Lung Cancer Awareness Month

My Dad died of lung cancer in 2007. It was horrible. From diagnosis to death was mercifully short, but it was still horrid. He was 65. He had not smoked for 15 years. He was extremely fit and had plenty to live for. It wasn't fair!


Lung cancer is the UK's biggest cancer killer, claiming the lives of more than 33,500 people in the UK every year - more than leukaemia, breast and prostate cancer combined - yet it receives a mere 3% of all money spent on cancer research in this country. Perhaps it is perceived as an "unsexy" cancer, or a self- inflicted cancer? Whatever the reason, the numbers don't stack up.


November is Lung Cancer Awareness month which aims to raise awareness of lung cancer and of the signs and symptoms of the disease and encourage those at risk to visit their GP.

What are the key symptoms of lung cancer?

• A cough that does not go away after more than three weeks
• Worsening or change of a long-standing cough
• Repeated or persistent chest infections
• Blood in the phlegm
• Unexplained persistent breathlessness
• Unexplained persistent tiredness or lack of energy
• Unexplained persistent weight loss
• Persistent chest and/or shoulder pain
• Unexplained persistent hoarseness
• Unexplained swelling of the face and neck

What are the top 5 myths about lung cancer?
Myth: Coughing up blood is the earliest sign of lung cancer
Fact: The first symptoms are often a persistent cough or persistent breathlessness
Myth: As a smoker, the damage is already done and there’s no point in giving up
Fact: Quitting at any stage reduces the risk of developing lung cancer and other diseases such as stroke or heart attack. Stopping smoking before middle age avoids most of the risk of smoking-related lung cancer.
Myth: Lung cancer is a male disease
Fact: In the 1950s, the ratio was 1 lung cancer case diagnosed in women for every 6 in men. That ratio is now 3 cases in women for every 4 in men.
Myth: Lung cancer is a death sentence
Fact: When lung cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, there are more treatment options and the chances of surviving it are greatly improved. When lung cancer is found at an early stage, treatment is 40 times more likely to be successful.
Myth: Lung cancer is only a smoker’s disease
Fact: Although smoking is the chief cause of lung cancer, around 1 in 10 cases are not linked to smoking.

So back to my dad. Nothing I have written here can change the fact that my dad died six weeks before my wedding and that he didn't live long enough to meet three of his six grandsons or the seventh grandchild due in February, but perhaps with more funding for research into lung cancer and its treatment, other families can have longer with their loved ones.

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is the ONLY charity dedicated to defeating lung cancer. They are an excellent source of support and information on this disease.

They could really do with your support this month.

Ask Your Pharmacist - we might even know the answer!

This week is "Ask Your Pharmacist" week.

So far this week, I have been asked a number of questions I wasn't expecting:

"Do you sell shoelaces?"

"Can you tell me how to get to Telford College?"

"Where do you keep your men's combs?"

Nothing will, however top the question I was asked when I worked in a supermarket pharmacy some years ago by a harassed shopper on Christmas Eve: "Do you stock turkeys?"!

But seriously....I have also been asked to show a patient how to use their asthma inhaler, I have been asked for advice on stopping smoking and losing weight. I have answered numerous questions about flu vaccinations and I have helped a lady who was "in a fankle" with her medication.

The idea behind "Ask Your Pharmacist" is to shift the focus from seeing your local pharmacy as a place for just getting your prescriptions dispensed to a centre for advice and information about general health and well being as well as medicines advice. The week is organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) who do a brilliant job of promoting and supporting the work of community pharmacy across the UK.

You might be surprised by the range and depth of knowledge available free of charge and without an appointment at your local pharmacy.

So go on: Ask Your Pharmacist - they might even know the answer!!

PS: We didn't have any turkeys or shoe laces. but we did have men's combs and we could help you find the local college!

When to use a food supplement?

• Are you really busy at the moment and not eating properly?
• Are you feeling under the weather or are you recovering from an illness?
• Are you doing a lot of exercise and feel exhausted as a result?
• Do you need a pick me up or energy boost?
• Have you recently lost weight ?
• Are you not cooking properly for yourself?

If so, you could be undernourished! We are constantly being told about obese Britain and how 70% of us in the UK are overweight, but did you know that around 3 million people in the UK are undernourished?

There are a number of causes for weight loss and undernourishment and serious causes need to be considered, but there are lots of more common reasons which may affect all of us at one time or another:

• A reduced appetite perhaps after an illness or an operation
• Stress can cause people to stop eating regular meals
• Busy lifestyles can lead to food becoming less of a priority for some
• Athletes undergoing training may not be receiving the correct nutrients to compenste for additional exercise
• Older people may not require as much food, but care is needed to ensure that what is eaten is healthy and nutritional.

Being undernourished can lead to serious consequences. As well as feeling weak or tired it can lead to a reduced immune system which then means it takes longer to recover from illnesses. All of this can have a real affect on mood.

A healthy balanced diet should include a variety of fruit and vegetables, plenty of calcium rich foods, some carbohydrate and protein. if this is not always possible it may be worth considering dietary supplements such as Complan.

This supplements come in powder form and contain essential vitamins and minerals, calcium, iron and protein. They should be made up with whole milk and taken up to three times a day.

Come and speak to us at Barnton Pharmacy if you are worried about your weight and think you may need a supplement.

Itchy & Scratchy - dealing with eczema

At this time of year, most people find their skin is drier than normal, but what happens when that becomes a problem which won't go away?

Eczema
Eczema is a long term dry skin condition which affects about 1 in 12 adults in the UK. It appears as dry or flaky skin anywhere on the body and can be very itchy.
Itching leads to scratching, which can lead to the skin breaking down, becoming cracked and sore and possibly infected.
There are a number of different types of eczema but essentially we can treat them all in a similar way. 

Emollient treatment
The mainstay of eczema treatment should be avoiding flare ups by regularly using an emollient product to trap water in the skin and also by avoiding triggers which cause flare ups.

There are many different emollients (including dermol, E45, oilatum and many more....) available from your local pharmacy but the key to treatment is regular use of lots of emollient.

In addition soap products should be avoided as these strip the skin of its natural oils. instead consider using a bath additive (e.g E45 bath or oilatum) to soak into the skin and trap even more moisture.

Steroid creams (e.g. hydrocortisone) may well still be needed for flare ups, but regular and frequent use of emollients can reduce the number of flare ups and so reduce the amount of steroids required which is much better in the long run.

Top tips for managing dry skin

• Hoover often to reduce dust and therefore dust mites if these are a trigger for you.
• Were cotton clothes which are much less irritant than other materials.
• Use unperfumed washing powder and avoid fabric softeners.
• At bath time, don't have the water too hot and pat dry with a towel afterwards rather than rubbing.
• Drink lots of water every day
• Apply emollients before and after swimming as chlorine can be a trigger for some people
• The National Eczema Society website contains loads of really useful resources and practice advice for people with eczema and their families

Eczema in children
Itchy kids can be miserable. The same principles outlined above apply to treating children with eczema, but there are some great kids products available too.
E45 have teamed up with Peppa Pig to bring you Peppa's Big Bubble Bash. There are really useful questions and answers on the website as well as loads of games and interactive fun.

Worried about dementia?

Given that over 80,000 people in Scotland are living with dementia and that one in three people over 65 will die with dementia, I wonder why we are so reluctant to talk about it? Isn't it a worry that we spend eight times less on dementia research than cancer research and yet 40% of dementia patients are in long stay care settings often at huge cost to the public purse.

It reminds me of how we used to see cancer patients and palliative care. No one really spoke about it apart from in hushed tones. Often the person with the illness didn't know what was wrong with them or if they did they thought the worse but weren't given the right information. How far we have come in dealing with cancer. 

I am delighted that there is now a national dementia strategy and that the Scottish government appear to be taking this condition seriously. Hopefully things will change.

What is dementia?
Dementia is the progressive loss of power of the brain. There are many different types but the most common is Alzheimer's disease.

What are the symptoms?
Every person with dementia is different and how their illness affects them can depend on which areas of the brain are most damaged.

One of the most common symptoms if memory loss. It is important to remember that everyone forgets things sometimes!!!!!
However a person with dementia may forget the names of family members, or forget to turn the oven off. They may repeat the same question over and over and not know they are doing it. People with dementia may lose their sense of time, or awareness of which day it is.

Solving problems with dementia can be difficult and this can come across as confusion.
dementia can also affect personality and behaviour as well.

All of these symptoms can be very worrying and frustrating for you and your family.



Help is out there.It is important to seek help early on. The sooner a diagnosis can be made, the better able we are to start planning for the future and accessing services, treatment and help and support. Medical treatments are available which may help some people and research is progressing all the time.

I was lucky enough to attend a training session last week with speakers from Alzheimer Scotland, and was really impressed with the work this organisation are doing. They offer loads of practical help and guidance for dementia patients, their friends and family including; understanding dementia, getting help with benefits and accessing community care.

If you are worried about your memory or that of a family member or friend, Alzheimer Scotland has a free 24 hour helpline 0808 808 300

Getting older doesn't need to be a pain.

My mum turned 70 in August and a fine celebration we had!  Three score years and ten is a real landmark and one that deserves to be celebrated, but it shouldn't necessarily be the line in the sand between trainers and slippers, or tracksuits and cardies!

To celebrate this milestone, my mum bought herself a new bike.
On paper this may seem a little foolish or a symbol of age defying lunacy, but if I tell you that my mum has ridden a bike almost every day for the last 30 years and normally cycles the couple of miles from home to the gym for a swim (at 6am) and back, it becomes clearer. Added to that, her previous bike was  probably 25 years old, so a new bike doesn't seem such a silly idea after all!

A week or so after the birthday celebrations, I got a phone call from mum saying "Sal, I've done something silly. I've broken my arm, falling off the bike". Oh no! What now? I thought. Months of pain, rehab loss of independance, and life may possibly take a different turn for mum and those around her.

Six weeks on and I am pleased to report that she is almost back to full fitness. In fact she spent last weekend wrangling all of her six grandsons at one time or another. We talked about her rapid recovery and concluded that a large part of it can be put down to lifelong fitness, a healthy lifestyle and hard work with her rehab exercises.

I thought it might be useful to give you some top tips from the experts on how to keep your bones and joints strong and healthy as you get older:

• Eat a well balanced diet
  Include lots of calcium and Vitamin D to help the calcium be absorbed properly.
• Take regular exercise
  Exercise is proven to help keep bones strong.
• Stop smoking
  It's never too late to stop. There is loads of support available to help you quit.
• Drink alcohol in moderation
  Too much alcohol is harmful to bones and may increase your risk of a fall.
• Don't ignore joint pain
  Try supplements such as glucosamine or seek advice about pain killers.

At Barnton Pharmacy this month, many of our bone and joint products are on special offer and we are always available for advice on your health and wellbeing.

All that remains now is for mum to get back on her bike and then there'll be no stopping her!!!

Time for a seasonal boost

 The leaves are falling, mornings are almost dark. It's the long week before the half term holidays and we are all feeling a bit under par.
Now is the time to boost your immune system and get yourself in tip top form for the winter ahead.

Here are a few tips from Barnton Pharmacy to

1. Consider starting echinacea to give you and additional boost.
2. there is lots of fantastic seasonal veggies around in all those autumn colours. They make great soups to put in the freezer for a warming winter lunch.
3. Think about a vitamin supplement at this time of year. Our friendly team can advise you on which one would best suit you.
4. As the days get shorter (much much shorter in Scotland) we need to boost our vitamin D reserves. try and get at least 15 minutes of daylight every day. Take a walk around the block at lunchtime. Not only will you feel a boost during the afternoon, but you will sleep better at night time.
5. What about a flu jab? Free if you are eligible on the NHS, or come and see us in the pharmacy if you want to protect yourselves and your family privately.

Watch out for a future post about what to do if you do get a cold, but hopefully if you follow some of this advice now, you will be better able to fight off those bugs!