Healthy Living
Healthy Living
Healthy Living
Here you can find out more about how to take care of yourself and your family. Information covers tips on how to eat well, stop smoking, alcohol consumption, sexual health and more.
Choose Well
Feeling Unwell?
Did you know that every time you attend A&E at your local hospital, it can cost the NHS £124?
There are a range of other NHS Services on your doorstep if you have a minor illness, ailment or injury and need advice and treatment. Visit our Choose Well site.
Carers
What is a Carer?
A Carer is anyone who provides help and support to a relative, partner or friend who cannot manage because of disability, illness or frailty.
Flu
The Flu: What to do if you get sick
Health Inequalities
Understanding health inequalities
The term “health inequalities” refers to the unequal health opportunities and outcomes experienced by different groups of people within society. The term is often used as a way of identifying between those inequalities that are either avoidable or regarded as unfair in some way.
Healthy Eating
Physical Activity
Why physical activity is important for you?
Physical Effects
• Can help to prevent and lower high blood pressure
• Can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and having a
stroke
• Can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and help in its control
for those people who have diabetes
• Can help to lose weight and help in the maintenance of a healthy weight
• Can lower the risk of osteoporosis
• Can help improve posture, flexibility and balance
• Can help to improve cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength
• Can help to improve your 'good' cholesterol levels
Emotional Effects • Can help to relieve stress
• Can help you to relax
• Can help to improve your mood, self-esteem and confidence
• Can help you to meet new friends
• Can help you to have FUN
How much do I need to do?
The recommended guidelines for physical activity and health are:
Children: should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate activity on 5 or more days per week.
Adults and Older People: to remain healthy it is recommended that a person accumulates up to 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days per week.
To help with losing weight and to prevent overweight and obesity it may be necessary for a person to accumulate between 45-60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days per week.
For those who have lost weight, it may be necessary for a person to accumulate between 60-90 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days per week to avoid regaining weight
Moderate Intensity: activity means that when you are active you are beginning to breathe more heavily than normal, feel warmer and your heart rate goes up. You can be moderately active doing a range of activities. Biking, swimming, gardening, dancing, housework and brisk walking are just some examples.
Accumulate: physical activity does not need to be very hard to improve your health and the target times of 30 – 60 minutes can be reached by building physical activities into your daily routine in small periods of at least 10 to 15 minutes each throughout the day. As you become
fitter you can build up these small periods of time so that you are
Where can I get further information and advice around Physical Activity?
NHS Choices – www.nhs.uk/livewell
Change4Life – www.nhs.uk/Change4Life
Cheshire & Warrington Sports Partnership - www.getactiveincheshire-warrington.org
www.leisureandplay.blogspot.com
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Healthy Weight
Coronary Heart Disease / Cardiovascular Disease
Locally we have an ageing population in whom there is a high incidence of Cardio Vascular Disease. In April 2009 the Department of Health announced the start of “Free NHS Health Checks”. The Government’s intention is to shift the focus of the NHS towards empowering patients and preventing illness. NHS Health Check programme (formerly known as ‘vascular checks’) is an ambitious initiative which offers preventative checks to all those aged 40 - 74 to assess their risk of vascular disease (heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease) followed by appropriate management and interventions.
The proposals for the programme were set out in ‘Putting Prevention First’, published on 1 April 2008 and aims to ensure greater focus on the prevention of vascular disease and a reduction in health inequalities. There is a significant amount of vascular morbidity and mortality that is preventable through primary prevention and early detection of these diseases. The programme is aimed at patients aged between 40 to 74 years in England, who will be invited for a free health check to identify their risk of diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
If you would like further details please contact your local GP Surgery.
Dignity and Respect
For this PCT, Dignity and Respect is one of the key planks of a quality service to patients and as such is one of the PCT’s World Class Commissioning (WCC) priority change programmes, illustrating the importance the PCT Board has placed on this vital element of care.
An important part of this work is this PCTs commitment to the elimination of mixed sex accommodation in our hospitals and care settings.
Here you will find material that describes this programme of work, what we’re aiming to achieve, how we are progressing and much more.
Dementia
The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe a collection of symptoms, including:
Drugs
What do we mean by drugs?
• illegal substances such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis
• misused household products such as gases, glues and aerosols
• medicinal drugs • alcohol and tobacco
Many drug users do not start using drugs with the intention of becoming addicted.
This is due to the fact that with many drugs containing substances that are addictive, people who use them casually in their spare time or who use them long term for medical conditions can then become dependent on needing to use them regularly.
Reasons why people start using drugs can include:
• to escape problems they may be having in other parts of their life
• peer pressure and fitting in with another group of people
• being curious about the effects of drugs
• used in the treatment of medical conditions
Illegal Drugs
If you start to use illegal drugs on a regular basis, or if you become dependent on them, it can affect your family and friends as well as having a serious impact on your own physical and mental wellbeing.
Illegal drugs are categorised into three classes based on the overall level of harm that they can do;
Class A drugs, such as cocaine, ecstasy, LSD and heroin are the most harmful and likely to be the most addictive.
Class B drugs, such as Speed, and
Class C drugs such as anabolic steroids, cannabis and tranquillisers are less harmful.
However, it needs to be noted that all the drugs in all three categories are harmful and are addictive.
Selling drugs is also illegal. If you are caught selling them other people, or carrying a small amount of drugs in your pocket, it’s likely that the police will get involved. If you’re found guilty of any of these offences, you may face a fine or time in custody, with Class A drugs carrying the most severe sentences.
Drug overdoses can be fatal. Illegal drugs are not the only drugs that you can die from as you can die instantly from misusing drugs that you can buy over the counter - this includes things like aerosols, glues and other solvents.
Drugs Misuse - there is not a common list of symptoms that you can use to tell if you or someone you know is misusing drugs. This is because drug use affects different people
in different ways depending on the type of drugs they are using. Although anxiety, tiredness and a change in sleeping habits can also be signs of drug use, they can also be caused by changes in your body, stress or other problems.
If you are worried about drug abuse and addiction, the Talk to FRANK helpline can help. FRANK runs a free helpline and a website that explains how different types of drugs can affect you.
You can get confidential advice by calling FREE on 0800 77 66 00 seven days a week.
Calling FRANK will not show up on your phone bill. You can also contact FRANK by emailing frank@talktofrank.com or by looking at www.talktofrank.com
Other useful information can be gained from: Drugscope
Parents Against Drug Abuse (PADA) - 08457 023867
InfoLink
InfoLink is a brand new centralised directory of services in central and eastern Cheshire that can help support your health and wellbeing.
Immunisation
NHS Choices is the designated government website for public-facing information about vaccination and immunisation. A comprehensive guide to vaccination is included for public use.
For more information on immunisation visit www.immunisation.nhs.uk
Breastfeeding
Benefits of breastfeeding
Breastmilk gives babies all the nutrients they need for the first six months of life and helps protect them from infection and diseases. It also reduces mothers' chances of getting certain diseases later in life.
Breastfeeding also allows you and your baby to get closer - physically and emotionally. So while your child is feeding, the bond between you can grow stronger.
Bottle feeding does not give your baby the same ingredients as breastmilk, which is designed to be easy for your baby to absorb and is perfect to help him grow and develop. Also, bottle feeding doesn't provide protection against infection and diseases.
Breastfeeding helps protect your baby against:
• ear infections
• gastro-intestinal infections
• chest infections
• urine infections
• childhood diabetes
• eczema
• obesity
• asthma.
Breastfeeding helps protect mothers against:
• ovarian cancer
• breast cancer
• weak bones later in life.
Women who breastfeed return to their pre-pregnancy figure faster. Breastfeeding uses about 500 extra calories a day, making it easier to lose weight.
Local Help and Support
During pregnancy your midwife will help you with your decision whether to breastfeed, providing you with lots of information including a DVD ‘Breast to Bump’.
At delivery your midwife will respect your decision and help your baby take her first feed. If you have decided to breastfeed you will receive further information including a magazine ‘Mothers Guide to Breastfeeding’. Your midwife will continue to help you up to 28 days and give you the phone number of the postnatal ward where 24 hour telephone help is available.
Your midwife will inform your health visitor how you are feeding your baby to allow appropriate help to be continued.
Your midwife and health visitor will ensure that you are aware of the local breastfeeding community support groups – Baby Cafes, health visitor led groups, National Childbirth Trust and La Leche League. Check times and days of groups with your health visitor.
Don’t forget if you are experiences difficulties with breastfeeding your midwife (up to 28 days) and your health visitor (after 10 days) are there to help.
Internet help is also available at www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk
And telephone help as follows:
National Breastfeeding Helpline
Operated by the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and The Breastfeeding Network
0300 100 0212 (9.30am – 9.30pm)
La Leche League
Tel. 0845 120 2918
The Breastfeeding Network - breastfeeding support in Bengali and Sylhetti
Tel. 0300 456 2421
Change 4 Life
What is change 4 Life?
Change 4 Life helps you make small changes to your lifestyle to make exercise and a healthy diet part of your everyday life.
These days, 'modern life' can mean that we're a lot less active. With so many opportunities to watch TV or play computer games, and with so much convenience and fast food available, we don't move about as much, or eat as well as we used to.
Our lives are so busy now it is hard to find the time to spend preparing meals or going to the gym, but changing simple things like snacks or walking the children to school instead of driving them can make a big difference.
The Change 4 Life website offers many tools and ideas to help you start to eat and move better ; you can even sign up to receive a personalised pack for you and your family, including tips, tools and activities.
For more information or to sign up for your personalised pack, visit www.nhs.uk/change4life
Sexual Health
CHLAMYDIA……
Stop Smoking
Had enough of smoking?
Would you like to quit, with free, friendly advice and support?
Call 0800 085 8818 for your nearest advisor.
For more information on stopping smoking visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk Also find information on your local Stop Smoking Service, provided by Cheshire East Community Health by entering your postcode on the web site.
Mental Health
Many areas of our lifestyle affect our mental wellbeing. Following sensible guidelines about alcohol, smoking, diet and physical activity can all help.
Stroke
Stroke is a ‘brain attack’ caused by a disturbance to the blood supply to the brain. There are two main types of stroke:
End of Life Care
The definition of End of Life Care is:
Teenage Pregnancy
Teenage Pregnancy – is it something you have thought about?
Cancer
Although cancers are the second most common cause of death in Central and Eastern Cheshire (after cardiovascular disease), they are the main cause of premature death and therefore have a considerable impact on life expectancy.
Over 2,200 people begin their fight against cancer each year in this PCT and around 1,100 people die from the disease. Up to 50% of these cancer deaths could be prevented through lifestyle modification (smoking, obesity and alcohol), increased awareness, early detection, attending screening, and improved care. The position locally is that:
- there has been a steep rise in the number of new cases of lung cancer in women which has also contributed to an increase in female cancer mortality;
- Although in part this reflects the consequences of unhealthy lifestyles in the past, it also emphasises the need to continue to focus on smoking cessation and the early detection of cancer;
- our 1-year survival for lung, colorectal and breast cancer is in the best 25% of PCTs, as is 5-year survival for lung, prostate and breast cancer;
- recent improvements in survival from colorectal cancer are leading to reductions in mortality from this disease in both men and women;
- 1-year survival rates for prostate cancer have not improved since 2002 and in fact have slipped compared to other PCTs. It is likely that our 5-year survival rates for prostate cancer will also start to be affected soon.
Doctors believe that many cancer deaths could be prevented if people were more aware of the early signs of cancer and visited their GP sooner. This isn’t about wasting the doctor’s time or worrying about what the doctor might find. It is much better to be checked out quickly than to wait for things to possibly get worse.
The ‘Know Your Body’ campaign aims to promote the detection of cancer by encouraging people to go to their doctor sooner rather than later if they develop any of the following symptoms.
• An unusual change in the breast
• Bleeding after the menopause or between periods
• An unusual lump or swelling anywhere on your body
• A sore that won’t heal after several weeks
• A cough or croaky voice that lasts longer than three weeks
• Persistent difficulty in swallowing
• Blood in your bowel motions or change to more frequent bowel motions
• Blood in your urine or problems passing urine
• Unexplained weight loss or heavy night sweats
• An unexplained pain or ache that lasts longer than four weeks
• A change in the size, shape or colour of a mole
For more information on cancer please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer
Alcohol
No amount of alcohol is completely safe. The NHS-recommended lower risk limits are the levels of regular drinking that pose only a low risk of developing future health problems. Drinking above these levels on a regular basis is associated with an increasing risk of diseases, and these risks increase the more you drink.
• Men should not exceed three to four units per day on a regular basis
• Women should not exceed two to three units per day on a regular basis
Are there times when you shouldn’t drink at all?
If on certain occasions you do drink heavily, give your body a chance to recover: at least 48 hours with no alcohol. Otherwise you’re just adding to the damage.
You shouldn't drink at all before strenuous exercise, operating machinery, or driving. You also shouldn’t drink if you’re on certain medicines – your doctor or pharmacist can give you advice if you’re not sure. If your doctor has advised you to cut down, or stop drinking, you should follow their recommendations.
How do the daily limits work?
The limits are given as ranges ('two to three' and 'three to four') because the same amount of alcohol can affect different people in different ways, depending on your sex, weight, height and many other factors. This means there is no exact threshold where your drinking will become particularly risky or low-risk.
They’re lower for women because women and men process and tolerate alcohol differently; for example, women’s bodies have a higher ratio of fat to water, so they generally can’t process alcohol as easily.
Drinking limits during pregnancy
Pregnant women or women trying to conceive should avoid drinking alcohol.
Information taken from NHS Choices - the following are also useful websites on alcohol:
