List of All Articles with Tag 'families'

Our bellies have always been the target of derision and ire. Long have they been poked and prodded. Sighed at and sucked in. Reprimanded and insulted. But ever since social media became the new WebMD for chronic self-diagnosers, it’s been open season on every little bodily function. Every involuntary twitch, skin bump and mood shift has been analysed to death – but none more so than the dreaded bloat. Stomach bloating can happen for all sorts of reasons. Often the main culprit is a big meal. It’s that feeling of being uncomfortably full and needing to undo the top button of your jeans, as if you’ve just had a particularly heavy Sunday roast. Unless you have real food intolerances or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or the symptom is caused by hormonal changes, bloating is the body’s normal reaction to eating a little too much. It usually subsides after a few hours. But this is 2023. A bit of bloating is no longer something you can just wait a few hours to get rid of – social media dictates that it needs to be gone immediately, and if it doesn’t then there must be something wrong with you. And not to stop there, either. You should also be cutting 10 different types of foods out of your life, doing five simple exercises 200 times a day and taking an assortment of supplements and pills because God forbid your stomach be round for the next two hours. According to Dr Tamara Alireza, a functional medicine specialist at Skinfluencer London, bloating should be taken seriously if it doesn’t come and go with food. If it becomes a chronic problem, or is accompanied by other symptoms such as persistent stomach and pelvic pain, changes to bowel habits, unexpected weight loss, fatigue and fever, vomiting, or bleeding, it may be something different entirely. “Excess bloating can be linked to IBS, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and coeliac disease, but also to more serious conditions,” she says. But we are a society obsessed with quick fixes, and anti-bloating pills have become a popular “cure” for the woes of a distended belly. Last month, fitness influencer Sam Cutler took it to new heights when she provided the pills for her wedding guests during the meal. Some viewers of her TikTok video – which sparked so much horror that it rapidly went viral – claimed that the pills were essentially “laxatives”. The glut of brands that have emerged in recent years would disagree, though. Many claim to use all-natural ingredients to “speed up digestion” and reduce gas without a laxative effect. Admittedly, curiosity got the better of me. I am lucky enough not to suffer from any particularly gut-churning conditions, but I do have eyes bigger than my stomach. It means I regularly end up regretting wearing trousers to a meal, cursing myself as my belly strains against the waistband. Could these pills really make me feel more comfortable after a big dinner, or would they just lead to some unfortunate toilet habits? I am kindly sent a couple of packs by Wild Dose, which lists extracts of ginger, liquorice, fennel seed, turmeric, peppermint leaf and dandelion root alongside a “proprietary enzyme complex” and a probiotic blend in each brown pill. They smell very herbal and are a rather unappealing greenish-brown colour – it initially makes me wonder if it’s an omen for what my guts are about to experience. After two weeks of taking them daily, I found that they did make a slight difference in my post-meal stupor and I feel comfortable quicker than before. However, the change has been marginal and, if anything, they made me more gassy, to the chagrin of my significant other. The medical community is reluctant to support the efficacy of similar supplements, as there remains little clinical research to back up their claims. Dr Alireza describes anti-bloat pills as a “Band-Aid on a fire hydrant” for people who have genuine problems with their gut. “I generally would not recommend taking any pills to counteract the bloating,” she says, “rather I would be keen to first determine the source of the issue.” She points to her practice, which aims to determine the root cause of symptoms and treat it – instead of providing temporary fixes. But I think the real reason behind social media’s obsession with bloating has nothing to do with #guthealth. Instead, it is our inherent fatphobia and fear of fatness that fuel this battle against the bloat. Are we so afraid of looking fat for even a couple of hours that we flock to pills and exercises with such abandon? Given the way people have fallen over themselves to get their hands on Ozempic, a drug intended to help diabetes patients but which has made a name for itself as a weight-loss miracle, it appears the answer is yes. It’s no mistake, either, that women are the primary targets for anti-bloating content online. Studies show that women are twice as likely to experience it as men, particularly during menstruation and menopause because of hormonal fluctuations. But the expectation for women to maintain at least the illusion of thinness at all times is also much higher. Many of us learned at an early age how to suck in our stomachs and – even as adults – keep them sucked in pretty much all day. As I write this, I realise that I’ve been subconsciously engaging my core muscles despite sitting behind a desk. No wonder the promise of no more bloating is so appealing, if it makes looking mildly smaller less of a chore. Joanna Dase, fitness expert and operations director of female-focused health clubs Curves, says that any medical conditions should be diagnosed by qualified professionals rather than social media. She acknowledges that while bloating can affect body image, no one should worry about your normal, natural responses to digestion. “If you have a professional opinion and there is no health problem related to it, then you just need to have an actual understanding of your body and its natural functions, and being OK with yourself. It’s just how your body breaks down food.” Read More Wellness gurus claim your hormones are out to get you – but is it just another scam? ‘Thanks Pfizer’: The weird world of shakes, health anxiety and illness online A One Direction fan claimed she had a brain tumour. 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Al Roker has undergone his second knee replacement surgery, which had to be delayed after he was admitted to hospital for blood clots in his legs and lungs last December. The Today show weatherman, 68. has been reporting on the weather for the NBC morning show since 1996. Following his surgery, he returned to the programme on Tuesday (30 May). Roker has now said he is feeling “good” after the surgery on 9 May, which comes more than a year after his first knee replacement. He attended the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic event in New Jersey with his wife Deborah Roberts over the weekend, which he said was his first public outing since the surgery apart from work. Speaking to People, Roker said: “[It’s] nice to be wearing nice clothes. Here we are. You can’t help but feel better.” Roker was rushed to hospital the day after Thanksgiving and remained there for nearly two weeks due to the blood clots. He told his followers on Instagram that he was admitted “with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs”. “After some medical whack-a-mole, I am so fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery,” he said, thanking fans for their well wishes. In March, Roker said he “wouldn’t be alive” if not for Roberts, 62. He told PageSix: “I guess I know it now. I didn’t know it at the time. Deborah was great at keeping all that away from me so I thought I was doing OK but that was great because I was able to focus on getting better.” Roberts is the presenter’s second wife, who he married in 1995 after splitting from ex-wife Alice Bell the year before. He shares daughter Courtney, 35, with Bell, and two children Leia, 24, and Nick, 20, with Roberts. Read More Jessie J confirms identity of her baby’s father after ‘struggling to keep things private’ Husband of non-smoker, 24, who died two weeks after lung cancer diagnosis reveals single telltale sign How noise complaints became a very British obsession Pharmacist warns against one common hay fever habit 7 tips and tricks for hay fever relief A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis

A young paramedic died from a rare form of lung cancer despite never smoking. Meadhbh Cameron, 24, died on March 11, after being told two days before Christmas that she had weeks to live. She married police officer Lee Cameron shortly before her death, the day after his 27th birthday. Meadhbh first noticed something was wrong in September when she coughed up a blood clot while in hospital as part of her job. Lee says she had an intermittent nighttime cough with no other symptoms, but a scan revealed a shadow on her lung. Four weeks later, Meadhbh was told she had stage 4 combined small cell lung cancer, an extremely aggressive and rare form of cancer, not typically seen in a young, non-smoker in good health. Meadhbh, who worked in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, was given chemo but the cancer had spread to bones and lymph nodes, She married Lee at a ceremony carried out by Kenny Gray, a healthcare support worker who worked in the ward in the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. Lee, who lives in Glasgow, is running the Loch Ness Marathon in October - as it was top of his wife’s bucket list of things she hoped to do. Lee said: “She told me she had coughed up a blood clot while in hospital with a patient and that an x-ray had revealed a shadow in her left lung. “This was totally out of the blue, as she had no other symptoms, other than an intermittent cough at night. “The specialists advised us that Meadhbh’s type of cancer was incurable, however it tended to respond well to chemotherapy. “They informed us that with chemo Meadhbh would likely have a year to live if not more due to her age and health.” Meadhbh received three rounds of chemotherapy but was hospitalised each time with neutropenia, a condition which results in a low number of white blood cells, neutrophils, in blood. Lee said: “On the third time she was hospitalised, we were informed that Meadhbh’s treatment wasn’t working and that the cancer in her spine was compressing her spinal cord. “We were told that she had six to eight weeks to live, on December 23.” Meadhbh passed away the day after Lee’s 27th birthday. Lee added: “Despite the high levels of sedation she was under, Meadhbh still managed to wake up and hum ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. “This was a true testament to Meadhbh’s strength and character. “In the end cancer robbed Meadhbh of everything but her compassion, humour and mental strength. “Meadhbh was an incredibly caring and compassionate soul who had an outstanding passion for life. “Her smile could brighten even the darkest of days and she was the life and soul of the party. “Those traits are what made her an exceptional paramedic, a job that she absolutely loved. “It gives me great honour in being able to call her my wife.” Lee is fundraising for Beatson Cancer Charity, which supported the couple. He added: “The support they provided to my wife and I was second to none, especially with Meadhbh’s prognosis, which unfortunately involved spending her last Christmas in hospital. “The Teenage and Young Adult team arranged for Meadhbh to get a private room so I could stay with her and also provided festive food along with a host of other things, including psychological support. “They even helped Meadhbh and I bring forward our wedding so we could still have our big day, which is something I am incredibly grateful for. “Before passing, she had a bucket list of things she wanted to do and at the top was run a marathon.” Read More A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis New blood test for 50 types of cancer sparks hope of ‘revolutionary’ breakthrough Why the NHS can’t win the battle on treating cancer

A dentist has issued a warning to Britons about one common mistake that could impact a person’s oral health. The debate about whether to wet your toothbrush before applying your toothpaste or leaving it dry is one that divides many, but according to Dr Sahil Patel of Marleybone Smile Clinic in London, it is not recommended because it “dilutes” the toothpaste. “Toothpaste already has the right amount of moisture,” Dr Patel said. “If it’s wet, it makes it foam up faster and makes you spit it out sooner.” Dr Patel also told GB News that people often hold their toothbrushes with too much force. “Often people hold their brush with a fist. You shouldn’t feel like you’ve had a scrub against the teeth, that’s too much,” he said. "If the bristles splay against the tooth, it’s not doing a good job. "Bristles should be straight against the teeth and you should have a soft touch." Dr Patel also recommends working back to front when it comes to cleaning your teeth. “The back is often the hardest part to clean, so I’d recommend starting there first,” he said. “If you start at the front and do the back last, you’re more likely to stop and put your brush down, missing the back or not cleaning the back properly.” Dr Patel added that he would rather a patient brushed their teeth once a day thoroughly, as opposed to a “slap and dash” twice a day. Read More Triathlete proudly shares ‘beautiful’ racing photo where she bled through swimsuit while on her period A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis Prince William overheard telling Kate to ‘chop chop’ at Jordan royal wedding Should I keep my windows closed or open in hot weather? Jonah Hill’s girlfriend Olivia Millar gives birth to first baby Gogglebox stars Ellie Warner and Pete Sandiford show newborn babies on air

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Jonnie Irwin has revealed that he has been admitted to hospital as he deals with terminal cancer. The Escape to the Country presenter, 49, said in November that he “doesn’t know how long” he has left to live, after first being diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2020, which later spread to his brain. He went public with his diagnosis in November 2022, after keeping it a secret from his fans for more than two years. Since his announcement, Irwin has been keeping his social media followers up to date with his condition. In the latest update, the father-of-three revealed he has gone into hospital to be “monitored” but hopes to be released in time for a scheduled appearance at A Place In The Sun Live in London this weekend (2-4 June). He wrote in an Instagram post: “In hospital this week monitoring a changeover in my pain management regime.” “Fingers crossed I’ll be out in time to make an appearance on Sunday for this weekends @aplaceinthesunofficial LIVE event at @olympialondon in Kensington,” he continued. If he is released from the hospital and attends the event, Irwin will be joined on stage by fellow presenters Jasmine Harman, Ben Hillman and Laura Hamilton. He concluded the post: “Hope to see you there…x.” In a new podcast OneChat released last week, Irwin said that he was living under a “dark cloud” for the two years he hid his cancer from the world, adding that he kept his condition a secret so that he could continue working and “provide” for his family. Irwin and his wife Jessica have three children; three-year-old son Rex and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac. Elsewhere in the interview revealed that he had been close to death’s door “at least twice”, emphasising that he prefers to think of his situation as “living with cancer, rather than dying from cancer”. Irwin explained how he began to feel “alive” again after going public with his illness, but noted that didn’t mean his journey had been easy. “I have been close to death’s door, twice at least,” he said. He added: “You lose your memory, you lose your patience. I have got a very short temper. It’s not made me a better person, that’s for sure.” In March, Irwin gave a health update, telling The Sun: “I’m weak now, fragile and my memory is terrible… but I’m still here.” Read More Triathlete proudly shares ‘beautiful’ racing photo where she bled through swimsuit while on her period Parents defend Nick the Fairy Godmother’s apprentice at Disneyland after viral video Jodie Marsh takes swipe at Phillip Schofield years after heated This Morning clash 5 myths about lung cancer everyone needs to stop believing Jonnie Irwin says he’s been ‘close to death’s door twice, at least’ Jonnie Irwin says going public with cancer diagnosis was when he began ‘living again’

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A man who put his tiredness down to long Covid was told he actually had a brain tumour that had been growing for 10 years. Grant Churnin-Ritchie, 42, repeatedly visited his GP after a bout of Covid in July 2021 left him with constant tiredness and a tingling in his right arm. For several months, he was told it was long Covid, but Grant was convinced it was more serious. After blood tests, an ECG and an MRI scan, it was revealed he had a pituitary tumour. This type of tumour affects the pituitary gland, a pea-sized organ in the brain which controls growth and development. Grant, a Microsoft specialist from Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, said: “I kept going to my GP who said I had long Covid. This went on for several months, but I really didn’t feel well in myself and felt it was something more serious. “I was so tired and I was experiencing a tingling sensation in my arms. “I had blood tests and an ECG at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds, which revealed an abnormal heartbeat.” Grant was also told he had adrenal insufficiency - in which the adrenal gland doesn’t make enough hormones - and hypothyroidism - an under-active thyroid gland. These are both symptoms of a pituitary tumour. The father-of-three said: “An endocrinologist at St James’ University Hospital said it could be caused by Covid or a pituitary tumour. “An MRI scan confirmed it was a brain tumour which had probably been growing for 10 years.” Grant waited 11 months for his operation before the tumour was removed on January 16 2023. He said: “Soon after, I started to feel a lot better. Removing the tumour allowed some of the adrenal gland to start functioning again. “Even though I now have to take medication, I can lead a normal life. “Even though surgeons removed the tumour, there is a 20 per cent chance of it growing back. “I have an MRI scan in July so I should know more then.” Grant raised £2.5k after running Leeds Half Marathon for Brain Tumour Research on May 14 with his wife, Hannah, 40. He said: “Being able to run the half marathon with my wife Hannah was great, and I’m glad to be able to raise awareness of brain tumours. “Because I only had two months to train for the race, I found it very hard to complete. Luckily, I had my wonderful family and friends cheering me on which got me through it. “I wanted to give something back, and this was my way of saying thank you to the medical teams and Brain Tumour Research for what they do for people with this disease.” Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research said: “We’re really grateful to Grant for taking on the Leeds Half Marathon as it’s only with the support of people like him that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like him who are forced to fight this awful disease.” SWNS Read More Boy, 8, rushed to hospital after feeling constipated diagnosed with cancer A TikTok model made viral videos of her grandmother’s choice to die. Here’s why Parents of baby who died in maternity scandal say care concerns ‘batted away’ A 1D fan claimed she had a tumour. We still don’t know the truth after her death Talented boxer reveals first sign of brain tumour after collapsing at service station Father shares cancer symptoms he thought was too much coffee

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