Health & Wellbeing

A Birmingham mum who has been battling lung disease for ten years has spoken out about the hospice staff who gave her a new lease of life. Tracey O’Rourke was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) aged 39. She developed anxiety issues which made breathing even more difficult and came to rely more and more on her non-invasive ventilation (NIV) mask.

For many married couples, a wedding anniversary is an opportunity to enjoy a special luxury or a romantic getaway to a destination far away from the realities of everyday life. Not so for Janice and Kelly Renegar, who marked their 30th anniversary by choosing to have surgery at Health City Cayman Islands, a world-class tertiary care facility in the Caribbean.

Children will be joining their favourite Disney characters for short bursts of exercise this summer. Change4Life’s latest 10 Minute Shake Up campaign has been launched – inspiring children to complete six or more 10 minute bursts of physical activity throughout the day so they meet the recommended 60 minutes children need each and every day.

Health chiefs today urged Brummies to book a FREE NHS Health Check is a bid to curb an alarming rise in diabetes-related amputations. The call came as NHS figures revealed that the number of diabetes-related amputations each week in England has now reached an all-time record high of 135.

As hay fever season begins in earnest, new research from Kwik-Fit Insurance Services reveals that the high pollen count could also have a worrying effect on UK road users. During the summer months many will turn to medication to combat hay fever symptoms and still drive despite suffering potentially dangerous side effects.

Women aged 70 and over in Wolverhampton are being urged to recognise some of the lesser-known symptoms of breast cancer. Public Health England has this week launched a “Be Clear on Cancer” campaign to raise awareness of the risk of breast cancer among women aged 70 and over – and the fact that nearly a third of women diagnosed with breast cancer report a symptom other than a lump.

International bestselling author, celebrity chef, and wellness expert Teresa Cutter is releasing her healthy, wholefood cookbook, The Healthy Chef: Purely Delicious. Teresa shares a collection of her favourite recipes in this easy to follow cookbook designed for people who are passionate about food and health, but don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

In a new poll of GPs released today, over two thirds (67%) think their patients with dementia are not receiving enough support from social services, with 77 per cent believing dementia patients have to rely on family members as they do not get enough support from  adult social services.

As we are in Childhood Obesity Week (July 6-12), sign-ups to a groundbreaking Birmingham initiative launched to tackle the issue has almost doubled in less than 12 months. 338 of the city's 400 nurseries, children's centres and other pre-school settings now participate in the Startwell scheme, with more already signing-up from September 2015.

People with a disability, their families and carers are invited to find out how the new Care Act affects them at a free event later this month. The Clued Up? information workshop, which is also open to health and social care professionals, will outline what the Care Act means for disabled people, and also how they and their carers can go about accessing and using a personal budget.

With the UK heatwave having already tragically claimed two lives by drowning this week, Severn Trent, who own twelve reservoirs across the country, is issuing a further plea for people to stay out of their reservoirs.  With temperatures on the rise and schools getting ready to close for summer, the temptation for many to cool down may be too much to resist.  

Missing Breakfast has been identified as one of the most common causes of bad breath within teenagers, according to a new report. New research published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene has shown evidence that teens were almost twice as likely to suffer from bad breath when they skip breakfast.

Haringey residents with mental health problems will be offered extra help to find and maintain work, thanks to a new service launched in Haringey today. The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service, which will be delivered by the charity Twining Enterprise has been commissioned by Haringey Council in Partnership with the Haringey Clinical Commissioning Group and the Department for Work and Pensions.

The importance of staying cool and keeping well in hot weather cannot be over-estimated, as older people can be particularly susceptible to heat-related illness. Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition and can develop if heat exhaustion is left untreated. All of us, neighbours, family and friends should provide whatever support we can for older people, particularly those living alone.

Research being presented today at the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ International Conference, shows that although individuals with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder, are more than twice as likely to be violent during their lifetime than individuals without mental illness, the lifetime prevalence of violence by people with mental illness is only 16%.

A new alliance dedicated to combating the rise of obesity in Haringey has been formed by a wide range of partners including Haringey Council, the local NHS, Homes for Haringey the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, and local schools. The new partnership - the Haringey Obesity Alliance – sees organisations and individuals from a range of different backgrounds teaming up to help make Haringey a healthier place where fewer people are obese.