Health & Beauty

Body signals men still ignore too often

Many men are absolute champions at ignoring the signals their body gives off. Not out of ignorance, but because it simply feels easier to carry on than to stop and consider what is going on. As a man, you have got a habit of shrugging off little aches and pains; it is just part of being male. Yet it is precisely those small, recurring signals that reveal a lot about how your body is really doing. In this article, we look at the most common body signals men ignore, and why it is worth pausing to take them seriously.

Why men are quicker to put off seeing a doctor

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Exeter home visit pharmacy service showcased

AN innovative NHS service in Exeter which visits patients in their own homes to give advice and support around medication has been showcased at a top industry event at the ICC in Birmingham.

The Exeter cluster pharmacy team, managed by the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, was one of only 12 projects from across the country to be selected to exhibit at the NHS Providers Showcase.

The event, part of the two-day NHS Providers annual conference and exhibition, is designed to promote outstanding work and provide delegates with inspiration and ideas to improve patient care...

Cholesterol-lowering drug Simvastatin trialled as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s

A clinical trial using cholesterol-lowering treatment Simvastatin in people living with Parkinson’s is getting underway in centres across the country – with the hope that it could become one of a number of effective treatments available to treat Parkinson’s.

Spearheaded by Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, the double-blinded placebo controlled study will involve 198 people with Parkinson’s. The trial is seeking people who have been living with Parkinson’s and who are not already taking a statin. It will take place in 21 centres in the UK including...

Study suggests January the worst time to diet

People have evolved to have subconscious urges to over-eat, and limited ability to avoid becoming obese, especially in winter, a University of Exeter study has found.

There is not yet an evolutionary mechanism to help us overcome the lure of sweet, fatty and unhealthy food and avoid becoming overweight for understandable and sensible reasons, according to researchers.

This is because in our past being overweight has not posed a significant threat to survival compared to the dangers of being underweight. The urge to maintain body fat is even stronger in winter when food in...

Wound up before sleep?

We all find it hard to wind down sometimes, making it difficult for us to fall asleep. Thankfully, YouTube and other online sources, such as The Dozy Owl , have become a vast library for the non-sleepers, full of audios that might help us to relax. And, if we can relax better, the physiological response from our bodies is more conducive to sleep such as a slowing heart rate and a lower temperature.

What helps you to relax? Is it the sound of rain on your window, the sounds of a fire roaring, or is it someone taking you through a relaxing sensory scene such as a forest or a beach?...

Exeter nurse features in health podcasts

An NHS team in Exeter has helped to produce a series of educational videos about bladder and bowel care for children and young people.

Fiona Boorman, a paediatric nurse specialist in the integrated bladder and bowel care team based at Franklyn House, was selected to be the face of the podcasts.

The videos were a joint venture between the service, which is managed by the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, and Virgin Care’s public health nursing team in the Crediton area.

The three videos are entitled ‘The importance of fluid intake for children and young people’, ‘...

64% of those with dementia feel isolated

New research by Alzheimer’s Society shows that 39% of people in the South West mistakenly think that once a person with dementia stops recognising loved ones, they don’t benefit that much from spending time with them.

In a separate survey of 300 people affected by dementia, the charity also found that 64% of those living with the condition felt isolated from friends and family following a diagnosis. Today, Alzheimer’s Society is calling on people to make a positive New Year’s resolution to spend time with people with dementia and help them take part in activities they enjoy to keep...

Quit Club for Tiverton smokers

SMOKERS in Tiverton who are thinking about giving up the habit in the New Year are being offered a helping hand with the opening of an NHS-led quit club.

The Tiverton Stop Smoking Club is free to join and will run for six weeks, starting on Tuesday 5 January.

The club will meet at Old Heathcoat School Community Centre in King Street from 6pm to 7pm each Tuesday until 9 February.

Those attending will receive friendly support from a local NHS specialist adviser from the Devon Stop Smoking Service.

People can receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT),...

Vital surgical equipment donated to Tiverton Day Case Unit

£80,000 worth of state-of-the-art theatre equipment has been donated to the Day Case Unit at Tiverton Community Hospital thanks to funds from the hospital’s League of Friends.

Theatre services at the Day Case Unit are provided by the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust. The equipment, which included diagnostic tools such as gastrocopes and colonoscopes, a 3d scope guide and new stacking monitors, will enable the unit to complete more surgical services closer to home for local people.

Phil Luke, RD&E Divisional Director for Surgical Services, Said: “This valuable...

More people should be given blood pressure-lowering medication

A study published in the Lancet on 24 December suggests that blood pressure-lowering drugs should be offered to all individuals at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke regardless of their blood pressure at the start of treatment.,

Currently, doctors only offer blood pressure lowering drugs to people considered to have ‘high’ blood pressure. However, the research suggests that even lowering the blood pressure – within reason – of someone with ‘normal’ blood pressure could lower their risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The authors therefore recommend that blood...

71% in South West face potential winter flu misery this Christmas

71% of people in South West are putting themselves at risk of contracting flu, according to recent research by Well Pharmacy

Of the 71% who haven’t had the flu jab administered this winter, 54% stated that they didn’t feel as though they needed it and one in ten were too scared of needles to have the procedure undertaken.

In fact, more than 30% of people in South West cited ‘chicken soup’ and a ‘duvet day’ as the most effective way of ‘curing’ the flu.

Rachael Sharples, Healthcare Development Manager at Well Pharmacy, said: “Each year, it’s estimated that flu...

Health & Beauty

Body signals men still ignore too often

Exeter home visit pharmacy service showcased

Cholesterol-lowering drug Simvastatin trialled as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s

Study suggests January the worst time to diet

Wound up before sleep?

Exeter nurse features in health podcasts

64% of those with dementia feel isolated

Quit Club for Tiverton smokers

Vital surgical equipment donated to Tiverton Day Case Unit

More people should be given blood pressure-lowering medication

71% in South West face potential winter flu misery this Christmas

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