Articles by Paula Bunner

Common cold ‘prefers cold noses’

10th January 2015

The virus behind the common cold is much happier in a cold nose, US researchers suggest. Their study showed the human immune system was weaker in cooler temperatures, allowing the virus to thrive. The researchers suggested keeping your nose warm and avoiding cold air while infected. The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Rhinoviruses are one of the main groups of virus that leaves our noses streaming and us sneezing. The team at Yale University tested rhinoviruses at a nose temperature of 33C, and a normal body temperature of 37C. “We’ve known for 50 years that it replicated better in the nose, but the mechanism has never been clearly defined,” researcher Dr Akiko Iwasaki told the BBC. She said the [More…]

Lung Cancer Rates in Women up 35% in Wales

10th January 2015

The number of women in Wales being diagnosed with lung cancer is “rapidly increasing” and has seen a 35% rise in the last decade, according to a report. It is now the second most common cancer for women in Wales – and third highest rate of the disease in 40 EU countries. Doctors say the vast majority of cases are preventable, and have called for further controls on tobacco sales. Figures published on Tuesday also show lung cancer in Welsh men has decreased by 3% over the same period. “Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and is the commonest cancer leading to death in the EU,” said Dr Dyfed Wyn Huws from the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU) at Public Health [More…]

Diving – Approved Codes of Practice

12th December 2014

Approved codes of practice for Scuba Diving All of the diving Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) have been revised following industry consultation, they came into force on 8 December 2014. Commercial diving projects offshore. The Diving at Work Regulations 1997 Approved Code of Practice and Guidance – L103 Commercial diving projects inland/inshore. The Diving at Work Regulations 1997 Approved Code of Practice and Guidance – L104 Recreational diving projects. The Diving at Work Regulations 1997. Approved Code of Practice and Guidance – L105 Media diving projects. The Diving at Work Regulations 1997. Approved Code of Practice and Guidance – L106 Scientific and Archaeological diving projects. The Diving at Work Regulations 1997 Approved Code of Practice and Guidance – L107 Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/diving/acop.htm

Asthma Inhalers at Schools

12th December 2014

Approximately 20 children of school age in England and Wales die every year from asthma and most deaths occur before the child reaches hospital. In 2012, Asthma UK made enquiries as to whether the law could be changed to allow schools to keep a spare reliever inhaler for use in an emergency. Since 1st October 2014, the Human Medicines (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2014 now allows primary and secondary schools in England to obtain salbutamol inhalers for the treatment of acute asthma attacks in children. Schools can now buy inhalers and spacers (the plastic funnels which make it easier to deliver asthma medicine to the lungs) from a pharmaceutical supplier on the written request of the head teacher or principle. A PDF can be obtained [More…]

Top 10 Tips for a Healthy Heart

6th December 2014

1. Stop smoking. If you are a smoker, you are twice as likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. But from the moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack starts to reduce. 2. Cut down on salt. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. 3. Watch your diet. A healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, and can also help increase the chances of survival after a heart attack. 4. Monitor your alcohol. Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. Binge drinking will increase your risk of having a heart attack, so you should aim to [More…]

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