Gardening is Good For You In all Sorts of Ways

I read an interesting article in the Independent newspaper this week by Kitty Knowles.  In it she said that Gardening, once perceived as the sole preserve of middle-class women who venerate the Chelsea Flower Show, is now being used as an effective therapy to help drug addicts, soldiers with post-traumatic disorders and stroke victims alike.

On the eve of National Gardening Week, Kitty reported that Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, has said that more doctors should be promoting gardening therapy, not simply to benefit patients, but also to create "huge potential savings for the NHS". "Just looking at a garden is scientifically proven to improve recovery time," said Alyson Chorley the patron of horticultural charity, Thrive: "Patients do much better after surgery if they look at 'green things' – and they get out of hospital quicker."

According to Sir Richard, "positive spin-offs" from gardening include, exercise, vitamin D from sunlight, and home-grown food. He said: "If everyone was encouraged to do a bit more gardening, you can well imagine how that would affect obesity rates and reduce the stress on the NHS."

According to Thrive, gardening can benefit everyone, regardless of age or ability. It can help older people, and people who have had strokes to improve their mobility by getting their muscles moving. Gardening also improves mental health by providing a sense of purpose and achievement. It's a very social activity and can reduce feelings of isolation and low mood – making friends is easy for some, but for others it is really difficult and having a shared interest can really help to break the ice.

The charity combines therapeutic benefits with practical ones by teaching City & Guilds qualifications, with more than half of those taking part leaving with an NVQ in work-based horticulture.

Kitty Knowles reported that Ian Rickman attended The Geoffrey Udall Centre in Reading, after suffering a stroke in 1995.  The 58-year-old centre volunteer said, "Initially, I didn't think I'd ever be able to garden again. When I came out of hospital I looked through my patio doors at my greenhouse and I just cried. I couldn't even step over the threshold. But with time, and through the gardening, my confidence returned. It was like being born again."

Forty-nine-year-old Kevin Fitzgerald turned to the east London-based Grounded project 10 years ago when he was struggling with depression and alcohol-addiction. "I just didn't know what to do anymore," Fitzgerald said. "But when I started volunteering, I felt this surge of wellbeing at the possibility of being able to come to a patch in the park and call it my own. To hit the cow parsley and take out the brambles just allowed me to find a sense of new direction."

So for those of us contemplating tackling our gardens for the first time this year, at least we can be comforted by the knowledge that the whole experience will be doing us, as well as the garden, the world of good! 

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge.  It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

DART (Disaster Arborist Response International)

DART (Disaster Arborist Response International) are a newly formed Humanitarian Disaster Relief Response Team that is unique in what they offer. Having responded to disasters over the years, most recently the Philippines typhoon, it became very obvious that one of the most crucial parts of aid work is being overlooked. 

DART provide four man teams of trained, experienced and qualified Arborists who spend two weeks in disaster zones. The four man teams work together to clear the devastation caused by fallen and windblown trees. Trees that block roads, demolish dwellings, take out power cables and cause many other forms of devastation. Dealing with these tree falls is crucial to aid work being able to take place. Without experienced and capable people to clear trees and debris, lifesaving aid and medical supplies cannot be taken to the places and people that need it most. The lack of qualified chainsaw operatives available to work in these situations is critical, and the potential for accidents and fatalities is immense. 

Since returning from the crisis in the Philippines in November 2013 DART have worked tirelessly to recruit a professional and reliable team of volunteers who will be trained and ready to deploy on new disasters as they occur. The DART team respond to natural disasters fully equipped for self-sufficiency in the field. They take supplies of food for seven days and basic personal medical equipment. They work effectively and safely for the benefit of the people they have been sent to help. They do not drain resources and are happy to construct their own shelters to stay in whilst on deployment.

DART volunteers are made up of capable people, many with a military background alongside their arborist abilities. DART volunteers come from all parts of the UK and beyond. The support is growing on a daily basis as its unique need is being recognised. Already there are over forty people undergoing specialist training.

Whilst these people are all willing to give their time and effort to help others, they need support in the form of financial support and kit. The advertising that supporting the DART International Team will deliver is something that money cannot buy.  Prior to setting up DART International, members on previous deployments have been filmed and interviewed by news crews from Korea, Japan, Germany and Australia – to name but a few. The names of sponsors displayed on their kit will be seen all around the world.

The full list of the kit that is needed and information are available by emailing DART at dartinterantionaluk@gmail.com

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

Nightmares and a Link to Mental Illness

Nightmares and a Link to Mental Illness

I saw a very interesting article in news from the BBC recently that says that if a child suffers from regular nightmares this might be an early warning sign of psychotic disorders that could develop in later life.

The study, by UK researchers said that while most children will have nightmares from time to time, if the nightmares persist it could be an indication of something more serious.  Nightmares accompanied by what are called ‘night terrors’ were also an indication of increased risk.

Commenting on the study, the charity YoungMinds said it was important research that may help people detect the early signs of mental illness.

Almost 7000 people were followed up to the age of 12 and parents were regularly asked about any sleep problems in their children.  Then at the end of the study the children were assessed for psychotic experiences such as hallucinations, delusions and thinking their thoughts were being controlled.

The study showed that the majority of children had nightmares at some point, but in 37% of cases, parents reported problems with nightmares for several years in succession. One in 10 of the children had night terrors, generally between the ages of three and seven.

The team at the University of Warwick said that a long-term problem with nightmares and terrors was linked to a higher risk of mental health problems later.  The findings were that around 47 in every 1,000 children had some form of psychotic experience. Those having nightmares aged 12, it was found, were three-and-a-half times more likely to have problems and the risk was nearly doubled by regular night terrors. One of the researchers, Prof Dieter Wolke, told the BBC, who reported the story, that nightmares are relatively common, as are night terrors, but that it had been observed that if they did persist then there might be something more serious although the relationship between sleep problems and psychosis is not clear. One theory is that bullying or other traumatic events in childhood might cause both symptoms.

Another alternative is that the way some children's brains are wired means the boundaries between what is real and unreal, or sleeping and wakefulness, are blurred.  What this means that treating the sleep issues may not prevent psychotic events.

Prof Wolke did say that a regular routine and quality sleep were the key to tackling nightmares and that children should have more regular sleep, avoid anxiety-promoting films before bed and not use a computer or have other stimulation at night.

Night terrors occur at specific points during sleep and can be managed by briefly waking the child. Lucie Russell, the director of campaigns at YoungMinds, said that this had been a very important study because anything that could be done to promote early identification of signs of mental illness was vital to help the thousands of children that suffer. As early identification of a problem could help to lessen the chance of problems becoming entrenched in adulthood, this study is an important one.

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and are only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and not as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

The Dangers of Digital Eye Strain.

The Dangers of Digital Eye Strain.

These days, many of us spend a lot of time in front of our computers or on other devices.  However it has been reported that a woman in China, who was in the habit of spending many hours peering at her smartphone in the dark, eventually suffered a detached retina.

The woman said that she felt that the vision in her right eye seemed as though she was looking through a thick veil for about a week.  She went to see the doctor and said that when he covered her left eye the vision and everything she looked at out of her right eye was distorted.  She said that objects she was looking at, that should be rectangular, actually appeared oval. She was used to playing on her smartphone in the dark usually for about two to three hours every night.

The doctor who was treating the patient whose name was Liu diagnosed a partial retinal detachment and put the condition down to her habitual playing with the smart phone in the dark. The treating ophthalmologist explained that spending long hours staring at bright screen in the dark can cause an over contraction of the ciliary muscle and that in turn will affect its ability to accommodate the changes in the lens when the eye tries to view objects at varying distances.

Retinal detachment is a serious condition and can lead to blindness.  Ophthalmologists are reporting that they are seeing more and more patients who are suffering from the condition because of the use of both handsets and computers where they have been staring at the screens for long periods of time.

Another patient in China spent ten hours every day running a shop that he had on a well known online marketplace.  The excessive time that he spent monitoring his on line shop eventually cost him the vision of his right eye, in November last year, doctors reported.

China is a country increasingly obsessed with staying wired, but here as well as in the West health professionals have long warned that excessive use of these devices can lead to very serious consequences.   

Some very useful safety tips are offered by www.thevisioncouncil.org Lens technology is advancing to meet the concerns of a digital world and to help reduce digital eyestrain. Computer glasses are a great solution to reduce or eliminate digital eyestrain. Other “eye-gonomic” actions can also help lessen the incidence of fatigue. The Vision council’s medical advisory board offers these tips for safer screen viewing:

·      Adjust the brightness of your device.

·      Consider changing your background colour from bright white to cool grey.

·      Attach a glare reduction filter to your computer screen.

·      Frequently dust and wipe digital screens to help reduce glare.

·      Adjust your screen so that it is directly in front of your face and slightly below eye level. Do not tilt a computer monitor.

·      Position yourself or your device so there is sufficient distance between your eyes and the screen.

·      Lessen the amount of overhead and surrounding light that is competing with your device’s screen.

·      When using a computer, first sit in your chair and extend your arm.  Your palm should rest comfortably on the monitor.

·      Keep handheld devices a safe distance from your eyes and just below eye level.

·      Increase text size.

·      Remind yourself to blink more often.  This is important as staring at a digital screen can affect the number of times you blink, causing your eyes to dry.

·      Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

·      Parents should limit the amount of screen time for children, and reduce their screen time in front of children so as to set healthy standards in the home.

Remember:  Blink. Breathe. Break

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog is provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and are only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and not as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

Quitting Smoking

Quitting Smoking

Next month will feature the British Heart Foundation’s annual no smoking day. This follows on nicely from the item last week that looked at the move to ban smoking in cars when children were passengers.  A lot of people find that the efforts they have made to quit smoking have been hijacked by the fact that they have felt a real sense of loss when they have given up the cigarettes that have been part of their lives for so long.  I know I did when I gave up ten years ago.  But giving up smoking doesn’t have to be about losing something – it can be very much about getting something back too.

At the moment a pack of twenty cigarettes averages about eight pounds.  That equates to an extra fifty-six pounds a week for a twenty a day smoker who has given up.  You might also be surprised to learn that as well as life insurance being cheaper for non-smokers; car and home insurance will also be less. 

If the health benefits have failed to persuade you maybe the hard cash gains will. 

For a twenty a day smoker after quitting for just one day, they would have enough to rent a movie or buy some magazines.  In one week they would have enough for a  DVD box set, a beauty treatment, a paintballing day or even a day out at the races.

In one month the smoker who has given up will really be quids in and be able to have a real shopping spree, buy some football tickets to a premier game or even have a day out rally driving.

In three months you are in holiday territory with two weeks away from it all in the sun, some new jewellery, a new laptop or the very latest flat screen TV.

Six months after quitting you will be able to pay for a season ticket to the footie, take the whole family away somewhere nice on holiday or buy a top of the range bike.

After a year you will be really feeling the benefit, as the money you have saved would buy you new luxury leather furniture, a new kitchen, some designer bling or even a car.

Looked at like that it does seem tempting right?  So why don't you start planning for next month now and pick a day to quit.  You will be very glad you did when you are driving that new car off the forecourt next year!  

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge.  It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

Banning Smoking in Cars with Children Present

Banning Smoking in Cars with Children Present

It is perhaps no surprise that more than seven hundred doctors and other health experts have put their names to a letter that urges MPs to get behind an England wide ban on smoking in cars, in which children are travelling.   The matter is before Parliament this week for a vote.

The signatories to the letter that was published in the British Medical Journal say that this move is necessary "to protect the well-being of children now and in the future".  Those who have added their support to the ban include doctors, surgeons, nurses and other paramedical staff working in all areas of the NHS.  In the letter the fact that exposure to second-hand smoke is a "major cause of ill-health in children" and this is particularly so in groups that are more disadvantaged, is highlighted.

Smoking in cars exposes children to "high amounts of tobacco smoke" and there is now agreement that children need to be protected from such wholly avoidable hazards.

In the UK a figure of just over a fifth of adults smoke and of those over a fifth admit that they do smoke when their children are around them.  They may not know that even if the car window is open the smoke can be present in the air for up to two and a half hours.  In that smoke are over four thousand chemicals some of which have been proved to cause cancer.  Chest infections, asthma, ear problems and even cot death are also linked to exposure to cigarette smoke.

The figure of three hundred thousand visits to the GP by children suffering from the effects of second hand cigarette smoke, is only topped by the figure of nine and a half thousand that have to be admitted to hospital as a result of inhaling second hand smoke.

A ban on smoking in cars is currently in effect in some US states such as California, as well as in parts of Canada and Australia. 

It must surely a good idea to save children from breathing in second hand smoke, although how it will be policed is difficult to imagine.  It will be interesting to see how the vote goes.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

A Tsunami Of Cancer Heading Our Way

A Tsunami Of Cancer Heading Our Way

Alarming news this week about a predicted tsunami of cancer heading our way.  The reasons given are to do with lifestyle and being overweight, as well as environmental issues.  It seems that the so called ‘baby boomer’ generation fear most dying from cancer, or losing their memory from Alzheimer's as they age but should really be worrying about their growing waist lines, as the generation's obesity problem can cause serious health risks and take a toll on healthcare systems in the not-too-distant future.

Part of the problem is no surprise and it is a sedentary lifestyle. Most adults are advised to take vigorous exercise for 2 1/2 hours every week. We know that this can be achieved by doing simple activities four to five times a week like taking a brisk walk, signing up to a dance class, or other more or less vigorous activities.

However surveys show that the baby boomers on average only exercise enough to raise their heart rates around once every week, if that. A confessed thirty seven per cent don't strength-train at all and effectively miss out on a crucial activity that fights the muscle loss that comes as we age. This generation says that it prefers to walk. The problem is:  they do not walk enough.

Baby boomer's health risks from obesity include an increased risk for arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, and undoubtedly contribute to the surge of treatment required once the boomers reach around 65 years of age.

A handy measure is the advice to keep your waist half, or less, than your height. For example: a woman who is 5-foot, 4-inches (which is 64-inches) should have a waist measurement of no more than 32-inches at the navel.

The oncoming tsunami of cancer doesn't have to include you, if you choose an active lifestyle. 

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK HEALTH RADIO