From today, if you are between 28 and 38 weeks pregnant you will be offered a Whooping Cough vaccine through your GP surgery. Your immune system will make antibodies that will be passed onto your baby in the womb, protecting them until they can be vaccinated at two months of age.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. The condition usually begins with a persistent dry and irritating cough which progresses to intense bouts of coughing. These are followed by a distinctive ‘whooping’ noise which is how the condition gets its name.
Teenagers who regularly smoke cannabis risk permanently damaging their intelligence, attention span and memory. Stopping or reducing cannabis use fails to fully restore the lost IQ.
Be liberal with your sunscreen. According to Cancer Research UK, people don’t apply as much sunscreen as they need to. If you don’t apply enough, you won’t get the protection that is claimed on the bottle. Make sure you cover all exposed skin, including the tops of feet, ears and the back of the neck.
People often assess you from your appearance, as they see this before they speak to you. It takes little effort to shower, scrub up and smell nice each day, but can make the world of difference – you don’t know who you’ll meet today!
Different people need different numbers of sleep hours, depending on age, physical activity levels, general health and other individual factors. Generally, primary school children and teenagers need 9-10 hours of sleep each night, whereas adults need at least 8.
Milk contains vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, fats, carbohydrates and protein, as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium.
When caring for someone with an eating disorder, remember the top tips: learn the facts (the more you know, the more you can help), break the silence (give them that vital opportunity to open up), early intervention is best (get them specialist help as soon as possible), take care of yourself (you need your own support) and recovery is always possible (you can help them beat their eating disorder).
If you have a friend with an eating disorder, be there for them. Try to understand what they are going through, and don’t let it dominate your relationship – underneath it they’re still your friend.
Telling someone about your eating disorder and admitting that you need help is an important step towards recovery. Decide who you would like to tell – a friend, a family member, or a professional.