Tag Archives: Health

Ricky Gervais gives prostate cancer the finger

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Comedian and Hollywood star, Ricky Gervais, has put prostate cancer on top of the news agenda again by insisting his comedy partner Karl Pilkington have his bottom examined while being filmed in ‘An Idiot Abroad 2’

The comic duo entered into light hearted banter about the digital rectal examination (DRE) during the sketch which is due to be due aired tonight on Sky2 at 11pm.

The pair were joined by Dr Frank Chinegwundoh, Lead Urology Consultant and Project Lead at Newham University Hospital Trust, who explained to them about the most common cancer in men in the UK, and gave a reluctant Pilkington an internal inspection.

More than 10,000 people have viewed the comic sketch, which has since been uploaded onto You Tube.

Ricky said: “Karl is the typical ‘bloke’ who would rather take his chances with prostate cancer than have another human being put a finger where a finger shouldn’t go. I knew men everywhere would reconsider and say, ‘if Karl can do it so can I’.”

Ricky’s support of raising awareness of prostate cancer first hit the headlines in 2005 when a radio advert he scripted and recorded for The Prostate Cancer Charity was banned by the Radio Advertising Clearance Centre, although the ban was later overturned.

Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: “We are extremely grateful to Ricky, Stephen, Karl, and Dr Chinegwundoh for using comedy to raise awareness of prostate cancer and the diagnostic process to literally thousands of people. Through his comedy Ricky has once again broken down some of the misconceptions about the disease and helped to raise awareness of it.

“We know men can be reluctant to go and see their doctor if they have problems ‘down below’ and so to script a sketch that questions this embarrassment in a non-threatening way is just brilliant.”

Gervais later urged his 714,856 Twitter followers to support The Prostate Cancer Charity to continue it’s work by donating money to the cause.

You can view Ricky’s prostate cancer chat on ‘An Idiot Abroad’ here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypphWN1eKVU

How To Treat A Cold

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Aaachoo! Most of us will have a cold this winter, but do you know how to treat it?

NHS Choices reveals some of the myths around treating a cold and offers advice on how to
get well quickly

According to NHS Choices, on average an adult can expect to catch a cold between two and four times a year, with more people suffering during the winter months. But do you know how best to treat a cold?

Myths about cures for the common cold:
· Vitamin C – according to NHS Choices, one in three people believe that Vitamin C can help cure a cold. In fact, research has shown that Vitamin C doesn’t prevent or cure a cold.
· Echinacea – many think that Echinacea can be used to prevent a cold or treat one, but research has shown that there is no proof of this being the case.
· Over the counter medicines for colds – over the counter medicines do not cure a cold. The usual ingredients are painkillers and decongestants, which only help manage the symptoms.

In reality, the best thing you can do if you do get a cold this winter is to rest, eat well, avoid stress and keep hydrated. As most colds are caused by viruses, you don’t need antibiotics to help treat it.

Dr. Knut Schroeder, GP, says: “Many people will catch a cold this year – but there really isn’t any miracle cure out there. A balanced diet and regular exercise can help you to stay healthy. But, if you are to catch a cold then my advice is to try and stay warm, drink plenty of fluids and to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. All this can help your body naturally fight the cold virus.”

For more information on surviving colds this winter visit, www.nhs.uk/livewell/coldsandflu.

Men Are Dirtier Than Women

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BATHS HAVE GONE DOWN THE PLUGHOLE

AND THE AVERAGE BRIT DOESN’T SHOWER DAILY

 

§       Men are the dirtier sex, but only just

§       Geordies are the cleanest, showering everyday

§       Welsh are the dirtiest with 10% showering just once a week

§       The traditional bar of soap has been replaced by a shower gel

§       One in 20 take a smartphone/ ipad in the bath with them

 

THE NATION’S love affair with a long hot soak in the bath has dwindled as the average Brit (28%) bathes just six times a year.

 

Shockingly, one in five of us have a bath just once a year.

 

And while showers are by far the most popular method of cleansing, even then we’re not squeaky clean, with the majority (52%) admitting they don’t take a daily shower, according to new national study* of the UK’s washing habits.

 

The survey of 3,000 men and women by adventurous shower and bathing brand Original Source revealed that the average Brit (30%) prefers to shower every other day, while 22% confess to showering up to three times a week.

 

When we do finally jump in the shower, we’re out just as quickly as we got in, spending a maximum of five minutes washing away the day’s dirt.

 

It may or may not come as a surprise that it’s the nation’s men who are the dirtiest with a massive 84% of those polled admitting men leave a lot to be desired when it comes to personal hygiene.

 

One in four women say they wished their partners washed more regularly and 10% of those have no qualms in telling them.

 

Meanwhile, 20% of men say their partners could also do with washing more often and 10% feel their female counterparts are more relaxed than them when it comes to personal hygiene.

When it comes to bathing, it seems our lack of time (33%) and worries over water and electricity/ gas bills (24%) are the main reasons for not taking baths regularly, while one in four see the bath as a luxury to be enjoyed as a treat.

 

28% of us go all out when it comes to taking a bath, splashing out on bubble bath, candles and music. 39% of us see the bath as the perfect place to unwind with a good book.

 

Worryingly, one in 20 of us even take our smartphones or ipads in the bath with us to keep updated with work and social networking, proving that clearly we’re a nation that never fully switches off.

 

And while we may not bathe as often as we like, 69% of Brits say there’s definitely still a place for a bath in the home and wouldn’t consider buying somewhere that didn’t have one.

 

When it comes to cleaning ourselves, it would appear that the days of a traditional bar of soap are long gone with just 18% choosing this form of cleanser. The rest prefer to lather up with a shower gel or cream.

 

Original Source senior brand manager, Annie Anstey, said: “It was quite a shock to discover that most Brits don’t shower every day – even the women. And it’s a shame to hear we can no longer afford ourselves the time to take a bath. A long hot soak is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to relax, which should help to ease away the worries of the day.

 

“We are now a nation of shower enthusiasts however, and the main reason is that taking a shower is so much quicker, more efficient and more economical in terms of how much water we use and how much it costs to heat that water. But we’d like to remind people to leave their smartphones and gadgets at the bathroom door… they definitely don’t benefit from a good soak!”

 

 

 

 

Frost Loves…Electronic Cigarettes

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I am incredibly anti-smoking, but I do understand what it is like to be addicted to something. Iin my case it is chocolate and Coca Cola. More healthy and less likely to kill me. With the current shaky economical situation, it is the perfect time to quit. You can save money and help your health with an electric cigarette.

Most of the smokers I know find that one of the hardest things about giving up is what to do with their hands. Cigarettes can almost be used as a pacifier. The act of smoking is missed as well. An electronic cigarette can fix this. You have something to fidget with, almost like a real cigarette, except –  it won’t kill you. If that is not an upside, then I do not know what is!

A e cigarette is an electronic device that mimics a real cigarette. A vapour gets released when you use the electronic cigarette, which tricks your body into thinking it is actually smoking. Frost tried it on a real smoker, and they liked it.

There are a number of different brands around and you may also like to tale a look at this earlier piece from our archives: http://frostmagazine.com/2011/06/smokers-smoking-the-next-generation/

NHS 'Letting Patients Die to Save Cash' Says Official Report

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A report by the Co-operation and Competition Panel (CCP), an independent watchdog that advises the NHS, claims that NHS managers are deliberately delaying operations, hoping that patients will die or go private in a ‘callous’ attempt to cut their budgets.

The report says that health service trusts will be ‘likely to impose greater pain and inconvenience’ by making those in need of care wait longer than necessary for surgery, the official report found.

By making patients wait for as long as four months, it is hoped they will remove themselves form the list ‘either by dying or by paying for their own treatment’.

NHS bosses are having to make £20billion of savings by 2014. The panel’s report claims unfair practices are ‘endemic’ in areas of England.

CCP chairman Lord Carter of Coles said: ‘Commissioners have a difficult job in the current financial climate, but patients’ rights are often being restricted without a valid and visible reason.’ 

Katherine Murphy, of independent charity the Patients Association, said: ‘It is outrageous that some primary care trusts are imposing minimum waiting times.

‘The suggestion that it could save money because patients will remove themselves from the list by going private or dying is a callous and cynical manipulation of people’s lives and should not be tolerated.’ 

The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansely has spoken out and accused NHS managers of risking lives by making patients wait longer for treatment in a ‘cynical’ bid to save money. Lansley said the report showed why the NHS needed to be reformed.

‘This is exactly why we need to put patients’ interests first,’ he said. ‘Too many primary care trusts have been operating in a cynical environment where they can game the system – and in which political targets, particularly the maximum 18-week waiting time target, are used to actually delay treatment.

Care services minister Paul Burstow said: ‘This report illustrates exactly why we need to modernise the NHS and increase choice for patients.’

Amy Winehouse Was 'Physical Wreck' – Death Leaves A Trail Of Grief And Denials

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Amy Winehouse’s grieving mother has said that the singer was “a physical wreck” the day before she died and that her minders had to help her down the stairs. Janis, who suffers from MS, added that Amy was “completely out of it.”

The singer was apparently having weekly health check-ups and her doctor visited her 24 hours before her death but had ‘no concerns.” Her bodyguard, Andrew Morris, also checked on her in the morning, but when he returned in the afternoon, she had died.

After her funeral on Tuesday, Winehouse’s father gave fans her clothes, leaving one fan wearing a vest the singer owned. It also emerged that she was in the process of adopting a poor, 10-year-old, St Lucian girl.

Since the singer’s death, tributes have flooded in, and her family released a statement saying: “Our family has been left bereft by the loss of Amy, a wonderful daughter, sister, niece. She leaves a gaping hole in our lives. We are coming together to remember her and we would appreciate some privacy and space at this terrible time.”

Amy’s phone was apparently “routinely” hacked by members of the press, as were Winehouse’s parents, brother Alex and ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, according to investigative journalist Charles Lavery.

Talking about the troubled Londoner’s attendance at rehabilitation centres, a source told Lavery: “The press knew where she would be, who would be there, what time, at any given time.

“They were able to be there too, to befriend her and actively encourage her, as if they had arrived by chance. That made better copy and, more importantly, better photos for the snappers both inside and waiting outside.

Ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil said that losing Winehouse has left him “inconsolable”, while Fielder-Civil’s mother hit out at critics who said he was responsible for the singer’s untimely, saying he had nothing to do with it.

Amy joins the ’27 Club’ – a list of famous rock stars who died at the same age  – which also includes Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Brian Jones.

Back Pain: How Low Can You Go?

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Back pain is so common now that most people don’t even get it seen to. They suffer in relative silence and inevitably do more damage than intended.

Often, sufferers will forget how the pain started in the first place and have a routine to get themselves through daily life. In today’s pressurised environment, some take a cocktail of analgesics and anti-inflammatory tablets for quick relief, while running on a tight schedule. But this makes the body’s tolerance of pain killers higher and the effects either wear off quicker, or they just don’t work as they used to.

Apart from the lack of care from the body’s owner, day-to-day maintenance is also something that is overlooked. Routine is something we incorporate into our lives for the ease of planning and coping with our work, home and social life.

So why do we ignore what could be a serious injury? There are a number of reasons, but none of them are valid enough to be plausible as an excuse. ‘Not enough time’ seems to be the first one on the list. It’s considered the mother of all excuses and is hard to beat when it comes to answers. But it’s also the one that is the least valid. Simply, if you are put out of commission with a back that fails to function then all you have IS time!

The fact of the matter is simple. Back maintenance is easy, should be part of everyday routine, and the knowledge needed should not be seen as either the Holy Grail, or too boring to remember.

One of the first things we do in the morning is stretch, but that is more of a body reflex than a routine to release muscles that have been bunched up for hours in one position. A five minute stretch that incorporates the whole body will benefit your whole system inside and out. It does more good than just the feel-good factor to the muscles.

Many people have jobs that keep them static all day, so simple, regular movement keeps the muscles functioning and awake. Staying in one position can cause the body to send just enough blood and oxygen to the parts that it thinks need it. The result? You get tired! It’s simple I know, but children instinctively are always running around everywhere and the minute they stop to do something, they either get lethargic, or bored and run somewhere else.

Countless articles promote the benefits of water and how important it is to us. Our bodies are up to 80% water and we’re more dehydrated than we admit. The rule of thumb is, if your mouth is dry then you’re already dehydrated. As sentient beings, we allow this to become acceptable and it shouldn’t, as this will also help the back too.

The more hydrated the body is, the less likely the free radicals (no, not a protest cry, but atoms that cause tissue damage at the cellular level) are to locate in one area. Instead, the area will be flushed and muscle-repairing, oxygen-rich blood inhabits the area preventing scar tissue build up.

I could go on all day about the things we need to do to maintain our bodies and the bad habits we get into, but I’ll finish on a point which we all should know, with a bit that maybe you didn’t.

Posture and poise are not a show of pompous piousness, but a show of respect for the back. Slouching and hunching are arch (sorry about the pun) – enemies to the back and this can be avoided, even at the computer terminal.

Many people even get the recovery process wrong too. As I pointed out earlier, pain killers are something the body can get used to, but pain is also a strange thing. The body can get used to that too – if the pain is constant. Hot showers and baths to soothe a bad back are not good, as they can change the function of the muscle. Instead, the muscle must be allowed to pump blood through the affected area, not act like a cushion and pad the area out, as this can hinder recovery and movement.

The body is an amazing thing and the back allows it all to happen through a network of nerves, muscles and an intricate bone structure. So remember that a little bit of care, maintenance and a minor change to your routine can be the difference between a pain-free or persistent problem. Back to basics, you could say.

Rise of Cyberchondria; NHS Launches Online Healthchecker

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Frost has noticed an upturn in the rise of cyberchondria, people across the UK are googling their aches and pains. Any smart person knows that googling you health problems will never help, the result you get is always death! The NHS has put together an online health checker which shows a more realistic solution to your problem.

MOT YOUR HEALTH ONLINE TODAY

Is my diet affecting my health? Am I drinking too much? Am I active enough? Getting personalised health information, whether to address specific concerns or just see how you are faring, can be tricky. But from today, it will be much easier to check how healthy you are using a free, revamped tool on the NHS Choices website.

The LifeCheck (www.nhs.uk/lifecheck) tool asks you a small number of questions about your age and lifestyle which generates an individual health profile, and health tips tailored to your specific needs. You’ll then be able to set achievable goals to improve your health and wellbeing, and get to relevant, reliable advice and information on the NHS website.

Designed for all ages from newborns to grandparents, the user-friendly tool now combines an upgraded and extended version of three existing tools Baby LifeCheck (5-8 months), Teen LifeCheck (12-15 years) and Mid-LifeCheck (over 40s).