This is very short article to check you are drinking enough, especially now we are into the summer and people are jetting off to hot climates.  The human body is made up of about 60-70% water, and to remain healthy you must keep this balance.  An average person needs to drink 1.5 – 2 litres a day to reamin in balance.

Your body is very clever at telling you are dehydrated by using colour.  Using the chart below have a look at your urine next time you go to the toilet.  If it is a similar colour to the top 3 circles you are hydrated and doing fine, if it is similar colour to the bottom 3 circles you are de-hydrated and need more water!  Remember such drinks as Tea and Cola are Diuretics and will force excretion of liquid from the body.  If your urine is any other colour such as red then seek medical advice…

Loud snoring is actually quite common and affects large numbers of men and women.  45% of adults snore occasionally, while 25% are considered habitual snorers.  Medically snoring is the noise created by the walls of the throat vibrating during breathing.  This usually caused by the airway being partly obstructed due to one of the following:

Excessive muscle relaxation in throat.   One of the largest causes is alcohol as it is a muscle relaxant, also some sleeping pills may cause this too.  The aging process does take it’s toll on muscles too.

Excessive throat tissue.  A common area for fat build up on people who are overweight is around the throat area, this can restrict the airway causing snoring.

Nasal Airways obstructed.  People with colds, sinus infections or allergy sufferers can all have obstructed airways.  Nasal polyps can also be present and your GP can deal with these.

Best way to help snoring is, moderate your alcohol intake especially before bed, loose weight and if you are still getting problems consult with your GP (and buy your partner some ear plugs or sleep on the couch, or even the garage if it’s that loud!).

About 15 million people each year in the UK are affected by colds or flu. Often people make unnecessary trips to their GP when they should be resting at home.  It is important to remember though that flu can be a serious condition for some people with underlying health issues, or those of certain age groups, so it’s important to get a flu jab if you fall into these catorgries.

• 65 years or over
• Older than 6 months with an existing condition that increases your risk,  These conditions include, Serious heart problems, such as heart failure, Serious asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Long term liver or kidney disease, Diabetes, A weakened immune system as a result of a condition such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or AIDS, or due to treatments such as chemotherapy.
• Living in a long term care home
• A health or social care worker
• A poultry worker

People with the flu are advised to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco and, if necessary, take medications such as paracetamol to relieve the fever and muscle aches associated with the flu. Children and teenagers with flu symptoms (particularly fever) should avoid taking aspirin during an influenza infection, as doing so can lead to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease of the liver. Since influenza is caused by a virus, antibiotics have no effect on the infection; unless prescribed for secondary infections such as bacterial pneumonia. Antiviral medication can be effective, but some strains of influenza can show resistance to the standard antiviral drugs.

Swine flu is a current concern and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the level of alert for swine flu to phase 6.  This reflects the increasing number of localised cases in the UK and worldwide.  If you are worried about Swine Flu please visit NHS Direct and go through their sympton checker.