to be a large factor. Reportedly among the Japanese island’s community there’s a tradition of never over eating, which would certainly help lower health risk across the board.

It’s always enlightening to read these stories of healthy living, especially in cases like that of Okinawa and Ikaria where it all just seems to happen as a natural consequence of the way of life somewhere – an organic and unforced process. Something that we in the rest of the world could (and hopefully) will learn something from in making stress heavy, and often overweight populations get on a healthier track.

But what can we do, here in our mainland cities and towns – far away from Okinawa, far away from Ikaria, to live a bit healthier? Well, looking at the Mediterranean diet would be a good place to start. Ditching those pies’n'pastries for some healthy veg and smaller amounts of red meat. However, there are the obvious climate differences between here in the UK and the Med to be accounted for. Which is I found this Med-style eating in a cold climate article from AXA PPP healthcare very informative. it doesn’t says the author, mean throwing away youyr cookbooks and not eating your favourite meals. But it does give us the opportunity to incorporate more oily fish as well as a greater variety of fruit and vegetables into our diet.

Quite often with food what can happen is that we crave more of the kind of things we already eat. So if we change a habit and start eating more veg, then it suddenly becomes the norm and miss it when it’s not there. So healthy eating Med style doesn’t need to involve any massive effort of will, and it’s a tasty way of eating too.

 

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Applications for mindfulness

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Posted on 31st May 2013 by admin in follow health |follow health news |Uncategorized

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There’s been quite a lot of talk lately about mindfulness meditation – and rightly so, if its positive potential health outcomes are anything to go by.

Research from studies so far carried out suggests that mindfulness meditation can bring benefits that include the following:

  • stress reduction
  • reduced risk of depression
  • positive physical changes to the brain

So it’s no surprise that mindfulness meditation is making waves in the wellbeing and health pages, and the NHS Choices has a good introduction to mindfulness here.

One of the elements of mindfulness is a kind of state that involves observing one’s own thoughts without following them or acting on  them. This is normally described by using a physical analogy.

In his clear, concise (and actually quite inspiring) book on the subject entitled Quiet the Mind, author Matthew Johnstone likens the process of observing your thoughts and letting them go to being a deep sea diver, watching bubbles of exhaled air float up to the surface. The NHS choices page has an equally calm way of visualising this way of observing our thoughts but not being distracted by them:

 Stand back and watch them floating past, like leaves on a stream

Other suggestions for how we could use this type of meditation are now being discussed. There’s a recent article on the Huffington Post  - well worth a read – on the subject of how mindfulness could be applied in relationship contexts. The article was written by psychology expert Lisa Firestone (click the link for more of her articles).

And it makes perfect sense, really. The author has a realistic view of relationship dynamics and doesn’t overthink or overcomplicate things – and has a sharply perceptive take on the kind of things that happen during relationship rows. And by applying mindfulness, she argues that we can approach things differently. Not by bottling things up or repressing them – but by observing ourselves and then acting in a more controlled and rational way.

There are also other suggestion for ways we could use mindfulness, such as one book available on Amazon (which I haven’t read but does look interesting) on mindful parenting. In much the same way that if we observe ourselves during a relationship upset, it could be useful to also identify and change our responses to triggers within family life such as temper tantrums and other behaviours.

Mindfulness is also getting quite a lot of attention for a couple of very important reasons. The first of these is that it doesn’t require any greatly specialised skill. It’s not like learning a language or how to drive a car. Sure, it definitely helps to get advice on it from reputable sources, but it’s not something that requires those who wish to try it out paying any money beyond buying a good physical or e-reader guide to it. Or, indeed, borrowing a book from the library. The second thing is that mindfulness meditation doesn’t come with any philosophical system attached to it, beyond the belief that taking time out to relax and meditate can lower stress and boost our mood.

And in this busy world where we’re rushing around and juggling work life with family commitments, commuting and so on, a bit of time out has to be a good thing.

Tropical beach scene on a sunny day in Oahu, Hawaii

Stress management: news roundup

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Posted on 30th May 2013 by admin in health news

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With stress regularly referred to as an ‘epidemic’, it’s a factor in everyday life these days for many people – as well as a continuing news story. So today we’re taking a look at some of the news articles that have appeared over the last while that have covered on this topic in one way or another.

First up, we have a story from the Daily Mail under the headline “Is the office making you ill?”. The story reports on a recent study, whose survey respondents were asked about various aspects of working life and how it affects their health. A rather large minority of respondents (28%) reported that an ‘unpleasant’ working environment is responsible for a ‘serious’ and ‘detrimental’ effect on their wellbeing. One of the things identified as a stressor, according to the article, was ‘annoying colleagues’. Full article here.

Meanwhile, the British Psychological Society (BPS) reports on new findings from a study carried out by the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, United States which indicates that internet based stress management programmes (ISMs) can be effective in stress reduction. One expert quoted by the BPS stated that:

A large number of studies now show that internet based treatments (or ‘e-therapies’) are as effective as face-to-face ones for a number of conditions. This approach both makes treatment more accessible, and, given that parts of the programme are automated, potentially available at a lower cost to more patient

The effectiveness of ISMs could presumably  have potentially significant benefits for employees if they were  implemented in the workplace. Medical insurance and employee assistance programmes as well as employee engagement policies are now provided by more and more organisations in a bid to promote health in the workplace as well as manage sickness absence, support employees and positively affect recruitment and retention.

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Dental Care Interview With Dr Jameel Gardee

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Posted on 28th May 2013 by admin in Uncategorized

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Today we have an interview with cosmetic dentist Dr Jameel Gardee of the Glasgow Smile Clinic, who gives us some dental care tips and shares his views on the future of dentistry. Enjoy!
What would you describe as the golden rules of good dental care ?

Good dental care encompasses 2 general areas: Work that your dentist does when he sees you and secondly, work that you do at home to maintain a healthy mouth.

Seeing a dentist every 6 months to make sure that the teeth, gums, oral tissues and head/neck are healthy is essential to catching disease at its early stages and treating anything found in a conservative and cost effective manner. The dentist should carry out a comprehensive examination and ideally show you areas in your mouth needing attention via digital photos and xrays. Treatment recommended should include routine maintenance things like scaling and polish to get rid of the hardened calculus/tartar caked onto the teeth that cause gum disease.

Work done by the patient at home should be effective and efficient cleaning of the teeth on a daily basis. This will decrease the chance of tooth decay, gum disease and allow recent dental work the best chance of remaining pristine and long lasting. It must be borne in mind that a good diet is also essential!

 

It’s well known that sugar is bad for teeth, but are there are any other common foods or drinks that are harmful that people may not be so aware of ?

Hidden sugars are a big danger to teeth especially childrens. It is important to read the food labels and check the amount of sugar present before buying items. Fruit juices, diluting juices and ketchup all contain surprising amounts of refined carbohydrates.

 

Are there any secrets or tips you can give us on getting whiter teeth ?

Everyone would like a healthy white smile. The usual culprits causing staining of the teeth are tea/coffee, red wine, nicotine from cigarette smoke and foods with colour. It is impractical to cut these out totally from ones diet (except smoking!) but attending a dentist regularly to remove stains early will help, together with home teeth whitening systems provide by a dentist to keep the teeth as white as possible. It should be borne in mind that almost all of whitening products sold by pharmacies etc don’t work and are a waste of money!

 

What do you think are the main reasons why many people do not visit the dentist regularly and how would you change this ?

In the past, infrequent attending at the dentist was down to bad experiences with poorly delivered dentistry. Nowadays attending clinics such as ours where experts treat patients in a relaxed, gentle manner helps a lot, especially if the clinic is modern and uses the latest equipment and treatment modalaties. We are happy to treat dental phobics at the Glasgow Smile Clinic and a re proud to say that all become regular attenders after seeing how we do dentistry – this can be seen by the number of positive testimonials on our website.

Today, infrequent attending has more to do with the cost of dentistry. However, we base our prices on those recommended by the General Dental Practitioners Association allowing our patients to know that they are not overpaying for excellence in dentistry. We also offer low cost dental plans and interest free finance which helps, not to mention different types of special offers and discounts!

 

In your opinion, what does the future hold for dentistry? Any interesting treatments or technologies on the horizon ?

The future is very bright for dentistry mainly due to advancements in technology. New white filling materials, dental implants and 3D printers allowing fillings/crowns to be made almost instantly have revolutionized the profession. The ability to give patients greater choice in booking their appointments via online booking, keeping them abreast of special deals and news via social media also has led to a better relationship between dentist and patient and I see this area as a very exciting one as people today have a lot of options and choice – they deserve to be treated excellently!

Allergies in childhood

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Posted on 26th May 2013 by admin in diet and fitness |follow health

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Becoming a parent is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful things in life, and watching your child grow and develop as they get older is a fulfilling and fascinating time. And then of course one day your children are fully grown themselves, and you wonder where the time went.

Along the way, though, it’s not all plain sailing – and kids are bound to get colds as well as other ailments along the way. Looking after your child’s health will of course be at the top of your agenda as a parent – and rightly so. And if your child has allergies then obviously you’ll want to do all you can to ensure that you can manage your child’s allergy as effectively as possible.

Common allergies and intolerances that can affect children include

  • asthma
  • eczema
  • food intolerance
  • milk intolerance

On Wednesday may 29th, the private medical insurance provider AXA PPP healthcare will be holding a live chat on the subject of childhood allergies with their Health At Hand nurse who’ll be around to answer questions on the subject of childhood allergies.

Food allergies only affect a small percentage of the population as a whole – with somewhere between one and two out of every hundred people suffering from what the NHS refers to as a ‘genuine’ food allergy. However among children under three, the proportion of allergy sufferers is higher at 8 percent.

Common foods that people can have allergies to include milk, eggs, fish and nuts. Intolerance is distinguished from allergy by being slower in terms of the reaction taking place, and also usually in terms of the amount of problem food consumed for a reaction to take place.

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Diabetes case study

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Posted on 21st May 2013 by admin in follow health |follow health news

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Diabetes is a condition that – for a combination of possible reasons – continues to be diagnosed in greater numbers as time goes on. According to the charity Diabetes UK medics agree that “the UK is facing a huge increase in the number of people with diabetes”.

To give an idea of the extent of the diabetes problem, the charity highlights the fact that the number of cases of diabetes has actually more than doubled since 1996, with projections (should things continue in the same direction) of 5 million cases in the UK by 2025.  And when you consider that while the UK population has of course increased since 1996, it’s nowhere near doubled since then. All of which can only mean that diabetes is – as the charity itself points out – one of the biggest health challenges faced by the country.

It’s worth finding out about all the risk factors for diabetes and also getting tested if you happen to be in one of the at-risk groups. Finding out about diabetes is useful also in that it can clear up any misconceptions – such as the belief that eating sugar causes diabetes – actually what happens is that eating to much sugar can contribute to overweight which in turn can increase the risk of diabetes.

This video shows the human story side to the condition from the viewpoint of a mother whose daughter is in her early 20s. It’s always interesting to watch stuff like this where the angle is more about how people are affected in day to day life rather than dry medical talk.

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Cannabis and diabetes

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Posted on 15th May 2013 by admin in follow health news

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Cannabis – while it’s obviously against the law for people to use it in a non approved/ non-medical context, it still seesm to throw up a variety of headlines both pro- and contra- its properties regarding health. Numerous are the stories over the years of recreational use and its dangers, which go along the following lines:

  • Smoking cannabis is associated with increased risk of tuberculosis, acute bronchitis and lung cancer.
  • Studies over the years have indicated a possible link between cannabis use and schizophrenia. Although it has been pointed out that people with the onset of schizophrenia may be more prone to self-medicate and therefore the link may not be simple cause-and-effect.
  • Long term use linked with memory loss and poor concentration

On the more positive side, health professionals have found that medically prescribed cannabis can help ease the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and was recently given a recommendation by an Australian parliamentary committee for use in treating the pain of terminally ill patients in appropriate cases.

This week the health pages are carrying the somewhat unexpected results of a recent piece of research, which indicates cannabis may actually help prevent diabetes. Interestingly, according to the Independent’s report on this story, there’s a paradox in cannabis use – previous studies have shown the user can have a lower body mass index while consuming more calories than a non-user.

More on this story here.

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