Drinking – is it really that bad for me?
Drinking in moderation can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. But what does ‘moderate’ actually mean? Cromwell Hospital surgeon Mr Wayel Jassem discusses knowing your limits. For many of us, a great deal of our time socialising with family, friends and colleagues centres around having a drink together. A bottle of wine with dinner […]
COPD: Improving your symptoms
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects an estimated three million people in the UK; however, symptoms of this disease can be eased with proper treatment and most importantly, quitting smoking. COPD is largely a disease of smokers The term COPD has replaced the previously separate conditions of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. With rare exceptions such […]
Prevent hair loss during chemotherapy
Many patients say hair loss is one of the most devastating side effects of their treatment. But hair loss can often be reduced or prevented through scalp cooling. Our chemotherapy department now offers the newest of these scalp-cooling technologies – DigniCap™. DigniCap provides better results and is more comfortable than other common scalp-freezing methods. It […]
Vaccinating against cancer
More than 50 percent of sexually active adults are infected with HPV at some point during their lifetime, the virus responsible for almost all cervical cancers. Gynaecologist Mr Fateh Raslan discusses this common disease and the vaccination to prevent it. HPV responsible for cervical cancer Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV, […]
Reducing the risk of being aware during surgery
For many patients, going under anaesthesia can be as worrying as the surgery itself. Often this is caused by a fear of waking during their operation. Dr David Coates, an anaesthetist at Cromwell Hospital, talks about the machine he uses to prevent this happening. Low risk of complications under general anaesthesia General anaesthesia is very […]
Menopause: a surprise for women in their 40s
Many women are surprised to find they are entering the menopause earlier than expected. In this article, Dr Vanessa Mooney discusses some of the symptoms of the menopause and what you can do to manage them. Early onset of the menopause is not unusual A number of women are surprised when I tell them they […]
Soak up the sun to help avoid vitamin D deficiency
A recent survey in the UK showed that more than 50% of adults are thought to have insufficient levels of vitamin D and, during winter and spring, 16% have a severe deficiency. The survey also showed a quarter of under-five year olds do not have enough vitamin D and are at risk of bone-related problems. […]
Stay safe on the slopes
Even though the number of ski injuries are going down, make sure you protect your feet and ankles this ski season. Ankle and foot winter sports injuries Statistically, in terms of foot and ankle injury risk, it is now considerably safer to ski compared with stepping onto a football pitch. Overall ski injury rates have […]
Get a good night’s rest
Insomnia is one of the most common conditions seen by GPs. In this article, Dr Fiona McAndrew discusses the different types of insomnia and what can be done about the problem. Difficulty in sleeping is a common problem If you’ve ever had trouble sleeping, you know the frustration it can cause – tiredness, irritability, difficulty […]