Cancer is a journey, but you don’t have to walk the road alone. There are an estimated 2.5 million people living with cancer in the UK, but not all of them are living well. The population of survivors of cancer is growing at an unprecedented rate. Evidence demonstrates that a large portion of these survivors
When you are diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) a whole host of questions often arise. What exactly is it? How do you manage it? What can be done to treat the disease? We’ve taken a look at COPD and what it is before in our “Placing COPD in the spotlight” blog. We know
After those long months of dreary cold weather, the prospect of being able to head outdoors and enjoy warmer weather is a very welcome one. But for allergy sufferers Spring can also mean the return of their allergy symptoms, an unwelcome but certain factor of the new season. The UK has some of the highest
Hyperventilation syndrome. What is it? It’s the name given to a collection of physical and emotional symptoms that causes over-breathing when the body does not need it. It can either be chronic which means it happens all the time or it can be acute which means it comes in attacks then goes away again. Recurrent hyperventilation
Tomorrow is National No Smoking Day 2019, the annual day where we’re encouraged to take stock of our smoking, and try to quit. The effects of smoking is something we’ve spoken about before in previous blogs where we’ve touched on third hand exposure and lung cancer awareness month. We thought it might be a good idea
For almost 100 years we’ve enjoyed the benefits of antibiotics. Since penicillin was first discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 the development of a wide variety of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections has been hailed as one of the greatest advances in therapeutic medicine. After the initial discovery, it was thanks to collaborations with British pharmaceutical companies that the
athing is something most of us take for granted – after all, it happens without any thought at all. It is a central aspect of our whole being and is one of our most vital functions. But sometimes things happen that mean the natural rhythm of our breathing can become disrupted. This is known as a breathing
We’ve mentioned before that staying fit and improving your wellbeing by eating a balanced diet and exercising is vital for maintaining your health. If you’ve decided to make a commitment to you and your health in 2019, then that’s an excellent start – and now you’re ready to take the next step. But if you have a lung
For whatever reason you find yourself in need of the services of a respiratory physiotherapist, knowing what to expect from your initial consultation can be slightly daunting and many people don’t really understand what respiratory physiotherapy is. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone, which is why we thought it might help to guide you through what
‘Tis the season to be… living to excess?! We all know the pattern – with the festive season comes the inevitable eating and drinking to excess. All the Christmas parties throughout December, followed by the celebrations with food & drink on Christmas Day, then gearing up to seeing in the New Year… it all points to
The festive season is upon us. Children the world over are gearing up for the visit from the man in red! While the Christmas period is indeed the time for spreading festive cheer, for those suffering from lung conditions such as asthma or COPD, it can also be the time for wheezing and sneezing. Many
A study earlier this year revealed that three in 10 adults suffer from breathlessness when undertaking everyday activities such as climbing the stairs. The study of 2,000 adults in the UK by the British Lung Foundation revealed that an average adult will feel breathless six times a week, mostly due to performing some form of light
you’ve been diagnosed with COPD. Whilst being a life changing diagnosis, it’s important to understand that there are a number of things you can do to make managing the condition easier and more successful. It’s common for those with COPD to become progressively more breathless with exercise, which means they tend to avoid it. Their muscles
It’s the UK’s biggest cancer killer: lung cancer. In fact, it’s the biggest cancer killer worldwide. With 36,000 people in the UK losing their lives to lung cancer each year, being aware of your symptoms and catching the disease early is vital for those hoping to beat it. Lung cancer kills more people than breast, prostate
After what’s been a balmy Indian summer one thing’s for certain: cooler temperatures and those nasty cold and flu bugs are just round the corner. It’s often said that prevention is better than cure, and when it comes to keeping colds and flu at bay – especially if you’re an older person and possibly more
euromuscular disease is a broad term that describes a group of inherited diseases that affect the function of the muscles. The neuromuscular system encompasses not just the muscles throughout the body but also the nerves that control voluntary muscles. You can then begin to suffer from muscular weakness because the nerves that control your body do not
Physical therapists – or physiotherapists as they’re more commonly called in the UK – provide services that develop, maintain and restore people’s maximum movement and functional ability. They’re able to support people at any stage of life, especially when movement and function are threatened by diseases, ageing, injury, disorders, conditions or other environmental factors. Last weekend
September is Breathtember – Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, a campaign from Breathing Matters (part of a UCLH charity) that aims to raise awareness and work with patients to help find a cure and develop better treatments for interstitial lung diseases. This year this fabulous campaign to raise awareness of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) focuses on taking up a challenge!
Stress seems to be something that’s simply unavoidable in the modern age. It can begin in childhood or the teenage years due to family issues, exams, peer pressure or social media. When we become adults the stress triggers can continue within our workplace, as a result of financial pressures, struggling as working parents or from emotional or family
Playday. It’s the national day for play, which is ultimately a celebration of children’s right to play, and a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives. This year it falls on Wednesday 1st August, so it’s time to start planning what you might do with your youngsters to celebrate the occasion! Most of
