SHEmazing!
follow us
more
 
HomeTagsPosts tagged with "health"

health

by

In a move which has made countless headlines this morning, the government in Finland have announced that they plan to make the Nordic country 'cigarette-free' by 2030.

Officials initially understood that it would be 2040 before the goal could be properly realised, but new legislation indicates that the aims can be achieved over the course of the next 13 years.

The country is known for its limited tolerance towards cigarettes. Having banned the advertisement of nicotine products back in 1978, Finland then went on to ban smoking in the workplace in 1995 before implementing a ban in bars and restaurants in 2007.

With their 2030 goal in mind, the Nordic version of Business Insider reports that housing associations will enforce smoking bans on balconies as well as yards belonging to the housing complex.

It is understood that capsule cigarettes which activate a taste such as menthol or blackcurrant when squeezed will be receiving an outright ban.

Further to this, retailers will be charged for selling nicotine products and considering the increase in cost, this will render the endeavour almost non-profitable for retailers.

 

Trending

by

Earlier this month we reported on a dubious trend which saw members of the public avail of a 'nose lifter' device which helps to reshape an individual's nose without the aid of surgery.

Made of soft PVC plastic, the device is inserted into the nostrils to help redefine their shape, and, according to Racosmeofficial, "gives an instant, dramatic result and is the world's best selling nose job alternative!"

However, it doesn't look like everyone is a fan, with members of the medical community issuing cautionary advice to the public over the use of the device.

Speaking to News.com.au, Head of Rhinology at Australia's University of New South Wales and Macquarie University, Professor Richard Harvey highlighted the dangers associated with attempting to rehape the framework of your nose.

"It's putting pressure on the cartilage framework of the nose," he explained. "It's being manipulated. It's stretching and distorting it and putting pressure on the lining of the nose."
 
While the folk behind the invention advise the public to only wear the device for an hour at a time during the first week, Professor Harvey reminded the public that wearing it for any time period could result in accidental inhalation should it become dislodged.

Urging the public to reconsider quick-fixes which can be bought online, Professor Harvey added: "If people really have concerns about the shape and function of their nose, they should see a doctor who deals with cosmetic treatments."

"They can educate you about the pros and cons of such treatment."

Trending

by

Following the untimely death of 16-year-old Michael Cornacchio in Cork earlier this week, the HSE has issued a warning to the public over the dangers of a synthetic drug known as U-4.

Michael was found unresponsive in his bedroom in Deerpark, Friars Walk on Monday, and despite medical intervention was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following the teen's death, David Lane, Co-Ordinator of Drug & Alcohol Services with the HSE, spoke with RTÉ, and highlighted the dangers associated with the drug which many may mistake for cocaine.

"It hasn't appeared in an Irish context previously. We are aware that this particular drug has been implicated in deaths in the United States, other parts of Europe and the UK," he explained.

"So we are issuing this public health message to let people know that it has made an appearance on the streets in Cork. We are appealing through various networks in Cork city for drug users to avoid taking the substance."

Echoing these sentiments, Dr Eamon Keenan, HSE National Clinical Leader for Addiction Services, said: "The substance has been discovered in Ireland for the first time. In this case this substance was sold as something else and bought as something else, cocaine."

"You never know what you're buying when you go into the drug market. There is no security or control."

According to The Irish Independent, the HSE has advised the public to dispose of the drug, which has been linked to 50 deaths in the United States since 2015, if they believe they are in possession of it.

Trending

by

If ever there was a month you needed reminding that social media is little more than strategic angles, slick filters and clever lighting, it's January.

Struggling to get your gym gear over your thighs after a prolonged festive hiatus is perhaps the most difficult aspect of getting back on the horse, and it's made all the more agonising by social media feeds chock-full of taut arms and toned abs.

Aware of this, fitness instructor, Anna Victoria, set about reminding her followers that after posting shots highlighting her hard work, she then shakes herself out of her pose, unclenches her abs and becomes reacquainted with a figure more akin to a regular woman than a superhero.

Uploading a splitscreen shot of photos taken moments apart, 28-year-old Anna wrote: "Me 1% of the time vs. 99% of the time. And I love both photos equally. Good or bad angles don't change your worth."

 

Me 1% of the time vs. 99% of the time. And I love both photos equally. Good or bad angles don't change your worth ❤️ I recently came across an article talking about how one woman stated she refuses to accept her flaws, because she doesn't see them as flaws at all. I LOVED that because it sends such a powerful message that our belly rolls, cellulite, stretch marks are nothing to apologize for, to be ashamed of, or to be obsessed with getting rid of! As I'm getting older, I have cellulite and stretch marks that aren't going away, and I welcome them. They represent a life fully lived (for 28 years so far :)) and a healthy life and body at that. How can I be mad at my body for perfectly normal "flaws"? This body is strong, can run miles, can lift and squat and push and pull weight around, and it's happy not just because of how it looks, but because of how it feels. So when you approach your journey, I want you to remember these things: I will not punish my body I will fuel it I will challenge it AND I will love it If you're following my page, you're a part of helping me spread this message and creating this movement – thank you. #fbggirls www.annavictoria.com/guides

A photo posted by Snapchat: AnnaVictoriaFit (@annavictoria) on

"I recently came across an article talking about how one woman stated she refuses to accept her flaws, because she doesn't see them as flaws at all. I LOVED that because it sends such a powerful message that our belly rolls, cellulite, stretch marks are nothing to apologize for, to be ashamed of, or to be obsessed with getting rid of!"

Refusing to see perceived flaws as such, Anna celebrated her figure (at any angle), writing: "This body is strong, can run miles, can lift and squat and push and pull weight around, and it's happy not just because of how it looks, but because of how it feels."

The post which has amassed more than 271,000 likes since its upload yesterday has been inundated with comments from the public.

"I have started to slowly convince myself these things lately and the message you are spreading is both inspiring and important. Thank you and continue on this path," wrote one.

Tagging a friend, another follower wrote: "I love this ! See we don't need to worry about rolls when we bend or sit down! It's how it should be!"

Anna, take a bow.

 

 

Trending

by

According to a recent study, one in three individuals who have been diagnosed as asthmatic do not, in fact, suffer from the condition.

Researchers from the University of Ottawa studied 613 individuals who had been diagnosed with asthma in the last five years, and established that one-third did not actually have the condition.

With the assistance of a lung specialist, researchers were able to conclude that 33 per cent of their participants did not have active asthma, and a staggering 90 per cent were able to stop their medication and remain off it for a year.

The study established that almost half of those diagnosed had not undergone airflow tests to ensure a correct diagnosis  – something which Dr Shawn Aaron, lead author and respirologist at the Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa, struggles to understand.

"Doctors wouldn’t diagnose diabetes without checking blood sugar levels, or a broken bone without ordering an X-ray. But for some reason, many doctors are not ordering the spirometry tests that can definitely diagnose asthma," he said.

"It wasn’t a surprise to most patients when we told them they didn’t have asthma," he added while the study confirmed that those who had been misdiagnosed actually suffered from allergies or heartburn.

Elaborating on the study's findings, Dr  Aaron acknowledged that it was difficult to ascertain which patient was misdiagnosed and which had 'inactive' asthma.

"It’s impossible to say how many of these patients were originally misdiagnosed with asthma, and how many have asthma that is no longer active," he said.

“What we do know is that they were all able to stop taking medication that they didn’t need – medication that is expensive and can have side effects.”

Reflecting on his participants' reaction to the news of their misdiagnosis, Dr Aaron said: "Some knew all along that their puffer wasn’t working, while others were concerned that they might have something more serious."

"Thankfully, the majority of the conditions were mild and easily treated."

The study has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Trending

by

We're all used to seeing snaps of people before and after considerable weight loss.

Whether they're pulling their (now extra large) waistband away from their stomach or using their (now oversized T-shirt) as a bed sheet, when it comes to social media weight loss is always in… until now.

Deciding to turn the trend on its head, body positive social media star, Arianna Dantone, initiated a brand new trend at the start of the year, and Twitter is officially loving it.

The #GainingWeightIsCool hashtag is Arianna's attempt to highlight the importance of weight gain when it comes to countless people's personal journeys.

Whether it's as a result of muscle development through exercise or during the recovery process of an eating disorder, #GainingWeightIsCool seeks to highlight that in many cases relating to physical and mental health, weight gain is just as worthy of celebration as weight loss.

And we're going to let Twitter take it from here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trending

by

Ladies, it's time to gather around for we have some very interesting news to share.

According to those in the know, the decision to go cold turkey on the alcohol front for the first month of the year is actually not as smart a move as many of us have been led to believe.

Putting it simply, Dr. Marc Romano, an addiction specialist at Pompano Beach, Florida's Ocean Breeze Recovery, explained that avoiding alcohol for thirty days is akin to going on a very strict, but short-term diet.

"It's been shown that people who engage in intense short-term diets actually end up putting on more weight when it's all said and done," Dr. Romano said. "And the same logic applies here, for sure."

"It's definitely possible, and probably likely, that anyone doing a Dry January run will probably bounce back even harder once their month is over," he continued. "In reality, there's a much better way to go about this."

While cutting down on drink is not to be discouraged, if you are embarking on a Dry January because you are genuinely worried about your relationship with alcohol, you definitely need to rethink your approach.

"If you are at the point where you need to take a month off drinking, or take stock in your relationship with alcohol, the 'cold turkey' method could present some serious health issues," said Dr Romano.

If you have been drinking at least three or four times a week, your body may react negatively to a sudden period of abstinence.

"Of course, not everyone is going to have seizures if they give up drinking. It all depends on gender, height, weight, frequency of alcohol consumption, all those variables," Dr Romano said.

"But there's really no way to know till it happens. Is that a risk you are willing to take?"

Well, when you put it like that Dr Romano…

Trending

by

According to emerging reports, the lifetime ban which prevented men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service has been officially lifted.

It has been established that as of today any man who has had sex with another man in the last 12 months will be allowed to donate as long as they meet specific blood donor selection criteria.

Health Minister Simon Harris has welcomed the news and assured the public that he is confident in the services provided by the IBTS.

"In June of last year, I accepted the recommendations of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) to change their blood donation deferral policies for men who have sex with men," he explained.

"The IBTS provides a safe, reliable and robust blood service to the Irish health system and has the necessary programmes and procedures in place to protect both donors and recipients of blood and blood products."

"Furthermore, the IBTS will continue to keep all deferral policies under active review in the light of scientific evidence, emerging infections and international experience."

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the IBTS for its work over the past six months, which today sees these recommendations brought to fruition within the timescale agreed," he added.

Prior to blood donation, the IBTS tests all prospective blood donors for a number of diseases, including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Trending

by

With more than 103,000 likes and 33,000 shares, Charmaine Briggs's post on the important role by healthcare assistants has clearly struck a chord with the public.

Taking to social media to dismiss the notion that any one position in medicine is more important than another, Charmaine celebrated the team work which goes into treating and caring for the ill.

"Today someone said to me "Why would you want to be a nurse and wipe people's asses for a living? You may as well just be a HCA" This made my blood boil. No one is "just a HCA" for a start," Charmaine began.

"I've been a health care assistant before being a student nurse and you are your patients only support in some cases. We are the staff with the patients 24/7."

"We are the ones changing the beds, changing our own clothes for the fourth time due to other people’s bodily fluids, the ones mopping up the nosebleeds and cleaning comodes on a loop," she reminded the public.

"We are up close and personal with our patients – we hold their hands when they fear the unknown, we listen to them when they need someone to talk to, we’ve cried with them. We work around the clock 365 days of the year, we sometimes sit with patients who have no family so they simple don't pass away alone."

Highlighting the impact the job has on the individual doing it, she continued: "It is physically and emotionally challenging, and one day you'll need that help from "just a health care assistant" not just when you're old, you don't know what tomorrow holds."

"Nurses save lives everyday. I don't know if people think it is only doctors who save your life but it's really not the case. Everyone comes together as a team and doctors wouldn't be able to do their job without nurses, as nurses wouldn't without HCA's."

"Some people really do need to stop and think what they say to people, as one day you might need that life saving help from the people you run down," she finished in a post which has been widely lauded since its upload at the beginning of the week.

Charmaine has been inundated with messages of support since taking to social media with her message, with one user writing: "Thank you. We HCAs get overlooked and put down a lot. You being a nurse and sticking up for us front line workers really made my day."

Trending

by

The workplace is a stressful environment.

Even on the best days, you can find yourself becoming irrationally irritated by a colleague (Oh hey, Amber Sherlock) or unduly tense over a looming deadline.

While most of us rant to a partner or vent with friends at the end of a long day, researchers are of the opinion we should actually be tending to our stress levels on office-time.

And how are we supposed to this, ladies? Well, put simply, they advise is to take 'masturbation breaks' when it all get too much for us. No, seriously.

Psychology lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, Mark Sergeant, insists that looking after number one, so to speak, is a 'very effective' way to relieve stress and tension in the workplace.

And he's not the only one.

Psychologist and life coach, Dr Cliff Arnall, thinks we need to bring our A-game on this front, telling The Metro: "Certainly taking a masturbation break for boredom or an escape would increase work focus."

And why?

Well, apparently doing so results in a work force with "more focus, less aggression, higher productivity and more smiling."

Yeah, we think we'll pass, thanks.

Trending

by

We all have good and bad days in work – that's a given.

There are, however, some professions which really know how to bring it on the stress front.

From looming deadlines and inordinate demands to physical hazards and the risk of death, some career moves aren't for the fainthearted, and job opportunity website CareerCast has gotten busy compiling a list of the ten most stressful ones out there.

According to their survey, a round of applause is needed for anyone who is currently employed in any one of the following ten jobs.

10. Broadcaster

9. Taxi driver

8. Public relations executive

7. Corporate executive

6. Newspaper reporter

5. Event coordinator

4. Police officer

3. Airline pilot

2. Firefighter

1. Enlisted military personnel

Oh, and if we're giving props to those who have taken on any of the above, let's doff our caps to the lads and ladies who 'apparently' had the sense to choose a job which eventually made its way on to CareerCast's Least Stressful Jobs of 2017 list.

Take it away, lads…

10. Medical Laboratory Technician

9, Pharmacy Technician

8. Operations Research Analyst

7. Jeweller

6. Medical Records Technician

5. University Professor

4. Audiologist

3. Hair stylist

2. Compliance Officer

And the least stressful job for 2017?

1. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

Hmmm… we're sure the good folk working these gigs will have something to say about that…

Trending

by

The brother of a young woman who battled cervical cancer before passing away at the age of 25 insists that change is needed in order to protect young women against the disease.

Amber Rose Cliff was just 18 when she began exhibiting worrying symptoms, and despite requesting numerous screenings, Amber from Sunderland was refused one.

As NHS guidelines stipulate women should be 25 before availing of their screening service, Amber, then 21, sought help privately and was dealt a devastating blow when she learned she had a tumour growing in her cervix.

"We went for a private smear test when she was about 21, three years after she’d first been to the doctors," Josh explained.

"It turned out that the cancerous tumour in her cervix had been growing for years."

Amber underwent multiple operations in addition to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but was dealt another devastating blow when she learned that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, lungs and throat.

And last Sunday, at the age of 25, Amber died.

Determined to initiate change, Josh is appealing to the public to sign an online petition which would allow any woman, who is under the age of 25 and experiencing symptoms, to avail of a screening.

"It shouldn’t be mandatory but that option needs to be there," Josh insisted. 

Dr Jana Witt, health information officer at Cancer Research UK has, however, expressed reservations about Josh's campaign.

"This is because cervical changes that screening detects in younger women tend to clear up by themselves and are less likely to develop into cancer, so screening may lead to unnecessary tests and treatment."

Dr Witt does, however, encourage young women to seek medical attention if certain symptoms present.

"Whatever your age or screening history, if you notice symptoms such as bleeding between periods, after sex, after the menopause, or any other unusual changes, it’s really important to contact your GP."

20,000 people have, thus far, signed an online petition to bring Amber's Law into effect, and Amber's family is currently fundraising in memory of their sister, daughter and friend.

 

Trending
© Copyright 2012-2024 - Shemazing.net. Déanta in Éirinn - Sheology.