Health & Wellbeing

Generous donations from the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) are helping to fund a new £460,000 research project at the University of Birmingham. The researchers are studying a way to reduce the complications children can suffer as a result of heart surgery.

As winter approaches, people in "at risk" groups are being reminded to get their free flu vaccination. Adults aged 65 and over, people with long term health conditions, children aged between two and seven, carers and pregnant women may all be eligible for a free flu vaccination. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people see their GP and tens of thousands are hospitalised because of flu.

Half-term fun is on offer to younger visitors to Wolverhampton's WV Active leisure centres during the school holidays from Monday to Friday, 26-30 October, 2015. WV Active Aldersley, WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams and WV Active Central are hosting a wide range of activities throughout half-term week.

Birmingham carers are being urged to become flu fighters this winter – to protect themselves and the people they care for. Director of Public Health, Dr Adrian Phillips, is encouraging all carers to check with their GP to see if they’re eligible for a free flu jab to reduce the risk to their own health and the person they care for.

Male infertility is increasing and a major contributing factor is the poor quality of a mans seminal fluid or semen. Special cells in the semen called spermatazoa (sperm for short) enable pregnancy by penetrating and fertilising the womans egg. If there is a concern about a man’s fertility, a special test called a semen analysis (often called a sperm count) is usually ordered by his doctor.

On Tuesday 20 October, Trustees from the Royal Marines Association (RMA) officially launched their £40,000 sponsorship of a room in Fisher House. The House is QEHB Charity’s ‘home away from home’ for families of military patients to stay at whilst their loved ones receive treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, which is also home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine.

Drivers are being warned that they are three times more likely to be involved in a traffic related accident even after consuming just one drink versus being sober. Statistics show that on average 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink-drive collisions accounting for 16% of all road deaths in Britain.

Lesley Joseph, Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson take a break from filming the third series of the classic sit-com Birds of a Feather to don pink finery to support Breast Cancer Care’s Big Pink this October. Lesley Joseph, who has supported the charity for the past seven years, said: “I’ve had family members affected by breast cancer so it’s a cause close to my heart and I’m so delighted to be supporting the Big Pink. Breast Cancer Care understands the emotions, challenges and decisions people with a breast cancer diagnosis face every day. That’s why they’re here with care, support and information from day one. I’m encouraging everyone to grab the girls, dress up and hold their own Big Pink to raise vital funds!”

A special event will be held this festive season for people and families who have lost a loved one. On Thursday 10^th December, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice will hold their ‘Light up a Life’ ceremony which allows hospice supporters, families and friends to remember a loved one this Christmas. As well as celebrating the lives of those no longer with us, the free event aims to raise vital funds to support families in Birmingham and Sandwell living with a terminal illness.

Councillors who took part in a fitness drive as part of Wolverhampton’s Call to Action over obesity have been reflecting on their accomplishments one year on. Last autumn, Paul Sweet, Stephen Simkins and Daniel Warren took up a challenge thrown down by the City of Wolverhampton Council's Public Health team as it launched a programme to tackle the obesity crisis facing the city.

This month, SMIRA, the Selective Mutism Information and Research Association, is launching the ‘Make a Noise’ campaign to help children find their voices. Selective mutism (‘SM’) is an anxiety-based mental health disorder, usually commencing in early childhood, preventing an individual’s ability to speak out in a certain situations. SM is not a choice.

The daughter of a man who tragically died from ‘secondary drowning’ has teamed up with the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) and spoken out for the first time to raise awareness of the issue. Alan Gough, from Walsall, died at the wheel of his car in January this year, hours after apparently escaping unscathed when his canoe capsized in the Lake District.

Many people believe that the key to good skin is a daily cleanse, tone and moisturising ritual.  In the UK alone, women will spend more than £18,000 in a lifetime on beauty products for their skin. However, as a nation we also spend £50,000 on alcohol in the same period, which begs the question – how is all that alcohol affecting our skin and, even more importantly, our overall health?

American Airlines and its more than 100,000 employees have launched Be Pink, the employee-led breast cancer awareness initiative that takes place each October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Raising awareness about breast cancer and helping raise money to finance breast cancer research through Susan G. Komen® is a critical mission for team members since breast cancer accounts for one in nearly one in three cancers diagnosed in the U.S.

Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Cllr Paulette Hamilton, reflects on reports that a rising number of university students are experiencing mental health issues. Every year at this time, we welcome thousands of new students to Birmingham. The newcomers to our city are predominantly young and for most of them this is the first time they've ever lived away from home. It's an exciting time, it's an emotional time and for many it's a stressful time.

People returning to Birmingham from the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia have been advised to be aware of the symptoms of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Many Muslims from across the city are now returning from the pilgrimage to Mecca, and though health bosses have stressed the risk to most travellers is very low, a recent increase of MERS cases in Saudi Arabia means pilgrims and their families should be aware of the symptoms.