Screen test 1- Why it makes sense in laterlife
Every woman up to the age of 65
should be offered screening for breast cancer at least every three years. Not every woman, however, takes up the offer,
perhaps because they think of breast cancer as a disease mainly affecting young women. They are, however, wrong.
There are government plans to extend
the age for screening to 70, but research from Age Concern suggests that some persuasion
will be needed. Nearly 90% of women over
seventy think that breast cancer is not a risk for them, though the fact is that they are
twice as likely as younger women to die of the disease.
The message is clear: if you are
under 65, make sure you get screened regularly.
If you are over that age, or know anyone who is, tell them not to wait for the
screening extension plan which doesn't come into effect till 2004. Many GP practices will arrange for a screening on
request now.
Screen test 2 - How it can cut colon cancer
deaths
A
single screening of the colon at the age of 55 can reduce deaths from cancer of the colon
by 30 to 50%. Even better is annual
screening combined with testing of stools. No,
not the most inviting idea. But if
there is a family history of the condition, or a persistent but new change in pattern of
passing stools, or alternating constipation and diarrhoea, then a screening would be a sensible idea. Grit your teeth and go for it.
Postscript on cold cures
Last month laterlife offered information
on alternative remedies for the common cold, and hot on the heels came
news of the dangers in using other, more orthodox medicines. Many brand-name cold and flu remedies contain
phenylpropanolamine (PPA), which, it turns out, are a mouthful too far. They can raise blood pressure and cause
headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, even burst blood vessels in some people, especially
those who already have raised blood pressure.
So check in your medicine cupboard for
ingredients on branded products, and ditch any
containing PPA. Then switch to those
alternative remedies we recommended in the last edition of Healthwise.
Skin deep findings
As many as 70 per cent of the UK's
older population are suffering from
skin diseases, many of which are entirely preventable, according to a new report of the
Associate Parliamentary Group on Skin (APGS), the first of its kind on a public health
issue which affects the majority of over 60s in the UK.
But poor access to information and treatment, lack
of sensitivity to patients, lack of appropriate training of healthcare professionals, lack
of research are typical of the deal handed out to older people from the NHS, says the
report.
Skin disease becomes more common with age. The skin gets thinner, drier, and can develop
itching, soreness, blistering. Eczema
and psoriasis are typical conditions in older people - not usually life threatening, but
still extremely distressing. Other skin
problems can reduce mobility and make life very uncomfortable, and some, like chronic leg
ulceration, can become life threatening if treated inadequately.
The APGS calls for more funding
from government to revolutionise the situation. It wants a
major investment in dermatological services in hospitals and in the community. If you'd like to know more about campaigning for
better care, go to www.skincarecampaign.org.
The
blushing cure
If blushing and sweating aren't a big
issue in your life, you may be tempted to think that the following piece of information is
way over the top. Facial blushers and sweaters
can undergo a twenty-minute surgical procedure to cure the problem.
It does involve a general
anaesthetic, and it's only available at private clinics, but the new treatment, known as
ETS surgery (Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathicotomy) appears to do the trick. At around £4000
it's pretty expensive though.
Facial blushing is a common
symptom of social phobia and oddly enough it (the blushing) can run in families. In a study of 244 patients aged from 15-67, around
43% reported a parent, child, brother or sister suffering in a similar fashion.
And suffer they did: 17% took
periodic sick leave or early retirement. Some
admitted to suicidal thoughts, others resorted to alcohol.
The ETS procedure, via keyhole surgery through each armpit, resulted in
satisfaction in 85% of the patients, though another 15% experienced a less positive
result.
If you want to know more, contact the Scandinavian Medical Centre, 15 Harley
Street, London W1N1DA or telephone 0207 636 7780.
Look Good, Feel
Great with Diana Moran
Diana Moran demonstrates how to keep fit using a series of simple routines
More
Exercise Beats Arthritis (Video and booklet)
 Part of a series designed to demystify healthcare, this
pocket-sized guide looks at hormone replacement therapy. Each section includes questions
and answers. The main points are signposted by John Cleese.
For books on Health visit the Amazon
Family and Health Section.
Don't forget if you buy books or videos from Amazon by linking from laterlife, you
generate money for Charity.
|
 |
Slip of the tongue
Can't take pills? Find
them difficult to
swallow? If you have to drink gallons of water and
still get that capsule trapped at the back of the throat, try the following tip.
Start with the pill on the tongue. Take two gulps of water, one immediately after the
other without a pause between. The first
should go down without the pill, the second should take the pill with it.
There's a
scientific reason why this should work. The
first gulp of water makes the epiglottis (the projection at the back of the throat) fold
down and the second gulp, if immediate, allows the pill to slip through before the
epiglottis returns to normal position.
Drinking to your health
It's a good time of year to remind you
that
drinking is good for you. Moderate intake of
wine is thought to improve IQ and boost mental agility.
A Japanese study of middle-aged to elderly men and women showed a higher IQ in the
drinkers compared to those who didn't drink at all or who prefered beer or spirits.
But, as with the connection between red wine and lower
cholesterol, it's moderation that counts. Heavy
drinkers in the study had lower IQs than non-drinkers.
Safest weekly limits are 14 units for women, 21 for men, a single unit being a
glass of wine. And bingeing it all in one go
doesn't do any good either, so spread it over the seven days.
Eating less means
more
The evidence keeps coming
in on this
unseasonal
finding. The less we eat, the more
likely we are to live to a healthy old age, avoiding chronic illnesses and degenerative
diseases like cancer, heart disease, ulcers.
Evidence over the years has been
seen in monkeys, mice, worms and fruit flies who can live 30-40% longer on a restricted
calorific diet, about 70% of normal food intake.
Though no one yet has the proof that this applies to humans, scientists are
beginning to take the idea seriously.
Whether
humans would consider life worth living on a continuous restricted diet is a debatable
point, but you have been warned.
Why don't you exercise? Excuse no. 10
'I don't need
to exercise. I'm on my feet all day
anyway.'
Are
you referring to housework, or that ten-minute daily walk to the bus stop?
Sorry to disappoint, but housework, a short walk, even painting and decorating are
activities unlikely to provide sufficient sustained exercise to raise the heartbeat.
Keeping mobile is of course a Very Good Thing. We've
got our own take on this here at laterlife: see
Nettie on
the Net, in laterlife interest. But such activity alone is just not enough. A
survey some years ago showed that 80% of men and women of all ages believed themselves to
do sufficient exercise to sustain good physical health.
But eight out of ten of them when investigated fell below the age-appropriate
activity necessary to achieve health benefit. You
don't have to get out of breath to exercise effectively - the generally accepted rule is
that you should be able to carry on a conversation even when a bit puffed. And a short, sharp bout of exercise is just as good as a long workout. But if you never raise that heartbeat, you are not
exercising the heart.
If in any doubt about any of the information
covered in healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult your GP.
Previous articles in the healthwise series
Edition 9
Aches and pains? Try our free offer
Glucosamine now comes in gel form
And then there`s chicken soup
and it`s restorative qualities....
Catch that cold before it starts
There are preventions and ways to help
curtail a cold...
Never too late to stop smoking
plus excuse number 9 in the series of
excuses for not exercising.
Index to all previous
Healthwise editions
Living
Well : Taking Care of Your Health in the Middle and Later Years
 The Relate
Guide to Loving in Later Life
This constructive guide to sex, loving and relationships for the 50-80s age group suggests
that life - and loving sex - begin at 50+.
 10
steps to energy
Tapping into high levels of energy through what you eat, think, feel, how you move and
relate to your life
|
