World of Health

In the uncertain world we live in, it’s important to make sure you and your family are protected against unforeseen circumstances. There are many different ways to protect your family’s livelihood, but perhaps one of the most helpful is life insurance.

Life insurance is designed to make sure your family would be financially protected in the event that you passed away. Nobody wants to think about this situation, but unless you’re covered, it could leave your family unable to cover their costs.

However, you should be careful to check the terms and the criteria of any cover you’re looking at. For example, many insurers won’t provide cover for known pre-existing medical conditions.

Getting life insurance during illness

You may be able to get life insurance that does cover you, despite your pre-existing condition, but it may cost you more – it’s a question of perceived risk.

If you’re unsure about how much it would cost you, get in touch with a life insurance company / broker. They can tell you what you need to know so you can make the right decision.

What else can affect the cost of life insurance?

Whether you’re ill or not, there are a number of different factors that can affect how much you pay for your life insurance cover. Just a few of these include:

- Your age (younger people typically pay less)

- Whether or not you’re a regular smoker

- Whether you frequently engage in ‘dangerous’ activities (e.g. extreme sports)

- Whether you want cover for other family members

- How much you want your family to receive if you pass away.

Remember, every policy is different, and every insurer has its own terms and conditions. Be sure to check these before you commit yourself to anything.

Statistics in Britain with regard to being overweight and the issues with obesity have been quite alarming. Over 46% of the men and 32% of the women are overweight. Generally speaking being overweight is a person who has a body mass index of between 25-30 kg/m2 and those falling into the obese category have their body mass index over 30kg/m2.

Numbers reveal that being overweight and the problem with obesity increases with age. In the UK, for instance, 4% of men 16-24 years of age were considered overweight but that soared to 78% for men between 55 and 64 and an alarming 67% of the women being considered overweight.

These numbers are increasing on a daily basis and it is clear to see that. Since the 1980s the overall number of people considered obese has doubled. That is an excellent indicator something must be done to overcome the quickly escalating problem.

The rates in UK for childhood obesity are also increasing as today about 13% of all the children who are 8 years old in the UK are obese and a shocking 17% of those between 15 and 17 are obese.

This marks a trend and it will only mean the numbers will increase for obesity. The fact this phenomena is even existent is alarming enough but it means there has to be drastic changes in lifestyle and they have to be done immediately to prevent the rest of the population from suffering the same outcome and making obesity a major health issue in the UK.

Obesity at an early ages leads to a high risk of obesity as an adult. Statistics reveal that women and men who are employed in manual occupations have more of tendency of becoming overweight than those working in the professional field.

For those that work in unskilled manual operations obesity is common. Nearly 25% of women working in unskilled labour jobs are obese compared to only about 15% of women that work in professional operations.

It is very important the program you use for weight loss uses the gradual and slow approach to losing weight. It is not healthy to go for the real quick loss that only returns in a matter of weeks. Select a diet that chooses the right foods to eat and develops good healthy eating habits plus includes within the program a form of exercise that can be incorporated into your daily schedule.

The hormone oestrogen “fuels” a large proportion of breast cancer cases, and overweight women tend to have higher levels of oestrogen, heightening their risk of developing and dying from breast cancer, according to Will Williams, scientific advisor for the All About Weight organisation.

Mr Williams was commenting on an Oxford University study funded by Cancer Research UK, involving thousands of post-menopausal women, which has revealed “just what a huge influence your weight has on your risk of developing breast cancer”.

Mr Williams warned that the study “quantifies obesity as being the most important of the three modifiable risk factors for breast cancer – the other two being alcohol and smoking”.

In the British Journal of Cancer the study researchers explain that one in eight women in the UK develop breast cancer during their lifetime, and it has been ascertained that in most cases the cancer is down to hormone levels. Women with high levels of oestrogen and testosterone have a far higher risk of breast cancer – and the levels of these hormones are increased if there is too much fat stored in the body.

“It was found that women with a BMI (body mass index) of 25 or more had higher levels of hormones and also a higher risk of certain breast cancers,” said Mr Williams.

It is not only overweight women at risk, according to Mr Williams. The excess fat carried by men also disrupts hormones, reducing levels of testosterone, and therefore overweight men are also at higher risk of developing breast cancer.

“Scientists now accept that fat tissue is not a benign energy store, as was previously believed. When you carry a lot of fat it functions as a very active endocrine organ, which means it produces hormones and other signalling molecules that promote inflammation. This not only contributes to a variety of health problems, but also can make it easier to keep gaining weight, and ever harder to lose it.”

Losing potentially deadly fat is, however, possible at any age, and the benefits extend into all realms of life beyond improving health and lowering the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease according to  Mr Williams.

“To lose weight you must consume fewer calories than you expend. This means a low calorie diet has the largest effect on weight loss initially, but exercise also has a vital role to play,” said Mr Williams, who is a registered dietitian.

He explained that the best approach to losing weight was to keep motivated, and this needs a structured programme balancing a low calorie diet with supportive mentoring and appropriate physical activity.

“As the pounds drop off, so motivation and health improves – it’s a win-win situation,” he said. “I hope the latest breast cancer research will encourage all those people at risk to take that first step towards a healthier future.”

For more information about how to lose weight quickly, safely and successfully visit www.allaboutw8.co.uk.

In Scotland, the rates of cancer are higher than the average for Britain in middle aged women, with new diagnoses averaging 10 per day says a new study. Cancer Research UK figures revealed that over 3,500 women from Scotland that were between the ages of 40 to 59 were diagnosed positive for cancer in 2008.

That is a rate of 476 for every 100,000 women compared to the combined rate of Wales, Scotland and England of only 459. All types of cancer were studied by the charity with the exception of non-melanoma cancer of the skin, and since the 1970s showed an increase of more than 1,000 new cases annually with over 2,500 diagnosed in 1979 between the ages 40 to 59.

Across Britain the cancer rates, per the study, had increased over the last 30 years close to 20% for middle aged women and men. The average number in 1979 of new cases was 44,000 with that number at 61,000 in 2008 an annual increase for cases for the year of more than 17,000.

The charity also pointed out that the survival rate from cancer victims since the 1970s had doubled. One of the reasons for more cancer diagnoses is in part due to the breast screening program the NHS has and for prostate cancer exams.

A spokesman for the charity, John Fyall noted that treatments for cancer have progressed tremendously since the 1970s and the survival rate has increased exponentially because of that. But he pointed out that a redoubling of efforts needs to be made so cancer survival becomes the norm and not the exception irrespective of the cancer or the age of the patient.

The charity is launching a new campaign of TV advertising using the stories of real people that have survived the disease in order to try a help with donations. A lady from Perth was an example used in the campaign.

In June of last year she was diagnosed with cancer of the ovaries. But because of new research and treatments she is a survivor and participated in her first Race for Life in order to give back.

She had surgery and then chemotherapy for six months and said she did not realize the number of women between 40 and 60 that have been and are being diagnosed with the disease. On the other hand she said by participating on Race for Life you also see how many of those diagnosed are actually surviving.

Type 1 diabetes is a disease where the immune system of the body attacks one’s own tissues and the cells of different organs. The cells that generate insulin in the pancreas get destroyed by diabetes type -1. Childhood diabetes is not common but recently the percentage of children contracting the disease has increased.

Each year diabetes type 1 affects hundreds of children. With the child obesity rate increasing in the UK ,diabetes is increasing as well. Nutritionists are very concerned with the number of children that are obese. Children are becoming fascinated with junk food which has large amounts of fat. Obesity can cause a number of disorders that are life threatening such as diabetes, blood pressure, cardiovascular disorders and strokes.

There are a number of factors that are responsible for developing diabetes in young children. The main cause in children is still not clear, but the most probable reason it the mutation of genes and other environmental symptoms.

According to a recent survey, most of those who suffer type 1 diabetes have no family history of diabetes. Symptoms for diabetes include excessive thirst, weakness and tiredness, a sudden large loss of weight, urination on a frequent basis, an increase of appetite on an ‘all of a sudden’ basis, irritation and a sudden increase of weight.

There are some children that have had symptoms like cramps/pains in the stomach, severe headaches and behavioural patterns that are disturbed. Awareness of diabetes should be initiated in high school. If your young child has even the smallest of changes in their system it is important you contact your physician.

Many children are unable to communicate with anyone about the changes taking place in their body. Therefore parents need to be aware of their children’s health. There is not cure for diabetes but it is manageable and controllable.

If a child gets diagnosed with diabetes, treatment should start immediately so any further complications can be prevented. Usually kids are at least bothered by something that does not seem right in them. Parents need to express to their kids how important it is they communicate any problems they have or any time they feel out of the ordinary.

You should also consult an experienced dietitian to help customize a diet for your child to help come up with the best and healthiest diet possible. The diet should become a daily routine and should be changed as infrequently as possible.

The origin of Nummular Eczema still perplexes doctors. Like all eczemas, the common denominator is the propensity to allergies such as hay fever. When an outbreak starts it contains a group of tiny red lesions and spots that enlarge and form one in the shape of a round circle.

They are at times between 2 and 10 centimeters in diameter. The color of the lesions are at first a uniform red then the center will begin to clear often leaving  what people mistake for ring worm which is a fungal infection.

Eczema is a general name for rashes and lesions on the skin. Nummular eczema is close in relation to atopic dermatitis, stasis dermatitis and asteatotic eczema. If these types of lesions become irritated to a further extent, they will open then crust over making it that much more agonizing.

Nummular eczema is most commonly found on the legs, torso, hands and arms and much more common with men than women. Men ages 55 to 65 see it most often while in women it is most common between 15 and 25. It is equal for all races and affects one in 500.

There is no cure for nummular eczema therefore there are limitations to what can be done and that is limited to just treating the discomfort. If there has been a weakened immune system that parents have passed down nummular eczema or any other eczema could lie dormant until a simple scrap, insect bite or poison ivy bring it out.

The best thing is to keep the areas that are most affected moist with ointments, creams, bath oils or lotions. If you bath more than once a day that could make things worse and it is best to pat or air dry. Lanoline and wool should be avoided and if symptoms worsen because of weepy or infection there are topical antibiotics that can help.

Severe outbreaks can require oral corticosteroids to be prescribed to help. There are a number of alternative medicines that have done much more than drug companies and doctors have done for the sufferer. Fatty 3 acids and herbal tonics are known to have cleared up eczema.

The house dust mite triggers a number of allergic reactions like asthma (breathing difficulties, wheezing), hay fever (sneezing, teary eyes), and childhood eczema. The house dust mite is very tiny at only 200 to 300 micron long. The creature has eight legs and is related to the spider and is found in all places that humans life. There are two species of dust mites that are very common. The American (Dermatophagoides farinae) and the European dust mite species (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus).

The allergen is not the dust mite itself but it is what is contained in their droppings – digestive enzymes (proteins). The droppings are particles the size of between 4 and 20 microns and may even break into even smaller bits as small as 0.5 microns.

How to kill dust mite?

Know your enemy! Here are some important facts about house dust mites which you can use to help rid your home of this pest.

• The fight is ongoing – dust mites are everywhere and they keep being carried into your home on people’s clothing, for instance. So look for long-term solutions which will reduce your dust mite burden.
• Dust mites are to be found mainly in bedding, soft furnishings and carpets. It is easy to disturb them – getting into and out of bed, for example – and throw up a large cloud of dust mite allergens.
• House dust mites feed on the skin scales in dust.
• Mites prefer humid conditions. To survive they absorb water from the air and when humidity is less than 50% they tend to dry out

Allergy Cosmos, good tips for keeping house dust mites under control:

• If you are thinking of serious home improvements, think about replacing upholstered sofas and armchairs with leather or vinyl covered furniture, which house dust mites cannot penetrate. Consider replacing carpets with hard flooring. This will create an entirely new environment which will help to reduce the dust mite burden in your home.
• Tackle dust mites in bedding – Washing bedding regularly with allergy friendly laundry detergent such as Allergen Wash from Allersearch, available at www.AllergyCosmos.co.uk.
• Damp dust everywhere regularly to get rid of the house dust mite source of food. Use an effective allergy dust spray such as ADS or ADMS from Allersearch, it will destroy the allergy symptom causing protein on contact. Get rid of any clutter where more dust can build up.
• It is crucial to get rid of dampness in your home. Ventilate by opening windows, and check for condensation in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Last but not least is using an effective air purifier. A good air purifier has a HEPA or HEPA-like filter, a high filtration efficiency and is strong enough to clean the area in question. Allergy Cosmos offers free expert consultations

How to get rid of dust mite allergens?

Killing dust mites by lowering humidity and removing dust will help to remove dust mite allergens in your home. However, allergen will still persist in bedding, soft furnishings and so on. Vacuum (we recommend Miele), use a good air purifier (ideally IQAir from Allergy Cosmos), dust with an allergy friendly cleaning product, and wash laundry with Allergen Wash from Allersearch to remove as much allergens as possible.

www.AllergyCosmos.co.uk