Online Health Blog

Millions of us suffer from heavy snoring. But how many realise that this could be a symptom of a potentially fatal medical condition called sleep apnea. Recent statistics suggest that up to 3.6 million people in the UK could be suffering from sleep apnea. This is a sleeping disorder that consists of brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. This is caused when the muscles in the mouth, throat and nose relax during sleep. This results in restricted air flow and potentially an airway blockage by the soft palate at the back of the mouth or by the uvula. Usually these interruptions result in paused breathing for up to 20 seconds.

Recent research suggests that sleep apnea can result in carotid atherosclerosis or strokes. People at particular risk are snorers who are heavy drinkers or who are overweight or suffering from heart disease. If you are in this high risk group it is important that you seek treatment to stop snoring.

Snoring is often caused by physical features such as a large uvula, which requires oral surgery. However it is much more common for the shape of an airway to influence snoring as a result of a pronounced overbite or other facial feature such as a recessed chin or small jaw. In these instances snoring aids can help to correct the airway shape to help reduce the chances of the tongue or soft palate restricting airflow and causing snoring. A mouth piece such as this will alleviate snoring and thus reduce sleep apnea and it’s potential to induce more serious conditions.

Matt

After an accident there are many things that need to be addressed. What condition is the car in? Is anybody hurt? And will the insurance cover this? These are all important questions that need to be dealt with yet you might find that you have sustained injuries that are not apparent right after the accident; after all, your health should be paramount.

Trouble sleeping could build up to stress and a lack of sleep could mean difficulty getting through the days, as these problems will escalate and can make life very hard to balance everything you need to do.

So what should you do?

Well, the first step would be to contact a professional. Speak to some one who has a history of dealing with injury claims like Matt (pictured above). He will be able to access your situation and whether you will be entitled to an accident compensation claim.

There is a team of professionals like Matt that are on hand to help you through the claim process and they all offer a ‘no win no fee‘ service that is backed with a team of professional and qualified solicitors.

If you have been unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident then you might be entitled to a no win no fee claim that will provide you with compensation for any injuries sustained. My advice would be to get in touch with Matt or any of his co workers at Claims For You and see if they can help you today.

There are many things that people take for granted. Their health is one of those things. It’s true what people say that, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. There is a lot of value in this statement. Once you have suffered from an injury it can be months or years until the full use of that part of the body becomes useful again, if ever.

One body part that once injured that can prevent you living the life that now currently enjoy. The knee is an essential element to everyday living and once damaged can cause you long term discomfort and restrict mobility.

Sporting injuries are usually the most common cause of long term knee damage yet road traffic accidents also have a massive impact on the long term health of the knee. A car accident can leave you disabled and the loss of the use of the knee can leave you severely disabled.

The knee allows you a vast amount of movement that over wise would make life very difficult indeed. Bending, lifting, kicking, walking and running would become a mammoth task whilst carrying out every day activities.

Damage to the bone, cartilage or ligament can leave you in substantial pain and suffering. These injuries can come in the forms of many different pains:

A sprain
this is usually caused when a ligament has been over stretched and can result in a twisting or wrenching.

Strain
an injury like this occurs when a tendon or a muscle is over stretched

A tear
this is a painful experience and will result in a torn ligament or meniscus

These then go on to cause swelling, joint pain and instability. One such example would be that of a slippery floor. How many times have you walked into a shopping centre and the floor has been wet due to rain, almost slipping up. If you had fallen then a knee injury would have more than likely followed. If there was no indication that the floor was wet you may be entitled to make a no win no fee claim.

Welcome to the second instalment of accident can happen anywhere. In the first part we looked at the demise of Franz Reichelt (tailor and inventor) and the death of 9 people in a beer flood.

The second part of this post will address people who have suffered from accidents up to the start of the 21^st century. You will be surprised at the types of accident claiming peoples lives.

Famous American escape artist Harry Houdini died in 1926. Mr Houdini claimed that he could withstand any blow to his body that occurred above the waist, excluding his head. This lead to him being punched in the stomach by an amateur boxer. This has been done with Houdinis’ permission but complications developed from the blow which caused his death days later on Halloween. Try not to get punched.

In 1972 Leslie Harvey, guitarist of the popular rock band ‘Stone the Crows’ died after touching a live microphone on stage. The surge of electricity was so great that the guitarist died there and then.

Tommy Cooper, a British slapstick comedian suffered and died from a heart attack whilst on stage whilst being broadcast live on national television. Mr Cooper collapsed on stage and the audience continued to laugh believing that it was all part of the show. Other actors tried to fill the time until his body was moved off stage. Attempts where made to revive him but all where unsuccessful and was pronounced dead at the scene.

2005 saw the death of a 28 year old South Korean. The young man collapsed after suffering from fatigue after playing a computer game for 50 hours straight. The fan of the game ‘Starcraft’ collapsed and died in an internet café after becoming engrossed in the game play.

Very few people get to do the job that they love. For those few that enjoy their job, it is not uncommon to see their enthusiasm come pouring through. None more so than that of the late great Steve Irwin. An Australian television presenter known by many as ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ died at a young age when his heart was punctured by short tail stingray whilst filming a documentary called ‘Oceans Deadilist’ in Queensland on the great barrier reef.

This provides you with a quick overview of how some icons of society have passed away and other people that have just been in unfortunate events that have lead to their demise.

Accidents are going to happen, and no one is immune from this. You, me and the rich and famous are all prone to them. Yet there are several levels of accidents that occur. From the very minor to the fatal, each one is still considered an accident. For some people an accident can be through not fault of their own, and they become caught up in it all. But for some, they are the cause of accidents. People many years ago did not have the benefit of a no win no fee solicitor to make a compensation claim on their behalf, in those days it was just put to down to bad luck.
Many things can be a contributor to an accident but more often then not, it is usually down to a persons lack of consideration for someone else’s welfare.

This is a two part blog post that will look at some accidents that have been fatal to people and the reasoning behind them.

In 1814, 9 people were reported killed when 323,000 gallons of beer gushed onto the streets. ‘The London Beer Flood’ occurred when a local brewery burst their vats and the streets became engulfed with beer. This was probably caused by a build up of pressure or an improper storage container.

1912 saw the death of Franz Reichelt a local tailor, fall to his death from the Eiffel Tower. The tailor did not commit suicide but was trying to display the effectiveness of his invention, the coat parachute. It was it first ever attempt with the coat and he had previously told local authorities that he would use a dummy for the first run. Might have been a good idea to stick with the dummy.

This gives you an insight to the possible was in which accidents can occur and not only change, but end some peoples lives. The Second part of this post will be available to read soon.

For many people, Bruce Lee was an icon. Actor, film star, martial artist, philosopher, film director, screen writer and founder of the Jeet Kune Do concept, he is for many people, the most influential martial artist of the 20^th Century.

Lee was a great influence on film and martial arts and many people were in disarray to hear about his passing. To make matters worse he was to die at the young age of age of 32. Along with any untimely death of someone cut down in their prime, rumours began to surface about the stars death.

Many stories surround his death. Some people say that an accident claimed his life when filming his latest movie. Others believe that he has injured on set whilst working, and his body was then moved to another location to remove suspicion.

Some theories are a little more speculative. It is rumoured that the star could have died from a multitude of possibilities. One theory was that Hong Kong Triads (gangsters) had killed him, as he had refused to pay them protection money like many other Chinese movie stars did at that time. An additional theory was that Bruce Lee was cursed as he had just bought a house that was haunted and this was all contributing towards his untimely death.

Other suggestions indicate that he had angered the Chinese Martial Arts industry by teaching foreigners his skills and he was then killed in a challenge match. One far fetched theory suggests that the star has gone undercover working for the Chinese police trying to break into the Chinese Mafia and then when the time is right he will be reintroduced back in to society.

What ever the reason is for his death there are plenty of theories to fuel the fire of what might have happened to this star.

A slippery floor, as we all know, is a dangerous floor.

The typical British weather can be a contributor to hazards itself.

Whilst out and about shopping it is all too common that the floors in supermarkets and clothes shops, become engulfed with rain water making them as slippery as an ice rink.

One false move or the lack of a ‘caution sign’ could send you free-falling to the ground and injury is only seconds away. All these events can then result in medical assistance, time off work and even long term disability.

In a short space of time, you have gone from healthy-happy-go-lucky to broken-bruised-victim. Through no fault of your own you could find that regular trips to the hospital become part of your routine and you are forced to take time off from work, making that promotion a little harder to achieve.

So what can you do now?

Well like many people that have suffered from accidents that wasn’t their fault they have gone on to seek accident compensation. ‘Quite rightly so’, some might say, as you might feel that being without a regular income or restricted body movement would leave you entitled to compensation.

There are some experienced compensation claim companies that offer no win no fee compensation and 100% of your compensation paid out.

Making a claim is a way of making companies look at how they handle possible accident situations, and what steps that they would take to avoid them. After all ‘prevention is better than cure’. It is important that these accidents are avoided and the staff are made aware of the reasons behind it, as to ensure that no one else falls victim to this dangerous hazard.

For many of millions of people getting a good night’s sleep is merely something other people have and something they long to experience. In many cases though a sleepless night can be fixed and your sleep could be improved dramatically.

Here are a few tips which may just help you get a better nights sleep.

Get Regular Exercise

Regular exercise as we all know is extremely good for, yet perhaps one benefit which doesn’t get talked about is the benefit to our sleep. Exercising for just 30 minuets during the day can help you fall asleep much easier. However it is advised that exercise be ideally carried out in the morning or during the day as exercising to close to bed time can have a negative impact.

Avoid Stimulants

There are a number of stimulants which we take throughout the day even knowingly or unknowingly which keep us up at night. Caffeine, alcohol and smoking are all stimulants which have the ability to cause a restless night. It is then a good idea to try and avoid these stimulants before you plan on heading to bed. Alcohol should be avoided at least a few hours before going to bed, Caffeine found in coffee and to a lesser extent tea and fizzy drinks should not be drunk close to bed time, and ideally coffee should be cut out of your diet after lunch. Smoking has a number of negative affect on a persons sleep, from being a contributory factor to snoring to nicotine acting as a stimulant and withdrawal symptoms during the night causing a disturbed sleep.

Stop Napping

Although many of us will feel sleepy during the day we should avoid the temptation to nap as this could have an impact on sleep later that night. If you do start feeling a bit dozy in the afternoon why not take up the fine English tradition of having an afternoon tea with some delicious cakes, if however you do decide to nap try to make sure it last no longer than 30 minutes.

Stop Snoring

Snoring can be a real disruption to a person sleep, though more often than not its not the snorer who suffers it’s the person they are sleeping with who is kept awake all night long. There are a number of different cures for snoring available which try to fix the different types of snorers (there are many different causes of snoring) so why not give one of them ago.

Sex, Sex and More Sex

Sex is another great away to get a good nights sleep and certainly the most fun!

There must be something in the air. I have recently started a new job and in the office there are at least three pregnant ladies all at varying stages of pregnancy. I turn on the TV and it seems there isn’t one channel where I won’t stumble across a model, actress or presenter all showing their wonderful bumps to the world. I browse news sites online and articles pop up about pregnancy from the ‘Best ways to conceive’ to ‘How to financially prepare for a baby’. None of which is a subject I care too much for at the moment but what did catch my eye recently was an article about what you can and can’t eat whilst pregnant, which had arisen after a supermarket worker had refused to sell a pregnant lady unpasteurised Cheddar cheese.

It throws up the argument ‘What rights did this worker have to refuse to serve a lady due to her observation?’ The answer is none. Not only could the pregnant lady in question have no intention of personally consuming this and was merely buying it for the rest of her family, even if she did intend to eat it, it is her prerogative and I have no doubts that she would have researched the subject enough to establish whether this was a safe or unsafe food for her and her baby.

But is it safe? You may ask. For any first time mother the subject of what you can and cannot eat is broad and varied, not to mention confusing and often conflicting. From seafood to coffee, chillies to rasberries, eggs to honey. How is any first time mother supposed to obtain a definitive list of do’s and don’ts? Well, there is a huge amount of resource you can acquire from the net, be sure to visit recognised and official sites. The other important advice to any first time mother would be to seek professional advice from their doctor or nutritionalist. Once you are equipped with the right knowledge from the safest source then you are less likely to be railroaded by those who think ‘they know best’.

A brief guide to help you along the way:

Avoid:

1. Raw or undercooked eggs
2. Cheese: Soft or blue
3. All pate

Guidelines:

1. All meat should be cooked thoroughly.
2. Oily fish is good for you and the baby but should be kept to a maximum of 2 portions a week
3. Follow strict food hygiene guidelines such as maintaining clean surfaces, washing hands after dealing with raw meat etc

Health and safety at work has always been an important part of the job. So much so that today sees seminars, lessons and assessments about the workers and the environment in which they work. Health and safety is more prominent in the work place today then ever before. Many consider this a good thing, as these steps help to reduce the amount of injuries, accident and deaths in the work place.

Many large organizations have specific health and safety officers in place to minimize the risk of accidents at work.

Charlies cat

There is always an ongoing awareness of health and safety being promoted through various forms of adverting through out TV, radio and printed paraphernalia. The television campaigns have promoted all aspects of health and safety and not just those in the work place. Such television commercials have seen the introduction of the ‘Charlies Cat’ adverts in which a short animated film was used to promote the dangers of playing with matches. But it wasn’t only new faces that it brought to the screen. The adverts also saw the likes of Jimmy Hill. Ken Dodd, Jimmy Savile, and of Rolf Harris (Below) raising awareness of such things like the dangers of not being able to swim.

Rolf Harris

It seems that this celebrity endorsement is an ongoing trend and this year sees the Simpson’s partake in raising health and safety issues. The creator of the Simposns (Matt Groening) has allowed his popular cartoon characters to be used in promoting health and safety awareness. Characters like Homer Simpson, Mr Burns, Maggie, Bart and the local police all appear the adverts highlighting the dangers and seriousness of not using the proper procedure and adhering to health and safety regulations.

A lack of consideration and concentration can cause dangerous or fatal accidents to happen. It is important that care is taken when working. If you have not been fortunate enough to avoid personal injury then you need to consider making a injury claim and there are a vast amount of affordable no win no fee solicitors that can help you get your claim in action.