Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of death here in the UK. According to the NHS, coronary heart disease (CHD) is the term that describes what happens when your heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.
CHD can be caused by certain lifestyle choices and other medical conditions, such as:
Smoking.
High cholesterol.
High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Obesity.
Those considered to be at risk from CHD will be put through a risk assessment by their GP. Tests such as a treadmill test, radionuclide scan, and a CT scan are just a few of the options available to doctors. The main symptoms of CHD are angina, heart attacks, and heart failure.
In order to reduce the risk of CHD, people are advised to make severe lifestyle changes. For example, people should take part in regular exercise, eat a balanced diet, and stop smoking if they smoke. There are also several types of medication or surgery options to help treat CHD.
The knock-on effects of CHD can appear out of nowhere and can be fatal. If you have a Personal Alarm you can raise the alarm as soon as you feel any pain or fall, and help will be on its way within a few short seconds. Remember, a Fall Detector Pendant will automatically detect a sudden fall and will raise an alarm for you. Having this technology can make a huge difference should you suffer from a heart attack.
Dementia is a progressive disorder that affects the brain’s memory capacity and its overall functionality. Rather than being a condition in and of itself, dementia is a word that refers to a set of symptoms relating to someone’s memory, language, and understanding.
The most common cause of dementia, and the most well-known, is Alzheimer’s disease. Vascular dementia is another type of dementia that develops following a stroke or if there is blood vessel damage in the brain.
Symptoms of dementia include:
Difficulty remembering recent events.
Problems in conversation – struggling to follow along or to find the right words.
Difficulty judging distance.
Forgetting where you are or what date it is.
Nearly one million people in the UK live with dementia, 90% of whom are 65 or over. Anybody who feels that they might be suffering from any of these symptoms should visit their GP as soon as possible. An early diagnosis can help ensure that the right treatment and support is put into place.
The symptoms of dementia can be scary, both for you and your loved ones. Personal Alarms can help in these situations. If you, or your loved one, begin to worry or becomes confused about their surroundings they can press their pendant for help.
Having a stroke is very serious and it can be life-threatening if you don’t seek medical attention straight away. A stroke will occur when the blood supply to a part of your brain is cut off. Without your blood, brain cells can be damaged and may even die.
Strokes a particularly common among older people, with the average age for men to suffer one being 74 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. For women, this age is slightly higher, with the average being 80-years-old. Across the UK, strokes are a leading cause of disability with around two-thirds of all survivors being left with a disability.
It’s very important to know the signs and symptoms of a stroke, as the sooner you and your loved ones react, the fewer complications there will be afterward. As mentioned, strokes can be life-threatening so it’s important for treatment to begin as soon as possible. The most common signs of a stroke can be memorized by using the word F.A.S.T:
Face – The person affected may be unable to smile and their face may have dropped on one side, with their mouth or eye drooping.
Arms – The person affected may be unable to live both arms and keep them there due to weakness in one arm.
Speech – The person affected may suffer from slurred or garbled speech, or maybe unable to talk at all.
Time – Don’t waste any time! Dial 999 immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.
Paramedics are trained to deal with strokes, so if you notice any signs at all you need to call for an ambulance. Wearing an alarm pendant ensures that you can call for help even if you’re unable to reach for the phone. Our Response Team will take care of everything, by calling for your loved ones and the emergency services.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often associated with the aging process and is therefore quite common among older people here in the UK. The disease is commonly caused by other medical conditions that have an effect on your kidneys, such as kidney infections, high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney inflammation.
According to Kidney Care UK, around 64,000 people in the UK are being treated for kidney failure – this is also known as stage 5 CKD, where kidney function is less than 15%.
Unfortunately, symptoms for the early stages of the condition are quite rare and may only be picked up during a blood or urine test carried out for other medical conditions. As the condition gets worse, you may suffer from:
Shortness of breath.
Feeling sick.
Blood in your urine.
Swollen ankles, feet, or hands.
Tiredness.
If you suffer from any of the symptoms above or notice any other worrying changes to your body, you should see your GP as soon as possible.
There is no cure for CKD right now, but there are methods of treatment that can relieve the symptoms and prevent it from getting any worse. Options include medication, living a healthy lifestyle, dialysis, or a kidney transplant in severe cases.
