Medical | Fab after Fifty | Information and inspiration for women over 50

Pauline, her inspirational story of moving from breast cancer to setting up Bosom Buddies charity

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Article by Pauline Giles Pauline Giles shares her incredible journey, from being diagnosed with breast cancer to setting up a charity to raise breast cancer awareness for young women. An inspirational story of courage, laughter and determination! Pauline’s story May 2010 My mother and I attend an appointment with a Genetic Clinic my gran and mother had both had breast cancer and we wanted to know if we were carrying the BRCA gene which could mean my daughter and myself could be carriers. The lovely lady doctor explained in order to be checked we needed two surviving generations so they could check tissue. The doctor looked up and said ‘so Ms Giles, for you to save your daughter you would, in essence have to have the disease.’ 10 July...
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Do you spend too much time feeling stressed?

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Article by Fabafterfifty. Do you spend too much time feeling stressed? If so, you are not alone, according to a new study. Getting old, fears over job security and relationships issues also leave a dark cloud hanging over millions on a daily basis. Typically adults are losing 2 hours a day worrying about the strains of modern life, such as the high cost of living , feeling unfit and spiraling debt. The study also found that extreme anxiety has left many of us unable to concentrate at work, brought on endless sleepless nights, and even caused further rifts with partners. And for many of us (45%) stress does directly affect our health. Around 45% of those studied admitted stress and worry had directly affected their health. Paul Keenan of Benenden Health...
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Alcohol – Could you be drinking too much?

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Article by Carolyn Hughes Everyday tippler? Special occasion sipper? Boozy binger? Let’s be honest! Most of us enjoy a drink, but it makes sense to be alcohol aware. Drink is cheap and good for you! Whether it’s our favourite tipple in a bar or a glass of wine at home, drinking is a normal and enjoyable way to socialize and relax. Easily obtained from your street corner off-licence or as part of a supermarket ‘meal deal’, it’s now cheaper than ever. In fact, alcohol is now 65% more affordable than in 1980. There’s more good news. Studies have promoted the possible benefits of alcohol in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and in protecting against rheumatoid arthritis. However this applies to limited amounts of drink and the health improvements may well be outweighed by the dangers...
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Am I Too Old For Laser Eye Surgery?

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Article by Ed Beardsell. Your questions on laser eye surgery answered: Is There An Upper Age Limit? Laser eye surgery is fast becoming one of the most common means of treating visual impairments. Ground-breaking technology now allows patients to permanently improve their vision in short surgeries lasting just seconds relieving the need for glasses or contact lenses. One of the primary concerns of laser eye surgery is age, and whilst you must be 18 and above to undergo these treatments in order to ensure that eyes that are fully developed to avoid complications as the patients eyes mature an upper age limit is still a little bit of a grey area....
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Could the clothes we wear be causing us aches and pains?

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Article by Fabafterfifty Millions are injured every year – by their clothes, it has emerged. British Osteopathic Association show around one in two adults suffer aches, pains or injuries from handbags, bras, belts and even hats. We are all encouraged to live healthier lives over 50 – eat better, exercise more, but it seems that a closer look at what we wear and how we wear it could also be having an impact on our health. The true extent to which modern fashions are leaving millions of us black and blue emerged from data published by the British Osteopathic Association Kelston Chorley, head of Professional Development commented on the findings: ”Patients are often surprised when it is pointed out to them that their bag, shoes or other items of clothing may be contributing to their presenting problem. Poor fitting bras...
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Tooth Whitening – what questions should you ask when considering treatment?

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Article by Francesca Keen Whiter teeth can be perceived as more youthful. With so many tooth whitening treatments on offer, how do we know which are are safe to use? Acting Head of Illegal Practice at the General Dental Council, Francesca Keen, talks us through the latest developments on issues involving tooth whitening. Tooth whitening, is something we get asked about a lot. The last 18 months have proved to be quite eventful in the field of tooth whitening with a number of significant milestones. There has been significant press about it, some of it positive and some of it incorrect. The GDC’s stance remains the same; tooth whitening may only lawfully be provided by those who are registered dental professionals. Who can carry out tooth whitening? We believe that tooth whitening is the practice of dentistry,...
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Ten weeks without sugar: 22 lbs gone and less arthritic pain! Mary’s story…

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Article by Mary W. Walters The last week in June I stopped eating sugar – by which I mean all sugars aside from the sugar that occurs naturally in raw fruits, vegetables, a few other foods, and in trace amounts in whole grain products like bread and crackers (which I don’t eat too much of). I also cut out sweeteners — my thinking being that if I didn’t get rid of “fake” sugar, I’d never get over sugar. When I went on this no-sugar program, I was the heaviest I have ever been in my life, and forty pounds heavier than that. Since I quit smoking about ten years ago, I’d been gaining and gaining and gaining. (Why has nobody made the connection between the increasing obesity problem and the fact that the number of smokers is...
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Contact Options For Ageing Eyes

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Article by Aaron Beard. We often need to wear glasses for the first time once we reach our 50s, and I have memories of all my grandparents and older relatives wearing bifocal glasses, but I hadn’t appreciated that it is possible to have bi-focal contact lenses as well as bi-focal glasses. Aaron Beard explores the options for addressing midlife eye issues. Dealing with eye deterioration The body changes in virtually innumerable ways as people grow older, and while some of these changes are impossible to address, many others are possible to deal. One example of a physical byproduct of aging that can be addressed with relative ease is deterioration in eye strength and comfort. While young people often enjoy lengthy periods of time without any changes in...
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Do we take enough care of our eyes? Top tips for summer eye care.

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Article by Fabafterfifty How many of us actually have an annual eye test? Eye care and addressing potential problems as early as possible is even more important as we get a little older. New research reveals that 41% of Brits avoid having an annual eye test, and that summer holidays are a major cause of stress for glasses and contact lens wearers. Robert Morris, Medical Director at specialist eye hospital group Optegra, says: “People who wear glasses or contacts have daily frustrations, but summer holidays really do heighten the stress. The good news is there are solutions. Annual eye check-up vital to expose early warnings “It is concerning, however, that so many are avoiding getting their eyes tested. Like your car’s MOT, an annual check-up is vital to expose...
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Living with Crohn’s disease – my story

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Article by Ceri Wheeldon I have lived with crohn’s disease for nearly 25 years.I was 28 when I was first diagnosed. There is no cure for Crohn’s and nobody seems to know what causes it. It is an inflammatory bowel disease and is extremely debilitating. At the time of my diagnosis my weight had plummeted to less than 7 stone. I was extremely weak (but still going to work every day – even though my employer frequently sent me home) and repeated visits to my GP over a 10 month period had resulted in my being told I had everything from a gastric bug and food poisoning to depression. My argument that I was not depressed but simply hadn’t the energy to put one foot in front of the other, especially as visits to the loo...
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Pauline, her inspirational story of moving from breast cancer to setting up Bosom Buddies charity

Do you spend too much time feeling stressed?

Alcohol – Could you be drinking too much?

Am I Too Old For Laser Eye Surgery?

Could the clothes we wear be causing us aches and pains?

Tooth Whitening – what questions should you ask when considering treatment?

Ten weeks without sugar: 22 lbs gone and less arthritic pain! Mary’s story…

Contact Options For Ageing Eyes

Living with Crohn’s disease – my story

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