FROM MY SURGERY

BRAIN FOOD

People with mentally stimulating jobs have been shown to have a lower risk of dementia in older age than people whose jobs don’t stimulate them enough. We know keeping your brain active keeps it fit – but now researchers have looked into why there’s also a link with dementia. It seems likely that keeping your brain occupied reduces your levels of certain proteins which can stop brain cells forming connections.

REACH OUT

A European study by science and technology company Merck shows some positives have come out of the pandemic – 1 in 3 of us are doing more outdoor activities and 3 in 10 have improved our diets by cooking from scratch. However, we’ve really struggled with our mental health – almost half say stress and anxiety has affected our emotional wellbeing. It’s so important to speak to your doctor if you’re struggling mentally.

INFECTIONN CONTROL

Wound infections after surgery are a major cause of delayed healing and can lead to serious illness. Nipping infection in the bud early is key. Now scientists at Queen’s University Belfast have invented a tiny indicator that changes colour if a patient’s wound shows early signs of infection. It’s the size of a fingertip, doesn’t make any contact with the wound and detects infection by sniffing the air above the wound!