Site for sore feet
Among regular gym goers, according to research commissioned by
Canesten, one in four say they get sweat rash and one in three suffer from athlete’s
foot. Medically known as candidal intertrigo, Sweat Rash is triggered when sweat gets
trapped on the skin affecting the natural balance of the microbes. The symptoms of sweat
rash include red, sore, inflamed and often itchy skin.
Sweat Rash is
often found on the body where skins rubs against clothing or against other skin such as
under the arms, backs of knees and under the breasts. Not surprisingly, it is more likely
to happen in warm weather and also during exercise when the
body becomes hot and sweaty.
Highly
infectious and common, Athlete’s Foot is caused by a fungal infection of the feet.
The fungi lives on the outer layers of the skin and can be easily picked up by sporty
people in changing rooms and by sharing towels or trainers. Watch out for the common
symptoms of itchiness, dryness and rashes, maybe blistering and skin cracking..
What can you do about it? Forget talcum power and moisturising creams, they
don’t help the underlying problem. Caneston,
of course, have several suggestions. Their
Hydrocortisone treatment for sweat rash provides relief and treats the underlying fungal
cause of the infection.
Canesten AF
Cream or Spray for Athlete’s Foot is designed for first signs of an infection and
Canesten AF Powder can be used in socks to help prevent re-occurrence. The range is
available off the shelf in supermarkets or pharmacists. Canesten
AF Once Daily is water resistant, requiring only once daily application.
Canesten offers
confidential advice from a trained healthcare professional : tel 0845 758 5030. Or visit www.canesten.co.uk for further information.
Top tips for toes
wash your feet
daily and dry them thoroughly, especially in between toes, this keeps them clean and will
encourage good circulation
wear cotton
socks and shoes made from natural materials which will allow your feet to
‘breathe’. Avoid tight shoes which will encourage your feet to sweat
change your
socks or tights daily, or more frequently if they become damp & try to go barefoot at
home as much as possible
wear flip-flops
in communal showers, changing rooms & around swimming pools.
if you get an
infection, wash hands carefully after cleaning and treating infected area
don’t share
towels to help prevent the spread of infection
avoid scratching
any infected area as this will damage the surface of the skin
to prevent
reoccurrence, complete the course of treatment for at least two weeks after symptoms have
gone
Pain patches that work miracles
A small plaster with ‘copper
micro spheres and zinc magnet’ in place of the usual lint cushion, doesn’t sound
like an answer to joint and muscle pain, but oddly enough it seems to work.
Or at least it did for me on a sore muscle point under my shoulder blade
which had persisted for a week or so. A
couple of Acumed pain patches stuck onto the offending area
eased the pain away within a couple of hours.
Even more mysteriously, the pain re-occurred the following day but in a
different area, about six inches away. A couple more
Acumed patches sorted that out too.
I can only repeat the blurb on the pack to ‘explain’ this
miracle: The patches ‘use electromagnetc fields
on acupuncture points to stimulate the body’s natural pain relief mechanisms’.
Acumed patches have been around for
some years. They can be used to relieve headaches
and muscular aches and pains and shouldn’t be used with a pacemaker. They are quite expensive - £17 for two packs plus £2.50
delivery, or if you buy four packs you get one free. Trying
to use them a second time doesn’t work as they come unstuck.
To order or find out more, see the website:
www.acumed.co.uk . Or telephone 0121 236 2073 to place an order.
 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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Don’t travel without…
To avoid holiday illness or contain bouts of diarrhoea when on
holiday, you can’t beat a visit to your local travel advice centre.
Ring your surgery to find one that’s local to you – probably at your
hospital – and make an appointment to get advice, vaccinations, first-aid kit and
antibiotics if the area you are visiting suggests a need for this.
Some
vaccinations, but not all, are available on the NHS, and a visit to the centre,
which is usually privately-run,
might result in a fairly hefty bill.
But think of it as a form of travel insurance and
make sure you give yourself plenty of time ahead of the holiday for maximum
protection.
For emergency
measures, an over-the-counter anti-diarrhoea treatment is useful, especially, for
instance, when you are on the ‘plane and the queue for the toilets is long. Imodium is probably the best known and the most effective.
But remember that an antibiotic is the better answer.
What are the symptoms of DVT?
Deep vein
thrombosis (DVT) is the formation of a blood clot with a deep vein. It usually occurs in the thigh or calf. It can travel through the bloodstream and lodge,
dangerously, in the lungs or other organs.
How to detect?
pain,
tenderness, swelling, redness in one leg
sudden
shortness of breath or cough
sharp chest pain, worse on deep breathing
To reduce risk
wear
loose clothing when travelling
get up and move around about once an hour
wriggle feet, flex toes every half hour or so
drink plenty of water
don’t sit with your legs crossed
if you know you are vulnerable to the condition,
wear special support stockings
take a single aspirin before a flight (but not if
you have stomach ulcer, chronic indigestion)
if
in doubt, talk to your doctor before travelling
New sight saver
Age-related
Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of loss of sight in the western world,
affecting 40 per cent of people over 75 in the UK. The
condition causes blood vessels leaking and scar tissue forming. The retina is
damaged and blindness of loss of central vision results.
A treatment that can repair the damage has been
developed. It is called photodynamic therapy and at
the moment is only performed privately, with costs from £2000. The Macular Disease Society has monitored results over
the last two years and says that nearly 1000 people have retained some sight which would
have otherwise been lost after being treated.
BUPA is offering the treatment to its members, and
suggests that anyone interested should talk to their own doctor first.
Good for women
This column has
mentioned the virtues of the Women’s Nutritional Advisory Service several times. It offers help on the menopause, irritable bowel syndrome
and general health for women, with a telephone consultation service for the UK and abroad,
and mail order list of various supplements.
Now
you can become a member of the WNAS and receive discounts on consultations, invitations to
tele conferencing and phone-ins. Ring 01273 487366
for further information.
If in any doubt
about any of the information covered in healthwise articles and it's relevance for you,
consult your GP.
In edition 39:-
Hearts
and minds
A few facts about hearts
Grape juice - blood pressure
New
research strongly confirms that purple grape juice can significantly reduce hypertension
Prevention of Osteoarthritis
Gelatine
products help prevent and treat osteoarthritis
Five day nail rejuvenator
A
new treatment for fragile, splitting, ridged and dehydrated nails
Exercise-be tougher on yourself
You
have to go that greater distance for positive results
More time for tea
It
has been known for some time that green, unfermented tea is good for you.
Remedies for sea sickness
Non-drowsy-making
alternative remedies for travel sickness
Index to
all previous Healthwise editions
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