Amber Valley Ambles
Two brand new low-level walking groups for Somercotes and Riddings starting in July.
Riddings first two walks Tuesday 23rd July & Tuesday 6th August 12:30pm start from Riddings Community Centre.
Walk as little or as much as you like…It’s your choice!
Suitable for people with disabilities, limited mobility and long-term health conditions.
World Breastfeeding Awareness Week, 1st-7th August
The theme for Breastfeeding Awareness Week this year is ‘closing the gap’. This theme will explore the different mothers from all over the world who breastfeed, and showcase how people who surround the mothers, such as family, friends and healthcare workers, can provide support.
Some of the aims of Breastfeeding Awareness Week are to allow adequate time for women to provide breast milk whilst at work, to allow enough time off for maternity leave all over the world, and to invest in breastfeeding support schemes.
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South Asian Heritage Month, 1st-17th August
The theme of this year’s South Asian Heritage Month is ‘free to be me’. South Asian Heritage Month aims to bring awareness to the great contribution that South Asian Heritage has had on our society. This is implemented by developing educational programmes in schools, showcasing art and commemorating key historical events. You can get involved by volunteering and helping out with tasks and activities. You get to choose which tasks and activities you’d like to take part in, and you can share your ideas with the rest of the team.
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Cycle to Work Day, 5th August
Cycle to Work Day is a great way to improve not only your physical fitness, but also your mental and emotional wellbeing and your finances. Cycling to work can mean that you start your day with some exercise, which will benefit you in many ways. Not only is cycling to work great in itself, but you can earn rewards by taking part! The Cycle to Work Scheme is giving people the opportunity to win thousands of pounds, just by cycling to work! Improving your health and the chance to earn money should be plenty of reason to get involved!
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Playday, 7th August
Playday this year celebrates the culture of childhood. Play is something that humans have in common across generations and cultures. Play is fun and helps us to develop our minds, bodies and relationships.
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National Allotments Week, 12th-18th August
This year’s National Allotments Week celebrates biodiversity in UK allotments. Biodiversity is critical for our habitats and wildlife, but it also contributes positively to the sustainability and nutritional value of our food.
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Hair Loss Awareness Month, 1st-31st August
Usually, hair loss isn’t something you need to be concerned about. However, in some cases it can be a sign of something more serious. The usual and most likely causes of hair loss are illness, stress, weight loss and iron deficiency. Although this hair loss can be upsetting, it’s not permanent and can sometimes be treated. Some more serious cases can be caused by some cancers, but this is uncommon.
Treatments for hair loss can include steroid injections, steroid creams, light treatment, surgery and more. If you have unexplained hair loss and you’re concerned about your health, you should discuss this with your general practice team who will be able to offer you some guidance.
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Psoriasis Action Month, 1st-31st August
Psoriasis is quite rare, but it can be difficult to deal with if you suffer from it. Signs of psoriasis can include red skin patches, dry skin, thick nails and stiffness. Psoriasis can be something you develop naturally or it can occur due to lifestyle choices, such as smoking or obesity. Psoriasis also increases your chance of developing diabetes, which is also difficult to manage and is usually a lifelong problem.
The causes of psoriasis are varied, but the condition itself entails the over-production of skin cells. This overproduction then leads to the visible patches on the skin. Often, psoriasis develops after a trigger, such as an injury or an infection. Often, Vitamin D cream is the first treatment offered to sufferers of psoriasis, so if you’re concerned about psoriasis whilst waiting for a GP appointment, you could try increasing your Vitamin D intake.
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Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is common in men over 40, and usually nothing to worry about. However, if you’re concerned, you can get in touch with your medical practice. Erectile dysfunction is described as being unable to get an erection, or having an erection that doesn’t last long enough to have sex.
Causes of erectile dysfunction can include tiredness, stress, hormone issues or diabetes and high cholesterol. Ways to improve or prevent erectile dysfunction can include losing weight if you’re overweight, eating healthily, increasing exercise and stopping smoking. You should seek medical advice if it’s a consistent issue, as it could be related to something else.
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Accident Prevention in Young Children
As the summer holidays are approaching, and you may be spending more time with your children, it’s important to know how to deal with and prevent many situations that could occur.
Simple things like not giving your child hard sweets or nuts could prevent a potential serious choking episode. Sitting with your child whilst they’re eating can also help with the prevention of choking, as you’re there to aid if necessary.
Keeping plastic bags, nappy bags and other similar things away from your child can help to prevent the possibility of suffocation, and being mindful of where your child plays and sleeps can also prevent injuries.
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Vitamin D Supplements
Vitamin D is vital for keeping your bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of Vitamin D can cause rickets, especially in children. The people most at risk of Vitamin D deficiency are children under the age of four and babies.
Usually, in the summer months, you should get enough Vitamin D from sunlight; however, if you or your child are inside the majority of the time, then you should consider taking daily vitamin tablets in order to support normal bone health. You can also get Vitamin D from foods such as oily fish, red meat, liver and egg yolks.
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BBQ Safety
Now that it’s the middle of summer, BBQs are much more common and it’s important to know how to be safe around them. Some major things to keep in mind are to never leave a barbecue unattended, keep children and pets away from the barbecue, keep a bucket of water nearby, and ensure that the barbecue is completely cool before moving it.
Fire and burns aren’t the only risk when it comes to barbecues; carbon monoxide is also a dangerous side effect of having a barbecue. To avoid this, it’s important to never attempt to use a barbecue inside, and to stay out of direct range of the barbecue for long periods of time.
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Mindfulness
Mindfulness can help you to focus on what’s going on in the moment, allowing you to become more self-aware. Practising mindfulness can help to improve your day-to-day wellbeing, whilst working on yourself. There are many ways in which you can access guidance on mindfulness, one of those being the Mind website, which includes a detailed description and videos that can help you to get started.
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Organ Donation
Choosing to be an organ donor is an important decision, and could mean that you play a part in saving somebody’s life. Being an organ donor means that in the event that you have passed away, or are in end-of-life care, you can choose to donate your healthy organs to someone who needs them. Usually, the people who require organ donations are people who have been on waiting lists for a significant amount of time, or are potentially in a fatal condition.
The staff who are looking after you will always keep your health and wellbeing as their priority. Organ donation will only be considered if you are the end of life. It can be important to discuss and share your wishes with your friends and family. Everyone is automatically an organ donor; however, you can opt out of being a donor if you don’t want to be one. It’s important to think carefully about what you’d like to do, and to ensure you’re making the correct decision.
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Back-to-Work Blues
Going back to work after being on holiday or having time off can be hard, but there are some things you can do to help yourself ease back into normality. Organising your things the night before work can be helpful, to remove the stress that can come with an early morning. If you receive a lot of emails, you could try sorting through them gradually, instead of all at once.
Make the most of longer evenings in the summer, so that your whole day isn’t taken up by work, and do something you enjoy. Make sure you have breaks and downtime, to relax and do what you like doing; this will help to break up your day and make your free time more enjoyable. Try to exercise or go for a walk; this can help to clear your mind and reduce brain fog.
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Travel Insurance
Making sure you’re insured for healthcare abroad before going away is very important. If you need healthcare in another country, it’s likely to be very expensive and difficult to afford, which you don’t want in the back of your mind whilst you’re on holiday. Applying for a GHIC is easy, and will remove any of the stress that surrounds the financial burden of an injury.
To apply for healthcare cover overseas, you have to provide some details about yourself, such as your name and your National Insurance number. Once you’ve applied, you’ll receive an email within 24 hours, explaining whether or not you’ve been accepted. Once you’ve received this email, you should receive your card in the post within 15 days, and this then means you’ll receive reciprocal treatment as a local would while you’re away. You still need comprehensive travel insurance.
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Sun Cream
Making sure you’re using the correct sun cream for yourself and your children is important, as burns can cause long-lasting damage. If you’re an adult, you should use at least SPF 30, and younger children and babies should use SPF 50. The SPF is the sun protection factor, so this indicates how much the sun cream protects you from UV rays. Your sun cream should also be UVA 4-star rated. You should also double-check that your sun cream hasn’t expired, as that would prevent it from effectively protecting you from the sun.
Sun cream should be applied when first going out in the sun, every few hours if you’re dry, or every time you leave the water if you’re at the pool or the beach. You should also cover up with clothing and take regular breaks in the shade. It’s also important to remember that the sun does not determine whether you burn; the UV rating does. You should always check the UV rating before going outside, as you can still get burnt in cloudy weather.
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Active 10 and Couch to 5K
We should all aim to do 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week; this is the same as 20 to 30 minutes per day. To help us do this, the NHS has two apps. ‘Active 10’ measures your activity when you’re walking, and ‘Couch to 5k’ is a programme designed to get you running for 30 minutes by the end of a nine-week programme.
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Important: In July 129 patients failed to attend appointments here
21.5 hours were missed.
Equivalent to 6.5 GP Clinics.
If you are unable to attend always cancel your appointment.
Call us on 01773 602141
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