health

Thermalogica Health Screening has confirmed that 'Health Detective' Dilys Gannon-Bone will be making a special appearence at their official launch on Wednesday 2 October at Radiance MediSpa, Exeter. Lisa Portman and Terri Bainbridge will be showcasing the ground-breaking technology behind Digital Infrared Thermal Imagining (DITI) as an aid for diagnosis and prognosis of various health issues. There will be a live demonstration of the procedure, which is radiation free and safe for men, women and children.

The event will feature guest speakers and specialists in their individual...

Stoptober – the 28-day stop smoking challenge which last year saw over a thousand people in Devon complete the challenge, is set to return this October, and Devon County Council’s public health team is marking the national campaign with a range of support for those trying to quit.

Smoking remains the nation’s biggest killer with half of long-term smokers dying prematurely from a smoking disease.

New research shows that people who quit smoking for Stoptober, and don’t smoke again, could gain an extra week of life, every 28 days, for the rest of their life. And anyone who...

The first systematic review of related research confirms a positive impact on cognitive function, but an inconsistent effect on mild cognitive impairment.

Over recent years many pieces of research have identified a link between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and a lower risk of age-related disease such as dementia.

Until now there has been no systematic review of such research, where a number of studies regarding a Mediterranean diet and cognitive function are reviewed for consistencies, common trends and inconsistencies.

A team of researchers from the University...

A new treatment is being offered at the Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital to help people who suffer from the need to go to the toilet urgently. The treatment is nurse-lead but overseen by a consultant for both urinary and faecal incontinence.

Needing to go to the toilet too often is a problem for up to 20% of the population, and many people find it hard to talk to their GP about it.

A radical new treatment – the percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation – now gives patient a new, easier option.

Consultant Urologist Mark Stott said: “This can be real problem for people....

Hot on the heals of a recent public health report that cited "increasing the number of people at a healthy weight" as one the county's top ten health priorities, Devon County Council is asking commuters to leave the car, "get fit and save money".

A new countywide campaign starts this month, encouraging drivers out of their cars, and to walk or cycle to work.

Although Devon is predominantly a rural county, a great many residents live within easy walking or cycling distance to work and yet choose to drive.

Progress in areas, such as Exeter, is being made.

...

Volunteering may be good for your health, reveals a large systematic review and meta-analysis published in the open access journal BMC Public Health .

Volunteering can improve mental health and help you live longer, finds the study which pools and compares data from multiple experimental trials and longitudinal cohort studies. Some observational evidence points to around a 20 per cent reduction in mortality among volunteers compared to non-volunteers in cohort studies. Volunteers also reported lower levels of depression, increased life satisfaction and enhanced well-being, although...

Better data recording by hospitals is needed to share best practice and drive up standards, says Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

More than three quarters (79%) of the parents of babies in neonatal units are seen by senior healthcare professionals within 24 hours of admission and the majority of parents report positive experiences, but there is room for improvement in areas such as breastfeeding rates and levels of hypothermia in newborns, according to the 6th Annual National Neonatal Audit Programme 2012 (NNAP). The report is published today by the Royal College of...

It's been a busy few months for Devon Air Ambulance Trust, and there's no let up in sight, but they wouldn't have it any other way!

The Devon Air Ambulance on Tour event, taking the new Air Ambulance around the county finished in Paignton on Tuesday 13 August. The Charity is now looking forward to celebrating its 21st birthday in style with a Birthday Weekender on 7 and 8 September at Darts Farm.

Events kick off with BBC Radio Devon's John Govier broadcasing his Saturday morning show live from Darts Farm from 10am to 1pm, with tickets just £4 per person (limited to 350). At...