HEALTH NOTES: Lung injections to tackle life-threatening blood clots can cut the risk of

admin — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 00:35:16 +0000

HEALTH NOTES: Lung injections to tackle life-threatening blood clots can cut the risk of death by HALF

Updated: 19:40 EDT, 5 August 2023

Injecting drugs directly into the lungs to tackle life-threatening blood clots can halve the risk of death, a study has found.

Blood clots in the lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism, lead to about 25,000 deaths in the UK every year.

The condition is usually treated using blood thinners, administered into the bloodstream via a drip in the arm.

However, Israeli researchers have found that feeding low doses of blood thinner directly into the pulmonary arteries – the blood vessels where these clots form – is more effective.

The study, published by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found the technique reduced the risk of death by 55 per cent. Researchers say this is because the method immediately directs the blood-thinning drugs to the clot, breaking it down significantly quicker.

Blood clots in the lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism, lead to about 25,000 deaths in the UK every year (Pictured, an illustration of a blood clot in the lungs)

Private dentist charges soar

The cost of visiting a private dentist has risen by 15 per cent in the past year alone.

An initial consultation now costs an average of £75, compared to £65 in August 2022, according to independent consumer information website My Tribe Insurance.

The firm also found that the price of certain types of fillings have shot up by more than a quarter.

My Tribe founder Chris Steele says the price rises have been driven by an increase in demand, due to few NHS dentists taking on new patients, adding: ‘As people struggle to find an NHS dentist, more are needing to go private, and the cost is increasing quite quickly.’

Asthma patients can now access an inhaler that tracks how severe their breathing problems are. The device, called a Digihaler, contains medicine that relieves the symptoms of the chronic condition, such as coughing, wheezing and feeling breathless, that affects 5.4 million people in the UK.

It also holds sensors that can measure how much air the user can inhale in one breath – a reliable indicator of the severity of asthma.

The Digihaler, created by Israel-based medical firm Teva, can then send these readings to the patient’s doctor, who can spot any deterioration in their breathing abilities.

People in the UK are far more likely to have genetic mutations that lead to skin cancer than those living in sunny climates, a study has revealed.

Researchers found that the British population, on average, has four times as many DNA mutations linked to skin cancer than people in Singapore, which is near the equator.

The scientists, from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in London, say the findings explain why rates of skin cancer in the UK are 17 times higher than in Singapore. This is despite the fact that UV light from the sun is three times stronger in the Asian city-state.

Five signs of lung cancer revealed as Esther Rantzen reveals disease has reached stage

admin — Sat, 27 May 2023 06:05:14 +0000

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide.

It kills around 34,800 people in the UK every year and more than 120,000 in the US.

Yet many people are not aware of all the symptoms.

A persistent cough is just one tell-tale sign of the disease, but it can also cause lesser-known ailments such as swollen fingers and nails.

Following TV legend Esther Rantzen’s announcement today that she has stage four lung cancer, MailOnline reveals the warning signs to look out for.

A persistent cough, breathlessness and passing out can all be symptoms of lung cancer, according to Cancer Research

Dame Esther Rantzen, 82, has revealed her diagnosis with lung cancer, which she announced in January, is stage four

Getting out of breath

Often there are no symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer.

But many people eventually develop a persistent cough that won’t go away and feel breathless, the NHS says.

Feeling out of puff while doing the things that usually wouldn’t be a problem is a sign to visit the GP.

This symptom may also be coupled with coughing up blood and a pain in the shoulder or chest when coughing.

Lung cancer is rare in people under the age of 40 and more than four in ten people diagnosed in the UK are 75 and older, according to the NHS.

It adds that smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer.

Swollen fingers and nails

Changes in the shape of your fingernails and swelling can also be a sign of lung cancer.

This symptom is called clubbing.

The nails can appear to ‘float’ instead of being attached to the nailbed and form a sharper angle with the cuticle.

Clubbing can also cause the end of the finger to appear large and red and the nail to curve downwards, so it looks like the round part of an upside-down spoon.

The symptoms are caused by hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA) — a condition that causes inflammation in the bones and joints and affects some people with cancer.

However, not everyone who has lung cancer will develop this symptom and it is more common among those with non-small cell lung cancer, says Cancer Research.

Seizures or passing out

Dizziness when standing up and passing out can be signs of cancer.

Although rare, some lung cancer patients develop a condition alongside their cancer called paraneoplastic syndrome.

It is triggered by tumours releasing hormones into the bloodstream that cause the body’s organs and body systems to behave abnormally.

This can lead to symptoms that don’t seem related to lung cancer.

These include headaches, vomiting, confusion, feeling tired, muscle weakness, seizures, passing out, dizziness and constipation.

Paraneoplastic syndrome is rare but more common among those with small cell lung cancer.

Drooping of one eyelid

A rare type of lung cancer that grows at the top of the organ can cause one eyelid to droop, experts say.

Pancoast tumours, which account for less than 5 per cent of lung cancer cases, can also cause one pupil to go small.

And it may stop sweating on one side of the face, according to Cancer Research.

Shoulder pain or pain that travels up and down the arm, neck and head are more common symptoms of this form of cancer, according to Cancer Research.

Losing weight

About 60 per cent of people with lung cancer have significant weight loss at the time of their diagnosis, Cancer Research says.

This can be because lung cancer causes a loss of appetite.

However, some people lose weight even when they are eating normally.

This is called cachexia, where your body doesn’t absorb all the fat, protein and carbohydrate from your food and burns calories faster than normal.

Scientists say cancer releases chemicals into the blood that contribute to the fat and muscle loss.

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HEALTH NOTES: Lung injections to tackle life-threatening blood clots can cut the risk of