Health

Coping with Separation

Uncoupling, separation or divorce – whichever way you put it, it is often the saddest, most stressful time in any relationship. And with divorce rates on the rise and almost half of these happening within the first 10 years of marriage, it is something more and more of us have to deal with.

Whilst Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s “conscious uncoupling” splattered all over the media at the moment, the pair have got away to maintain their privacy and allow them some downtime. Gwyneth wrote “…while we love each other very much we will remain separate. We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been.”

Like Gwyneth and Chris, for many couples it is changes in circumstance, lifestyle and interests that cause separation and not necessarily a broken or unloving relationship. However, whatever the cause of separation, the procedures involved to separate a lifestyle that has been led as a couple in two can take its toll. Getting away, relaxing with some downtime before tackling that bureaucratic untangling is not a bad idea at all.

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Hay Fever Symptoms and Tips

Many of us suffer from hay fever in the UK. Research has found that between 15-20% of the UK population sneeze, cough and itch their way through summer’s hazy days.

Pollen is the allergen that causes an allergic reaction in hay fever sufferers.

Most hay fever suffers are affected by grass pollen. This starts to irritate people from about mid-May through to July. However, if you are allergic to tree pollen you may have begun to notice your hay fever symptoms already. Tree pollen allergies start irritating sufferers about now, from late March to May.
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#nomakeupselfie grabs headlines as lung cancer rates increase for women in the UK

Most of the news surrounding cancer lately has been consumed with bare faced girls posing and pouting into the phones taking a #nomakeupselfie. Many have asked what on earth this has got to do with cancer (and indeed so have we).

But did you know lung cancer today is at its highest level in women since 1975, whilst lung cancer rates have fallen by 43% in men?

At the very least the #nomakeupselfie has created a buzz around cancer and Cancer Research. Surely this is a good thing, even if every girl posting their picture was not entirely altruistic?

The hashag went viral and within a day. Even though it was not a campaign started by Cancer Research, they were happy to get involved tweeting “Thousands of you are posting #cancerawareness #nomakeupselfie pictures and many have asked if the campaign is ours. It’s not but we love that people want to get involved!” By the end of the day over £1 million had been donated to research.

Despite awareness and treatment for cancer advancing constantly, increasing levels of lung cancer in women comes as shocking news and highlights the prevalence and danger of cancer in this day and age. Cancer Research UK states that 1 in every 3 of us in the UK will develop some kind of cancer in our lifetime.

Lung cancer is amongst the most common of all cancers (breast cancer is the most common, followed by lung cancer then bowel). Yet, lung cancer is the biggest killer in the UK.

According to the BBC, the highest rates of lung cancer in England are in the North, and lowest in East and South East and South West.

The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking. This accounts for an overwhelming 86% of all cases. Long term smokers are the most likely to develop cancer.

With cancer being such that the earlier it is picked up the sooner treatment can be received and therefore the higher chance of survival – it is clear detecting signs of lung cancer early on is vitally important.

The symptoms you need to look out for with lung cancer are:

  • Coughing – having a constant cough or a change in the kind of cough you have had for a long time
  • Being short of breath
  • Coughing up phlegm
  • Feeling an ache when coughing or breathing
  • Losing your appetite
  • Feeling tired
  • Losing weight

For more information about lung cancer and cancer in general click here.