WESTERN AVENUE SURGERY
Newsletter for March 2022
Cancer
There are 12 main symptoms of breast cancer. When we talk about the changes you
might see in your breast that we would be concerned about, they can be quite difficult
to visualise. Know Your Lemons Foundation has a fantastic guide using lemons to clearly
demonstrate changes you should see your GP about.
Men can get breast cancer too, although it is much less common than in women. Breast
cancer in men appears in the small amount of breast tissue behind the nipple. If you are
concerned about a lump, discharge or other symptom, or have a family history of breast
cancer, you should speak to your GP.
March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Age, location and ethnic origin should not
be reasons for different outcomes from an ovarian cancer diagnosis. 24% of women
diagnosed with ovarian cancer are in their 70s and, for some, this will mean they are not
offered surgery, despite this delivering the best long-term prognosis.
There are many symptoms of ovarian cancer, some of the most common are:
A swollen tummy or feeling bloated
Pain or tenderness in the tummy or area between the hips (pelvis)
No appetite or feeling full very quickly after eating
An urgent need to pee or having to pee more often
If you’re experiencing symtoms, you should make an appointment to see GP.
A family history of cancer can mean that you should receive genetic testing for certain
genetic mutations that result in an increased risk of cancer. This could be important for
you or for your children or siblings. Mutations like BRCA-1, BRCA-2 and Lynch syndrome
can increase your likelihood of ovarian and other cancers. Ovarian Cancer Action has a
risk tool that can help you to understand your risk.
Around one in eight men in the UK will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. Think about
how many men you care about as friends and family might be affected. March the
month is about hitting 11,000 steps a day, each day, in March to represent the 11,000
men who die of the condition each year in the UK.
Your risk of prostate cancer increases if you are over 50, black or have a family history of
prostate cancer. If you are a trans-woman or non-binary, your risk may differ. You can
check what your risk is using this tool from Prostate Cancer UK.
78% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will survive for at least ten years after
important to talk to your GP about it.
https://knowyourlemons.org
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-cancer-in-men/
https://ovarian.org.uk/march-ovarian-cancer-awareness-month/
https://ovarian.org.uk/risktool/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ovarian-cancer/symptoms/
https://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/find-a-fundraising-event/march-the-month-
2022
https://prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker.html
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/
Healthy diet
only be eaten in moderation to ensure you stay fit and healthy for life.
The Eatwell guide helps to visualise what a well-balanced diet should look like. If you
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-eatwell-guide/
Healthy diet
It is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet for your overall health. You do need to calorie intake, but that’s not the only consideration. Fat, sugar and salt should only be eaten in moderation to ensure you stay fit and healthy for life.
The eat well guide helps to visualise what a well-balanced diet should look like. If you can’t balance meal, then try to balance intake across the day or week.
https:nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/
https:nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the eatwell-guide/
Coronavirus staying safe in surgery
While we appreciate that restrictions to protect against Coronavirus are now being
them as we have done since the start of the pandemic. Therefore, please:
Continue to wear a face mask while in the surgery
nd the surgery with Coronavirus symptoms unless you have discussed this with
a clinician.
If you have tested positive for Covid, please do not attend the surgery unless asked to by
a clinician.
Children aged 5-11 in the UK are to be offered vaccination against Coronavirus, and the
programme will be rolled out over the coming weeks. It is likely that vaccination in these
age groups will not be carried out in general practice. We will keep you informed about
progress on this campaign when we receive further information.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi…accination-of-children-aged-5-to-11-years-old
Hearing problems and loss
Do you find it difficult to hear when there is a lot of background noise? Do you find it
difficult to keep up with the conversation? Do other people comment about how loud
your T
other people to notice you are struggling to hear before you do.
One in five adults, a total of twelve million people in the UK, have hearing loss or
deafness. If you meet someone who suffers from hearing loss or deafness, you can ask
them how to make communication easier for them. It might include sitting face to face
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hearing-loss/
Childhood immunisations
Routine childhood Immunisations are important for the health and well-being of your
child. We offer vaccination for common childhood illnesses that can cause serious, and
even life-threatening complications. Children are offered vaccination as babies, preschoolers
and as teenagers. All are vital in ensuring that our own children stay well, but
also in continuing to protect us all by making it harder for these diseases to spread.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/nhs-vaccinations-and-when-to-have-them/
Review appointments
Attending reviews for long-term conditions helps us to support you in the best possible
way. Long-term conditions are often areas where a lot of research is being done, and
new treatments become available over time. Improved recommendations can make big
iew
in some time, you might want to make your review appointment, so we can talk about
how we can improve things for you.
Medication reviews are carried out so that we can
https://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk…y Patient Information Leaflet – A4 format.pdf
Eating Disorders Awareness Week (28th February 6th March)
Eating disorders are mental health conditions where you use control of food to cope
with feelings and other situations. Conditions are as varied as anorexia, bulimia, binge
eating disorder and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder(ARFID). Treatments vary by
individual. If you’re concerned that someone you know may have disordered eating , you might find the guidance here helpful.
Do you binge eat, purge, avoid eating, or have a large number of foods you choose to
avoid? Does food create feelings of stress in your life? If so, you might want to think
about your relationship with food.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eatingdisorders/
overview/
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org…ating-disorders/do-i-have-an-eating-disorder/
No Smoking Day (9th March)
The first No Smooking Day was held on “Ash Wednesday “.Now , No smooking Day is held on the second wednesday in March each year. If your’re still smooking, there is no better
time to quit than now. Children of smokers have three times the risk of getting lung
cancer in later life compared to children of non-smokers.
When you quit smoking, the improvements in your health start in as little as 20 minutes,
and continue for years after you quit. After eight hours, the amount of carbon monoxide
in your blood will have halved. Ten years after you quit smoking, your risk of lung cancer is half that of a smooker’s.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/
https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/
Nutrition and Hydration Week (14th 20th March)
Within healthcare environments, nutrition and hydration must be carefully managed to
preferences, as well as religious and cultural needs, are taken into account.
Adequate hydration is critical to ensure your long term wellbeing. Dehydration can cause
serious side effects such as:
Headache
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Sleepiness
Decrease in urination
Dark yellow- or amber-coloured urine
Decreased skin elasticity
Dry mouth and mucous membranes (lips, gums, nostrils)
Low blood pressure
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthy-sustainable-diets/hydration/
Healthy diets should include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, proteins and
complex carbohydrates. Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables contributes many
necessary vitamins and minerals to our diet and is vital for healthy gut flora.
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthy-sustainable-diets/
Swallowing Awareness Day (16th March)
Most people will never have given any thought to whether they are able to swallow
Difficulty swallowing is called Dysphagia. It can cause difficulty with saliva, drinks and
food, and occurs in all age groups, from infants to older adults.
Difficulty swallowing is managed differently depending on the nature of your problem
and the causes. The effects of problems with swallowing can include malnutrition,
dehydration, aspiration pneumonia and choking.
https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/adult-dysphagia/
World Oral Health Day (20th March
Be proud of your mouth. World Oral Health Day encourages all of us to take care of our
mouths. Oral health is closely linked with overall health. If your’re looking for dentist, you can find a list of NHS dentist here.
You may find that you need to join a waiting list to be seen, as NHS dentists are very busy dealing with backlogs caused by Coronavirus.
https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/campaign-theme-2021-2023
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist