Healthy living
Many illnesses are brought about by a poor lifestyle and doctors often have to advise patients on changing their habits if they want to become well and remain well. We would recommend that you attend one of the Health Promotion clinics and have regular screening tests and blood pressure checks.
Smoking
Smoking is the cause of many diseases. Smoking in pregnancy affects mother and baby and passive smoking has been shown to be harmful to others. There are various methods of helping patients to stop smoking. If you wish to obtain help and advice contact your local Community Pharmacist who can provide treatment and advice.
Alcohol
Moderate consumption of alcohol should not cause problems but alcohol in excess can be harmful. Remember one unit is approximately one glass of wine, half a pint of beer or a single measure of spirit.
Exercise
Regular exercise is good for circulation and general wellbeing and is a good habit to maintain from youth. If you have not exercised recently, do not do anything too strenuous to begin with, but build up gradually. If in doubt about your fitness have a word with your doctor or nurse before starting.
Diet
Healthy eating helps reduce the risk of developing many conditions such as heart disease, cancer, constipation, diabetes, obesity and tooth decay. A well balanced diet should contain a variety of foods with plenty of fruit and vegetables and foods rich in starch and fibre. Eat the right amount to be a healthy weight and avoid too much fat and sugary foods. Further dietary advice is available from our nursing staff.
Breast screening
The NI Breast Screening Programme is a rolling one which calls females from GP practices in turn every 3 years from the age of 50 to 70 years. Not every female will receive an invite as soon as she turns 50, but should receive her first invite before the age of 53 years.
The Breast Screening Programme has produced a video that shows women what to expect when they attend for breast screening. It includes the whole process of screening - from receiving the invitation letter to getting the results. Visit www.cancerscreening.hscni.net/2170.htm for more information.
At any age if you have any concerns regarding your breasts, please make an appointment with a GP of your choice as soon as possible.
Bowel screening
The bowel screening programme is offered to both male and female patients aged 60 to 74 years every two years. Patients in this age group will automatically be sent an invitation and a screening kit so they can do the test at home. The aim of the programme is to detect bowel cancers at an early stage, when there are better chances of effective treatment. The following link is a new video about what happens at bowel screening which has been produced by the Public Health Agency. It covers how to take the test, processing the samples at the laboratory and receiving your results. Visit www.cancerscreening.hscni.net/2188.htm for more information.
You may also find www.patient.co.uk helpful for medical information and support.