Warm weather causes huge spike in hay fever cases

The gloriously warm weather being experienced around the majority of the UK is great news for many. The umbrellas can be put away – albeit maybe only temporarily – and the BBQs can be brought out! Simply put, the summertime can be a wonderful time of the year for millions.

But what about those silent sufferers, the other millions of people around Britain with hay fever. Warm weather can be insufferable for the estimated 15 million Brits who are battling with repeated sneezing, runny or blocked noses, and red, itchy, watery eyes.

If there was any doubt regarding the strong association between warm weather and hay fever symptoms, that has been quashed this week upon the news that there are soaring numbers of patients in England and Wales who are seeing their GP regarding the condition.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) collected information from the second week of June that showed 11,873 people in England and Wales had to see their GP due to hay fever-type symptoms. This was an incredible 114% higher than those 5,560 who did so during the same week in 2013.

The current particularly high and brutal pollen season is expected to last until the middle of July at least, causing further suffering.

According to the RCGP, those most affected were children aged between five and 14, followed by 15 to 24-year-olds.

However, experts are already warning that hay fever could afflict many more thousands of older people, including those who have never experienced it previously. It is now fairly common for people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and even older, to be suffering with symptoms for the first time, triggered by factors such as stress, pollution and moving house.

Maureen Baker, chair of the RCGP, described how sufferers may limit the impact of hay fever.
She said: “Each year, seasonal hay fever causes untold misery to thousands of people across the country, especially when we all want to enjoy the warm weather. Hay fever is awful but the discomfort should only be temporary and there should be no long-term effects.

“Whilst in some cases it may be necessary to see a doctor, especially if the symptoms persist, there are many anti-histamine medications that can be bought over the counter at your pharmacist that should provide effective relief.

“Patients that suffer from hay fever can also take simple steps to help minimise their exposure to pollen, such as wearing a hat with a wide brim and sunglasses, and applying Vaseline to nostrils to help trap pollen particles.”

Anyone attending any of the major music events of the summer, such as Glastonbury, Wireless and the V Festival, are also being warned with these occurring in areas of high pollen hot spots.

For those festival lovers with hay fever wishing to stay clear of the hazardous areas, it might be advised to instead head to T in the Park, Bestival, or Festival No 6.

Dr Steve Iley, medical director of AXA PPP healthcare’s Health Services division, said: “Summer can be a miserable time for hay fever suffers and, for festival-goers, suffering from a runny nose and itchy eyes can really put a damper on the day.

“Festival-goers with a history of hay fever should see their GP or pharmacist before they head off to the festival to ensure they’ve got the right medication to hand.”

“In many cases, an anti-inflammatory steroid or sodium cromoglicate nose spray, starting before symptoms begin and taken regularly, along with daily eye drops and antihistamine tablets, should suffice to keep hay fever at bay.”

Arthritis drug found to boost hair growth for alopecia sufferer

Male hair loss is not a life-threatening condition. Nobody has ever died from losing hair on the scalp, or indeed anywhere else around the body. However, it is widely accepted that for some men, losing their hair can have massive emotional and psychological damage.

One of the most common causes of hair loss is alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that typically causes round patches of rapid hair loss from some or even all areas of the body, but usually the scalp is the main area afflicted.

A more severe form of alopecia areata is known as alopecia universalis, whereby the sufferer unfortunately experiences total loss of all body hair. Perhaps the most well-known person to have alopecia universalis is comedian and star of Little Britain, Matt Lucas.

There remains no standard treatment or permanent cure for alopecia universalis, but experts have studied the possibilities of various treatments, such as immunomodulatory agents like imiquimod (the active ingredient in Aldara cream, used to treat genital warts).

However, doctors at Yale University in the U.S. have remarkably been able to reverse alopecia universalis in a 25-year-old unnamed male who also had plaque psoriasis. The man had initially requested help for his psoriasis, another autoimmune condition.

The doctors at Yale pondered if they could possibly treat both autoimmune problems with one single treatment, deciding to try the Pfizer-manufactured arthritis medication Xeljanz (tofacitinib citrate). This was chosen specifically as according to Science World Report, the drug had found to be effective in mice at treating both psoriasis and alopecia.

The patient was first administered with tofacitinib at 10mg daily by the doctors, and his psoriasis showed some improvement. However, he had also grown scalp and facial hair – the first hair he had grown in these areas for a staggering seven years.

After three more additional months of therapy, this time at a 15mg dose, the patient had benefited from a complete regrowth in scalp hair and quite visible eyebrows, eyelashes, and facial hair, as well as armpit and other hair, the doctors commented.

“The results are exactly what we hoped for,” said Brett A. King, M.D., senior author of the paper, published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. “This is a huge step forward in the treatment of patients with this condition.”

“There are no good options for long-term treatment of alopecia universalis,” added King. “The best available science suggested this might work, and it has.”

According to King, scientists think the drug boosts hair growth by stopping the immune attack on hair follicles.

“By eight months there was full regrowth of hair,” said co-author Brittany G. Craiglow, M.D. “The patient has reported feeling no side effects, and we’ve seen no lab test abnormalities, either.”

Larger hospital mortuary fridges needed due to obesity crisis

The worrying UK obesity crisis has been further highlighted by the fact that it has emerged hospitals are being forced to purchase specialist equipment to keep corpses cool in mortuary fridges because the bodies are simply too big.

Due to a burgeoning obesity crisis spreading around the UK with poor diet and inactive lifestyles on the rise, the NHS are spending millions as hospitals are now having to increase the width of corridors, as well as provide lifting equipment and stronger, reinforced beds to cater for the ever-growing number of obese patients.

Figures acquired by The Telegraph show that NHS funds have been depleted of least £5.5 million in the last three years so that hospitals can be adapted to cope with the increasing number of larger patients coming through their doors.

This has led to some health experts warning that the cost of treating overweight and obese patients may soar to at least £10 million annually as waistlines continue to expand.

Around a quarter of adults in Britain are believed to be obese, and predictions state this could spiral to more than half the population within the next three decades.

A Freedom of Information request describes how hospitals are being forced to buy specialist beds, wheelchairs, commodes and crutches for larger patients.

For instance, a Yeovil District Hospital NHS Trust had to spend £15,000 on a bariatric body cooling system, a storage facility for the bodies of obese patients when they are unable to fit into regular sized mortuary fridges.

Last year Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn, also had to spend more on a bariatric body store fridge for obese patients, forking out £30,000 for the fridge and an extra £20,000 just to strengthen an operating theatre floor.

Meanwhile, Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust had to widen their corridors so obese patients could fit through them, at a cost of £80,000, whilst Milton Keynes Hospital were paying £65 each day to hire a bed fit to hold the weight of a patient weighing nearly half a ton (400kg).

The National Obesity Forum’s Tam Fry said that NHS costs for obesity are only going to rise.
He said: “We are not seeing the end of the obesity problem and people are getting fatter. It has got to such a point that so much now has to be widened and strengthened. That runs to beds, hoists, wheelchairs and operating tables. And it also includes ambulances, morgues and crematoriums.”

Mr Fry added: “I think these costs will continue to increase. The problem is what we saw as “big” 20 years ago is now normal.”

Dr Aseem Malhotra, a director of Action on Sugar, said: “Inaction is not an option. I think diets should be made part of health policy. We need to tackle the root cause, the food environment – otherwise we will be crippled by the cost.”

30 million Brits could be suffering with hay fever within 20 years

Experts are warning that increasing levels of pollution will cause large amounts of pollen to be trapped in the atmosphere, resulting in the number of hay fever sufferers in the UK doubling to reach 30 million in the next two decades.

Hay fever is also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, and already effects around 15 million people in the UK – 10 million of these in England alone. The common allergic condition can be absolute misery for those who have it, causing a variety of symptoms such as a blocked or runny nose, frequent sneezing, itchy, red, or watery eyes and headaches caused by a stuffy nose.

One in 5 Brits have to battle these despairing symptoms, with more than nine out of 10 people in the UK with hay fever are allergic to grass pollen, which usually peaks in mid-June. It is therefore no surprise that Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy have seen requests for non-drowsy antihistamines such as Cetirizine and Loratadine soar in recent weeks as patients, new and old, try to keep their symptoms managed.

However, whilst most in Britain are grateful for the recent soaring temperatures, the sunshine can spell misery for those with hay fever.

Researchers at the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit at Worcester University say that two primary factors – weather and pollution – are closely connected to the summer allergy.

They say that hay fever is found to be twice as prevalent in Britain’s towns and cities compared to the countryside, due to much larger amounts of traffic pollution, adding that ‘photochemical smog’ is produced from vehicle fumes. This smog then traps pollen in its tracks before it can escape into the upper atmosphere.

This results is to concentrate the spores where hay fever sufferers are in reach of them – at ground level.

Beverley Adams-Groom, chief pollen forecaster at the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit spoke about how the weather is also a problematic factor for those with hay fever.

She said: “Weather and pollen are closely linked. Since 2007, poor weather has meant average pollen seasons. The mild, wet weather of the late winter and early spring is responsible for increased pollen levels this year.

“This year there has been good grass growth as a result of the pre-summer climate and we are increasingly experiencing longer, more intense pollen seasons. With a dry British summer predicted there is potential for a severe hay fever season in 2014.”

The start of summer may officially only be three days away and bringing with it a potential heap of anguish for millions, but you can prepare right now by visiting the Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy asthma and allergies page where you can find a wide range of hay fever treatments like antihistamines, nasal sprays, eye drops and sinus rinses.

Smartphone apps like Grindr linked to increased STI risk

Gay and bisexual men using smartphone apps to seek out potential partners for casual sex are putting themselves at a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to the findings of a new study.

Those accessing and using the apps to meet other men were found to be more likely to later diagnosed with gonorrhoea and Chlamydia compared to men who found potential partners in other ways, such as in nightclubs or online, researchers say.

The study was carried out by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, a non-profit organisation in Los Angeles, California and published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. It involved an analysis of the STI testing results of 7,184 men between 2011 and 2013, in addition to the answers the provided to a questionnaire about their sex lives and recreational drug use.

It was found that 34% of the men who participated in the study had found sexual partners through in-person social networking only, 30% had met their partners through a mix of both the Internet and in-person social networking, whilst the remaining 36% met partners using a combination of all the three methods.

Contrasted against men who had met their sexual partners online first or in person, those using the social apps were found to be 25% more likely of contracting gonorrhoea and at a 37% higher risk of being infected with chlamydia. The study discovered there did not appear to be any major difference between the groups with regards to syphilis or HIV.

“As technology has benefits, it also has certain risks,” said Matt Beymer, the lead researcher and an epidemiologist at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. “We want to educate gay and bisexual men about the potential risks that they may face with these apps.”

Beymer’s study also found the social app users were usually either white or Asian, well-educated and under the age of 40. The primary focus of the study was not meant to be about drug use, but those using social apps were probably more likely to use recreational drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy.
“Our ultimate goal is not to stigmatize these apps or stigmatize in general,” Beymer says. “We just really want gay and bisexual men to love carefully and love safely.”

Social apps such the hugely popular Grindr and SCRUFF utilise the GPS (global positioning system) technology of smartphones to help users find people nearby who are also using the app. Grindr in particularly has become immensely popular amongst the gay and bisexual community since its launch in 2009, boasting more than 10 million user downloads, Whilst the apps can be used for a variety of purposes, the majority of people use them to seek out potential sexual partners.

Commenting on the study findings, Justin Harbottle, a health promotion specialist at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “However good the sex is, it’s not worth contracting a long-term condition. Gay men today have more opportunities to meet for sex than ever before. Part of the problem is that communication on dating apps can be brief, making it easy to cut corners on important discussions like safe sex."

He added that condoms are still the best method of protecting yourself against sexually transmitted infections.

However, Grindr defended their service and spoke to the BBC, saying: “Grindr is highly committed to promoting safe sex within the community and strongly encourages our users to engage in safe sex practices, get tested and know their HIV status.”

Arthritis pain causes workers to take off 40 sick days each year

Arthritis sufferers are in so much pain that they take six times more sick days off work in comparison to their healthier colleagues, according to new estimates.

The British Society for Rheumatology, a professional charity organisation that is made up of numerous health care experts, specialises in rheumatoid and musculoskeletal medical and long term conditions, and they say that arthritis patients are typically forced to take 40 days every year because of their symptoms.

Over nine million people in the UK are believed to be suffering with arthritis, of which there are over 200 different types, including gout and rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis in an autoimmune disease which is estimated to be affecting over 580,000 people across England and Wales, more frequently prominent in women than men. Rheumatoid arthritis treatment is available today from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy, and includes the recently added non-prescription revolutionary product Flexiseq Gel, clinically proven to reduce pain and restore mobility in the afflicted joint(s).

The condition ranges from mild to severe, and can make joints swell, feel stiff and even cause you to feel generally unwell and tired. As rheumatoid arthritis can be incredibly painful to live with, movement and simple everyday tasks can prove troublesome, as shown with the fact so many of us are being forced to take time off work due to the symptoms.

In fact, so debilitated by their excruciating symptoms, around one in seven people with rheumatoid arthritis are forced to quit work altogether just a year following their diagnosis, the British Society for Rheumatology said.

Therefore, the society have now launched its ‘Simple Tasks’ campaign which aims to raise awareness about the “significant effects” of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Professor Simon Bowman, president of the society, said: “There is considerable evidence that if people are treated within 12 weeks of rheumatoid arthritis symptom onset, it dramatically reduces the likelihood of long-term damage. Treating patients with these conditions early can enable people to continue doing the things that are important to them such as keeping a job, remaining independent, raising their children.”

In addition, a new survey conducted by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and 2020Health that involved 2,000 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, discovered as many as 89% are also battling chronic fatigue in addition to the more obvious pain and swelling.

The survey found that despite so many afflicted with fatigue, only half had raised the problem with their specialist nurse or rheumatologist.

Birth control pills great for long-term acne treatment, according to study

Oral contraceptive pills are just as effective as powerful antibiotics in the long-term treatment of acne in women, according to the findings of new review of 226 previously conducted clinical trials, and published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
 
Past research has shown how both antibiotics and birth control pills, such as Dianette, work effectively for treating acne in women, but the new review into the two actually compared them side-by-side.

Although antibiotics were found to be more effective in reducing acne lesions at three months (48%, vs. 37% for birth control), after six months, both types of treatments worked to decrease acne by over 50%.

The birth control pills were actually slightly more effective that the antibiotics after six months. Those taking the pill were found to have a 55% decline in their symptoms, compared a 53% decrease in symptoms for the women taking the antibiotics.

Therefore, this has led to dermatologists arguing that the pill is an excellent alternative for some women and a good way to avoid the side effects associated with stronger oral acne medications or long-term antibiotic use.

The wonder of the pill at subsiding acne symptoms is due to the presence of hormones like progestin and estrogen, which work to slow down the production of sebum, a naturally occurring oil that can cause outbreaks of acne.

“Oral contraceptives (OCPs) take longer to work because they have a different mechanism of action,” said Dr. Kelly H. Tyler, who was not involved in the new review.

“Antibiotics have anti-inflammatory properties, and OCPs do not have those same properties, so the reduction in acne is going to be more gradual and less dramatic in the beginning,” said Tyler, a dermatologist at Ohio State University in Columbus.

Dr Tyler, told Reuters Health that antibiotics reduce the inflammation associated of existing acne, whilst oral contraceptives reduce free or circulating androgens, decreasing the production of the oily sebum that plugs pores, therefore lowering the chance of new acne sprouting up.

The authors involved in the review of the 226 clinical trials do stress that the antibiotic trials they studied did comprise of both men and women, which impacts on the comparison to the results of the trials involving birth control pills as hormones are a key factor in acne.

However they write that the findings suggest birth control pills “may have a more important first-line preventive role in chronic acne than previously accepted.”