Did you know, a consistent lack of sleep can make your decision-making similar to that if you were drunk? Whether you need to perform for exams, your job, be alert for lectures or nail those meetings, we’ve got you covered here at Healthwords with tips on how to perform at your best. Read on to find out why you need at least 7 hours to perform your best and how to stay awake and alert when you need to.

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and teeth, healthy muscles and many other benefits to keep you in tip-top health. We can get it from sunny summer days and some foods. It’s easy to become deficient, so we need to take supplements in the darker months or depending on our ethnicity. Let’s take you through why it’s important, and how you can boost levels.

Low blood sugar is known medically as hypoglycaemia, and commonly referred to as “a hypo”. This is when the level of glucose in your blood drops below the normal range. It can be a condition in people with diabetes, especially if you take insulin, but it can be related to medication and other medical conditions. Healthy blood glucose is somewhere in the range of 4 to 7 mmol/l before a meal. You get hypoglycaemia if your blood glucose goes below 4mmol/l. It's the higher risk the lower it goes, and the longer it goes on. If you are diagnosed as diabetic and either taking insulin or at risk of hypo's, either your doctor will provide you with a blood glucose monitor machine or sensor patch or you can buy one, to keep an eye on your levels.

Our mental wellbeing is of huge importance as it has an impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. As we get busy or face challenges in our lives, it can be something we overlook or forget to make time for. Here are our top tips from our medical experts here at Healthwords on how to keep a check on your mental wellbeing and help yourself stay healthy. Good mental wellbeing does not mean you will always feel happy, but it can help us cope better with the challenges we face in day to day life. Aiming for contented is more realistic. Our first top tip is exercise. You may not look forward to exercising, but it can give a substantial boost to your mental wellbeing. Increased blood flow to the brain increases brain cell growth and the generation of new connections. Endorphins and dopamine are released, helping make us feel good and giving us better sleep. Resilience to stress is improved and it has a positive impact on symptoms of depression and anxiety. It helps posture, too – the better you hold yourself when you sit or stand, the fewer aches and pains you get, but evidence shows that you also feel more confident and content in yourself.

Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and causes seizures. These seizures happen because of unusual electrical activity in the brain. Epilepsy can affect lots of people and can have a significant impact on their lives - it doesn't just affect the person who is experiencing epilepsy but also their family and friends. Living with epilepsy can be tough. People with epilepsy can have occasional problems with their memory, mood, energy levels and daily activities. They might also have a hard time at school, work, and general social activities. It's essential to learn about epilepsy so you can understand it and how it affects people with the condition and the people around it. It can also help people with epilepsy to feel more supported and valued. If you or someone you know has epilepsy and is untreated, it's worth seeking help from your doctor. Treatments available can help manage seizures and improve quality of life. Remember, you are not alone. With the right support, you can live a happy and fulfilling life, no matter what challenges you may face.

Insomnia occurs in one-third of the UK population and can have a significant negative impact on someone’s day-to-day life. This article explores what insomnia is and what to do if you have it.

We have all been told sleep is important, but did you realise to what extent? Here are some shocking facts about sleep that may make you want to dive right into bed and get those recommended 7-9 hours!

What can I do or take to relieve stress? Exam time is undoubtedly a stressful time. It’s important not to let stress affect your well-being. Make sure you are taking time out of studying to look after yourself, setting a block of time to exercise, rest, relax, and do something you enjoy. Make sure you drink fluids, eat well-balanced meals and get enough sleep. Taking a mental break gives your mind time to recover, so studying is more effective. Exercising or practising mindfulness are also great stressbusters and can positively affect your mental well-being. If you feel yourself panicking, pause, and breathe. Panicking does you no good and makes you feel worse. The best thing you can do is keep calm and level-headed. If you ever feel overwhelmed or unable to cope, talk to a friend, family member or even your doctor. You can also reach out to your school or university for support.

Sleep is really important can have a direct impact on your health. Getting a good "night’s" sleep during the day can be challenging for anyone working night shifts. Here at Healthwords we've done a fair few night shifts ourselves, with one team member racking up more than a years worth of night shifts over the last 6 years of work in the hospital. So here are our top tips on how to give yourself the best chance of getting some good rest during the day.

Everyone goes through phases of feeling unmotivated or lacking in energy – it can be part of life’s normal ups and downs. But if fatigue and lethargy persist without obvious cause – you're not working long stressful hours or have a new baby – then perhaps you need to consider an underlying cause.

Insomnia means low-quality sleep. It is very common with around one-third of people in the UK suffering from it. Insomnia can occur in many different forms, from difficulties falling to sleep, staying asleep, waking up too early without being able to get back to sleep, or not feeling refreshed from sleep. It leads to significant symptoms in the daytime such as tiredness, difficulties concentrating, and sometimes problems controlling your emotions. Because everyone is unique, the amount of sleep someone requires to function their best varies from person to person and also tends to decrease with age, so there is no set criteria to diagnose insomnia. The diagnosis is made from what a patient describes, the symptoms they experience, and their doctor’s expertise and opinion. The majority of adults need between 6 and 9 hours of sleep per night in order to function well in the daytime, and the average range of time taken to fall asleep is between 10 to 30 minutes. It is normal to wake up from time to time at night so don’t worry if you do and try not to look at a clock as worrying and clock-watching can make getting back to sleep harder. Insomnia is more common in women and older people. The main causes are poor sleep routine or habits (known as sleep hygiene), a loud or light sleeping environment, stress, substance abuse, caffeine or alcohol use, and certain mental health or physical health conditions that can affect sleep.

Many people today face challenges with sleep due to their busy lives. For those seeking a solution, melatonin has emerged as a popular choice worldwide. Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the body's pineal gland and is known for regulating sleep patterns. However, understanding its availability and usage in the UK requires navigating specific regulations and considerations. Understanding Melatonin: Melatonin offers hope for those struggling with sleep disorders, providing relief for issues like insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns. In the UK, its regulated status ensures it's used safely and responsibly under healthcare professionals' guidance. By understanding melatonin's role and working closely with healthcare providers, individuals can explore effective solutions for achieving restful sleep. Melatonin, often called the "sleep hormone," is a critical player in the rhythm of our body's internal clock, which is known as the circadian rhythm. This rhythm acts as our biological timekeeper, regulating various bodily functions, including sleep-wake cycles, hormone production, and metabolism. It orchestrates when we feel sleepy and alert, helping to synchronise our sleep patterns with the day and night cycles. When evening approaches and darkness falls, a signal is sent to our brain's pineal gland, prompting it to ramp up melatonin production. This surge in melatonin levels serves as a biological cue that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. As melatonin levels rise, our bodies feel more relaxed, tired, and ready to transition to rest. External light cues don't just influence melatonin secretion; our internal body clock also influences it. This internal clock helps anticipate when melatonin production should increase daily, ensuring that our sleep-wake cycles remain synchronised with the 24-hour day-night cycle. In addition to its role in promoting sleep, melatonin also plays a part in other essential functions within the body. It acts as a potent antioxidant, helping to scavenge harmful free radicals and protect cells from oxidative damage. Moreover, melatonin has been implicated in regulating immune function, supporting cardiovascular health, and modulating mood and cognitive function. Disruptions to our natural melatonin production can occur due to various factors, such as exposure to artificial light at night, irregular sleep schedules, or certain medical conditions. These disruptions can interrupt our circadian rhythm, leading to sleep disturbances, fatigue, and other health issues.

Snoring is often described as a loud sound that occurs when you sleep. As you breathe in and out, air flows past the relaxed tissues in your throat. These relaxed tissues can partially block the airway and cause vibrations. Snoring is very common and not often related to anything more serious. The biggest complaint from snoring is often from the person’s partner. Snoring is more common in men than women and occurs commonly in people who are overweight. Being overweight or having larger tonsils can cause narrowing of the airways which also can lead to snoring. If you have any nasal problems like congestion or a family history of the medical condition obstructive sleep apnoea or you drink alcohol, you are also at higher risk of snoring.

Your thyroid gland is a small gland in the front of your neck. It's a chain reaction, where your brain releases a hormone, which prompts the thyroid gland to release a hormone (called thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH), which then produces thyroxine, also called free T4. This is the active biochemical. Hypothyroidism means that your thyroid gland is underactive, or not making enough thyroid hormone. You get symptoms of a slowed metabolism, which affects how you use and store energy. This can affect the body in many ways: gain weight feel cold all the time feel tired sluggish need to sleep more dry skin hair loss slower in your thinking less able to concentrate feel a bit depressed have a slower or weaker pulse. Hypothyroidism is ten times more common in women than in men and in the UK about 1 in 100 of people have it. It is most common in adult women and becomes more common with increasing age but it can occur at any age and can affect anyone. Fortunately, it is easily fixed once it’s been identified and treatment started, although it can take a month or two for this to take full effect.

What is sleep? And why is it so important? Well, around a third of your life is spent sleeping and it is as necessary for survival as water and food. We'll explain here about the cycles of sleep and why we need them.

Quality sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, playing a crucial role in physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning. However, for millions of people worldwide, achieving restful sleep can be challenging due to sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea. In this article, we will delve into the complexities of sleep apnoea, exploring its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Miscarriage is the term used if you lose your pregnancy before 24 weeks of gestation. Most miscarriages occur in the first trimester, or before the 13th week of gestation. Sadly, miscarriage is far more common than people think. One in every four to five pregnancies will end in miscarriage. It's an incredibly difficult and emotional experience. It brings physical, psychological and social challenges. People often wonder why it has happened, and whether they’ve done anything wrong or could have done something to prevent it. Most of the time, there is no obvious reason for a miscarriage, and you should reassure yourself that there’s nothing you could have done differently or better. You should also take heart from the fact that a miscarriage, even multiple miscarriages, does not mean that you are not going to carry a pregnancy to full term and become a parent.

As the days get shorter and the temperature cools, it can be tempting to curl up on the sofa with some comfort food and a binge-worthy box set. But we are not naturally hibernating animals, so it’s important to understand why your energy levels may dip while your appetite increases, and address it with healthy choices. The doctors at Healthwords will always encourage a healthy balanced diet over and above taking supplements, and the more colourful and varied your meals, the more nourishing nutrients you are getting. But there are times that supplements may be helpful or even vital. There is less choice of fresh foods over winter, and less sunshine to naturally make vitamin D, plus fighting off colds and flu means our immunity needs to be in tip-top condition. Let's talk you through the challenges of winter and how to counter them to keep you healthy in mind and body.

It’s easy to get confused between an intolerance to lactose, a component of cow’s milk, and an allergy to milk. Both are very common, but each has a different body response, and therefore needs a different approach to treatment. We’ll take you through the key differences, so you know the signs to spot if you or someone you know shows symptoms and will give you advice on what to do.

It’s common to experience a lack of appetite at various points in life, and this often leads to shedding a few pounds. Times of extreme emotional stress or bereavement, or illnesses such as flu or gastroenteritis are common prompts. But it can cause alarm if you can’t see a reason for it and it can be distressing to feel clothes becoming baggy or people commenting. Worries can be parked in two camps: firstly, how much weight you’ve lost and the risk of malnutrition, and secondly, whether there is any serious medical condition causing the weight loss.

Why is sleep important? Well, around 1/3 of your time is spent sleeping and it is as necessary for survival as water and food are. Optimising sleep can help you exercise better, improve your self-control and be all-around healthier. Here are our top tips for getting a great night's kip.

There are many possible symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, although it is also possible to have no symptoms at all. Here in this article, Healthwords will walk you through both what Vitamin D does, why it is so important and what the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are so that you can be on the lookout.

Guarana is a fruit from the guarana plant (called Paullinia cupana), a rainforest vine native to the Amazon region in Brazil. Paullinia cupana is the most caffeine-rich plant in the world. Guarana seed extracts provide a natural source of caffeine for medicines. Guarana-containing products include Berocca and similar "pick-me-up" stimulant supplements or drinks.

GAD-7 is a questionnaire that is used to help assess the presence and severity of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). There are 7 questions (hence the name GAD-7) which ask about different symptoms and how often you experience them. The questions ask how often you have been bothered by these symptoms over the previous 2 weeks: Feeling anxious, nervous or on edge Not being able to stop, or control, worrying Worrying too much about different things Trouble relaxing Being so restless that it’s hard to sit still Becoming easily irritable or annoyed Feeling that something awful might happen. The score is calculated by assigning scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, to the response categories of “not at all,” “several days,” “more than half the days,” and “nearly every day,” respectively. GAD-7 total score for the seven items ranges from 0 to 21. Scores of 0-5 show mild anxiety, 6-10 moderate, 11-15 moderately severe anxiety and 15-21 severe anxiety Anxiety is a feeling that occurs when someone feels under threat or stress. It is a natural response to a threat that actually can at times be helpful and has helped with the survival of humans across the ages. However, if it is excessive, persistent or affecting people's daily life then it may be an anxiety disorder. Generalised anxiety disorder is characterised by anxiety around lots of different things (usually everyday occurrences) rather than anxiety relating to one specific thing or situation.

Metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe a cluster of common medical problems including insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, raised levels of blood triglyceride fats and low HDL-cholesterol levels. These can significantly raise your chance of developing heart disease, early age heart attacks, strokes and serious and life-threatening conditions. It is believed that if you have a combination of three or more of these conditions, then you have metabolic syndrome. This combination is very common, affecting around 25% of UK adults and up to 50% of adults globally. It may also occur in children and young adults who are obese, and that figure is growing as obesity becomes more common. In this article we look at what causes metabolic syndrome, how it is diagnosed, and what you can do to reduce your risk. What is metabolic syndrome? The term ‘metabolic syndrome’ has been used by doctors since the late 1980s, and the combination of conditions linked to it is used to identify people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It refers to specific conditions linked to obesity - particularly around the waist - and some which disturb the processes by which our bodies get energy. These include: Obesity, defined as a waistline of at least 89 centimetres (35 inches) for women and 102 centimetres (40 inches) for men High blood pressure, defined as higher than 130/85 Insulin resistance , diagnosed on a blood test where HbA1c is higher than 48 mmol/mol (or 6.5%) High cholesterol, as defined by high triglycerides and low HDL levels However, a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome does not take into account other factors such as age, smoking, gender and family history. Despite this, it is still felt by most healthcare professionals that it is a useful term as it can help to advise people who fit its criteria as to ways of preventing or reducing their longer term health risks associated with it.

Losing weight can be extremely challenging for some people. Even with a change in diet and increased exercise, they may still struggle to lose it. In scenarios like this, weight loss medication could be the answer. Different prescription weight loss drugs are available, but you may be wondering how effective they actually are and which one is right for you. In this guide, we explore your options with weight loss mediation.