HEAL THYSELF RECORD WOMAN
TUESDAY From stress to insomnia and headaches to back pain, here’s what the experts do when they suffer everyday ailments
Beat a bad back By Dr Neil Hopkinson, consultant rheumatologist at Christchurch Hospital, Dorset “I regularly suffer from back pain after gardening. Before any stiffness sets in, I dose up on paracetamol or ibuprofen and keep taking it every four hours to stop the muscles in my back going into a spasm.
“Next, I have a brisk walk, which gets the blood flowing through the muscles surrounding the spine to really speed the healing process.
“Taking a bad back to bed is the single worst thing anyone can do as it will get stiffer and stiffer.”
Sleep like a baby By Professor Jim Horne, from Loughborough’s Sleep Research Centre “When I can’t sleep, I won’t lie there languishing. I get up and amuse myself by doing a jigsaw until I feel sleepy.
“Also, I’ll let myself get a bit chilly – a cool body will help bring on sleep.”
Fight flu By flu virologist Dr Robert Lambkin-Williams “Viruses are much more commonly spread by contact than through sneezing, so keeping your hands clean is vital to avoid flu.
“I carry hand sanitiser with me but it’s equally important to wash your hands with soap and water for a full minute.
“I refuse to shake the hand of anyone who has any cold or flu symptoms, and as soon as I get any symptoms myself I stay at home so I don’t pass it on.”
De-stress By Neil Shah, director of the Stress Management Society “I get stressed spending a lot of time producing reports on my computer, so I remove myself from the source as soon as possible and go for a run or cycle.
“The physical act of exercise helps you focus on the task at hand, it burns off the adrenalin and clears your head.”
Cut out coughs By Professor Ashley Woodcock, respiratory specialist at the University Hospital of South Manchester “When I need to cough, I simply do my very best not to – by distracting myself as best I can, resisting the urge to give into it or by swallowing it back.
“The more you cough, the more your throat and airways become inflamed, creating a vicious circle and before you know it, you’ve developed a severe hacking cough.”
Soothe your skin By Harley Street dermatologist Dr Christopher Rowland Payne “It’s common to suffer dry skin when it gets cold, particularly because of central heating.
“If I can’t open a window, I put a bowl of water on top of the radiator. This keeps humidity high, which stops skin from drying out.”
Avoid scars By Alex Karidis, plastic surgeon at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth in London “As soon as any wound or cut I get heals, I start applying oil or cream that contains vitamin E. Being an antioxidant, it helps with healing of an early scar.
“The other thing I apply is a thin layer of silicone gel, which is gently massaged in. This will help with the realignment of the collagen bundles in order to produce a flatter, softer scar. Do this for the first three months.”
Tackle tooth decay By Professor Damien Walmsley, professor of restorative dentistry at Birmingham University “Brush before meals, especially breakfast, not after. The acid from any fruit juice or smoothie weakens the enamel, so if you do brush after eating you’ll be damaging your teeth. “Also, fluoride in toothpaste needs to stay in your mouth to give a protective shield. So spit but don’t rinse afterwards.”
Eat away your headache By Dr Andrew Dowson, leading clinician at East Kent Headache Services “At the first sign of a headache, I eat a bowl of cereal. Going without food uses up sugar from our bodies’ stores, which can trigger headaches. “It’s also often worse at night when blood glucose levels are lower, so by eating something easily digestible you can avoid a full-blown headache.”