Easing the flow

It’s a sad, but true, fact of life that as we age our bladder control weakens so we have to urinate more frequently, and this can affect your sleep patterns.

An overactive bladder affects around 16-17 per cent of the worldwide population, with incontinence occurring in about one third of cases.

After the age of 40, urination for men can become increasingly difficult with more frequent visits to the bathroom, and often have difficulty in fully emptying the bladder.

The condition increases with age, affecting 70-80 per cent of people by the time they are 80. It is the most frequent reason for men seeking advice for prostate-related problems.

Women are not exempt of course as 40 per cent of us will also experience some form of distressing incontinence in our lifetime. Stress incontinence, or bladder weakness, can occur at any age in women, particularly when the pelvic floor weakens due to childbirth, pregnancy and menopause, and leakage occurs on sneezing, coughing or laughing.

Happily there is now a natural supplement to relieve this problem. FlowEase comes from The Really Healthy Company and is made from a specialized form of flower pollen. Research into flower pollen has been going on for 40 years and has been found to contain over a hundred different nutritional components including: minerals, trace elements, amino acids, nucleic acids, enzymes and anti-bacterial substances.

FlowEase provides an array of nutrients from flower pollen shown to maintain bladder health and stability, based on the work of Professor Gösta Jönsson, of Lund University, Sweden, who proved it had a beneficial effect on prostate diseases. As well as helping with urinary problems, clinical studies show that pollen extract alleviates the discomfort and symptoms resulting from an enlarged or inflamed prostate.

FlowEase helps maintain bladder health and stability in both men and women by activating the receptors in the bladder muscle, strengthening its function while also allowing the muscles in the urethra to relax to enable complete urination. This leads to longer gaps between toilet visits, making life more bearable.

If you can’t find FlowEase in your local health store, visit the website at www.healthy.co.uk

How footballers have helped cancer patients

It’s not a natural connection perhaps, despite the Bobby Moore Fund and its sterling work in raising funds for research into bowel cancer, but a new treatment has linked the two things.

It comes through hyperbaric oxygen therapy that is normally given to treat injured footballers to help them heal more quickly and to treat scuba divers who suffer the bends. It involves the patient sitting in a sealed chamber and breathing 100 per cent oxygen while the air pressure around them is gradually increased. The treatment lasts about 30 minutes and after it finishes the air in the chamber is slowly returned to normal pressure before the patient leaves.

A trial just beginning at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital aims to see if it could also help relieve the side-effects from radiotherapy that pelvic cancer patients often suffer.

These patients may be suffering from cancer of the cervix, ovary, prostate, testis, rectum, bladder and uterus and are left with unpleasant side-effects including diarrhoea, stomach cramps and frequent bowel movements.

Most patients return to normal within a few weeks of stopping radiotherapy treatment, but about 30 per cent develop long-term bowel problems that can interfere with their daily activities and certainly affect their quality of life.

At the moment there is no cure for these symptoms and, as more people are treated for pelvic cancer, an increasing number of people will experience such side effects. A recent small study found evidence that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be able to improve this situation so a large trial is now underway at specialist centres in Cardiff, Chichester, Great Yarmouth, Hull, Plymouth, North London and the Wirral to properly test whether this therapy works in patients who have been suffering side-effects for at least a year.

Flea collars warning

The report found two particular chemicals, tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) and propoxur, used on national brands of flea collars. TCVP belongs to the class of nerve-damaging chemicals known as organophosphates, most of which are so hazardous that they’ve been banned for residential use or for use on pets. Propoxur belongs to a class of chemicals called carbamates, which also cause nerve damage, and it’s on California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer.

Not good news for your pet, but particularly bad news if you have small children as they tend to pet the animal and then put their hands in their mouths.

Use only natural, non-chemical tick collars to protect the health of your pets and your children and if you can’t find anything in your local store then here’s a good recipe for a home made one using essential oils.

Recipe for a Herbal Flea Collar

You need to get a bottle each of citronella, tea tree, and rosemary oils.

In a glass bowl, blend one tablespoon of citronella and tea tree oil, and a half a tablespoon of rosemary Oil. Soak an ordinary cloth collar for 20 minutes in the mixture then let it air dry for about five hours.

Put it on your pet as normal and with any leftover oil you could store it in a glass jar and use it to give a weekly natural flea bath as needed. Take a small amount of the mixture, rub it into a towel, and then rub it lightly on the animal’s fur. This homemade herbal flea wipe means your pet smells great and it will keep fleas, and ticks away.

Natural cold beaters

If you want some natural help to deal with colds this autumn then aromatherapy is always a reliable and safe way to do that. Primavera Cold Therapy products are made with Fair Trade and Certified Organic ingredients to help respiratory and sinus problems and contain Eucalyptus Essential Oil, which has natural antibacterial qualities to effectively relieve respiratory problems associated with cold symptoms; Thyme Essential Oil to purify air with a warming, invigorating scent; and Lavender Essential Oil to comfort the mind and support relaxation. Get ahead of the sniffles and have your emergency ‘cold kit’ ready now.

Older people least aware of cancer risk

A World Cancer Research Fund survey of people aged 55 and over has found that this group are the least aware in Britain about how they can reduce their risk of cancer.

Nearly 2000 people responded and well over 50 percent of them had very low awareness that eating a poor diet, being overweight, not being active and drinking alcohol are cancer risk factors. This is despite convincing scientific evidence that these all increase risk of cancer.

Scientists estimate about a third of the most common cancers could be prevented through eating healthily, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight and it is therefore a real concern that so many older people are not aware of these factors.

Perhaps people in this age group think it is too late to start thinking about cancer prevention, but that is far from the truth. No matter how old you are, you can make lifestyle changes that can reduce your cancer risk.

But while awareness is lowest among older people, the survey also showed there have been big increases in awareness across the board since a similar survey was carried out in August 2007.

Two statistics that the older age group do seem to have taken on board are first that alcohol is a risk factor. Their awareness of this has increased from 35 to 53 per cent, which is certainly a major jump. Interestingly, the biggest difference in awareness between men and women was for alcohol with just 49 per cent of men aware it increases risk of cancer, compared to 56 per cent of women.

Second interesting statistic is that a massive 90 per cent of people are aware of the smoking link, whether they choose to act on it though seems to be another matter.

For more information on the report visit www.dietandcancerreport.org

Sweet tooth? Eat a pickle!

I know you are not going to give sugar up entirely, so here’s a tip. When you eat something sweet you get a rise in your blood sugar but if you eat something with vinegar like a pickle or a salad dressed with balsamic vinegar you can help balance that rise. If you are planning on having dessert,then that salad will help because although vinegar doesn’t block dietary sugars, it causes them to be absorbed more slowly.

Oh really? Having enough sleep may reduce mistakes in memory!

We haven’t had one of these for a while but I always like to know that out there somewhere science never sleeps – especially if someone is paying them to research it.

Sleep is the subject here because Kimberley Fenn, a cognitive neuroscientist at Michigan State University, has studied on this and come to the conclusion that having enough sleep may reduce mistakes in memory.

No, really? If you don’t get enough sleep you are not going to be as sharp or able to remember things as well as if you got your full quota – don’t snicker, this lady got a lot of money to research this.

While previous research has shown that sleep improves memory, this study is the first to address errors in memory and although it isn’t known how sleep helps with this that hasn’t deterred Kimberley Fenn as she believes that further research is warranted, and plans to study different population groups, particularly the elderly, as she believes this could potentially improve their quality of life in some way.

Trust me, I do not make this up!

Mary Poppins eat your heart out!

A spoonful of sugar might help the medicine go down, but it’s also more likely to mean you end up needing some medicine to cope with the effects of sugar on your body. We are now eating more sugar than ever before; a massive 22 teaspoons a day for adults, and children between 14 and 18 get through a massive 34 teaspoons every day.

The biggest culprit here is our increased intake of soft drinks, then sweets, biscuits and cake. Those are the sugars you know about, but there are all the hidden ones. For instance that ‘healthy’ fruit yoghurt can have up to 6 teaspoons of added sugar and if you love your breakfast cereals they too can give you around 3 teaspoons a serving before you have added your milk.

Sugar has been implicated in a number of diseases, and of course makes your dentist very happy as you will be in for repeat visits. Excess sugar intake can lead to diabetes, heart disease, nervous disorders, gallstones, hypertension, and arthritis. It can also increase adrenaline in children – as if they needed it – so check the ingredients on things you and your family eat. Oh, and don’t think honey is any less harmful because the honey decays teeth faster than table sugar and has the highest calorie content of all sugars at 65 calories/tablespoon, compared to the 48 calories/tablespoon found in table sugar.

Nice piece of organic fruit anyone?

Meningitis in babies

The autumn and winter are the high season for meningitis so let’s have a look at the most vulnerable group, babies under 12 months of age.

You may not know it, but this group run 38 times the risk of meningitis than children over one and adults. Every year over 1000 babies contract meningitis and one in four are left with after-effects sometimes as severe as deafness, brain damage and amputations and sadly one in ten will die. At present there is no vaccine against meningococcal B – the strain of meningitis responsible for the majority of cases of meningitis in the UK. .

I am not generally a fan of antibiotics, but meningitis can be prevented in newborn babies by giving antibiotics to at-risk mothers during labour. This recommendation has been in place several years, but many ‘at-risk’ mothers are never offered this option and it is believed that half of the current cases of Group B Strep in newborns could be prevented if guidelines were followed.

It can be very difficult to spot meningitis in babies because the symptoms are much less obvious than in older children and adults but the following list is a guide. Remember that babies can deteriorate very fast so if in any go to hospital immediately:

• Tense or bulging soft spot

• High Temperature

• Very sleepy/staring expression/too sleepy to wake up

• Vomiting/refusing to feed

• Irritable when picked up, with a high pitch or moaning cry

• Breathing fast / difficulty breathing

• Blotchy skin, getting paler or turning blue

• Extreme shivering

• A stiff body with jerky movements, or else floppy / lifeless

• ‘Pin prick’ rash / marks or purple bruises on the body

• Cold hands and feet

• Sometimes diarrhoea

• Pain/ irritability from muscle aches or severe limb/joint pain

The Meningitis Research Foundation provide very good information free on their website at www.meningitis.org or Freephone helpline 080 8800 3344

Ten tips to live to be 100

12 Surprising Signs You’ll Live to 100

Tip 1 – Get out there and socialise because outgoing people are 50 percent less likely to develop dementia. Sociability means resilence and that means lower levels of cortisol – a stress hormone – which is good because too much of it can inhibit brain cells’ communication.

Tip 2 – Haul on your trainers and walk fast or run for 5 hours a week (40 mins a day or find some enjoyable exercise that you will maintain life long. Doing this means you get less heart disease, cancer, neurological diseases, and infections than your non-exercising friends. .

Tip 3 – Have a fibre rich diet as it helps reduce cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost weight loss. Plus the usual sound advice to eat naturally and avoid processed foods and additives!

Tip 4 – Whatever your age, see yourself as least ten years younger than you actually are. This gives you greater optimism and motivation to overcome challenges – both of which are immune system boosters.

Tip 5 –Don’t be afraid to Twitter because keeping up with new technology helps keep brain cells stay young and healthy. Stay connected to friends, family, and current events through email, Facebook and so on as that helps you feel vital and relevant.

Tip 6 – Keep counting the calories as research showed that people who limit their daily calories to 1,400 to 2,000 were literally young at heart because their hearts functioned like those of people 15 years younger.

Tip 7 – Keep an eye on your heart rate and aim for a healthy 15 times in 15 seconds, or 60 beats a minute if you prefer at rest. Average resting rate is between 60-100 bpm, and the closer to the low end the better it is. A slower pulse means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard and socould last longer.

Tip 8 – Don’t snore! This could be a hard one to manage but snoring is a major sign of obstructive sleep apnoea, a disorder that causes you to stop breathing briefly because throat tissue collapses and blocks your airway. Sleep apnoea can cause high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, and depression. (oh, and sometimes divorce as well)

Tip 9 – Manage your stress in whatever way works for you because you can then avoid many of the major life threatening conditions. Yoga and Tai Chi or Salsa Dancing and Cake Decoration – whatever helps you relax.

Tip 10 – Breathe, and then repeat! . One 30-year long study found that the most significant factor in your health and longevity is how well you breathe and it is the cheapest health aid ever. Breathing properly means you are oxygenating your body which has a direct effect on your nervous system. Try Dr Andrew Weil’s tip breathing in for a count of 4, hold for 7 and breathe out for 8. Just practice until it feels natural – very useful when stuck in a queue and nobody knows you are doing it!

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