Take care of yourself as winter approaches
As winter approaches, with swine flu and seasonal flu both spreading in the community, people in East Sussex should do all they can to stay as healthy as possible.
NHS East Sussex Downs and Weald and NHS Hastings and Rother is urging the public to take care of themselves during the winter months as part of the national Self Care campaign.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the support on offer to help people, especially those with long-term conditions, to take control of their health and wellbeing.
Self care covers every aspect of living a healthy life, from brushing our teeth to looking after ourselves when recovering from an illness.
People with long-term conditions are already doing this well but some are still unaware of the choice of support available in East Sussex to help manage their condition.
Health experts are also reminding people to have their seasonal flu and swine flu vaccinations to protect themselves from illness.
Cynthia Lyons, Deputy Director of Public Health, said: “Self care is part of our daily living.
It is the care and responsibility taken by us and our families that contributes towards our own health and wellbeing.
It includes the actions we take for ourselves, our children, our families, and those we are caring for, to stay fit and maintain good physical and mental health; prevent illness or accidents; make better use of medicines; care for minor ailments and long-term conditions; and maintain health and wellbeing after an acute illness or discharge from hospital.
For people living with a long-term condition such as diabetes, arthritis or heart disease, self care is a very important part of their everyday lives, to ensure they keep their independence and self worth.
Providing the support for self care is about ensuring our public and patients know what to do to care more for their illnesses and improve their health, and supporting them in taking control over their.
Please take advantage of the seasonal flu vaccination and the swine flu vaccination this autumn.
Your doctor will advise you if you are in the at-risk groups.”
Here are our Top 10 tips for self care:
1. Accept you have a persistent health condition. Learn what to do to take care of yourself.
2. Get help and support. Ask your healthcare team, friends, family and colleagues to support you. This may be as simple as asking them to help remind you to take your medication or to avoid some foods. Join local support groups which could improve your self care skills.
3. Pace yourself. Don’t tire yourself out with everyday activities but don’t rest too much as you’ll become less fit and mobile. Keep moving but ensure you take breaks throughout the day.
4. Plan your day. Make a list of things to do that are important to you, such as vacuuming the living room or going swimming. Put the most important task first and rest in between activities.
5. Set goals you can reach. Set yourself a simple hourly, daily or weekly action plan. Ask your health professional if you’re not sure what to aim for.
6. Be patient. It may take weeks/months to see improvements in your condition.
7. Learn how to relax. Do an activity that helps you unwind, such as reading a book or listening to music.
8. Exercise. You may be worried about exercising in case it causes more problems. In fact, regular physical activity and stretching will help your condition and alleviate pain and discomfort. Talk with a health professional before starting a new health programme.
9. Keep a diary. Note your progress every day to see how far you’ve come and mark the successes you have achieved. Write down what didn’t work for you so you can learn from those experiences.
10. Have a plan for setbacks. It is unrealistic to think you will never have one.
If you are living with a health condition, or just want to learn how to look after yourself better, ask your healthcare professional for information on the advice and support available.
Find out more at www.nhs.co.uk/yourhealth
Self care and Swine flu
With Swine flu present in the community, looking after our own health is very important for all of us at the moment.
Everyone can help to reduce the risk of catching or spreading swine flu by maintaining good basic hygiene, such as always covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, disposing of dirty tissues promptly, and carefully and regularly washing your hands.
Stocking up on cold and flu remedies can also help, as will making sure you have food supplies, tissues and extra supplies of any regular medication you normally take, in case you do become unwell.
Know the symptoms of swine flu - a fever or high temperature (over 38°C/100.4°F) and two or more of the following symptoms, you may have swine flu:
unusual tiredness,
headache,
runny nose,
sore throat,
shortness of breath or cough,
loss of appetite,
aching muscles,
diarrhoea or vomiting.
It is also important we all know what to do if we become unwell with flu-like symptoms.
If you have flu-like symptoms you should stay at home and check your symptoms by calling the Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513, NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or visit www.nhs.uk
If you are still concerned please contact the National Pandemic Flu Service, either by visiting www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu or by calling 0800 1 513 100.
Please do not go to A&E or visit your GP surgery unless you are advised to.
However, you should call your doctor direct rather than using the National Pandemic Flu Service if:
you have a serious underlying illness;
you are pregnant;
you have a sick child under one year old;
your condition suddenly gets much worse; or if your condition is still getting worse after 7 days following treatment (5 for a child).
Stay warm and safe this winter
The importance of keeping your home warm and safe this winter is being highlighted by NHS East Sussex Downs and Weald and NHS Hastings and Rother as part of the national Keep Warm Keep Well campaign.
People are being warned that the wintry weather can cause serious health problems such as strokes, pneumonia or heart attacks.
Children are also at risk because of their weaker immune systems so health experts are asking householders in East Sussex to heat their homes effectively.
Health experts say setting heating to the right temperature is vital to keep homes warm, conserve energy and reduce fuel bills.
Cynthia Lyons, Deputy Director of Public Health at NHS East Sussex Downs and Weald and NHS Hastings and Rother, said:
“All of us are more likely to feel the cold weather in the months ahead.
For adults, cold weather can lead to serious health problems such as pneumonia and strokes while children can be at risk because their immune systems are still developing.
You can stay healthy if you stay warm this winter.
People should think about putting on an extra layer when it is cold and wrap up warm.
Keeping yourself as fit and healthy as you can all year round is very important but your lifestyle can make even more of a difference when it comes to keeping well in the winter months.
Although it’s easy to skip meals when you lead a busy lifestyle, eating regularly also helps to keep energy levels up during the winter - for you and your children.”
Some tips for heating homes effectively and saving energy may seem obvious but they can make a big difference when it comes to cutting fuel bills.
- Set the thermostat to 21C (70F) during the day and 18C (64F) at night-time.
- Programme your heating to come on just before you get up and switch off after you’ve gone to bed.
- If it’s very cold, set your heating to come on earlier and switch off later, rather than turning the thermostat up.
- If you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room throughout the day and your bedroom(s) just before you go to bed.
- Remember to close curtains and shut doors to keep heat in the rooms you use most.
If you do not have a thermostat, invest in a household thermometer to check room temperature.
As well as keeping warm, it is important to ensure you stay safe.
Incorrectly installed, poorly maintained or poorly ventilated cooking and heating appliances can give off carbon monoxide - a poisonous gas which you cannot see, smell or taste but which kills more than 50 people a year in England and Wales.
Low levels of carbon monoxide can cause serious harm to your health if breathed in over a long period of time.
The top tips for staying safe are:
- Have your cooking and heating appliances, flues and chimneys serviced at least once a year by a suitably trained, reputable, registered engineer.
- Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm that meets European Standard EN50291.
- Keep rooms well ventilated when using an appliance and stop using an appliance if you think it may be giving off carbon monoxide gas.
- If you suffer from symptoms like food poisoning, viral infections, flu or fatigue and think they could be caused by carbon monoxide, see your doctor at once and say you think it might be carbon monoxide poisoning.
For more information on installing insulation and to find an approved National Insulation Association (NIA) installer in your area who can arrange a free survey and quotation for your property and provide details of the grants available, visit the NIA website at www.nationalinsulation.org.uk or call the inquiry line on 0845 163 63 63.
To find out more about carbon monoxide safety, call the HSE Gas Safety Line on 0800 300 363 (8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm on Saturday) or visit www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/index.htm
For general health advice and information visit www.nhs.uk/carbonmonoxide
For further information on the Keep Warm Keep Well campaign, go to http://keepwarmkeepwell.direct.gov.uk/index.html
