Your Health

Having a baby is one of the most exciting things that can happen to you. But you might be feeling nervous as well. If it’s your first baby, it’s hard to know what to expect. Your mum, colleagues, friends and relations might all be giving you advice. And then there is all the information on the internet as well as in magazines and books. At times it can feel overwhelming and it’s hard to know who is right when people say different things.

This information comes from The Pregnacy Book, which your midwife may give you at the first appointment.

Childhood immunisation programme

The immunisation programme gives vaccines to babies and children at different ages. Routine immunisation for babies begins when they are eight weeks old. Your child needs several vaccines to protect them from infections, so it’s important to complete their immunisation programme.

Click here to download the Visual Guide to Vaccines

When Should I Worry?

Having an ill child can be a very scary experience for parents. If you understand more about the illness it can help you to feel more in control. Download the booklet below, (for parents and older children) deals with common infections in children who are normally healthy.

When should I worry?

Routine Childhood Immunisations

Girls aged 12 to 13 years old

• Cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 (and genital warts caused by types 6 and 11)
  • HPV (two doses 6-12 months) Upper arm
• 14 years old (school year 9) Tetanus, diphtheria and polio
  • Td/IPV (Revaxis), and check MMR status Upper arm
• Meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y disease
  • MenACWY Upper arm

Please note:

** Where two or more injections are required at once, these should ideally be given in different limbs. Where this is not possible, injections in the same limb should be given 2.5cm apart.

The Meningitis C vaccination will be introduced during the 2013/14 academic year and the vaccine supplied will depend on the brands available at the time of ordering.

Fevers

Most symptoms of a fever in young children can be managed at home with infant paracetamol. If the fever is very high, they may have an infection that needs treating with antibiotics.

Head Lice

Head lice are insects that live on the scalp and neck. They may make your head feel itchy. Although head lice may be embarrassing and sometimes uncomfortable, they don’t usually cause illness. However, they won’t clear up on their own and you need to treat them promptly.

Nose Bleeds

Nosebleeds (also known as epistaxis) are fairly common, especially in children, and can generally be easily treated.

Five health symptoms men should not ignore:

“British men are paying the price for neglecting their health: more than 100,000 men a year die prematurely.

On average, men go to their GP half as often as women. It’s important to be aware of changes to your health, and to see your GP immediately if you notice something that’s not right.” Find out more
Prostate Cancer

Each year about 36,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer, making it the most common cancer in men. It mainly affects men aged over 50.

Symptoms:

• difficulty in starting to pass urine
• a weak, sometimes intermittent flow of urine
• dribbling of urine before and after urinating
• a frequent or urgent need to pass urine
• rarely, blood in your urine or semen and pain when passing urine

These symptoms aren’t always caused by prostate cancer but if you have them, see your GP.

Find out more about the symptoms, causes and diagnosis of prostate cancer by using the resources below.

Resources

BUPA – Prostate Cancer

Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer, though the most common cancer in young men, it is still quite rare. With 2000 new cases being diagnosed each year, this makes it the biggest cause of cancer related death in 15 – 35-year-old males. It accounts for around 70 deaths a year within the UK alone.

What to Look Out For

The most common symptom of testicular cancer is swelling or a pea-sized lump in one of the testes (balls). There is no current screening test therefore it is important that you look out for the following signs and symptoms.

• A dull ache, or sharp pain, in your testicles, or scrotum, which may come and go
• A feeling of heaviness in your scrotum
• A dull ache in your lower abdomen
• A sudden collection of fluid in your scrotum
• Fatigue, and generally feeling unwell.

Resources

BUPA – Testicular Cancer

Sexual Problems

It’s estimated that one man in 10 has a problem related to having sex, such as premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction. Dr John Tomlinson of The Sexual Advice Association explains some of the causes, and where to seek help.

Cervical Screening (Smear Tests)

Cervical screening in Northern Ireland is a free health service that checks the health of the cervix and helps prevent cancer by finding high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and early cell changes.

Who is Eligible

• Aged 25 to 49: Invited every 3 years.
• Aged 50 to 64: Invited every 5 years.
• You must be registered with a local GP practice to receive your automatic invitation.

How the Test Works

• HPV Testing First: The sample is tested for high-risk HPV. If no HPV is found, your risk is very low and you do not need further tests until your next invite.
• Cell Check: If HPV is found, the same sample is checked for abnormal cell changes.
• Follow-up: Depending on the results, you may be invited back in 12 months for a repeat test or referred to a hospital clinic for a colposcopy (a closer look at the cervix).

How to Book

• You will receive an invitation letter in the post when your test is due.
• Once invited, contact your GP surgery to schedule your appointment with a nurse.
• For full official details, check the nidirect Cervical Screening Guide.

HPV Vaccination

Since September 2008 there has been a national programme to vaccinate girls aged 12-13 against human papilloma virus (HPV). There is also a three-year catch up campaign that will offer the HPV vaccine (also known as the cervical cancer jab) to 13-18 year old girls.

The programme is delivered largely through secondary schools, and consists of three injections that are given over a six-month period. In the UK, more than 1.4 million doses have been given since the vaccination programme started.

What is Human papilloma virus (HPV)?

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the name of a family of viruses that affect the skin and the moist membranes that line your body, such as those in your cervix, anus, mouth and throat. These membranes are called the mucosa.

There are more than 100 different types of HPV viruses, with about 40 types affecting the genital area. These are classed as high risk and low risk.

How you get HPV?

Types of HPV that affect the skin can be passed on by skin contact with an affected person. The types of HPV that affect the mouth and throat can be passed on through kissing. Genital HPV is usually spread through intimate, skin to skin, contact during sex. You can have the genital HPV virus for years and not have any sign of it.

How HPV can cause cervical cancer?

Most HPV infections are harmless or cause genital warts, however some types can cause cervical cancer. Most HPV infections clear up by themselves, but in some people the infection can last a long time. HPV infects the cells of the surface of the cervix where it can stay for many years without you knowing.

The HPV virus can damage these cells leading to changes in their appearance. Over time, these changes can develop into cervical cancer. The purpose of cervical screening (testing) is to detect these changes, which, if picked up early enough, can be treated to prevent cancer happening. If they are left untreated, cancer can develop and may lead to serious illness and death.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. About 46,000 women get breast cancer in the UK each year. Most of them (8 out of 10) are over 50, but younger women, and in rare cases men, can also get breast cancer.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites over 2 million women for screening every year, and detects over 14,000 cancers. Dr Emma Pennery of Breast Cancer Care says: “Breast X-rays, called mammograms, can detect tumours at a very early stage, before you’d feel a lump. The earlier it’s treated, the higher the survival rate.”

Find out more about breast cancer screening

Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Influenza – flu – is a highly infectious and potentially serious illness caused by influenza viruses. Each year the make-up of the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the influenza viruses that the World Healflujabsth Organization decide are most likely to be circulating in the coming winter.

Regular immunisation (vaccination) is given free of charge to the following at-risk people, to protect them from seasonal flu:

• people aged 65 or over,
• people with a serious medical condition
• if you are pregnant
• people living in a residential or nursing home
• the main carers for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer becomes ill
• healthcare or social care professionals directly involved in patient care

Eating Well & Exercise – helping you maintain a healthy body

We’re bombarded with scare stories about weight, from size zero to the obesity ‘epidemic’. But a healthy body is determined by different factors for each of us.

Both men and women need to look after their sexual health and take time to understand the issues that surround contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

For instance there are some STIs, like chlamydia, that you could be carrying without having any symptoms. This infection can affect fertility, so it’s important to make use of the sexual health services available for free on the NHS.

Contraception

There are so many different types of contraception available that you should be able to find the right method. You may have to try several different things before you choose the one you like most.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infection among under-25s. Often there are no symptoms, but testing and treatment are simple.

Causes and risk factors

Chlamydia is usually passed from one person to another during vaginal, oral or anal sex, or by sharing sex toys. It can live inside cells of the cervix, urethra, rectum and sometimes in the throat and eyes.