Health & Wellbeing

We all overindulge from time to time, but we don’t always consider that what we do to our bodies on the outside can affect us on the inside. Fizzy drinks, chewing gum and eating certain types of food can contribute to bloating, stretching the stomach and causing it to swell. For most sufferers, the unpleasant sensation of trapped wind and bloating are more than an occasional inconvenience.

Mums-to-be are being urged to protect their unborn baby by getting a free vaccination against the flu virus. Flu can cause many complications during pregnancy, particularly in the latter stages, such as premature birth or low birth weight. In some cases it can lead to still-birth or death in the first week of life.

The number of pregnant mums who smoke around the time their child is born has fallen in Wolverhampton – though health chiefs say the figure is still far too high. Latest data shows that just under 17% of mothers of babies born between April and June smoked, compared to nearly 19% of new mums the same time last year.

People living with ADPKD in England and Wales will now have access to JINARC^® (tolvaptan),  the first-ever treatment shown to slow progression of the life-threatening condition. NICE today released final guidance recommending tolvaptan in ADPKD for adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 2 or 3 at the start of treatment with evidence of rapidly progressing disease.

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.