Bedford Allergy Support Group

Bedford Health Show

bedallergy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Pumpernickel’s of Bedford sponsored the recent Bedford Health Show held on 4 February in the Harpur Suite, Bedford. There were many exhibitors including Bedford Allergy Support Group. Exhibitors included:- Victoria Simons, Holistic Therapist; Lotus Spa, Thai/Ayurvedic massage; Juanita Puddifoot, Past Life Therapist; Pumpernickel, nutrition & health advice; Alison Jones, Classical homeopath; Camille Stephens, 5 star fitness; Elizabeth Drake, Reikki Master; Dale Pinnock, Medicinal Chef; and Amer Health Supplements. For further information contact Pumpernickel, 7 The Arcade, Bedford Tel: 01234 348179 email: bedfordhealthshow@yahoo.co.uk.

Breakspear Medical Bulletin

bedallergy — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:37:04 +0100

The Breakspear Hospital in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire publishes a Medical Bulletin which contains regular up to date information on health issues. Contact the Breakspear on www.breakspearmedical.com or on 01442 261 333.

Gluten free menu at Vesuvio, Sharnbrook Hotel

bedallergy — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:53:00 +0100

Vesuvio’s Restaurant at the Sharnbrook Hotel, Sharnbrook now have a Gluten Free Menu. To see the menu go to www.thesharnbrookhotel.com.

Travel tip

bedallergy — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:24:09 +0100

Allergy UK, the country’s leading charity dedicated to allergies, provides translation cards to help you order in restaurants and deal with emergencies when you’re away. A set of three (each the size of a credit card) costs £15. Languages range from French and Flemish to Arabic and Vietnamese. See allergyuk.org or call 01322-619898.

Woman&home April 2011

There's an app for that!

bedallergy — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:21:41 +0100

New smartphone applications make it easy to shop for food if you do suffer from allergies. Sign up to the app, then once you’ve inputted your allergy details, swipe your phone over the barcode of the product you want to buy. The app will warn you if the food contains any problem ingredients.

The Isitinit Food Angel app covers Sainsbury’s products, while FoodWiz covers Asda and Tesco products, although both also have lists of branded products, so could just as easily be used at the corner shop. Both apps cost £10 for a year’s subscription and are available to download from iTunes.

Woman&home April 2011

Food allergies latest

bedallergy — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:09:51 +0100

Around 3% of adults and 6% of children in the UK have a food allergy, and this is rising. ”These figures” could be due to immune systems not being challenged by as many germs as they used to be, so they attack harmless things, such as food, instead, says University of Portsmouth’s Dr Carina Venter. ”It’s also though that with constant environmental and diet changes, our gut bacteria change and allergies develop.” Another idea is if we avoid certain foods when young, we have a harder time dealing with them later on.

Allergy or intolerance?

If you suffer from a food allergy, your body mistakenly identifies a food as something harmful, so produces an antibody, called IgE, which triggers a release of chemicals, causing allergic symptoms such as rashes, vomiting, migraines, sneezing and, in severe cases, anaphylactic shock.

An intolerance means you don’t have enough of a certain enzyme to properly digest a food. Symptoms include bloating and abdominal pain. A common intolerance is to lactose. This is due to a lack of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down milk sugars. To see if a food is causing the symptoms, eliminate it from your diet for six to eight weeks, says Dr Venter.

Get a diagnosis

Some food allergies, such as those from eggs, shrimp, peanuts and soy, can be identified by a skin prick or blood test, both of which test IgE levels. But, as the tests aren’t always reliable, an allergy specialist will also take a history of the symptoms. This helps to pinpoint the cause of the allergy, or work out if it is some other health complaint.

If you suspect that you are allergic to a food, ask your GP to refer you to an allergy specialist. ”I’d never recommend a home test to check for food allergies, as you won’t get an accurate result.” says Dr Fox, a consultant allergist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

Woman&home April 2011

Articles on moulds

bedallergy — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:52:53 +0100

If you never seem to get truly well then this could be why – see the video on moulds at the website on the link below:-

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/20/dr-doris-rapp-on-mold.aspx

See another link on the Mercola website re moulds:-

The “New” Hidden Pandemic Sweeping Across America

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/30/dr-thrasher-on-the-health-dangers-of-mold.aspx?e_cid=20110730_DNL_art_1

Help for autism?

bedallergy — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:49:52 +0100

How a Physician Cured Her Son’s Autism…

See link below on the Mercola website:-

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/31/dr-natasha-campbell-mcbride-on-gaps-nutritional-program.aspx?e_cid=20110731_SNL_Art_1

Professor Edzard Ernst steps down early....

bedallergy — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:16:01 +0100

Scientist brands prince ‘snake oil salesman’ as reported by Ian Sample Science correspondent of The Guardian newspaper on Tuesday 26 July 2011

Britain’s leading alternative medicine researcher has reignited a public row with Clarence House by branding the Prince of Wales a “snake oil salesman”.

Professor Edzard Ernst criticised the heir to the throne for lending his support to homeopathic remedies and for promoting the Duchy Herbals detox tincture.

In a briefing with reporters at the Science Media Centre in London, Ernst warned that “snake oil salesmen are ubiquitous and dangerous”, and named the prince as “one of the most outspoken proponents of homeopathy”.

He later told the Guardian: “There are no official criteria for a snake oil salesman, but if they existed, I think Charles would fulfil them.”

Ernst, who was Britain’s first professor of complementary medicine, agreed recently to retire early from Exeter University, where he presided for 18 years over a unit that subjects alternative medicines to thorough scientific scrutiny.

Many of Ernst’s studies have been critical of complementary medicine, with some proving no more effective than sugar pills. Other treatments, such as chiropractic spine manipulation, were potentially dangerous, he claimed.

In a briefing that coincided with his stepping down, Ernst blamed earlier confrontations with Clarence house for the threatened closure of his department and his early exit as head of the unit.

Clarence House said it would not respond to Ernst’s latest comments.

A spokeswoman for Waitrose, which has exclusive rights to sell the prince’s Duchy products, said only that the Duchy Herbals range “complies to all the regulatory standards”.

Global Awareness Group Meetings

heretogeneva — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:47:00 +0100

Global Awareness Group Meetings:

The Global Awareness Group hold DVD evenings once a month and it provides an opportunity for people to discuss a variety of issues including allergies and insensitivities. See the Forthcoming Events page for details.

The Big Debate – Should we fluoridate our water supplies?

heretogeneva — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:38:00 +0100

The Big Debate – Should we fluoridate our water supplies?:

There is a lot of concern that the compulsory fluoridation of our water supplies is putting ours and our families health at risk. The benefits to our teeth are far outweighed by the dangers we risk from chemicals we are drinking each day.

Flouride Alert lists the communities worldwide that have rejected the compulsory fluoridation of water supplies in their areas.

Mercury Could Soon Be Banned

heretogeneva — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:37:00 +0100

Though the NHS is convinced amalgam fillings are safe, they are prohibited in Scandinavia and the EU looks set to phase them out. Everyone agrees that amalgam can sometimes crack teeth (it expands and contracts).

(Readers Digest May 2011)

Mercury fillings ARE dangerous say regulators - but British health bosses still refuse to take action

Mercury fillings given to millions of Britons every year can be dangerous, the world’s biggest health regulator has warned. Simply chewing could release harmful mercury vapour from the fillings which could be breathed into the lungs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The regulator had previously advised U.S. dentists that the fillings are safe.

Despite the warning, the British Department of Health issued its own statement yesterday that it continued to believe mercury fillings posed no danger. Patients in Britain have about eight million mercury fillings a year, a million of which are in children and young adults. Campaigners blame the highly toxic mercury found in amalgam fillings for a range of ailments. These include fatigue, depression heart conditions and Alzheimer’s disease. Earlier this month, the U.S. regulator dropped much of its reassuring language on the fillings from its website.

Instead it now says: ‘Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and foetuses.’ It adds that mercury vapour is released when amalgam fillings are placed or removed, and during the chewing of food. The FDA is now carrying out an urgent review of its rules and may end up banning mercury fillings.

Norway and Denmark banned mercury from fillings earlier this year while Finland and Japan have severe restrictions. More than half of an amalgam filling is made up of mercury, which is more poisonous than lead. It is mixed with silver, copper and tin, forming a highly durable combination to lock in the mercury.

But it is now accepted that mercury vapour escapes and small amounts are passed into the bloodstream and organs. Some research suggests that this could be linked to high blood pressure, infertility, and disorders of the central nervous system. Dentists themselves have been found to have high levels of mercury in their bodies and 500 practices in Britain refuse to offer mercury fillings

(Daily Mail online June 15, 2011)
See link to website http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1030417/Mercury-fillings-ARE-dangerous-say-regulators—British-health-bosses-refuse-action.html

Campaign for Truth

heretogeneva — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:35:00 +0100

Be Wise, Be Well. Cancer, the Winnable War. There Must Be An Easier Way!

Philip Day is a health researcher, author and international speaker who, for the past twenty years, has been trying to change attitudes to sickness, health and longevity. As founder of the Campaign for Truth in medicine he advocates Simple Changes to become discriminatory in what you do and the advice you receive and to take control of your healthcare decisions.

From initially looking at the causes of the various forms of cancer he has gone on to discover that most health conditions can be traced back to a deficiencies in our diets and that by changing what we eat we can become healthier and can withstand the illnesses that occur in the western world. For more information on his books and seminars see Philip’s website.

www.credence.org.uk

Assistance for the Disabled

heretogeneva — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:36:00 +0100

The Bedford Borough Physical Disabilities & Sensory Impairment Partnership Board is aware of the challenges regularly faced by people with disabilities when getting around town and accessing facilities. They want to address these issues by raising awareness and understanding. Anyone wanting to help should contact Anoya Hoyle by faxing 01234 276953 or calling 01234 718345.

Good News For Back Pain Sufferers

heretogeneva — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Back pain sufferers will get improved access to treatments by acupuncturists, osteopaths and chiropractors on the NHS in an effort to reduce the misery, welfare bills and inability to work caused by the condition. This is after the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) looked into how CAM treatments in Bedford (among others) have benefited patients. We here at the Bedford Allergy Support Group are delighted that NICE has chosen to adopt such treatments and that our hard work to promote CAM is helping more people as a result of their decision.

Full details of this news can be found at The Guardian website.

Breakspear Hospital

heretogeneva — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Breakspear Hospital:

For valuable information on allergies and other health problems, go to the Breakspear Hospital website or call the main switchboard on 01442 261 333.

Howard’s Way

heretogeneva — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Providing transport (with wheel chair access and/or carer in attendance) and assistance with shopping, housework and personal care, Howard’s Way is the right way.

Carers are N.V.Q. trained. Howard’s Way have 18 years of experience and a 24hr call out.

For more details, call Lyn Howard on:

Tel: 01234 351505
Mob: 07870 923828

Think Stroke, think FAST

heretogeneva — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0000

The Spot a Stroke campaign has launched across Herts and Beds to help tackle the UK’s third biggest killer. A dedicated website, www.spotastroke.nhs.uk and information line (01234 792032) has been set up.

“We want people to consider a stroke as a ‘brain attack’ in exactly the same way they would a heart attack. Early treatment can make a very significant difference in reducing deaths and minimising disability from stroke. […] Early intervention means people can make a near full recovery,” Fraser Mutch, Clinical Director of Medicine and Diagnostics at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust said.

FAST - Face Arm Speech Test - is used by paramedics to diagnose a stroke before someone is admitted to hospital. FAST requires an assessment of three specific symptoms of stroke:

Facial weakness - can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
Arm weakness - can the person raise both arms?
Speech problems - can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
Dr Mutch added: “If someone fails any one of these tests, you must call 999.”

Medicine and Me: Allergies

heretogeneva — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Royal Society of Medicine, London 20th October 2008.

Brief report and comments from Mrs. Franca Garrick, Co-Chair and Secretary, B.A.S.G.

I attended this meeting and, as the programme shows, there were many well known speakers on the “stage” with patients sharing information and experiences. A sincere “thank you” to the Royal Society of Medicine for organising such a useful and interesting day.

It was great to find out that Dr. Pam Ewan and Dr. Shuabi Nasser, from the Allergy Clinic Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, have both joined efforts with patients’ groups to get a regional Allergy Centre. We know that Dr. Pam Ewan has also joined a list of eminent clinical professionals to encourage the Government to get allergy services sorted out soon.

Professor Barry Kay told us of the Sublingual Immunotherapy treatment for allergies which has been well known in Europe for sometime now. When questioned why Great Britain is so far behind Europe, we were told that unfortunately many drug companies, in this country, had delayed this treatment development. A very striking realisation. I personally have been on the Sublingual Immune Therapy since 1986 and others as well thanks to Dr. Jean Monro from Breakespear Hospital. The treatment is available on the N.H.S. if the G.P. agrees the prescribe it; the testing is not on the N.H.S. Unfortunately not many people know about this, not many G.Ps would prescribe it and some patients might not afford the cost of testing.

Another striking realisation was that people that suffer from allergies, especially children suffering from anaphylaxis and carers don’t seem to get the right advice and support from anyone.

Unfortunately, it’s very sad to say that, in spite of the House of Commons Health Committee first report 2003-04 and the latest House of Lords report on allergy, various government response to the reports, patients and carers seem to be at the same point of B.A.S.G’s founders who started the group in the eighties. There are now 1/3 of people with allergies, 1/5 children.

Mrs. Mandy East, National Allergy Strategic Groups, told that £1 billion a year is spent by the N.H.S. to treat allergy “symptoms” and the is 11% of the country drug costs. A question was asked; Shouldn’t £1 billion be spent more effectively now? This was considered by the panel as an interesting question!

Isn’t it time then, that someone, somewhere should stop such a waste of N.H.S. resources and set up prompt, interim national measures such as Regional Centres, GPs and Practice Nurses fast training to tackle the ever increasing allrgy problems, while the service is fully developed use funds more effectivly.

Neglect of allergies can cause more problems.

Can we really afford to waste funds with bigger bills now?

Franca Garrick

Your Health

heretogeneva — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Extract from Woman & Home (May 2008)

Alternative Treatments… On the NHS
By Dr Rosemary Leonard

The recent announcement that several health authorities were no longer funding homeopathic remedies surprised many people - because they didn’t know they were available in the first place! Many patients believe they can only get traditional treatments on the NHS, but in many areas a choice of alternative therapies is available. These treatments include acupuncture, osteopathy, Alexander technique and even hypnotherapy.

Provision varies widely in different areas, and depends on individual primary care trusts. You can find out about the services in your area from the NHS Directory of Complementary and Alternative Practitioners (see www.nhsdirectory.org), or from a Patient Advice and Liaison co-ordinator (PAL) at your local primary care trust. Your surgery will have the contact details.

N.B. In Bedfordshire, your G.P. can prescribe C.A.M.