Harley Street Health Centre Blog

Please look out for the following symptoms of Ovarian Cancer:

• Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
• Vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea and indigestion
• Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection;
• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
• Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness
• Ongoing unusual fatigue
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits

When you suffer from joint (especially knee) or back pain due to injury or arthritis, you enter into a vicious circle.  On the one hand, exercise will help you manage your weight and improve mobility but the pain makes it difficult to engage in any kind of exercise. One solution that has worked for some of my patients is exercise in water such as aqua aerobics.  Because you are not weight-bearing in water, the strain on your back and joints is greatly relieved but you still raise your pulse and improve your mobility.  Most leisure centres with a swimming pool have water aerobics sessions.  Even if you can’t get to a class, walking fast or jogging gently in water can help

Many people believe that eating more fruit and drinking fruit juice when trying to lose weight will help their efforts.  Unfortunately, although fruit does indeed have many nutritional benefits, it does contain sugar and can reduce the amount of weight you are able to lose.  Smoothies are especially full of sugar.  I recommend replacing fruit such as mangoes and bananas with cherries and berries and relying more on vegetables than fruit for your vitamin intake.  For example, did you know that one cup of chopped red pepper contains more than 100% of your daily recommended allowance of vitamin C?  When you do eat fruit, eat it early in the day rather than snacking on it late at night.

You all know how interested I am in glandular fever (Epstein Barr Virus) so I was particularly excited by recent research published in the medical journal Neurology that has revealed that low levels of sunlight coupled with the virus can increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).

There are also links between MS and low vitamin D level, which is being further investigated in Scotland.

The researchers at Oxford University looked at hospital admissions in England between 1998 and 2005.  They found that just be analysing sunlight, they could explain 61% of the variation in the number of MS cases across England.  However, when combined with glandular fever, 72% of the variation in MS cases could be explained.

Gastric bands and gastric bypass – what’s new and is it right for you?

The Harley Street Health Centre has for many years been at the forefront of bariatric surgery.  We know what works and for whom, when it’s right and when it’s not.   When considering any kind of bariatric surgery, here is what you need to know.  Recently, bariatric surgery has moved forward in complexity and reduction of risk.  We are working with the foremost surgeons in the field who are experts in keyhole bariatric surgery.

Surgery is no guarantee of weight loss.  Although you will almost certainly experience rapid weight loss in the first few months, you can regain this and your weight will not continue to drop if your eating habits are not improved.  Before considering surgery, we always recommend taking a few important steps to improve the outcome and your chances of reaching your healthy weight:

1. We will need to rule out any physiological or medical reason for your weight gain including thyroid function problems, hormonal imbalances, metabolic syndrome and so on.
2. Together we need to work through the emotional elements of your eating – do you eat when you are stressed, tired, bored or upset?  This won’t change if you have surgery so we do need to replace these habits with healthier ones.  We also need to work together to boost your confidence and self-esteem and work through any negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to over-eating.
3. Both before and after surgery, you need support to understand your body, its needs and what to expect.  Many providers of bariatric surgery do not provide this and it can be scary and difficult not knowing.  We will educate you and ensure you know everything you need to.

We will soon be launching a new website dedicated to bariatric surgery and you can meet the people who have already gone through this life-changing experience.  In the meantime, feel free to call the clinic on 020 7323 3830 and ask for Alya to organise a free initial consultation.

Hair thinning and unexplained hair loss is traumatic for everyone but especially women.  This can have a number of causes and more often than not, there is a solution out there for you.  My advice is to focus on what is going on in your body rather than spending large amounts of money on lotions and potions, although some do indeed help.   Here is my checklist for hair health and resolving hair thinning in women:

• Ask your doctor to check your hormone levels as high levels of testosterone and other hormone imbalances can cause hair thinning in women.
• Ask your doctor to check your scalp health as dandruff, psoriasis, fungal infections and other dermatological problems contribute to hair loss.   You might need a referral to a dermatologist.
• Check your iron level – if you have low iron, this can cause hair thinning.  Increase your intake of red meat and take supplements.  Biocare is a good vitamin brand.
• Make sure you are eating enough protein – it is what your hair is made of!
• Low vitamin D level has a direct effect on hair follicle health and getting sunshine safely, increasing your intake of polyunsaturated fats (nuts, seeds, oily fish) and where needed, taking supplements will help.
• Make sure you are not gluten intolerant or have coeliac’s disease – research has shown that this contributes to hair loss.
• Improve your general nutrition – increase your intake of fruit and vegetables, oily fish, nuts and fruit and cut out refined sugars and simple carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits.
• A lack of exercise can contribute to hair thinning.  Exercise helps to pump vital blood and nutrients to all parts of your body, including your scalp.
• Watch your stress!  Being stressed at work or about the hair loss will only perpetuate the problem.
• Be patient!  Hair takes several months to begin to show a recovery but it will happen.  In the meantime, get a haircut that suits your hair type, stop colouring and over styling and massage your scalp regularly.  Use a wide-toothed comb to get out the tangles and avoid over brushing.

Our clinic has just started using a new instant HIV test that provides the result within 60 seconds.  This particular test was recommended to us by a sexual health specialist centre and is used widely throughout the NHS.  According to the supporting clinical study, this test is accurate to 99.96% and we regularly test its reliability using laboratory-prepared positive and negative samples.

This test involves a pin prick in the finger.  The blood is then transfered to a testing membrane which tests for HIV antibodies.  A blue dye is then used to activate the agent within the membrane which indicates a negative result with one blue dot and a positive result with two.  HIV testing never gives a false negative result but can give a false positive result which is why all positive results are sent for confirmation and the tests are also repeated to improve reliability.

We are also providing a test for early HIV detection, or P24 test.  The difference between this test and the antibody test is that it looks for the virus protein which can be detected much sooner than antibodies.

HIV is no longer a death sentence and many people with HIV live long and healthy lives.  Early detection is key to a good prognosis and testing has never been easier.

Hayfever season is around the corner and for many sufferers, it is worth being prepared early and exploring new treatment and prevention options.  Hayfever is an allergic inflammation of the nasal airways. It occurs when an allergen such as pollen or dust is inhaled by an individual with a sensitized immune system, causing the release of inflammatory mediators such as histamine. This inflammatory reaction causes the symptoms that sufferers are familiar with such as itching, redness of the eyes, blocked nose and tickly throat.  If you are asthmatic, this will often aggravate your condition.

Many people rely on over the counter anti-histamine treatments to get through the season and battle the symptoms and this works for many people.  But for more serious symptoms, medical intervention can be necessary including the use of inhalers, steroids and other prescription medication.  If you are asthmatic, it is especially important that you are prepared and seek medical advice if you feel your condition is worsening.

It is difficult to miss the furore around “halitosis-gate” on Dancing On Ice this week.  But the truth is, bad breath is something that affects a large number of people at some point in their lives. In fact, recent statistics show it could affect up to a quarter of adults on a regular basis.

Bad breath is usually brought on by the breakdown of proteins by bacteria somewhere in the mouth and can generally be avoided with regular dentist visits and good oral hygiene.  Smoking certainly does not help.  However, there are several other possible causes that affect the airways, oesphagus and stomach that can also lead to bad breath.  Food intolerances, diabetes, indigestion, pulmonary disease and conditions that cause acid reflux can often cause bad breath.  As such, if you suddenly find your breath is smelling differently or someone comments on it, do take it seriously and get checked out. It is often a sign your body isn’t as happy as usual.

Do you suffer from bloating, changed bowel habits, tiredness and puffiness?  This can be caused by a number of things including candida overgrowth in the gut.  The overgrowth of yeast in the gut acts very much like it does in the cooking process, fermenting sugars and producing ethanol and by-products.  This can cause a craving for sugar and starches but also a very bad reaction to them.  It tends to accompany weight gain and lethargy.   Very often, patients who present with yeast overgrowth are also gluten-intolerant and do well on a low-sugar diet.  The treatment for this is simple but can really change your life.