Did you know that a staggering one in five women over 65 die within a year of a hip fracture? Which is why a campaign entitled ‘Unbreakable’ was recently launched and is urging women to prioritise their bone health and take proactive steps to prevent, diagnose and treat osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis affects over 300,000 people in Ireland and is called the ‘silent disease’ because there are often no signs or symptoms prior to a person breaking bones.
A hip fracture has a significant impact on a patient’s physical and social wellbeing, resulting in pain, reduced mobility, disability, and is one of the main reasons why older people lose their independence.
However, in some cases osteoporosis can be preventable. A healthy diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D is crucial. Exercise also helps keep bones strong.
Personal trainer Karl Henry, an ambassador for the Unbreakable campaign run for World Osteoporosis Day (29 October) advises walking, low-impact aerobics, light weightlifting and even gardening to maintain bone health and improve balance so that you’re less likely to slip, trip or fall.
Women over 65 are urged to discuss bone health with their GP and book a DXA scan which will show how strong your bones are. Women over 65 are also more at risk because of the secondary effects of the menopause which can result in significant bone loss.
Farm Well Hub
A new wellness initiative, Farm Well Hub, has been launched to support the mental and physical wellbeing of farmers across the country.
This ‘one stop shop’ aims to support farmers by signposting them to expert advice on managing stress, improving physical health, or connecting with others in the agricultural community. It will also feature farmers’ own stories of their wellbeing journeys as well as webinars.
World COPD Day
World COPD Day is coming up on Wednesday, 20 November and COPD Support Ireland is publishing a new booklet, COPD & Me, an essential guide to living with COPD, to mark the occasion. They are also undertaking a national roadshow offering free spirometry testing.
TV celebrity chef Catherine Leyden is an ambassador for COPD Support Ireland.
“I was a lifelong smoker,” she says. “I started late, at the age of 21, but I became completely addicted. Back then, it was trendy to smoke and I would have been smoking up to 60 a day. I remember about six years ago, I was feeling very breathless and was coughing a lot. I went to the GP who referred me to a consultant. After undertaking some tests, I was told that I had COPD. It was so upsetting.
“COPD has deprived me of taking part in normal family activities. I can’t go for walks or play golf because of my shortness of breath. I last played a game of golf eight years ago. If I go for a walk, I keep having to stop to catch my breath. I always make sure to bring my inhaler with me and take a puff when I need it.
"My goal for the future is to improve my breathing and stay alive. That’s why I intend to join a COPD Support Ireland exercise group in the very near future. I’m told the more I do, the more I’ll be able to do and, who knows, I may get back on the golf course.”
The COPD & Me Roadshow dates around the country are:
COPD & Me information stand locations are:
Save a life with CPR
Irish people are being urged not to be afraid of starting cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in cases of a cardiac arrest. That’s following research from the Irish Heart Foundation which showed that 240 people survived because someone started CPR or used a defibrillator.
Almost 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home, making it more likely that CPR will have to be performed on a family member instead of a stranger.
“By starting CPR and using an AED (defibrillator), you can double a person’s chance of survival,” said Brigid Sinnott, the charity’s resuscitation manager.
“For every minute without CPR or defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 10% per minute.
“What we want people to understand is that you can do no harm – it’s better to do CPR on someone who doesn’t need it than not to do CPR on someone who does.”
Take care of your heart
One in four Irish women die from heart disease and stroke but women don’t know enough about the symptoms, a survey by the Irish Heart Foundation has shown.
“We are encouraging all women, but especially those in their mid-50s and beyond, to have their heart health checked,” says Dr Angie Brown, consultant cardiologist and medical director at the IHF.
“They should do so particularly if they experience chest or back pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness or extreme fatigue.”
Free IVF treatment
Over 1,000 couples have been referred for free, publicly funded Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) since the scheme began in September 2023. That’s approximately 125 couples each month, according to the Department of Health.
Patients referred for treatment can avail of one full cycle of IVF or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) treatment, or up to three episodes of IUI (intrauterine insemination), provided in a HSE-approved private clinic of their choice. Publicly funded AHR is not means tested.
More details on public fertility services, including information on the publicly-funded AHR treatment initiative are available on the HSE website.
Pay attention to your pee
The Marie Keating Foundation is urging men to ‘pay attention to their pee’ in order to prioritise their prostate health.
Statistics show that one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime but if it is caught early it has a very promising survival rate of over 93%.
Signs to watch for include frequency passing urine, getting up at night-time to go to the toilet, pain on passing urine, difficulty passing urine, weak or intermittent flow and blood in your urine or semen at any time.
Fronted by comedian and actor Danny Kehoe, the campaign’s video — narrated by Karl Spain — uses humour to address the often-overlooked signs and symptoms of prostate cancer.
The video features relatable scenarios, including a comedic yet poignant segment where the protagonist struggles with a garden hose, cleverly highlighting the importance of paying attention to urinary symptoms.