Darkness into light - time to register

Don’t forget the annual Darkness Into Light event in aid of Pieta House on 6 May. This flagship awareness event has grown into a global movement against suicide. Starting at 4.15am, participants walk or jog a 5km route while the dawn is breaking. Registration costs €20. See www.darknessintolight.ie.

Did you know?

Irish men in Ireland live on average until they are 79.3 years; Irish women live until they’re 83.5 years.

Plain packaged cigarette boxes are coming into force this September.

As little as a 2% drop in fluid levels in your body will make you feel sluggish so taking a big drink of water regularly is advised.

Only 50% of adolescent girls started the recommended HPV vaccine series in September 2016 – the recommended rates, according to the Royal College of Physicians, is 80%.

Bowel cancer is the cancer most often asked about on the Irish Cancer Society website.

76% of older people don’t eat enough fruit and veg.

Muscle flexibility is at its highest between 4pm and 5pm so taking a walk is good at this time.

A brisk 10-minute walk can increase energy for up to two hours.

Gardening if you have hayfever - tips

Boots pharmacist Paula Riley has these six practical tips for gardening if you have hay fever:

  • Monitor pollen forecasts and garden in the evening or in the morning on cool cloudy days.
  • Do not touch your eyes and nose during gardening to avoid the transfer of any mould or pollens.
  • Rub a small amount of petroleum jelly inside your lower nostrils to help prevent pollen from entering your nasal passages.
  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat to prevent pollen landing on your hair. Cover up and wear gloves, a long-sleeved top and sunglasses if you are cutting the grass.
  • Shower and change your clothes after being outside.
  • Speak to your pharmacist about treatment for managing symptoms.
  • New guidebook for senior citizens and carers

    The 2017 edition of Senior Citizens and Family Carers: The Essential Guidebook is now available. A hard copy of this resource is available free of charge from any Home Instead Senior Care office as well as many libraries, health centres, GPs and chemists throughout the country.

    It offers information about all types of allowances, entitlements, community services, care options as well as legal and financial information for older people.

    Every chapter includes a person’s story showing the everyday experiences that older people and family carers can learn from, such as how to go about appointing a power of attorney. See www.homeinstead.ie

    Hospital patients' opinions looked for in May 2017

    From 1 May and for the duration of the month, all adult patients being discharged from a public acute hospital will be invited to participate in a patient survey.

    Up to 27,000 patients will be eligible to take part, making this the largest single survey of the healthcare system in Ireland.

    Patients will be asked 61 questions on topics such as about their confidence and trust in hospital staff, hospital food, care and treatment, and whether their medications and possible side effects were explained before discharge from hospital.

    This is a joint initiative by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the HSE and the Department of Health.

    Data from the National Patient Experience Survey Programme will be used to shape future healthcare policy and improve outpatient outcomes for patients.

    Patients will receive the survey by post a few weeks after discharge and can complete the form via post or online. For further information see www.patientexperience.ie.

    Home optician service started by Specsavers

    Domiciliary (home-based) eye care is now available in Ireland with the opening of Specsavers Health Call. This means that those who are housebound can avail of opticians coming to their home to provide eye care.

    The services are being provided by brother-and-sister team Patrick and Teresa Flanagan, the founders of the Dublin-based home visiting opticians Home Call, who have entered into a new joint venture partnership with Specsavers health call.

    The service is currently available in nursing homes nationwide and to private residential homes in the greater Dublin area, with plans to expand nationally.

    Stay well in the workplace

    Caroline McGuigan, CEO of Suicide or Survive, has these workplace wellness tips:

    Mindfulness: Take five to 10 minutes every day to do a team meditation exercise. It improves wellbeing, focus and productivity. It also takes us out of the business of work to give our mind a break, which allows us to face our workload with renewed energy.

    Wellness jar: Keep a jar in the office into which everyone puts their own wellness tips – simple things like take a minute to breathe and notice your surroundings, play your favourite piece of music, have a chat with a friend or get some fresh air at lunchtime. Workers then each take a tip from a jar every day and commit to putting it into action before the day is over – a simple and effective strategy.

    Taking notice: Pay attention to your colleagues and really listen when someone tells you how they are. Take time to notice and compliment those around you – kind words can give a lift to those who are struggling.

    Gratitude: Never underestimate the value of thanking colleagues. We all doubt our ability and work from time to time so being made to feel appreciated can have a big impact.

    Being open about your struggles: Many of us struggle with mental health every now and then but the stigma and the pressures of work force us to put on a mask that will worsen our difficulties.

    Make every effort to foster workplace culture where people can be open about their mental health without fearing judgement.

    Strive for supportive footwear

    Looking for comfortable footwear? Flat, fashion-led footwear like flip-flops or plimsolls can allow your foot to roll inwards or outwards, causing ankle strain, planter fasciitis and even bunions, so it’s important to not wear footwear like this all the time and to look for proper support in shoes that you wear for long periods of time.

    Strive footwear has over 35 years’ experience in making feet healthy and its biomechanical foot-bed technology cradles the heel, contours the arch and supports your feet. It is designed to restore the foot’s natural alignment, enabling the feet, ankles and legs to function correctly and thereby correcting poor postural alignment.

    Strive footwear is available throughout Ireland, including in Avoca stores, and online at www.strivefootwear.com.

    Superbug control technology wins award

    Kastus, the antimicrobial experts, have won an award from Knowledge Transfer Ireland recognising the work the company has done over the past year in the fight against the spread of superbugs. The awards recognise the achievements of higher education institutes and publicly funded research organisations in carrying out knowledge transfer in Ireland. The company’s antimicrobial solution kills harmful bacteria and micro-organisms such as MRSA and E coli. The patented technology can be used to protect a range of everyday surfaces including smartphones, glass, door handles and metals against very harmful superbugs.

    Stop targeting kids campaign

    The Irish Heart Foundation is running a campaign to stop companies targeting kids with advertisements for junk food and drink brands.

    According to the Irish Heart Foundation, one in four Irish children is obese or overweight.

    “By using slick marketing tactics to target children, junk food brands help establish and encourage eating habits that cause obesity, which can have life-limiting health consequences,” says Chris Macy, head of advocacy with the Irish Heart Foundation.

    “There is conclusive and long-standing proof of a causal link between junk food marketing to children and child obesity.

    “We now have children as young as eight presenting with high blood pressure – an early sign of heart disease once mainly seen in middle age.

    “We know junk food marketing to children is rampant, we know it is fuelling obesity, we know this is damaging children’s health and we know the State is not doing enough to tackle the problem.”

    See www.Irishheart.ie/stoptargetingkids. To sign the petition and watch videos of how junk food companies target children, check out www.irishheart.ie.

    Lucozade is changing - diabetes alert

    Lucozade Energy Original now contains approximately 50% less glucose-based carbohydrates than it used to, according to Diabetes Ireland, so those with diabetes need to bear this in mind.

    People who have been recommended to drink Lucozade Energy Original if their blood glucose is low should be aware that the formulation of the drink is changing from April 2017 and this will not be advertised on the bottle.

    Lucozade Energy Original now contains around 50% less glucose-based carbohydrates so the amount needed to treat hypoglycaemia will change.

    Hypoglycaemia, often referred to as hypo, can be a side effect of insulin and taking some diabetes medications. If you’re concerned about whether this affects you, check with your pharmacist or doctor/diabetes team.

    New products will appear on shelves from April 2017 and for a time old and new bottles and cans may be on the shelf together, so remember to check the label for the amount of glucose-based carbohydrates.

    This applies to all Lucozade energy flavours. People with diabetes please consult your health professional.