Smileband general news

Article written by Ruth Lythe,  

Large cash payments to tradesmen could be banned in a crackdown on the black economy. Plumbers, builders and even child-minders could be barred from receiving sizable payments to ensure they pay the full tax for the work they carry out.

The proposals, published in the Spring Statement yesterday, are a bid to rake in as much as £3.5billion a year in tax from the UK’s hidden economy. Another suggestion is that receipts could be made compulsory across Britain – forcing workmen to write down any payments received.

But business experts warned that the Government must not launch measures that would see innocent businesses unable to use cash when needed.

Cash-in-hand payments are considered a scourge by tax officials, who believe some workers are flouting the system.

Any income received for work carried out should be taxed at someone’s individual tax rate – even babysitting.

But it is common for many tradesman to accept a cash payment for a certain amount of the work they carry out in exchange for a slightly cheaper deal. This suits the customers, as they get money off, but also the tradesman who can avoid tax.

In 2015, former shadow chancellor Ed Balls came under fire for suggesting people should get a written receipt for all transactions.

The Labour politician said he always asked for a written record because it was the ‘right thing to do’. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband health topics

Article written by Holland and Barrett, How to identify and treat Vitamin D deficiency

Why is Vitamin D important for health?

Vitamin D plays a role in a number of fundamental functions in our bodies. These include absorbing calcium, promoting bone health, supporting cell growth, and reducing inflammation. You might know about the link between Vitamin D deficiency and rickets (which is called osteomalacia in adults). Rickets is a condition which affects the bones. It causes them to become soft and weak, often leading to deformities and fractures. In fact, Vitamin D3 was first recognised when scientists were trying to work out why cod liver oil was so effective in treating rickets. But our bones are not the only parts of our bodies that rely on enough Vitamin D.

Lack of Vitamin D has also been linked to muscle weakness, fatigue, and even mental health. Studies have shown that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to an impaired immune system, making it more difficult to fight infections. Vitamin D receptors in our brains help brain cells receive and understand chemical signals- a lack of Vitamin D is likely to affect the way our brain communicates.

What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?

A healthy diet might not be enough to keep your Vitamin D levels boosted all year round. 90% of the Vitamin D our bodies need comes from getting out in the sunlight and only 10% is from diet choices. Even if you eat fortified foods, you could be at risk of Vitamin D deficiency. If your routine and lifestyle keeps you away from sunlight, look out for these symptoms:

Low mood

The so-called happy hormone (serotonin) falls with lack of sun exposure. If you feel low or irritable, it could be a sign.

Ageing

If you are over 50, you lose some of your natural ability to produce Vitamin D from sun exposure. Your kidneys also become less efficient at converting the vitamin. Stay active and spend plenty of time outside in your 50s, 60s, and beyond.

Body weight

If have recently become overweight or obese, this could be a sign of low Vitamin D. Heavier people will also need more Vitamin D than a lighter person. This is true if you are heavy due to muscle mass. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.

Digestive problems

Because Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, any gut problem which affects your ability to absorb fat could also impact your Vitamin D levels. Something to be aware of if you have IBD, Crohn’s, celiac, or gluten sensitivity.

Achy bones and joints

Vitamin D deficiency affects bone health, and can result in a throbbing or achy feeling in your bones. This is often most noticeable in the knees and back. People who don’t have enough of this important vitamin can develop rickets. Vitamin D also plays a role in osteoporosis, bone pain, and an increased risk of fractures.

Head sweats

A common sign of Vitamin D deficiency is a sweaty scalp (this is one reason newborn babies are monitored for head sweats). A sweaty scalp could be an early sign of Vitamin D deficiency.

If you think you are at risk, ask your Doctor for a blood test to assess your Vitamin D levels. With your Doctor’s support, start taking a quality Vitamin D3 supplement to meet new Government guidelines.

Are you at risk of Vitamin D deficiency?

Our bodies can only make Vitamin D when our skin is exposed to enough sunlight. So if you don’t get outside much, have dark skin, or like to cover up, you are naturally at risk of Vitamin D deficiency. Are you at risk of low levels of Vitamin D?   

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Smileband health topics

Article written by Great Ormond Street Hospital Myelomeningocele

Myelomeningocele is a type of spina bifida. This is when the neural tube has failed to close and the neural tissue is exposed on the baby’s back. The myelomeningocele will look like a sac sticking out from a baby’s back. 

In early development, the brain and spinal cord start as a tube-like structure called the ‘neural tube’ that is open at either end. These openings close within the first weeks of pregnancy, and the neural tube continues to grow and fold, eventually forming the brain and spinal cord.

If the tube fails to close properly, this results in a group of problems called ‘neural tube defects’. There are two types of neural tube defect: open, also called spina bifida aperta or myelomeningocele, or closed, also called spina bifida occulta.

This information explains about the open myelomeningocele type, which accounts for 75 per cent of all cases of spina bifida.

In myelomeningocele, the neural tube has failed to close and the neural tissue is exposed at a place on the baby’s back called the ‘neural placode’. This most commonly happens in the baby’s lower back just above the bottom, but could occur anywhere along the spine. The myelomeningocele will look like a sac sticking out from the baby’s back. 

How is myelomeningocele treated?

Without the protective covering of skin, the spinal cord will become further damaged, spinal fluid often leaks from the area and there is a very high risk of infection. Surgery is usually recommended within the first few days of life.

The aim of surgery at this stage is to put the spinal cord back into the spinal canal and repair the defect in the back so that the area is covered with normal, healthy skin.

Before surgery, the affected area is covered with a dressing and the baby will be nursed on their front. A number of specialists will visit to examine the baby, including a neurosurgeon, physiotherapist, paediatrician, orthopaedic surgeon and anaesthetist.

After the operation, the infant will be nursed on our neurosurgical ward, still on their front for most of the time, although parents will be able to feed their baby by breast or bottle and pick up the child as normal.

The physiotherapist will see the child after the operation. They will assess how much strength the baby has in each muscle group and measure their sense of feel. When taken together, muscle strength, sensation and reflexes give us a picture of how well the messages are getting from the brain to the arms and legs via the spinal cord.

The physiotherapist will also give advice on how to position and handle the child to stretch out tight muscles and to help with normal development. They may also refer a child to local physiotherapy services who can continue to see the child and monitor their development. They will also monitor the movement in the child’s muscles and joints and may refer them to an orthopaedic doctor at a local hospital.

Once the baby is recovering well, they will be able to go home. We will need them to come back to the ward between 10 and 14 days after the operation, so that we can check the operation site, carry out an ultrasound scan of the baby’s head and measure their head circumference.

Four to six weeks afterwards, they will need to come to clinic for a further check up appointment. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband general news

Article written by Dominic king, 

Jamie Carragher has been axed from his Champions League TV pundit role tomorrow night after he was filmed spitting at a 14-year-old girl. The former Liverpool and England star was due to be working for Danish channel TV3 Sport and cover the match between Manchester United and Sevilla.

But they have pulled the 40-year-old from their line-up as Sky Sports bosses hold crunch talks to decide whether he should present Monday Night Football this evening.

Carragher arrived in London this morning as his £1million-a-year pundit jobs hangs in the balance and claims he 'did not see' the schoolgirl before he spat from the window of his Range Rover. She was left in tears after his saliva hit her in the face and said he should have 'taken it as a joke' when her father shouted '2-1, 2-1, unlucky Jamie lad, 2-1 lad' following Liverpool's loss to Manchester United on Saturday.

Carragher, who is worth around £15million, said today: 'I'll speak to the family again. I'm sorry. I'll apologise again today properly.

'I didn't (see the girl), to be honest, she was leant back. I wish she wasn't involved. I hate that she was involved more than anything.'

The unnamed girl told the Mirror: 'I have never been spat at by anyone before. I thought, "Why has he done that". I thought I had done ­something wrong.

'People in school take the mick and it is just a laugh. Someone like him who is older should be able to take a joke.

Her 38-year-old mother was 'extremely angry' and said that what Carragher did was the 'lowest of the low'. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband health topics

Article was written by idaz medical, 

Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. The main reservoir for Brucella species is animals. The most common species are usually associated with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and rarely dogs.

In the acute form of illness (less than 8 weeks from illness onset), nonspecific and "flu-like" symptoms may include:

• fever
• sweats
• malaise
• anorexia
• headache
• myalgia
• back pain

In the undulant form of illness (less than 1 year from illness onset), symptoms may include:

• undulant fevers
• arthritis
• epididymo-orchitis in males

In Arizona the most common risk factor is consumption of unpasteurized milk, milk products or cheese.

Arizona 5 year median: 1 case

Transmission

Contact with tissues, blood, urine, vaginal discharges, aborted fetuses and especially placentas, and by ingestion of raw, unpasteurized milk and dairy products from infected animals.

Airborne infection of animals occurs in pens and stables, and of humans in laboratories and abattoirs.

Brucella is rarely transmitted from person-to-person.

Mothers may transmit the infection to their infants congenitally or through breast-feeding.

Sexual transmission has also been reported.

Although uncommon, transmission may also occur via contaminated tissue transplantation. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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Smileband health topics

Article written by fact health deby team, 

There are many kinds of cancer which can affect the eyes. The most common ones are lymphoma; eye melanoma; retinoblastoma (which is a childhood cancer); and squamous cell carcinoma. At times, cancer of the eyes can develop in the tissues that surround the eyeball. It may even spread from the eyes to the different parts of the body. The symptoms of eye cancer are quite easy to identify unlike other types of cancer. Here the symptoms only show up during the more advanced stages of the disease.

But since there are different types of cancer of the eye, some of them are easier to discover than others. This is because some have more obvious and common symptoms. Some are obscure, and some don’t even have symptoms. This is why it’s very important to have regular eye examinations. It does checks that if everything is alright. People who have this type of cancer may experience some or all these symptoms while others won’t. Either way, it would be very helpful for you to learn about the symptoms in case you experience any of them. Then you would be able to have your eyes checked at the early stage. Hence, it catches the disease or illness early.

1. Blurring of the Vision

2. Spots or Flashes in the Field of Vision                              3. Partial or Full Loss of Sight. 

4. Pain Around or In the Eye

5. Bulging of the Eye

6. Change in the Appearance of the Eye                                7. A New Spot in the Eye.                                                        8. A Lump on the Eyelid or in the Eye

9. Excessive Tearing or Bloody Tears

10. Loss of Eyelashes or a Sty Which Doesn’t Heal

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Smileband general news

Article was written by phoebe southworth, 

A police chief has called for cannabis to be sold in off-licenses and heroin and cocaine to be available on prescription, claiming the war on drugs has failed. North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones thinks trying to prohibit drugs is a waste of police time and kills people unnecessarily.

The former police officer and Plaid Cymru member sees no reason why cannabis shouldn't be sold in the same way as alcoholic - over the counter in licensed shops.

But Mr Jones, who has appealed to MPs at Westminster to legalise narcotics, thinks hard drugs like heroin and cocaine should only be available on prescription from pharmacies.

'A lot of the problems around drugs are caused by prohibition and strong enforcement. It just doesn't work,' he told the Daily Post Wales.

'I think prohibition kills a lot of people unnecessarily and if we did regulate, we could divert police resources towards harmful behaviours like child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and modern slavery.

'Prosecution for minor possession of drugs is a waste of time.'

He added: 'I want to see drugs controlled and sold by responsible retailers similar to off-licences that sell alcohol.

'I don't see a difference between the use of alcohol and the use of cannabis.

'If we went back to day one, and we were legislating this again I'm sure people would realise that alcohol causes a lot more harm than cannabis does and I think the categorisation would reflect that.

'But we are where we are, alcohol is legal and cannabis is illegal and it is illogical to have it like that

'Hard drugs like cocaine and heroin could be sold or prescribed from a secure pharmacy.

'But I think cannabis could be sold with the same level of security as alcohol is sold at now in an off-licence

'This would be with suitable age restrictions to prevent children buying it which is something we do not have now. <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->

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