Latest updates within the medical aid industry
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How to lower your blood pressure

Posted by Cherice Percial in Advice - (0 Comments)

It’s quite dangerous and strenuous on your heart to have high blood pressure, but taking medication for hypertension is also not ideal. Controlling and reducing high blood pressure requires some lifestyle adjustments such as the following:

low blood pressure tips

 

 

1. Control your weight

If you’re overweight, it exacerbates the effects of hypertension. Losing as little as 5 kg can already reduce hypertension, so speak to your doctor about effective weight management to help lower your blood pressure.

 

2. Get regular exercise

Fitting in moderate exercise of 30 to 60 minutes per day can have a huge impact on lowering your blood pressure. Consult with your doctor about developing an effective exercise routine – a 20-minute walk followed by 10 minutes of light strength training will have a great effect on hypertension. Avoid irregular bursts of overly strenuous exercises.

 

3. Eat healthy

Keep sodium to a minimum (and counter it with potassium, such as that in bananas) and make sure you get plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with a diet rich in oats, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.

 

4. Watch your alcohol consumption

Small amounts of alcohol can actually have a positive effect on your high blood pressure, but if you didn’t drink alcohol before, don’t start when you already have hypertension. Existing drinkers should keep alcohol intake to one drink, three times per week for women, and not more than two drinks for men.

 

5. Avoid smoke and smoking

Nicotine raises blood pressure, so hypertension is as good a reason as any to stop smoking or avoid being around smokers.

 

6. Avoid caffeine and stress

Caffeine doesn’t affect all hypertension sufferers, so to see if it affects you, check your blood pressure within half an hour after your last cup of coffee. If your blood pressure has risen five to 10 points, you are sensitive to the effects of caffeine and it’s best to reduce your intake to as little caffeine as possible – if any.

Stress can negatively impact hypertension. Either find a way to reduce your stress, or find a way to better manage the effects of stress. Breathing exercises and meditation, or yoga and massage are great de-stressors, but don’t be afraid of seeking professional help if the self-help route isn’t as effective you’d hoped it would be.

 

visuals are courtesy of : www.todayifoundout.com and www.diabeticlivingonline.com 

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Lower your cholesterol with the following foods

Posted by Nick in Diet - (0 Comments)

a piece of fish

Having too much low density lipoprotein (LDL) – or “bad cholesterol” – in your bloodstream can cause an excessive build-up in your arteries. This build-up can cause arterial disease as well as atherosclerosis (artery narrowing). Narrowed arteries mean it’s much more difficult for the heart to pump blood through your system, and when not enough blood oxygen can get to all parts of the heart, cardiac arrest is highly likely to follow. People with high LDL cholesterol are also at risk for angina, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. (more…)

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Ways to avoid the flu this winter

Posted by Scott Thompson in Advice - (0 Comments)

a woman with the flue blowing her nose

One of the most comprehensive ways to avoid contracting the flu virus is to get vaccinated against it. Your local chemist and doctor should get the new vaccines annually, which are updated every year with new potential strains of flu. But if you really want to take control of flu prevention, then it’s important to take the following measures: (more…)

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Why it’s important to check your moles

Posted by Stuart Stubbs in Advice - (0 Comments)

a doctor checking a woman's mole

Many people have moles that appear on their bodies at a very young age and simply remain as small, brown spots on their skin for the rest of their lives. However, if you as an adult see a mole appear on your skin, it may very well be the start of skin cancer and it’s important to contact your doctor or dermatologist immediately to rule out melanoma, which is a very deadly form of skin cancer. (more…)

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The truth about medical check-ups

Posted by Patrick Sloter in Advice | General - (0 Comments)

For many people, seeing the doctor or going to the hospital is a curative rather than a preventative exercise. Younger, fairly active individuals may have the idea that they only need to go for regular check-ups after the age of 45, or when they start to feel that something’s wrong. Perhaps we need to set the record straight on why medical check-ups are an integral part of maintaining good health at any age.

What happens at a check-up?

If you go to your doctor to have a check-up, he or she will look at the following:

  • You’ll have a discussion about your family’s medical history and if you have any particular concerns.
  • You’ll overview your own medical history – previous surgeries and tests, as well as visitig the docterthe results.
  • A review of your medication can be done, as well as a discussion of side-effects and possible changes to regimens.
  • A discussion of lifestyle choices: smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise regime, and diet.
  • Your doctor will measure your height, weight, heart-rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, lymph nodes, thyroid gland, as well as breathing and lungs.
  • Men and women are recommended to seek additional testing of the prostate, cervix, and breasts; as well as a bone density test and chest X-ray.

 

Why should you go for check-ups?

As mentioned before, prevention is better than cure. Many illnesses have a higher curative success rate if detected early. However, many people will only seek medical attention when they are displaying severe symptoms or have to be rushed to hospital. Regular medical check-ups will also allow you to build a solid relationship with your doctor and allow him or her to get to know you so that if an emergency does arise, they can accurately inform the surgeon of your health status.

 

Many medical aid schemes do offer free health assessments to encourage healthy lifestyle behaviour and for members to be mindful of their physical and medical status. Members are encouraged to use the available resources and have a dental check-up every six months and a physical exam every one to two years if they are relatively healthy.

visuals are courtesy of : mayorhealthline.com and

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5 Superfoods to boost your breakfast

Posted by Stuart Stubbs in Diet - (0 Comments)

Even though breakfast is the “most important meal of the day”, there’s only so much eggs-and-toast, instant oatmeal, or dunkable rusks you can take. Why not mix it up a bit and get the most out of your morning munch by adding these amazing superfoods to your daily diet?

1. Pistachio nuts
They may be difficult to extract from their tough shells, but well worth the effort. Pistachios have cholesterol-lowering properties and they taste delicious with almost anything. Sprinkle them on your muesli or add them to a morning fruit salad or yoghurt to provide extra flavour and lower your cholesterol.

2. Hummus
Chickpeas are a great source of fibre and protein, so hummus not only tastes great, but has bona fide nutritional benefits. Spread it on your whole wheat toast or top off an omelette with this delicious topping.

a cup of yoghurt and berries
3. Berries
Rich in vitamin C, raspberries provide a sweet something to muesli and yoghurt, or a warm stack of morning flapjacks. Blueberries are all the rage now for their skin-softening, brain-boosting and cancer-preventing power. You could also return to the old favourite – strawberries – for a delicious breakfast boost.

4. Turmeric
Known for its cancer-fighting benefits, turmeric can also add a wonderful new flavour to old breakfast staples like omelettes or scrambled eggs.

Tumeric Powder

5. Flaxseed
Flaxseed has garnered special mention in health shops for the last 10 years for its omega-3 fatty acid content, which is excellent for brain health, as well as being a great source of fibre. Why buy a flaxseed supplement when you can sprinkle a whole tablespoon of ground flaxseed over your morning muesli (in summer) or oatmeal (in winter) and get all the taste and health benefits too?

Pumpkin seeds, goji berries, sunflower seeds, raisins, and mixed nuts will also all go a long way to making breakfast not only the most important meal of the day, but also your favourite meal of the day!

Visual Courtesy of : leanitup.com

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Understanding ulcers

Posted by Bryony Banks in Diet - (0 Comments)

Ulcers are the result of a disease of the gastric lining of the stomach or the duodenum (peptic ulcer). Ulcers are described as “mucosal erosions”, but are typically sores in the lining of the stomach or small intestine. Medical aids in South Africa provide adequate cover for the doctor’s visits and treatments for ulcers, so read more below about symptoms and treatment, and if you suspect you have an ulcer, go and get it checked out as soon as you can.

Causes of ulcers

Ulcers are commonly attributed to stress and bad diet, but initial infection of peptic ulcer disease is caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which thrives in the acidic conditions of the stomach. Stress and bad diet can cause an over-production of stomach acid, which exacerbates the ulcer symptoms. Sometimes using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause ulcers because of how the stomach lining reacts to the drugs.

woman with a painful stomach

Symptoms of ulcers

An acid-reflux-like pain near the stomach, especially after meals or during the night, is symptomatic of ulcers. Heartburn, bloating, nausea and/or vomiting are some of the milder symptoms, while more severe symptoms can include blood in the stool or vomit (usually dark blood), severe upper-abdominal pain, and loss of weight.

Diagnosis and treatment of ulcers

There are special diagnostic tests to determine the presence of ulcers and how serious they are. One is the barium and X-ray test, where the patient drinks a chalk-like liquid, which is distributed around the upper digestive tract and X-rayed to see if and where there are ulcers. Other tests include a gastroscopy, during which a fibre-optic camera is inserted down the throat and into the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. This tiny camera gives the doctor an excellent view, which will allow him to see where the ulcers are and if they’re bleeding, etc.
Mild ulcers can be treated with medication, including antibiotics if the cause of the ulcers is due to the H. pylori bacteria. If severe ulcers don’t respond to medication, they will need to be operated on – any perforations or haemorrhaging will need to be closed.
Following treatment, the doctor will advise on specific lifestyle and diet changes that need to be made; foods to avoid and how to manage stress.

Visual Courtesy of: nlm.nih.gov

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Posted by Nick in Advice - (0 Comments)

We fear the things we don’t know, which is why there are so many myths about cancer. We hear vague statistics about who is more likely to get cancer, about what to do to avoid cancer, and then repeat what we’ve heard in a bid to increase the likelihood that “cancer won’t happen to me.” So here are some of the myths people believe about cancer, debunked:

1. Myth: There’s nothing you can do to prevent cancer
Many people believe cancer is genetic, and while cancer in your family may increase your risk, you can still live a lifestyle that mitigates those risks. Don’t drink excessively. Don’t smoke. Don’t spend too much time in the sun (with or without SPF). Up to 40% of cancers can be prevented by eating healthily, exercising correctly, maintaining a healthy body-mind connection, and getting regular cancer screenings.

2. Myth: Cancer will kill you
There may not be a cure for cancer, but it is treatable, depending on what type of cancer it is and how soon it’s detected. And there are continuous breakthroughs when it comes to early detection, treatment regimens, as well as prevention, as doctors and scientists gain a better understanding of cancer. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. In South Africa, more than 40% of adults and 60% of children diagnosed with cancer are treated successfully.

3. Myth: You’re too young to get breast cancer
Breast cancer has in the past been associated with women in their 40’s, 50’s and older, but recently, diagnoses of breast cancer are being seen in younger women – some as young as 20. It’s important to perform the necessary checks and screenings, especially women whose family’s medical histories contain breast cancer.

Remember, too, that everyone is different and each individual will “process” cancer differently, require a different type of treatment, and respond to the treatment differently. Don’t believe everything you hear about cancer – get the facts from your doctor or oncologist.

 

visuals are courtesy of : mynewyorkminute.org and facebook.com

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Can hot food help with weight loss?

Posted by Nick in Diet - (0 Comments)

Plate of spicy food

We’d like to think that the shallow breaths and the sweating at the brow from eating spicy food is also a sign of weight-loss, but here’s the skinny on what really happens when you eat spicy-hot food and what it could potentially do to your waistline. It’s all about knowing the right kind of spicy food to eat and what the effects are: (more…)

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Maybe you need glasses. Do you know the signs?

Posted by Nick in Advice - (0 Comments)

More and more people need glasses these days than ever before in history. Many people attribute this to the effect of staring at a computer screen for many hours each day. Because deterioration of vision quality happens gradually, you may not realise that you’re finding it harder and harder to see because your brain is trying to compensate for what your eyes are failing to do. But here are a few signs that may indicate you need to go for an eye-test and think about getting glasses:

1. Squinting or frowning

Squinting or squeezing your eyes to slits while trying to see something further away is a sign that you may need to get your eyes checked out. The reason why people squeeze or squint their eyes is because it changes the shape of the eyeball, flattening out the lens in the eye,which makes objects less blurry.

child taking an eye test

2. Headaches and fatigue
Two common signs of vision trouble are headaches and feeling tired. If you get a headache after focusing on a task for a very long period of time, which manifests towards the front of your head, it probably means you need an eye test and could be symptomatic of astigmatism. The tiredness results from your eyes being out of focus due to weak eye muscles. Glasses or contact lenses can help to reduce the strain on your eye muscles.

 

 

 

3. Holding reading material further away from your face
The definitive sign for needing reading glasses is when you hold books and other reading material further away from you. The classic sign is doing a swing of the arm out in front of you when trying to read small text on the page of the book in your hand, hoping your eyes will focus somewhere further away.

Almost all medical aid schemes have got provision for optometry. It’s a good idea to get your eyes tested every two years and to have your prescription glasses adjusted accordingly. It’s not to say your eyesight will worsen over time  it may also improve because your prescription lenses are giving strained eye muscles a break.

Visual Courtesy of: benjamineye.com

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