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Laterlife Healthwise - 61
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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 61. 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. For previous articles in the healthwise series visit 'more healthwise' Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate talkback page too.
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Last year, over 11,000 women had breast cancer detected and treated quickly thanks to the NHS breast screening programme. Nearly half of these wouldn't have been detected at all without screening. The increase in the number of cancers being detected by screening is largely due to the introduction of two-view mammography – which involves taking two views of each breast at every screen instead of just at the first. Almost all local screening units are using this technique. Extending the breast screening programme to women aged
65-70 coupled with an extra ?11.4 million for equipment has helped to
significantly improve the number of cancers picked up. Once women reach the upper age limit for routine
invitations for breast screening, they are encouraged to make their
own appointment. A leaflet entitled 'Over 70? You are still entitled
to breast screening' has been produced in conjunction with Age Concern
to explain to women over 70 how they can continue to attend for
screening once they are no longer automatically invited. See Age
Concern website:
www.cancer For many years, doctors and researchers in the UK have used the Yellow Card Scheme to report side effects of drugs. This scheme requires doctors to fill in a yellow card when their patients tell them about any side effects of the drugs they are prescribed. The cards are seen and monitored by the medicines watchdog the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ( (MHRA). What’s new for this scheme is that the MHRA will now publish anonymous data on suspected adverse drug reactions on their website. This means that patients and researchers will be able to access detailed data. Forms to report unexpected drug reactions will available in 4000 GP surgeries across the UK and patients will also be able to make reports online. Research based on Yellow Card data could have enormous public health benefits, with direct patient reporting ensuring that their reactions are quickly seen by the experts. You can see the Yellow Card website (www.yellowcard.gov.uk),
or complete a paper-based 'Patient Yellow Card', available in the
surgery. Or telephone the MHRA on 020 70842000. Patient reports will
be put directly onto the MHRA Yellow Card website.
If you need to avoid dairy products, or go easy on meat and cut down on fats, you might want to consider tofu. It’s made from natural soya bean curd, is full of protein and can even alleviate menopausal symptoms since it’s an isoflavone, a natural oestrogen.
Cauldron, makers of tofu, have produced a new recipe leaflet with
such creations as warm beetroot and tofu salad, a creamy thai dip and
stuffed peaches. For a free leaflet, send a stamped addressed A5
envelope to: Cauldron Foods Ltd, Units 1-2 Portishead Business Park,
Portishead, Bristol BS20 9BF. Arnica makes it as a painkiller
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If you live in England and have an E111 form, entitling you to free or reduced-cost healthcare in EU countries, you should know that it’s probably out of date. A new form is available for 2005 from post offices. One family member can complete the form to cover the whole family. No need to queue at the post office, you can just download the form from the website www.dh.gov.uk/travellers . The website also provides latest information on avoiding health risks and planning vaccinations.
A booklet based on this information, Health Advice for Travellers,
is available free from post offices. And oh yes, you will have to
queue at the post office to send in your form and have it signed by
an authority.
Green tea can boost athlete’s
endurance by nearly a quarter says a report from the American
Journal of Physiology. Somehow it transforms fat into energy when
taken in an extract. To boost energy, you’d need to drink at least
four cups a day. And if you do buy it, go for organic. A new natural remedy for warts and veruccas is on the market. It’s in the form of a roller ball called Wartstick and, say makers Arkopharma, it contains essential oils with antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties.
Veruccas are generally found on the soles of the feet where the pressure of body weight can make them painful. Veruccas look like a thick area of skin with a soft centre and possibly a black dot at the centre. This is actually bleeding caused by pressure rather than a root, as many people believe. Modern treatments such as paint-on acid preparations, liquid nitrogen freezing or surgery to scoop out the infected area are at the serious end of the business.
Wartstick is worth trying for its simple application - a 4ml roller
ball stick. It costs ?4.20 from chemists, the
NutriCentre or direct
from Arkopharma UK on 020 8763 1414. Trying to keep to the healthy limit of 6gram salt intake per day isn’t simply a matter of what you add to your food. Salt content of various ready prepared foods needs to be taken into account too. Sauces, even sweet ones, canned foods, breakfast cereals, soups, stock cubes, sausages, roast chicken, bread, may all contain salt.
What you read on the pack may be confusing. Some will give the
amount of sodium, but not the salt. It’s useful to know that 1 gram
of sodium per 100 grams of food equals 2.5 grams of salt per 100
grams of food.
In edition 60:-
The Department of Health says it will leave no stone unturned in the battle against MRSA Yes, we are cutting down on salt Research is now showing a steady increase in the number of people trying to cut their salt intake. A test that can diagnose Alzheimer`s before symptoms become obvious, has been developed. If you are 50 plus, eat liver no more than once a week says the FSA. Alternative for menopause symptoms A new product Ymea, is a natural nutritional supplement A new way to treat osteoporosis Some people have difficulty swallowing traditional drugs used to treat osteoporosis Once again Activa Healthcare is going nationwide in March 2005, offering free leg health checks Things to avoid if you are susceptible to Cystitis, and over the counter remedies..
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.
Index to all previous Healthwise editions 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.
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TV SHOW : HOW WELL ARE YOU?
The TV show researchers
are looking for people who would like help from their expert for a
(non–broadcast) pilot show. If this sounds like you or anyone you
know – they want to hear from you now! |
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Visit our Product section too: Health and Beauty in laterlife where we have selected a small range of Health stores where you can buy products online. Between them they cover the spectrum of traditional and alternative health products and therapies that you might be interested in. For more information on Health and Health related matters visit our Health section
Make someones life easier.
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