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Does Glucosamine Work?

Whether it’s a bald-patch balm or a tablet for tiredness we hear a lot about different pills, potions and patches that are supposed to help us. But when we’re being bombarded with marketing for all these different things how do we know which ones are genuine? Today I’m going to talk about glucosamine which is one such controversial supplement.

So what is glucosamine? Glucosamine is naturally made by the body. It’s an amino sugar that’s essential for a number of things including: ligaments, bones, cartilage in the joints and blood vessels.

Glucosamine advocates claim that the substance can help relieve osteoarthritis which is a degenerative condition affecting the joints. The research indicates that glucosamine could help the body produce proteins that help build cartilage. It’s often combined with chondroitin which is thought to reduce enzymes that can damage cartilage.

The use of glucosamine and chondroitin has become so commonplace that until quite recently even GPs were prescribing it despite the fact that it’s considered “complementary”. However, studies have now shown that, when compared with a placebo, glucosamine and chondroitin has no additional benefit. Consequently, GPs have ceased prescribing the supplement.

So is it still worth taking glucosamine and/or chondroitin? Well, the research to the contrary found that there was no harm in taking the supplements, just that there was no benefit. So if you already take the supplement and feel that it helps you, why not continue? Or if you’re interested in complementary medicine then you could give it a try and make up your own mind. There are many less mainstream treatments out there that people believe in (for all sorts of ailments – not just pain management).

Of course, if you’re concerned about your health then you should always consult your doctor.

Getting Through the Festive Season

For most of us, Christmas is a time to eat, drink and be merry. We like to let our hair down over the festive season but the combination of late nights and rich food can leave you feeling sluggish, while overdoing the eggnog can land you a major hangover. So what can we do to avoid feeling rough without ruining the revelry?

With all those chocolates and sweets, not to mention pastry, roasts and desserts it’s easy to find yourself eating nothing but ‘bad’ food and then feeling the consequences when you get a sugar crash! One way you can try and achieve a balance and ultimately feel better is to make sure you get your five a day. It’s not as hard as it sounds. For example, you could add red berries to your cereal, have a glass of orange juice, a couple of satsumas (very festive!) and roasted vegetables with your roast dinner. Another healthy food that’s in abundance at Christmas is nuts so make sure you fill up on those to ward off sugary cravings!

Of course, all the healthy food in the world won’t help when you over do the partying. To minimise the effect of all that mulled wine it’s worth considering alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during an evening, and don’t be tempted to ‘double up’ just because everyone else is. Remember, a unit of alcohol is roughly equivalent to a small (125ml) glass of wine, a single shot of spirits or half a pint of lager and doctors recommend that women consume no more than 14 units per week, and for men 21 units.

When the inevitable happens and you wake up feeling a little worse for wear, make sure you’ve got the pain relief products available to help you feel better. Good old fashioned paracetamol will help you feel more human again but here at Axis Medicare we swear by Alka-Seltzer for the morning after the night before because it tackles the pain of a headache as well as helping settle an upset stomach.

Keeping Your Baby’s Skin as Soft as…. A Baby’s!

Most people find the winter months aren’t kind to their skin. Babies and children are no different, and that’s why it’s important to use products that are specifically designed for their delicate skin.

So, why is the winter so harsh on our skin? It’s actually a combination of the cold weather outside and the central heating inside. The science behind it is that when the air outside is colder it carries less moisture. Similarly, central heating leaves less moisture in the air. This lack of moisture in the air around you is what leaves your skin feeling dry, flaky and in some cases chapped.

A baby’s skin is even more delicate than an adult’s and so it’s even more susceptible to the harsh weather. For this reason it’s even more important to moisturise their skin. This doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds; you can incorporate moisturising into your night time routine by combining it with baby massage, helping your baby wind down.

It’s not always enough to just moisturise though. Some baby bath products can be very drying on your baby’s skin. It’s best to look for a hypoallergenic product that is alcohol and paraben free. This sounds complicated but thankfully there are products that are specifically designed to look after your baby’s delicate skin.

Here at Axis Medicare we love the Babe Pediatric range. The range includes skincare products of all sorts, including moisturising body milk, but also specially formulated cradle cap shampoo, emollient soap and bath gel, as well as nappy rash cream. These products are ideal for babies because:

• They’re adapted to the needs of babies’ and children’s skin, respecting its natural pH and its fragile cutaneous structure
• They contain active ingredients and plant extracts that keep the skin soft and protected
• They’re hypoallergenic and have been subject to the strictest paediatric and dermatologic controls
• They’re formulated without parabens, colourants, alcohol or liquid paraffins
• None of these products are tested on animals
• Daily care products contain a mild, allergen-free fragrance
• Specific care products are formulated fragrance and preservative free
• The packaging has been carefully designed to be attractive and safe for children.

Check out the Babe Pediatric range at Axis Medicare where we have the whole range starting from just £4.49.

Helping your baby get through teething

Helping your baby get through teething

When your little one is in pain it’s the worst time for any parent. Whether it’s teething or tummy ache, every instinct for a parent is to take the pain away, but unfortunately it’s not always that easy.

One of the unavoidable traumas of early childhood is teething. Some babies sail through this process with barely a whimper, but for others it results in long sleepless nights that seem to go on forever for both parent and child. It can also mean seemingly endless days where nothing you do is right. Often teething can result in loss of appetite and a raised temperature as well.

Generally teething starts at around 6 months. All babies are different though: some are born with their first teeth, others won’t start teething until they’re a year old. There’s no ‘right’ time and it won’t cause your baby any harm if they start early or late.

So what can you do to help your little one? First and foremost, lots of cuddles and comfort will help your baby. Also, before going down the medicinal route it’s worth trying some of the traditional remedies. For example, chewing or biting can provide relief so a teething ring may help. To make this technique even more effective it’s worth putting the teething ring in the fridge to chill it beforehand. Also if your baby is old enough you could try offering something hard to chew on for example, raw fruit, raw vegetable batons or a breadstick. Always supervise your baby when they’re eating in case they choke.

We did a quick (and highly unscientific!) poll here at Axis Medicare to see what remedies people in the office have used for teething. One idea that cropped up was to have a bowl full of ice and water to hand and two dummies (if your baby uses one). Then if they wake in the night you can pop one dummy in the icy water to chill it, then give that to the baby and chill the spare dummy. You can then switch the two repeatedly until the baby calms down, all the while giving them a much needed cuddle. It worked for my colleague anyway!

If you find that the home remedies don’t help your little one then there are products out there that can help. Teething gels often contain a mild anaesthetic which will relieve your baby’s discomfort. Calgel is for babies over 3 months old and contains both the anaesthetic properties and also a mild antiseptic that kills the bacteria that might otherwise infect sore skin in the mouth.

Of course, there’s also the traditional infant painkilling medicine. Generally in the form of an oral suspension, medicines like Calpol are paracetamol-based and can treat both the pain and the high temperature associated with teething.

Here at Axis Medicare we offer up to 85% off high street prices so why not check out our baby pain relief section?

Pain is such a pain!

Pain is such a pain!

In today’s society there’s little time available to look after ourselves. So when pain strikes, whether it’s a simple headache or a more complex problem like sciatica, it can really get in the way.

So what is pain? A simple Google search throws up an answer from good old Wikipedia: “Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli”. It’s important to also note that pain isn’t just disagreeable. It’s also an important survival mechanism because, as Wikipedia tells us: “It motivates withdrawal from damaging or potentially damaging situations, protection of a damaged body part while it heals, and avoidance of similar experiences in the future”. So, while we may not like pain, it’s definitely something that shouldn’t be ignored. But there are remedies that can relieve the symptoms.

The best treatment for pain really depends on the type of discomfort experienced. Headaches are exceptionally common and can easily be relieved using a form of pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. ‘Pain killers’ (as they’re commonly known) come in many forms and varying prices. For example, here at Axis Medicare we stock branded products such as Nurofen and Anadin, but also generic paracetamol which is considerably cheaper but just as effective.

Another common but unpleasant condition that warrants pain relief is a cold or flu. The types of pain involved with these illnesses include headache, achy body, sore throat and sinus pain. These symptoms require their own treatments which combine the pain relieving properties of paracetamol with other active ingredients specifically designed to combat the symptoms of a cold or flu. Again, the range available varies dramatically in price, from branded products like Lemsip and Beechams, to the cheaper, unbranded remedies.

Less common and even more distressing is chronic pain. This comes in many forms such as arthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatism, back pain, lower back pain and sciatica. If you suffer with this type of pain it’s likely that your doctor will be prescribing medication to try and manage it. There are other forms of pain relief that sufferers of chronic pain can try. Pain management tools like Medicur or Pain Free work buy passing mild electro-magnetic emissions through the painful area. This drug-free remedy can be very effective in the treatment of chronic pain.

Remember, pain is not something to be ignored, and if you’re at all worried you should always talk to your GP.

How to prevent a cold.

Prevention is better than a cure

Let’s get one thing straight before we start. You can’t cure a cold or flu. So before you overdose on vitamin C, just remember that if you already have a cold or flu no amount of vitamins or antibiotics will get rid of it. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood that you will get ill in the first place and the healthier you are the better equipped your body will be to deal with the illness and get you feeling better, faster. This is one situation where prevention is definitely better than a cure.

OK, so you know you need to be healthy. But what does that actually mean? Well firstly, to make sure your body is functioning at an optimum level you need to make sure that you eat a healthy, balanced diet. This will make sure you get all the nutrients you need. Regular exercise will also keep you in tip top condition. You don’t have to be a devoted gym-addict, simply walking regularly or running around at the park with the kids can help. Finally, sleep is key. If you’re well rested then your body will be in the best possible shape to fight off infections.

If you want to give your immune system a helping hand then taking regular vitamin supplements can help. Studies have shown that a daily dose of vitamin C can reduce how long a cold lasts and how severe it is. There is also evidence to suggest that zinc lozenges can have a similar effect.

With today’s busy lifestyle it can be hard to remember to take a variety of vitamins so that’s why here at Axis Medicare we love Centrum Advance. It’s a multivitamin supplement that could not only boost your immune system but also increase energy levels and help to maintain healthy-looking hair and skin.

In our next post we’ll be looking at what you can do lessen the symptoms of a cold or flu, such as taking cold and flu remedies as well as using vapour rub and cough medicines.

Choosing the Right Pregnancy Test

It’s a life changing moment for any woman. Whether you find yourself waiting in impatient hope or concerned anticipation, the result of a pregnancy test can have a profound impact on your life, whether that little line appears or not. But with so many pregnancy tests available how do you know which one to choose?

Firstly, the technical bit. Pregnancy tests work by testing urine for the presence of a chemical called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). This chemical is only present in the urine of a pregnant woman because it’s produced by trophoblast cells in the fertilised egg.

The only problem with this system is that the hCG can’t be detected until after implantation. The saying “there’s no such thing as a false positive” is very true because to get a positive result hCG must be present, which will only occur in pregnant women. However, a false negative is entirely possible (and quite common) because women often test too early.

So, now we know how they work, how do we decide which is the best pregnancy test?

The first thing to point out is that in the world of pregnancy tests a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean higher quality. The key here is sensitivity. The more sensitive the test, the earlier it will give an accurate positive result. Plus, tests that claim you can test up to 6 days early don’t actually give the whole picture because the earlier you test the less likely you are to receive an accurate result.

Secondly, you really want a pregnancy test that’s easy to read. There are a lot of “internet cheapies” (as the TTC ladies call them) available on sites like ebay, but they can be hard to read and leave you guessing as to whether there is a line. There is nothing more frustrating than squinting at a test in various lights trying to decide whether the line you *think* you can see really is a line!

Here at Axis Medicare we love Early Bird Pregnancy Tests. They have a sensitivity level of 25mIU, are over 99% accurate from the day your period is due and the easy to read window will leave you in no doubt concerning the result. Plus, they are available in packs with a single test, two tests (so you can double check your result) or a value pack of 20 tests for just £19.99 for women who are trying to conceive and may need to test regularly.

In our next post we will look at what to do once you receive a positive result and how to look after yourself (and your baby-to-be!).