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Healthwise is a regular column written
especially for laterlife.com members and
visitors by Helen Franks, journalist and author.
Welcome to healthwise 85.
For previous articles in the
healthwise series visit
'more
healthwise'
Helen Franks
Helen has specialised in writing about health and
ageing and is a member of the Guild of Health Writers. She has
written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the
Guardian, Times, Observer, Woman, Family Circle, Vogue and
Choice.
Helen has also written several books including
Getting Older Slowly Your Guide to Successful Ageing and
Bone Boosters
co-authored with Diana Moran of TV Green Goddess fame.
Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate
talkback
page too.
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Arthritis explained
Arthritis affects people of all ages. More than eight million people a year
consult their doctor about some form of arthritis: 5% are between 16 and 44,
23% are between 44 and 64 and 41% are 65 plus. There are 8,060,000 sufferers
in the United Kingdom alone.
There are two main types of arthritis:
Rheumatoid arthritis:
-
Affects the hands, especially the knuckle joints, and tends
to happen symmetrically - on both sides of the body.
-
Most
of the swelling is a result of an increase in fluid, with
symptoms being worse in the morning.
-
Possible triggers are infections, food allergies, and
genetic factors.
-
Roughly1% of the worldwide population suffers from this form
of arthritis, with women three times more likely to suffer.
-
The
common age for onset is in the forties, and in the winter
when temperatures drop.
Osteoarthritis:
-
This
is a swelling and distortion of the joint that usually
affects the
fingers, knees, hips base of thumb and spine.
-
10%
of the over 60's are affected.
-
This
type of arthritis is often mild and mostly affects the
fingers. It is more common in women and can be hereditary.
Recognising a stroke
We’ve had this one before, but sometimes it’s as
well to repeat it. Symptoms of a stroke may be difficult to
identify. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when
people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Doctors say a bystander can recognise a
stroke by asking three simple questions:
S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE
SENTENCE (Ie: It is sunny/raining today.)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
Another sign of a stroke is: Ask the person to stick out their
tongue... if the tongue is crooked (if it goes to one side or
the other) that is also an indication of a stroke.
If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call for
an ambulance immediately and describe the symptoms to whoever is
in charge.
The truth about heart disease
Recent studies have uncovered what seems to be the real culprit
behind 50% of cardiovascular, heart and stroke problems. And
it's none of the usual suspects. Not fat. Not lack of exercise.
And not even cholesterol.
According to research published in the British Medical Journal, homocysteine is the biggest threat to our heart's good health.
A study at the department of cardiology in Southampton General
Hospital trawled through 92 studies that focussed on
homocysteine levels in over 20,000 patients.
Homocysteine levels can be brought down quickly and easily.
Here's what to do...
-
Get your homocysteine levels checked out. Under 8
is good. Under 7 is even better.
-
Studies (reported in the British Medical Journal) have shown
that vitamins B6 and B12, together with folic acid, help lower homocysteine levels.
For folic acid, liver is absolutely the best source, plus
spinach, broccoli, asparagus, beetroot, banana, oranges and
peaches.
For B12, eat liver beef, chicken, pork, fish, eggs, milk, cheese
and yoghurt. For B6 eat whole grain cereals, breads, liver,
avocados, spinach, green beans, bananas,
fish, poultry, meats, nuts, potatoes, green leafy vegetables.
This copy is taken from the Good Life Newsletter:
http://www.goodlifeletter.co.uk
Campaign to help combat colds and flu
Sneezing or coughing without covering your mouth is more
annoying
than people talking loudly on their mobile phone. And also more
annoying
than people who don't say please and thank you - yet nearly half
of
people do not always carry a tissue outside the home, a new
survey
has found.
More than three in ten people interviewed in the survey said
they
would use a tissue at least two or three times before throwing
it
away, while one in ten people admitted to not always washing
their
hands before preparing food.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze.
Use disposable tissues and throw them away afterwards in a bin.
And clean your hands regularly - especially after coughing and
sneezing.
Women are almost twice as likely than men to have tissues
with them outside of the home whilst nearly half of all people
surveyed said they caught colds at least twice a year.
The North West was found to be the region where people washed
their hands the most, while London proved to be the place were
people were less likely to
wash their hands.
Hope for hay fever sufferers
A vaccine offers hope for hay fever sufferers, in the form of a
pill. Grazax, as it is called, can provide immunity to allergens
in grass pollens, with a success rate of 83%.
Traditionally, anti-histamines have been used for treating hay
fever symptoms, and also steroid nasal sprays. But these reduce
symptoms by 10-20% and 20-30% respectively.
The new vaccine has been developed at London’s Imperial College
and is already approved for use in around 30 European countries. Grazax is available at specialist clinics. Ask your GP if you
can be referred to one of these.
Why it’s a bonus to brush your teeth
Good oral hygiene could help prevent strokes and heart attacks
say researchers. When 120 patients with periodontitis, severe
gum disease, were given instructions to brush their teeth to
normal or intensive levels, after a period of 180 days the
intensive patients’ arteries improved and blood flow increased,
reducing their risk of stroke or heart attack. Also, their gums
appeared healthier.
The research was reported in the New England Journal of
Medicine. Earlier studies associated gum disease with strokes
and heart attacks, but the trial established the link by
comparing patients.
So flossing and brushing – ideally with an electric toothbrush –
twice a day is good for the gums and good for reducing risk of
stroke or heart attack.
Do-it-yourself massage…
…or maybe with a partner. A new book tells how to use massage
and combines ancient healing practices of the east with western
massage techniques.
Daphne Roubini’s book Healing Massage focuses on a range of
techniques to get you started, learning step-by-step how to
unwind and enabling you to give yourself, friends or family a
healing massage.
Healing Massage by Daphne Roubini is published by Cico Books at
£14.99, and available from all good bookshops.
Useful websites
www.depressionalliance.org.uk
www.mentalhealth.org.uk
www.prostate-cancer.org.uk
www.parkinsons.org.uk
If in any
doubt about any of the information covered in
healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult
your GP.
IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION
In edition 84:-
New breakthroughs in memory research
Exciting clues about memory loss and how to prevent it.
Folic acid boosts minds of over 50s
Now recommended for the over 50s to boost mental
alertness.
Another protection against Alzheimer's
3 cups of coffee a day can protect against Alzheimer's
Gene identified for type 2 diabetes
70% of people have a genetic background for this
condition
How to lower your BP
Improving people's emotional well-being could be an
effective way to control their BP
Testing for bone disease
Routine dental x-rays could find signs of Osteoporosis..
The
complete family health guide
 Essential medical reference that's a must for every home. Published
in association with the BMA, it includes comprehensive coverage of
every important aspect of health and medicine, as well as
user-friendly charts for at-a-glance information and easy reference.
Also lists the best medical websites...
 Maximise your memory
This work provides detailed instructions, illustrations and sample
exercises that show the reader how to build a system of personalized
frameworks for storing and recalling information on demand.
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