Ding dong merrily on health

All blocked up

Constipation is where the passage of waste through the bowels is slow, hard to expel and sometimes painful. Signs and symptoms of constipation include not emptying the bowels at least three times a week, abdominal discomfort, bloating, nausea, straining and a sensation that the bowels are never completely emptied.

“Including fresh food components and sources of dietary fibre such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrains can help to manage the symptoms of constipation,” says A.Vogel nutritionist Emma Thornton. “Other tips such as drinking enough water, moving more and going to the loo as soon as you feel the urge are also important habits to encourage more regular toilet habits.”

While the occasional bout is quite normal, if customers are experiencing frequent or persistent constipation, they should see their GP for options such as stimulant laxatives, suppositories and enemas, or further investigation. Pharmacy staff should also immediately refer people who mention any other warning signs such as bleeding, alternating constipation and diarrhoea, mucus or blockage.

Stuck in a gut

Good gut health also has an effect on immune health, so keeping a healthy ‘gut microbiome’ – known as ‘gut flora’ – is especially important in the winter months. 

Adrienne Benjamin, nutritionist at ProVen Probiotics, says: “Restoring the balance of bacteria in the gut can be achieved by introducing good bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria through a probiotic supplement. Prebiotic foods can also help to feed the population of good bacteria to help restore balance. You can also repair the gut by eating an unprocessed diet and including nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, L-glutamine and antioxidants – vitamins A, C and E, zinc and selenium.”

Adrienne also advises people to give their digestive system a rest, adding: “Allow four hours between meals if possible. Taking time between meals to allow your gut to fully digest and absorb one meal before moving on to the next can make a significant difference in how you feel.” 

Sore point

A sore throat is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. The Epstein-Barr virus, which causes glandular fever, is responsible for up to one in 10 cases, and people suffering from bacterial tonsillitis may see whitish pus on their tonsils, have painful glands in their neck, and a fever but no cough. 

Around half of the British population will have at least one sore throat a year, according to the Selfcare Forum, with a fifth of these people going to see their GP – offering community pharmacy teams a great opportunity to step in and help.

Most throat infections clear up by themselves after a week or so with no need for antibiotics, but in the meantime, there is plenty that pharmacy staff can recommend that might help relived the symptoms:

• Home remedies – eat cool, soft food and drink cool or warm drinks and suck ice lollies. Adults can try sucking lozenges, ice cubes or hard sweets and gargling with warm, salty water, which may help to reduce swelling and pain
• Smoking – avoid smoking and smoky environments as much as possible. Customers can be signposted to smoking cessation services if they identify as smokers looking to quit
• Fluids – adults should drink at least six to eight glasses of fluid (preferably water) every day, particularly if they also have a fever
• Painkillers – paracetamol and ibuprofen can help to relieve symptoms of sore throat, fever, and headaches in adults. Paracetamol is not suitable for children under two months. Do not give ibuprofen to a child under three months or under 5kg, or to children with asthma. Aspirin is not suitable for children under 16
• Other OTC products – pharmacies stock a wide range of throat lozenges, sprays and gargling remedies that many people find helpful in tackling sore throat symptoms. Some customers may prefer traditional herbal remedies such as echinacea or pelargonium products, so pharmacy teams must ensure they are confident on advising about these as well.

With end-of-year festivities meant to be a time of good cheer, having the right advice and products to tackle all of these conditions will help customers have a happy holiday and keep them in good shape for the year to come.

Ease Covid concerns 

With cases of coronavirus rising and a worse than normal flu season predicted, the NHS is gearing up to respond to the most challenging winter on record. 

Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London and honorary physician at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, says: “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and measures to stop the spread of the virus, cases of flu have been very low over the last two winters. As a result, we’re expecting this crisis to be even bigger than it would normally be, because no one has got that much background immunity this time.”

There has been a big resurgence of flu in the southern hemisphere, with Australia experiencing its most severe flu season in five years – an indication of how serious flu cases could be in the UK this winter.

For those who are eligible and suitable, one way they can choose to protect themselves against flu and Covid is by keeping up to date with their booster injections.

“It is vital that everyone eligible gets their [Covid] boosters and flu vaccines so that they can protect themselves and those around them,” says Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation. “Hitting the target of 30 million people will require everyone eligible to continue to come forward to take up this offer and so it is vital to keep this message alive over the coming weeks and months.”