Ramadan is a yearly event in the Islamic calendar, a holy month of prayer, reflection and sacrifice, and fasting is an important part of this. A strict fast means nothing to pass the lips during daylight hours – so no food, drink or smoking. Some include medications in this, but the Qur’an teaches that you should not act in a way that harms your health, which may leave you feeling in doubt about what to do. A set of guidelines has been put forward by specialists in the NHS, in collaboration with national groups representing Muslims, to protect your health during Ramadan. It’s important to remember that this is guidance. Your health and your personal beliefs are individual to you, so if you have any doubts about the right path forward, seek advice. You can speak to your healthcare team – your doctor or hospital specialist if you have one – and you can speak to your local Imam or any other Muslim leader that you trust.

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.

Head injuries are fairly common, especially in children, but they can happen to anyone from trips and falls, traffic collisions and sporting injuries. It may be obvious from the injury that someone needs professional medical attention, but sometimes signs take a while to manifest. Let’s talk you through when to seek help immediately, and what to look out for in the hours and days afterwards. It's important to stress that most head injuries are minor and do not result in serious or lasting injury, but it's important to be aware when an injury could be significant.

Dehydration is a condition characterised by an inadequate amount of fluid in the body, resulting from either insufficient fluid intake or excessive fluid loss. This imbalance disrupts the body's normal functions and can lead to a range of symptoms and health complications. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluids than it takes in, causing a decrease in the volume of water and electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium, and chloride) circulating in the body. This can happen due to various factors, including excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, prolonged exposure to heat, or insufficient fluid intake. Dehydration can manifest with symptoms such as thirst, dry mouth, dark urine, fatigue, dizziness, headache, confusion, and, in severe cases, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, and loss of consciousness. Prompt recognition and treatment of dehydration are essential to restore fluid balance, prevent complications, and promote overall well-being. Ensuring adequate hydration to ensure our bodies remain healthy can be a tough ask, especially in hot conditions, and during strenuous activities or exercise. Hot temperatures and increased water and salt losses can lead to dehydration. Mild dehydration may be felt as thirst, headache, mild dizziness, reduced need to urinate and dry skin. In its more severe form, dehydration can result in reduced alertness, fatigue, muscle cramps, loss of consciousness and long-term damage to your kidneys.

Remembering to take medications can be challenging, especially when dealing with multiple medications and different dosing schedules. In this comprehensive article, we provide expert tips from our Healthwords pharmacists to help you improve medication adherence.

The majority of minor cuts can be managed at home and should heal within three to five days. A superficial cut, or surface laceration, is one that breaks the top-most layer of skin but doesn’t go deep enough to reach the fat or muscle layer underneath.